Willie Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss wounds, tactility, and boiled fish in Luke 24:36b-48. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Inaugurated by Touch (Third Sunday of Easter)
Voiceover Voice:
The antidote to fear is sound and touch. That’s a lovely way to think about what’s going on here.
Helena Martin:
This is Chapter, Verse, and Season: a lectionary podcast from Yale Bible Study. Join us each week as two Yale Divinity School professors look at an upcoming text from the Revised Common Lectionary.
This episode, we welcome two new guests to the podcast: Willie James Jennings, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies, and Adrián Hernández-Acosta, Assistant Professor of Religion and Literature. They’re discussing Luke 24:36-48, which is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter in Year B. Here’s the text.
[Luke 24:36-48]
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. Yet for all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering, and he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Willie Jennings:
Adrián, I love this text in Luke chapter 24. The thing about it is I like how tactile it is. Even though it’s words on a page, it feels so fleshly because it’s Jesus kind of presenting his body. And
so, I’ve always appreciated the kind of sensuality of this particular text. He shows up, they’re surprised, and then he says, touch me. And then he says, give me something to eat. And then he talks, but that talking now has this nice feel related to it. So, he’s talking, wanting them to listen, but he also wants them to feel it. I always liked that.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
What that really draws my attention to is the kind of next section where he’s basically telling them to reinterpret previous text in light of what’s just happened. And it’s such a wonderful transition because then I start to think about text and literature in a much more material way.
What does it mean to read together while we’re eating this fish, while we’re touching each other, while we’re beside each other. So, it’s beautiful how those two sections in that passage work together around interpretation and materiality for me.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah. I like the way you put those two things together, interpretation and materiality. Because those two things are often kind of left in separate rooms. And what’s so nice about the way you put that is that Jesus kind of weaves them together in his body. And, you know, as I think about this text, I think about all the thousands of sermons I’ve heard about it, and the interesting way many of those sermons kind of always play with the way Jesus is addressing fear in this, as you put it, the materiality and the textuality of it and the interpretation of it. So that the antidote to fear is sound and touch.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mmm.
Willie Jennings:
Which to me, that’s a lovely way to think about what’s going on here.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Right, right, right. A certain familiarity that’s only kind of confirmed in the tactile, right? I’m not a ghost. I’m not just an image but come and touch me and that’s supposed to comfort those who are around him.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that part. The other part I love is that broiled fish piece. [they both laugh] And I remember hearing many a debate about whether this was actually broiled fish or fried fish. And you know, many of the folks I know argued that broiled actually means fried. [laughs]
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Oh wow, I didn’t know that.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, that’s a particular interpretation of the Greek text.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Ok.
Willing Jennings:
Though I don’t think it’s valid, but it does sound very nice.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Willie Jennings:
But I love the idea that he says, go get me, get me a piece of fish. Give me something to eat. And so, they bring him this piece of broiled fish, which, you know, has that nice, you know, in kind of a preacherly logic, it has that nice full circle with the very beginning of his ministry when he gets these fishermen. And, you know, and so they begin by eating fish. And so now at this moment, they’re still eating fish.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
It’s a beautiful touch that kind of full circle. Because he meets them where they are, right?
Willie Jennings:
Yeah!
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
They’ve returned back to their previous profession. Instead of reprimanding them for having done that, he meets them where they are.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
And does it in the most tactile way. Like, this is what you know how to do. Let me have you recognize me again from where we started.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah. It’s that recognition thing that’s always amazed me about this text because, you know, the text highlights the hands and the feet. And that’s, you know, what’s amazing about that is the hands and the feet are where, in many ways, the most grotesque aspects of his assassination show themselves.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-hmm.
Willie Jennings:
And so here, he said, okay, I want you to look at the very thing that was the most grotesque. And, what’s always been amazing about this is that the hands and the feet are still marked.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-hmm.
Willie Jennings:
You know, they still have the holes.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-hmm.
Willie Jennings:
You know, we have, I think in so many Christian contexts, we haven’t really spent a whole lot of time, I know in Catholicism we do a little bit in terms of the stigmata, but we haven’t spent a whole lot of time of thinking about a wound that is yet a site of healing. You know, it’s a wound but it’s still healed because he’s overcome death.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Yeah.
Willie Jennings:
Which I think that is always something that anybody preaching or teaching this text needs to reflect on. That there can be wounds that actually say something about the afterlife and about life after horror.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-hmm. And that life after horror, I mean, those are the same hands presumably that he’s using to eat this fish.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Right? So, not only showing the scars, if you will, of previous tribulations but actually using those very hands to then kind of be in community once more.
Willie Jennings:
I often would imagine what it must have been like to watch, I mean, for them to watch him. After seeing him die and then to watch him eating.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-Hmm.
Willing Jennings:
Right? And to, I mean, you could almost do a Hollywood movie of this, you know. That he brings the fish to his mouth, and then you see this big gaping hole his hand. [they both laugh] He
crosses his legs and you see the big gaping hole in his feet. The spectacle of all that.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-Hmm.
Willie Jennings:
And Jesus allowing that spectacle, in a sense, to be drawn to him. So that he is presenting possibility where you didn’t think possibility could exist, right? And in many ways, this for me,
has always been where the kind of, the deeper texture of belief in the resurrection lies, right? Is that what you I don’t think could be possible here it is.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-Hmm.
Willie Jennings:
Here is a body that has come through what nobody has ever come through. And there’s something, there’s something always powerful about that.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
It makes me reflect a lot on the same kinds of Christian communities that may not have thought as much about the stigmata are the same ones that ground so much of their faith experience in having witnessed the impossible in their own lives.
Willie Jennings:
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
And how those two come together, that there’s something very material, very, very sensible about what it means to walk in the faith that, in many respects, this text is kind of drawing out for us. To eat with this man who’s…
Willie Jennings:
Yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
…who’s here.
Willie Jennings:
I like the way you put that. Very sensible. In the registers of the word sensible that you use. That’s very nice because there is a sensitivity, a sense-ness that is always kind of resonant in this story that we often don’t kind of grasp fully because it can be a little upsetting. I mean, touch is such a freighted thing for people.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-hmm.
Willie Jennings:
And touch has those good and negative connotations for so many people. And so, to have the beginning of what will be at the very end of this lovely text, the reality of witness, to be inaugurated by touch, is something I think we have to think and ponder.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
If I can actually ask you a follow up on that. You know, touch, one of the really interesting things about touch is that you can’t touch without being touched.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Right? It’s kind of a two-way street. And so, what do you make of Jesus saying, okay, witness by touching me, and letting himself be touched? What that kind of two-way street kind of does to these notions of witness? Yeah, just curious.
Willie Jennings:
That’s a great point to be thinking about because, as I like to say, the thing about the incarnation within Christian thought, the thing about the incarnation is not simply that God comes to embrace us, but God comes to be embraced. And there’s something very powerful about the currency of the sensual that God inaugurates and wants to sustain after the resurrection. So, and this text always stands in contrast to the text where he says to Mary, “don’t cling to me.”
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Mm-Hmm.
Willie Jennings:
But the clinging doesn’t mean touching. It means that you just don’t hold on to me because I have to ascend. But what’s so great about this is that as the precursor to that moment, or should I say, it’s the post reality of the moment after he’s ascended and returned. Now, he wants to be touched. And there’s something about that that we haven’t yet fully cherished, I don’t think. By we, I mean Christians who try to read and preach and interpret this lovely text.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
Yeah. I mean, thinking about Luke’s relationship to Acts, how these kind of concluding scenes of the Gospel are preparing the missionary work that’s about to take place in the sequel…
Willie Jennings:
Yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
…so to speak.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
And how the sendoff is precisely in this very material witness…
Willie Jennings:
Mm-Hmm.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta:
…of a God who wants to be in continual touch with us as we strive to be in touch with him.
Willie Jennings:
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I like the way you put witness there, because I think that really is the tactile and the sensual nature of witness is really what’s underscored so beautifully in this story. Yeah, I love that.
Helena Martin:
Thanks for listening! We’re here very week with new episodes to help shape your preaching, teaching, and reflection.
Chapter, Verse, and Season is a production of the Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School. It’s produced by: Creator and Managing Editor, Joel Baden; Production Manager, Kelly Morrissey; Associate Producer, Aidan Stoddart; and I’m your Host and Executive Producer, Helena Martin. And our theme music is by Calvin Linderman.
We’ll be back with another conversation from Chapter, Verse, and Season.
Book of the Bible:
Luke
Subjects:
Luke
Text
New Revised Standard Version Bible
Copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Credits
Host and Executive Producer: Helena Martin
Production Manager: Kelly Morrissey
Creator and Managing Editor: Joel Baden
Assistant Producer: Aidan Stoddart
Music: Calvin Linderman
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
StitcherMore Episodes
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss David, his kingship, and its implications for the modern political climate in 2 Samuel 23:1-7. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, the Reign of Christ, Proper 29, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss scriptural perspective, to whom we're giving our hearts, and perfect love in Mark 13:1-8. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 28, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Harry Attridge discuss Ruth's faithfulness, Levirate marriage, and what turns out to be the most explicit biblical sex scene in Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 27, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss universality, immortality, hope, and intertextuality in Isaiah 25:6-9 and Revelation 21:1-6a. These texts are appointed for the Feast of All Saints, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Content Warning: Infant Death
Awet Andemicael and Gregory Sterling discuss Job's transformation, believing in God even during great suffering, and the impossibility of theodicy in Job 42:1-6, 10-17. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss which of Jesus' natures suffered on the cross, visual representations of suffering, and the identity of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53:4-12. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss balance, grace, and being called to account in Hebrews 4:12-16. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss Satan, unanswered questions, and internal contradictions in Job 1:1, 2:1-10. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss pedagogy, amputation, embodiment, and a worm in Mark 9:38-50. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss wisdom literature, motherhood, and patriarchy in Proverbs 31:10-31. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss the power of speech, risk in hymnody… and middle school!... in James 3:1-12. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss wisdom, reading practice, and habituation in Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and Joel Baden discuss Jewish identity, prophetic critique, and washing hands in Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
LinnTonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss cosmology, martial imagery, incarceration, and power in Ephesians 6:10-20. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kyama Mugambi and John Pittard discuss wisdom, leadership, and community flourishing in 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss incarnation, sacrament, and references to the Hebrew Bible in John 6:35, 41-51. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Teresa Morgan and Molly Zahn discuss parables, punishment, and kingly power in 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Willie James Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss leakage, control, chaos, and healing in Mark 5:21-43. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss domestic violence, discernment, God’s presence, and collaborative reading practices in 2 Samuel 7:1-14a. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss color, invitation, and the embodiment of language in Ephesians 1:3-14. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Greg Sterling discuss strength, grace, and theories of power in 2 Corinthians 12:2-10. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, in year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Willie James Jennings and Adrián Hernández-Acosta discuss steadfastness, alignment, and the depths opening inside repetition in Psalm 130. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss fear, sleep, prayer, and even sine waves in Mark 4:35-41. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss gardening, the lectionary, and the impact of little things in reference to Mark 4:26-34. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kyama Mugambi and John Pittard discuss blasphemy, forgiveness, and Satan in Mark 3:20-35. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Teresa Morgan and Molly Zahn discuss law, Judaism, and how Jesus engages these topics in Mark 2:23–3:6. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss secrets, stupidity, revelation, and belief in John 3:1-17. The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, the First Sunday after Pentecost, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Adrián Hernández-Acosta and Willie James Jennings discuss colonial wounds, prophecy, resurrection, and exile in Ezekiel 37:1-14. The text is appointed for the Day of Pentecost in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bruce Gordon and Felicity Harley-McGowan discuss warning, delight, and the rhythms of life in Psalm 1. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday of Easter in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss self-sacrifice in history, obedience in love, and the demands of true friendship in John 15:9-17. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Molly Zahn and Teresa Morgan discuss interpretation, disenfranchisement, and magic in Acts 8:26-40. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Pittard and Kyama Mugambi discuss commandments, faith, and risk in 1 John 3:16-24. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloё Starr discuss liberation theology, wealth redistribution, and ordered community in Acts 4:32-35. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Linn Tonstad and Yii-Jan Lin discuss recognition, situatedness, and destabilization in John 20:1-18. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Molly Zahn and Teresa Morgan discuss trauma, uncertainty, and geogrpahy in Mark 16:1-8. The text is appointed for the Great Vigil of Easter, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Pittard and Kyama Mugambi discuss paradox, salvation, identity, and suffering in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. The text is appointed for Good Friday, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss liberation, service, and lifestyle in John 13:1-17. The text is appointed for Maundy Thursday, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss parades, entrances, and subverted expectations in Mark 11:1-11. The text is appointed for the Liturgy of the Palms in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Mobley and Jerry Streets discuss penitence, self-reflection, and love in Psalm 51:1-12. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss typological hermeneutics, the virtue of patience, and the theology of Irenaeus in relation to Numbers 21:4b-9 and John 3:13-17. The text is appointed for Holy Cross Day, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss textual criticism, reception history, and genre in Exodus 20:1-17. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss faith, righteousness, and the interfaith legacy of Abraham in Romans 4:1-5, 13-17. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss rainbows, natural disasters, and ecological justice in Genesis 9:8-17. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Mobley and Frederick “Jerry” Streets discuss Godshine, what to do with the moments that illuminate, and the beauty that surrounds all of us in Mark 9:2-9. The text is appointed for Transfiguration, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss rejoicing, pain, and surrendering power to find joy in Psalm 147:1-11, 20c. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Mobley and Jerry Streets discuss the prophetic message of the Hebrew Bible, Jesus, and the nature of the prophetic in our time in Deuteronomy 18:15-20. The text is appointed for theFourth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss justice work, prophecy, and God changing God’s mind in Jonah 3:1-5, 10. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss wordplay, prophecy, and numinous experience in 1 Samuel 3:1-10. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss baptism, division, and the Holy Spirit in Acts 19:1-7. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Mobley and Frederick J. (Jerry) Streets discuss the spiritual value of routine, Biblical-liturgical expression, and hope in Luke 2:22-40. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss reception history, empire, and hope in Isaiah 9:2-7. The text is appointed for Christmas in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss consent, social power, and Biblical mansplaining in Luke 1:26-38. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss wilderness, resistance, and prophecy in John 1:6-8, 19-28. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss audience, promise, and good news in Isaiah 40:1-11. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss apocalypse, prophecy, and difficult interpretation in Mark 13:24-37. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Andrew McGowan discuss sheep, shepherds, and the use of political metaphor in Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Reign of Christ (Proper 29) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Brandon Nappi and Ned Parker discuss addiction, recovery, community, and “keeping awake” in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss wealth, disempowerment, and the meaning of parables in Matthew 25:1-13. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss family dynamics and the strengths of congregational life in 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 26) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss waywardness, law, and intimacy with God in Deuteronomy 34:1-12. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss Moses, theophany, and the dangers of Christocentrism in Exodus 33:12-23. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Kate Ott and Almeda Wright discuss the challenge of problematic parables in Matthew 22:1-14. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss Paul’s Jewishness, the work of faith, and Divine aid in Philippians 3:4b-14. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss leadership, faithlessness, and providence in Exodus 17:1-7. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss praise, divine mystery, and liberation in Psalm 145:1-8. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss the challenge of forgiveness and the role of grace in Matthew 18:21-35. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joel Baden discuss prophecy, change, and divine threats in Ezekiel 33:7-11. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss Paul, evangelism, and the transformation of evil in Romans 12:9-21. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss history, intergenerational community, and the heroic acts of Biblical women in Exodus 1:8-2:10. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss unity, transformation… and beards… in Psalm 133. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Bill Goettler discuss generational transition, faithlessness, and the voice of God in 1 Kings 19:9-18. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jennifer Herdt and Jere Wells discuss justice, abundance, and the spiritual power of leftovers in Matthew 14:13-21. The text is appointed for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss praise, transaction, and God’s action in history in Psalm 105:1-11. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss the messages of dreams and mundane reality in Genesis 28:10-19a. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss applying the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) to our own dynamic lives of faith. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss environmental justice, co-creation, and the kingdom of God in Psalm 145:8-14. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Bill Goettler and Joanne Jennings discuss hard truths and be in-dwelled by Christ in Romans 6:12–23. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss Jesus’ scarier proclamations in Matthew 10:24-39. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss hospitality, laughter, and the complexity of Sarah as a character in Genesis 18:1-15. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss faith, doubt, shame, and mystic union in Romans 4:13-25. The text is appointed for the second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss rest, reveling, and revelation in Genesis 1:1–2:4a The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss diversity, reversal, and the power of the Spirit in Acts 2:1-21 and John 20:19-23. The text is appointed for the Day of Pentecost in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss righteousness, liberation, and vulnerability in Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss suffering, meaning, and unjust power structures in 1 Peter 3:13-22. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss prophecy, interfaith reading, and incarnation in John 14:1-14. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss paradox, poetry, and life beyond death in Psalm 23. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joanne Jennings and Bill Goettler discuss divine encounter and human conversation in Luke 24:13-35. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss interfaith perspectives on the story of Easter in conversation with John 20:19-31. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss power, peace and healing in Acts 10:34-43. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss the problem of suffering, the impact of loss, and the resilience of human nature in Job 14:1-14 and 1 Peter 4:1-8. The text is appointed for Holy Saturday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Christology, glory, and exclusion in John 18:1–19:42. The text is appointed for Good Friday in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss sacrificial practice, identity markers, and imagined history in Exodus 12:1-14. The text is appointed for Maundy Thursday in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss crucifixion, suffering, obedience, and solidarity in Philippians 2:5-11. The text is appointed for the Liturgy of the Passion (Palm Sunday), in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss miracles, healing, and grief in John 11:1-45. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the role of Joseph, the divine potential of dreams, and membership in the Holy Family in Matthew 1:18-25. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss life in the wilderness for the Israelites, being tested and testing God in Exodus 17:1-7. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss blessing, migration, and the inspiring legacy of Abraham across religious traditions in Genesis 12:1-4a. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss seduction, curiosity, craftiness, and misogyny in Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss leadership, inherited stories, and transfiguring moments in Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9. The texts are appointed for Transfiguration Sunday, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Almeda Wright and Kate Ott discuss pedagogy, mixed metaphors, ageism, and spiritual growth in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss hypocrisy, reward systems, righteousness, and religious performance in Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12). The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss blessedness, poverty, consolation, and the dangers of transactional theology in Matthew 5:1-12. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joanne Jennings and Bill Goettler discuss living with both faith and fear in Psalm 27:1, 4-9. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the story of John the Baptist, a wild and perhaps uncertain character, in John 1:29-42. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Messianism, prophetic gentleness, and hermeneutical approaches in Isaiah 42:1-9. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Vasileios Marinis and Volker Leppin discuss human nature, sovereignty over creation, and preacherly responsibility with reference to Psalm 8. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss the spirit of children, the multiplicity of interpretation, and pastoral responsibility at Christmas, with reference to Luke 2:1-14 (15-20). The text is appointed for Christmas Eve in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Christian and Muslim interpretations of the Nativty of Jesus, with special reference to Matthew 1:18-25. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss patience, endurance of suffering, and the challenges of family conflict in James 5:7-10. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss the imagined future of the glorious kingdom in Isaiah 11:1-10 and Romans 15:4-13. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent, in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
AndrewMcGowan and Ned Parker discuss the holiness of divine absence and the anticipation of things to come in Matthew 24:36-44. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss colonial narratives, indigenous theology, and the downsides of going to a “Promised Land” in Deuteronomy 26:1-11. The text is appointed for Thanksgiving Day (USA), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss Hebrew vocabulary, shepherd imagery, and the legacy of King David in Jeremiah 23:1-6. The text is appointed for the Feast of Christ the King (Proper 29), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss eschatology, aspiration, and ancient Near Eastern curse formulations in Isaiah 65:17-25. The text is appointed for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss poverty, apocalyptic imagery, and economic justice in reference to Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 and Luke 6:20-31. The text is appointed for All Saints’ Day, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and Greg Sterling discuss redemption, the proper use of wealth, and the strange company Jesus keeps in Luke 19:1-10. The text is appointed for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 26, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss shame, redemption, and rehabilitation in Joel 2:23-32. The text is appointed for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss punishment, free will, and the dangers of metaphor in Jeremiah 31:27-34. The text is appointed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss joy, salvation history, and chicken guts in Psalm 66:1-12. The text is appointed for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss trauma, hope, and poetic Hebrew in Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:19-26. The text is appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss faith, ritual performance, and divine blessing in Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. The text is appointed for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Justin Crisp and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss capitalism, shrewdness, and the logic of parables in Luke 16:1-13. The text is appointed for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20), in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss the undoing of creation, fidelity, and false prophets in Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28. The text is appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss precarity, God as creator and destroyer, and the potter metaphor in Jeremiah 18:1-11. The text is appointed for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss humility, reversing the status quo, speaking truth to power in Sirach 10:12-18. The text is appointed for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 17, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Christian Wiman and Jacqueline Vayntrub discuss justice, prayer and action, and getting God's attention in Isaiah 58:9b-14. The text is appointed for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss faith heroes through history, triumphant faith, and the role of sin in Hebrews 11:29-12:2. The text is appointed for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Greg Sterling and Harry Attridge discuss women in early Christian communities, eschatology, and faith as a matter of the heart in Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. The text is appointed for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 14, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss possession, wealth, and covetousness in Luke 12:13-21. The text is appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 13, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Tisa Wenger and Joel Baden discuss bargaining, God and Abraham's new relationship, and the righteous of Sodom and Gamorrah in Genesis 18:20-32. The text is appointed for Track 2 on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 12, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss Mary and Martha, extroversion, and authenticity in Luke 10:38-42. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 11, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss poverty, God's expectations, and our responsibilities to one another in Psalm 82. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss kings, skin diseases, and prophetic power in 2 Kings 5:1-14. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 9, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss prophetic leadership, sudden loss, and mentorship in 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss gender identity, ethnic dynamics, and changes of the heart in Galatians 3:23-29. The text is appointed for Proper 7, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss joy, multiculturalism, and feminine language in Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31. The text is appointed for Trinity Sunday, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Volker Leppin and Vasileios Marinis discuss signs and wonders, Hebrew Bible connections, the promise of salvation, and more in Acts 2:1-21. The text is appointed for Pentecost, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss love-songs, community, and connection in reference to John 17:20-26. The text is appointed for the Feast of the Ascension, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloë Starr discuss social justice, human failure, and heavenly hope in Revelation 21:10, 22–22:5. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss poetic structure, creation language, and the mechanics of praise in Psalm 148. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss whiteness, danger, and comfort in Revelation 7:9-17. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and Gregory Sterling discuss Resurrection encounters and calls to action in Acts 9:1-20 and John 21:1-19. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Mark Heim and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss doubt, trauma, and the value of “Doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-31. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Easter, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harry Attridge and John Hare discuss faith, uncertainty, and the power of emotion in John 20:1-18. The text is appointed for Easter Day, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss the construction of stories, Christian supersessionism, and the legacy of Christian storytelling in relation to Genesis 22:1-18. The text is appointed for the Easter Vigil, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judy Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss the innocence of Jesus, divine kingship, and more in John 18:1-19:42. The text is appointed for Good Friday, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
John Collins and Jennifer Herdt discuss enslavement imagery, Passover liberation, and models of service in Exodus 12:1-14 and John 13:1-17. The texts are appointed for Maundy Thursday, in all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Andrew McGowan and Ned Parker discuss community, sacrament, and suffering in Luke 22:14-23:56. The text is appointed for the Palm Sunday, the Liturgy of the Passion, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Tisa Wenger and Joel Baden discuss divine violence, colonialism, and the notion of “wilderness” in Isaiah 43:16-21. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Yejide Peters Pietersen and Bill Goettler discuss reconciliation, spiritual role-models, and what it means to “become the righteousness of God” with reference to 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. The text is appointed for the 4th Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Judith Gundry and Adam Eitel discuss repentance, leniency, and divine warnings in Luke 13:1-9. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Eric Reymond discuss inheritance, offspring, and the promises of God in Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday in Lent, in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Harold Attridge and John Hare discuss the possibility of being in relationship with God in Romans 10:8b-13. The text is appointed for the First Sunday in Lent, March 6, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the healing and transforming power of God in Luke 9:28-43. The text is appointed for Transfiguration Sunday, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss forgiveness and the sibling dynamics at work in Genesis 45:3-11,15. The text is appointed for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss Jesus’ blessings and warnings in Luke 6:17-26. The text is appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Sunday, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Jacqueline Vayntrub and Christian Wiman discuss the difference between verse and prose in Isaiah 6:1-13. The text is appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss reluctant prophets and God’s will in Jeremiah 1:4-10. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Erika Helgen and Chloe Starr discuss the church universal and love as the basis for the exercise of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss recognizing God in the midst of community and the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss the power of God in Psalm 29. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Epiphany, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Awet Andemicael and Adam Eitel discuss the mystery, language and lyricism in John 1:1-18. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday after Christmas, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Gregory Sterling and Harold Attridge discuss the humanity of young Jesus and the role of Mary as mother in Luke 2:41-52. The text is appointed for the First Sunday after Christmas, Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Sarah Drummond and Joel Baden discuss birth, kingship and signs of God’s redemption in Isaiah 9:2-7. The text is appointed for Christmas (Proper 1), December 24, Years A, B, and C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Felicity Harley-McGowan and Bruce Gordon discuss the Magnificat and our understanding of Mary through the ages in relation to Luke 1:46b-55. The text is appointed for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Advent 4), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Sarah Drummond discuss hope, apathy, and why the context of prophecy matters in Zephaniah 3:14-20. The text is appointed for the Third Sunday of Advent (Advent 3), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Peter Hawkins and Eric Reymond discuss disaster and hope, glory, and reversal in Baruch 5:1-9. The text is appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent (Advent 2), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Joel Baden and Tisa Wenger discuss messianic prophecy, timelessness, and historic context in Jeremiah 33:14-16. The text is appointed for the First Sunday of Advent (Advent 1), Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Chapter, Verse, and Season gives listeners the opportunity to overhear the kinds of conversations that take place in the halls of Yale Divinity School. Each week, professors from different theological disciplines chat about biblical texts from the Revised Common Lectionary. They bring their own interests to the table and hopefully spark new insights into the scripture appointed for each Sunday.