Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

The Missing “Advent” Text

A lectionary preacher moving from the fifth to the sixth Sunday after Pentecost in Year A will notice that a familiar chunk is missing, sent back in time to the third Sunday of Advent. With this chronological jumbling, establishing the context here will thus be especially important.  Christ’s “But to what will I compare this generation?” in 11:16 comes in the middle of an argument, but that argument does not relate to the extension of a Christlike welcome that was the focus of the previous week’s text. One might even consider incorporating an Advent carol in the service to help establish this “Prepare ye the way” context.

Kids These Days…

Children in the New Testament are something of a…