UNIFORM LESSON FOR May 5, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Romans 3:21-31 One of the strengths of the Uniform Lesson series is that it skips around a lot. But one of the weaknesses of the Uniform Lesson series is that it skips around a lot. And here is a case in point: We are dropped down into Romans three chapters in. Paul is making a sustained argument that is related to the spread of the gospel, but which includes far more. Romans 3:21-24 — The righteousness of God Most preaching and teaching in the church seems to focus on the matter of human righteousness. How can sinful human beings become a little less so (with the help of the Holy Spirit)? But Paul’s concern is far bigger than this. How can the righteousness of God be disclosed (given the brokenness of all human beings)? There’s no need to spread any good news unless it’s really good news — not just for some, but for all. Right off the bat, Paul declares that this righteousness of God has now been disclosed … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR April 28, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 28:16-20 As the two women were sent away from the tomb last week, so the 11 disciples are sent down from the mountain this week. Ministry at its heart is sending, and this last overture in Matthew is perhaps the greatest sending of them all. Matthew 28:16-17 — On the mountaintop For centuries, this concluding passage in Matthew has served as the church’s rallying cry. It ends this first Gospel in the canon with a bang and may be one reason this Gospel was placed first in the sequence. It takes me back to early Sunday school days as we marched out of class to the tune of “Onward Christian Soldiers,” a hymn you can criticize for its martial language, but not its mobilizing effect. However, even here on the mountaintop, there are signals that this gathering is still very much like our gatherings today. First, there are only 11 disciples present. There seems to always be someone missing — at least … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR April 21, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 28:1-15 We finish up our unit on the call to ministry with the final chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. This week, we have the women sent out following the resurrection of Jesus. Next week, we have the disciples sent out following Jesus’ commissioning on the mountaintop. Our assignment is to ask how these two sendings can help us understand and live out our sendings today. Matthew 28:1-7 — God at work Though the story begins with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary on the move, the main actor in this story is behind the scenes. Suddenly, there is a great earthquake, an event over which human beings have imperfect knowledge and little to no control. Then, the earthquake is attributed to the visitation of an angel, who rolls back the stone and sits on it, showing that his work is now complete. This angel’s appearance is like lightning and his clothing “white as snow” (28:3), descriptions that often accompany … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR April 14, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 26:1-13 We continue our discussion of ministry as we jump from the beginning of Jesus’ public witness to its end, with the chief priests and elders plotting his arrest. We thus encounter a potent reminder of the potential cost of ministry in Jesus’ name, as well as examples of how we might make costly responses of our own. Matthew 26:1-5 — Risky business While the disciples quickly jumped out of boats and left family and livelihood to follow Jesus at the beginning, as we draw close to the end, the responses waver. Jesus announces that his arrest is only a couple of days away. Matthew gives us a glimpse of the leaders in Jerusalem plotting an arrest by stealth, so as not to incite the crowd. The path of discipleship begins to narrow down to a very tight spot — as tight as an under-cover arrest and subsequent assassination. The world was, and is, a dark and broken place — and did, and does, set its … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR March 31, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 4:12-22 Several weeks ago, we studied Mark’s version of the calling of the disciples. Now we come to the same story according to Matthew. If we assume Mark to be the original Gospel and Matthew a subsequent version (for a different audience and, thus, with different purposes), we might learn more about discipleship by comparing and contrasting the two. Read side by side, we can see that Matthew makes additions, deletions and modifications — each step of the way. Matthew 4:12-16 — A strategic retreat Matthew introduces the calling of the disciples with reference to the arrest of John. When Jesus receives this news, he withdraws to Galilee. From Nazareth, he shifts to Capernaum, and makes his home on the road by the sea (4:15), where the Gentiles are more numerous. Matthew cites this relocation as a fulfillment of a promise made by the prophet Isaiah regarding the redemption of this same territory … [Read more...]