Matthew 23:27-36 Can we find good news in words of woe? If you’re a fan of a softer, gentler, smiling hippy Jesus who preaches peace and love – all the time – then you might be glad that the Revised Common Lectionary tends to skip over texts like Matthew 23. But, as we begin our Lenten journey, I decided to turn once again to David Ackerman’s alternative lectionary, which invites us to consider some of the darker and heavier texts. The season of Lent is a good time to hear texts like this. Lent invites us to consider the darker side of our lives. In Matthew 23, Jesus offers seven “words of woe,” two of which we’ve heard this morning. This word of judgment comes after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowd that gathered around Jesus is excited. They’re hoping Jesus will turn the tables on their oppressors – just like he turned the tables on the marketers in the Temple. He’s already debated one ...
Sermons of a Disciples Preacher Ministering in Troy, Michigan