Nancy Wichmann

Luke 24:13-35 (Year A)

When you start paying attention, the Lectionary that we use is pretty interesting. We are now at Easter plus two weeks. Last week the lesson was Thomas' encounter with the risen Jesus which was eight days after Easter, so one day ahead of where we were. Today's lesson takes place back on Easter, two weeks ago. So close your eyes and take a deep breath. Whoosh! It's Easter Sunday again (does that mean we can sing "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" again).

Matthew 17:1-9 (Year A)

Every year, on the last Sunday before Lent, we take a break from our march through the gospel to experience again the event called the Transfiguration. But there is a small problem with this diversion: we come to this story without having seen the events leading up to it.

In the Christian tradition, we hold that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. While Jesus was in flesh form, Jesus disregarded his divinity (Phil 2:6-7). Knowledge of divine fact came through the Spirit, with all the same limitations we mortals have.

In the early part of the first gospel, we see Jesus acting like a garden-variety messiah (there were others who claimed that title). But beginning with the great parables of the 13^th chapter, we see a Jesus who is beginning to realize what his role as a Messiah really means both to himself and to his disciples.