If you preached one transfiguration text, you’ve preached them all… right? This is one of the stories that is incredibly similar across all three synoptic gospels. When comparing Mark, Luke, and Matthew’s versions of the transfiguration, there are only slight differences. So, I will turn to my standard answer that I’ve given probably six weeks in a row: The Matthean themes are always a road into more nuance and sermon fodder.
Matthew 5:13-20 (5th Sunday after Epiphany) – February 5, 2023
To describe why it’s difficult to know the true meaning, each of these metaphors on their own are awkward for different reasons. Salt doesn’t really lose its saltiness. A city on a mountain as a light is not very practical other than to be seen from far away. You don’t usually keep a lamp/light burning forever and it will need to be extinguished at some point. These few verses don’t fully function as parables. They are more proverbial. Ultimately, holding onto Matthean themes and Matthew’s narrative may be the best help for our understanding.
Faking Demonic Possession is Like a Mustard Seed (Commentary on Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52)
Although it is very sacrilegious and there’s quite a bit of profanity, one of my favorite books is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. As you can gather from the title, it is a fictional account of Jesus’ life told from the perspective of Jesus’ best friend, Biff. It... Continue Reading →
Perfection (Commentary on Matthew 5:43-48)
“We will be perfect in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. Let's go to... Continue Reading →
Micah Krey 