Jesus

You Don’t Take Pentecost Seriously

No, really. You don’t. But you should.

May 13, 2013 By The Hardest Question 6 Comments

by Danielle Shroyer

New Testament Reading: Acts 2:1-21

For Sunday, May 19, 2013: Year C—Pentecost

I’ll be straight with you: Pentecost is my favorite Christian day. So please excuse me while I hop up on my Pentecost soapbox for a moment.

[Clearing throat with gravitas.]

Pentecost is a radically important day. It’s the rightful conclusion to the story of resurrection. The dismantling that begins in Holy Week isn’t completed until Pentecost. Yes, we are all rightfully dazzled by the surprising turn of events at Easter. But then Jesus leaves on Ascension, and the Spirit comes at Pentecost. Then and only then is the work of Holy Week finished. So unless you want to have a really slim view of salvation (and really, who wants to skimp out on something as important as salvation?), you’ve got to hold all of these mysteries together to get the fullest picture of this new creation. Otherwise, you are going to MISS OUT. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Acts, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: Acts, Ascension, Danielle Shroyer, David, dove, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Pentecost, Saul

Questioners, Beware

Is it really that unreasonable to ask Jesus for a straight answer?

April 15, 2013 By The Hardest Question 3 Comments

by Danielle Shroyer

Gospel Reading: John 10:22-30

For Sunday, April 21, 2013: Year C—Easter 4

Sometimes, less is more.

In this conversation between Jesus and the Jews gathered in the Temple, I think it would have been perfectly acceptable—and quite possibly preferable—if Jesus had just quit while he was ahead.

A Reasonable Doubt

They come to him with a direct question. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you’re the Messiah, tell us plainly.” This is a completely understandable request. We are talking, after all, about John’s Jesus. He’s the one who has said “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up” (2:19) and to Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (3:3) and “Before Abraham was, I am” (8:58). We’ve had 2000 years and we’re still talking about what these things mean.

Is it so terrible that they didn’t understand it on the first go-round? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, John, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: answers, Danielle Shroyer, Easter, Gospel of John, Jesus, mathlete, Messiah, New Testament, questions, sheep

Crushed (Another View)!

When people get crushed, is it sometimes God’s fault?

February 25, 2013 By The Hardest Question Leave a Comment

by Michael Danner

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1 – 13

For Sunday, March 3, 2013; Year C—Lent 3

Two observations and an initial question…

Observation #1: Good things happen and bad things happen.

Observation #2: Some people are good and some people are bad.

How are these two observations connected, if at all? Well, according to today’s epistle text, sometimes God crushes people who are doing the wrong thing.

Ouch!

Paul speaks of his Jewish forefathers. They followed God through the hardship and trials of the Exodus and came out victors with Moses. They all had the same spiritual food and drink and drank from the same spiritual rock which was Christ. Unfortunately, it didn’t take in the same way. Paul says, “God was not pleased with most of them and their bodies were scattered over the desert.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: 1 Corinthians, Featured, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: angel, god, Jesus, Michael Danner, pagan, sexual immorality, snakes, suffering, warning, wrath

Crushed!

People get crushed in all kinds of ways, God has nothing to do with it!

February 25, 2013 By The Hardest Question 7 Comments

by Michael Danner

Epistle Reading: Luke 13:1-9

For Sunday, March 3, 2013; Year C—Lent 3

Two observations and an initial question…

Observation #1: Good things happen and bad things happen.

Observation #2: Some people are good and some people are bad.

How are these two observations connected, if at all?

It’s only fair

In spite of the book of Job, the most common way people connect them, both then and now, goes like this: Good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Luke, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: Jesus, Kingdom of God, life, love, Michael Danner, power, pulling strings, Repentance, suffering, Theodicy

The Devil Tried to Make Me Do It

So, isn’t the devil a hindrance to understating what evil really is?

February 11, 2013 By The Hardest Question 2 Comments

by Russell Rathbun

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1-13

For Sunday, February 17, 2013—Lent 1

Let us begin Lent with a test.

The Holy Spirit fills Jesus up, leads him into the wilderness and then apparently leaves him there in the hands of the devil. The devil? Who is this devil? This is how we want to start Lent, by talking about the devil?

The Devil’s In the Details

There are of course a lot of Lent sermons you could give about temptation and how Lent is a time to redouble your efforts not to give into temptation just like Jesus, but that is not really very good theology. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Luke, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: devil, evil, Jesus, job, lent, person, personification, russell rathbun, temptation, test

The End of the World

Is this that?

November 25, 2012 By The Hardest Question Leave a Comment

by Michael Danner

Gospel Reading: Luke 21:25 – 36

For Sunday, December 2, 2012; Year C—Advent 1

This passage begins with apocalyptic thunder, as Jesus overwhelms his hearers with the unspeakable doom they are about to experience. The heavenly bodies will be shaken. People will freak out and faint with terror. They will be filled with anxiety about the future. The End is here!

Sandwich-Board Guy

I’ve never pictured Jesus as a sandwich-board wearing street preacher with a message of doom before, but it seems like “that guy” and Jesus have similar messages. And, let’s be honest, while we (or at least I) dismiss “sandwich-board guy who warns of impending doom,” that is the message that fuels the 24/7 cable news cycle—albeit in a more nuanced and sophisticated way. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Luke, New Testament, YearC Tagged With: apocalypse, end of the world, faith, hope, Jesus, Michael Danner, redemption

Jesus Questions the Text

Is the Biblical text set in stone?

October 1, 2012 By The Hardest Question 2 Comments

by Russell Rathbun

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:2-16

For Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012—Ordinary 27

When we started this blog, we set out with a clear resolve to take seriously the questions that came up as we read the weekly lectionary texts—that is, hard questions about the text, not life application questions that arise from the text, not the ethical/pastoral, semi-Pelagian, “how then shall I live?” questions.

We really want to nail the sometimes theological, sometimes contextual, text-critical kind of questions—questions about how, what, and why the text means. And in a sincere pseudo-midrashic spirit, to open ourselves to the possibility that often the real questions are found in the texts gaps and fissures. Did I mention the sometimes outrageous? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Mark, New Testament, YearB Tagged With: divorce, Jesus, law, lectionary, midrash, Moses, question, russell rathbun, stone

Real World: Galilee

What happens Jesus stops being polite and starts getting real?

September 9, 2012 By The Hardest Question 2 Comments

by Mike Baughman

Epistle Reading: Mark 8:27-38

For Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012: Year B—Ordinary 24

Chances are at some point in your life, you found yourself sucked into an episode or two of The Real World. The lectionary today is a glimpse of Biblical reality vellum. So this week, we present:

The Real World: Galilee…the true story of twelve strangers, picked to follow a Rabbi, work together and have their lives recorded to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Mark, New Testament, YearB Tagged With: Jesus, Justin Bieber, Mike Baughman, peter, Real World, reality TV, Satan

Is “Jesus Bread” Gluten Free?

If Jesus is the Bread of Life why is it so hard to take a bite?

August 5, 2012 By The Hardest Question 7 Comments

by Roy M. Terry IV

Gospel Reading: John 6:35, 41-51

For Sunday, August 12, 2012: Year B − Ordinary 19

I have a good friend who just found out he has a gluten allergy. Now when we go to a restaurant he is always asking, “Do you have a gluten free menu?” The real struggle my friend has is that he LOVES bread!

I can remember him telling me on numerous occasions, “I don’t care what the scripture says – I could live on bread alone!” He also mentions frequently that he can tell if a restaurant is any good simply by the bread they bring out before the meal. Sticking to a gluten free diet is driving him crazy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, John, New Testament, YearB Tagged With: bread, Gluten, Gluten-Free, Jesus, life, Roy Terry IV, Ultimate

You’re Going the Wrong Way!

How do they know where we are going??

July 29, 2012 By The Hardest Question Leave a Comment

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

For Sunday, August 5, 2012; Year B—Ordinary 18

I love the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles staring Steve Martin and the late John Candy. In one scene, John Candy’s character inadvertently drives his car onto the interstate going against the flow of traffic. Motorists on the other side of the highway (the side he is suppose to be on) try to warn them by yelling, “You’re going the wrong way!!!”

John Candy’s character turns to Martin, laughs them off and says, “They’re drunk, how do they know where we are going?”

No, really. You don’t. But you should.

Is it really that unreasonable to ask Jesus for a straight answer?

When people get crushed, is it sometimes God’s fault?

People get crushed in all kinds of ways, God has nothing to do with it!

So, isn’t the devil a hindrance to understating what evil really is?

Is this that?

Is the Biblical text set in stone?

by Russell Rathbun

What happens Jesus stops being polite and starts getting real?

If Jesus is the Bread of Life why is it so hard to take a bite?

by Roy M. Terry IV

How do they know where we are going??

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

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