John 1:1-14 – One of Us? Granger Odum preaches.

Luke 1:5-13 [14-25] 57-80     John the Baptist’s birth; Blessed be the God of Israel who has looked favorably on his people.            This is a narrative that should be familiar to Zechariah. He and his wife Elizabeth are both of lineages of the temple and priesthood. Both of them are descended from Aaron, and they are named as righteous before God, living…

Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13             Return from exile and rebuilding the temple.            Here we are in Ezra, with the people who are about to return from exile in Persia back to Jerusalem. This passage, and the narrative of return isn’t good news for everyone. The people who were left behind in Jerusalem, and the people who had married foreigners end up…

2 Kings 22:1-10 [11-20]; 23:1-3           Josiah’s Reform (Luke 24:30-32)            When the temple is rebuilt, like when we renovate or remodel, surprises are found. In this case, there is a scroll found, a book of the law. It’s a surprise. It’s old fashioned. And it is not really good news when it comes to Josiah.            Josiah hears the words, and realizes how…

Isaiah 5:1-7; 11:1-5                  Isaiah’s Vineyard Song(Mark 12:1-3)            Isaiah’s prophetic voice is not to be underestimated. With 66 chapters, there’s a lot to consider, read, and hear. Isaiah’s use of metaphor is wide and varied, and today we hear two different images, both of which have to do with plants and growing.            The vineyard is a major investment. Hills are selected…

Hosea 11:1-9                                                         Hosea(Mark 10:13-14)            The benefit of hindsight is great. Often we see things we had no way of seeing before, or we see things whose significance we did not recognize in the past, or in the moment. We receive warnings in advance, and yet we do not heed those warnings. We say that we’ll never do that, and then…

1 Kings 18:[17-19] 20-39       Elijah at Mount Carmel (Mark 9:2-4)            We have here the classic battle between power and faith. Elijah, that most famous of prophets, it facing off against Ahab, who accuses Elijah of troubling Israel, when Ahab has followed Baal. This is the introduction of Jezebel who gets the short end of the stick historically and in the Biblical tale.…

Jeremiah 33:1-4, 10-22             Promise of the Messiah            Jeremiah is a prophet for the people of Israel. He is prophet of God Almighty, to the southern kingdom (Judah) through the fall of Jerusalem. He has an unpleasant, unwanted message for the people of God – that they have violated the covenant, and that God will withdraw God’s blessings.            By the time…

1 Kings 12:1-17, 25-29                     Kingdom Divided(Mark 10:42-45)            Just 2 generations later, we end up in these passages. We hear what we often hear about the young neglecting the wisdom of their elders, of men who need to impress with their strength and virility, and of people who take the wrong advice. Rehoboam angers the people who was meant to serve.…