I hesitated to write a post for this week since I know so many congregations will be reading the Passion story for Palm/Passion. Hear me when I say that there is nothing wrong with that and there is real beauty in hearing the entirety of the Passion story in one sitting. That is even more important for those communities that do not hold services for Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. It is critically important that we do not have Palm Sunday and enter into the joy of Easter Sunday without have first stopped at the washing of the feet and the cross on the hill. But I still wanted to share a thought for those who are preaching: Lean into the disorientation.
John 11:1-45 (5th Sunday in Lent) – March 26, 2023
I am not sure how I want to read the Gospel story this week given all that’s going on in Biblical Studies. If you haven’t heard by now, there is fascinating discussion around John 11 that is happening in Biblical Studies because of the work of Elizabeth Schrader Polczer. Her work exploded when Diana Butler Bass gave a sermon at the Goose Festival in July of 2022. In short, Elizabeth Schrader Polczer has discovered significant evidence from the ancient manuscripts that there is no “Martha” in this story. But that John 11 is only about Mary and Lazarus. The name “Martha” was written in later by an editor (in theory trying to connect to the sisters of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke). And so, without Martha, it could then be suggested that this Mary is the same Mary at the tomb, Mary Magdalene. If you haven’t heard about this yet, I encourage you to read Diana Butler Bass’ sermon and then take a listen to her most recent interview with Elizabeth Schrader Polczer. This *could* lead to the most significant change in translation in a very long time. So, how do we preach this text? The truth is that the themes still hold true. Whether spoken by Martha or Mary, the powerful lines of Resurrection promise come from these amazing female figures. The tragic line of grief, “Lord, if you had been here…” still flows from her lips even in spite of her belief. Jesus weeps.
John 9:1-41 (4th Sunday in Lent) – March 19, 2023
As I mentioned last week about the Samaritan woman at the well, this is another massive text with extensive commentary. And this long text can get even longer because it should be read alongside chapter 5’s healing story in contrast. AND it can get even longer, because it can be read historically as one of the catechetical stories of baptismal preparation along with the Samaritan Woman (4:5-42) and the Raising of Lazarus (11:1-45).[1] Themes of the Light of the World, Blindness vs Seeing, Belief and Unbelief, Choice and Rejection, and Sin, can all be thoroughly examined throughout our preaching. But I would say “Seeing and Believing Jesus vs. rejection” is the main issue at hand. In many ways that can be described as the greatest “sin” in the Gospel of John, rejecting God after seeing God face to face. Again, if you want to go the theological route, there are so many incredible commentaries out there and there is so much that we can choose to go over (though narrowing would be crucial). But again, I wonder if there is a way to connect with the humanity of this man. Like with Nicodemus and Samaritan woman what if we connected with the encounter with Jesus. What it felt like to be with him. What it felt like to witness to him afterwards. After all, the Greek of man is anthrōpos, theologically “every person.”[2] How do we experience the encounter with the divine, the Light of the World?
John 4:5-42 (3rd Sunday in Lent) – March 12, 2023
If I’m honest with you, I’m a little fearful of writing on these next few weeks. The Samaritan woman at the well, the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus. There are so many commentaries on each of these already (especially this week’s text which has a received lot of commentary in the last decade). There have been writings on the complicated and visceral tensions between Samaritans and Jews.[1] Writings on the sexual/romantic/betrothal tension of a man coming to a woman at Jacob’s well.[2] There are many older derogatory commentaries that focus on the sexual promiscuity of the woman and demonize her because of her “five marriages” (of which she would have likely had little agency).[3] There are commentaries that lift this up as the first “I am” statement in the Gospel of John (“I am he, the one who is speaking to you”) and this first revelation coming to a Samaritan. There are commentaries that rightly lift her up as the first evangelist of the faith.[4] With 37 verses, there is so much ground that can be covered in our preaching. All this to say, I am not going to try to be the smartest one in the room on this one. There are so many great voices who have already done so much of that work (some of whom are in the footnotes). So, rather than try to compile all these different thoughts into one long synopsis commentary (which would probably lead to just retelling the whole Gospel), I want to think about her feelings from the narrative? As human beings and disciples, how can we resonate with the woman’s experience?
Micah Krey 