Commentary posted on February 20, 2017

Last Epiphany A Sermon Commentary

 

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Matthew 17:1-9 Sermon Commentary

Last Epiphany A

In the Harry Potter books, the students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy have to take a course in “Transfiguration.”  There they learn how to change teacups into rats or flowers into candles.   And to most people’s minds that is pretty much what “transfiguration” is, too: it is a change of state from…

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Psalm 2 Sermon Commentary

Last Epiphany A

This is Transfiguration Sunday, the glorious conclusion of the season of Epiphany.  The story of Christ’s Transfiguration pre-figured in Exodus 24:12-18, told in Matthew 17:1-9, and retold in II Peter 1:16-21 (our other lectionary readings for today) is given a dark twist in our reading from Psalm 2.  The other lectionary readings point to the…

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2 Peter 1:16-21 Sermon Commentary

Last Epiphany A

It’s wonderful when you can see that a very important lesson finally took hold and sunk in for someone.  If you are a teacher, then seeing a student avoid making the same mistakes all over again as a result of your instruction is so very rewarding.   Some days those of us who teach wonder if…

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Exodus 24:12-18 Sermon Commentary

Last Epiphany A

Perhaps few preachers and teachers will tackle Exodus 24 as a stand-alone passage, even on Transfiguration Sunday.  That’s, however, at least somewhat regrettable.  The Spirit has, after all, embedded at least a few gems into this passage. Exodus 24 functions as a kind of “swing chapter,” in the words of Old Testament scholar, Terrence Fretheim. …

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