[RCL]: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7,16; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21 For the past several Sundays, our Gospel readings have been focused on Jesus’ parables as recorded by Matthew. First, there was the parable of the sower, then the parable of the weeds and the wheat, and last week, a whole panoply of parables: the mustard seed,…

[NOTE TO READER: The Greek word “esplahnisthē” in the fifth paragraph is pronounced “Es-plah-NEES-thee.”] Jesus’ cousin, the one who went before him to open the way, is dead. Both John and Jesus had started their brief ministries as courageous prophets, proclaiming God’s justice, calling people to repentance, inviting them to find their way to God….

The gospel for this Sunday is from Matthew, chapter 14, verses 13 to 21, and it is perhaps the best known parable of the Bible. Or is it? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is certainly well known. But no, even though it is commonly referred to as “The Parable of the Loaves and Fishes,”…

Sometimes thinking in the Episcopal Church is too sophisticated. Sometimes, we tend to miss simple truths, stated plainly and simply. How many of us would feel comfortable in a congregation where the people express a form of the old time religion? One such church developed a kind of chant that expressed a simple truth. The…

It is very difficult to read the three appointed lessons for today without weeping. These must be the passages that have sustained communities in distress through the ages: these are the words that allow the great suffering peoples of Africa and the tiny Christian remnant in the Middle East to cling to hope in these…

We frequently find ourselves caught in the midst of seemingly unresolved tensions. Such situations arise at home, at work, on the field of competition, and in our corporate national life, especially in the areas of politics and the economy. Despite the fact that all economic indicators place those of us in the United States in…

This account of the feeding of the multitude occurs in all four Gospels, each with its own emphasis. In today’s Gospel it helps us to understand the impact of this event by contrasting it with what has just occurred. Matthew precedes this account with the sordid story of the beheading of John the Baptist at…

God accuses the false prophets in the Book of Jeremiah of saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace (Jeremiah 16: 4). Many people all over the world today are crying for peace, and the nations are seeking peace in the world. However, the peace they are seeking is superficial only to avoid wars. Such…