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Tag Archives: Matthew 25:1-13
Oil
In the Hebrew scriptures, oil is a constant sign of God’s providence towards the people, and it is part of the tithe, the offering that the people offer back to God. In the New Testament parables, we see the good Samaritan pouring oil into the wounds of the man assaulted by bandits on the dangerous road Jerusalem and Jericho. Oil is a symbol both of loving God and of loving our neighbours. Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged blessing, Matthew 25:1-13, oil, parable of the bridesmaids, Year A Proper 27
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A parable for the anxious
Her voice rasped like a struck match from crying out her wares: Oil! Get your oil here! Don’t run out. She spent her days like a candleburned at both ends, her core alight with the vision of a strip of lamplight creeping from beneath heavy … Continue reading
It’s not about the oil
They were each one fixated on having her own lamp lit, and none had time nor bandwidth nor the imagination to think outside the oilcan.
If we each look to our own interests and neglect the needs of our siblings, we miss the point of the parable. If we abandon our cousins to the outer darkness, we miss the whole point of the gospel. Continue reading
Year A Proper 27: Remembrance Day
The moral of the story that Jesus tells, the point of the parable is not “blink and you’ll miss it.” The kingdom of heaven is not a one-off, opportunity of a lifetime, miss it and you miss out, you should … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Amos 5:18-24, Matthew 25:1-13, remembrance day, veterans
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Parabolic
It is often said, but bears repeating, that we have a tendency to tame Jesus’ parables. Familiarity breeds, if not contempt, at least complacency. When we stop hearing them as stories, and instead hear only the interpretation and allegorization and reenactment … Continue reading
Posted in sermon preparation
Tagged absurdity, Jesus, Matthew 25:1-13, parable of the bridesmaids, parables, Year A Proper 27
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over the water 