Law and Gospel: The Lectionary Podcast of the Crossings Community

“It’s a blessing not of our own making.”

What does it really mean to be blessed? Robin, Sherman, and guest Nate Preisinger discuss Matthew 5:1–12 and the Beatitudes for All Saints Sunday. They explore why Jesus’ blessing isn’t a reward for achievement, but God’s surprising promise for those who mourn, hunger for righteousness, endure suffering, and need mercy.

Find the corresponding Text Study on our website at https://crossings.org/text-study/all-saints-sunday-2026/

“True freedom is freedom from yourself, freedom from the burden of sin.”

What does it really mean to be free? In this Reformation Sunday conversation on John 8:31–36, Pastor Brian joins Robin and Sherman to examine our longing for independence and self-sufficiency. Together, they explore how Christ frees us from the burden of proving ourselves and opens our lives to forgiveness, community, and service to our neighbors.

Find the corresponding Text Study on our website at https://crossings.org/text-study/the-reformation-of-freedom-through-trust-in-christ-2026/

“If we feel safe enough with God and before others to be honest about who we are, to acknowledge our shortcomings and our reality as sinners, then that is the beginning for us to actually truly say a genuine yes.”

Why do we struggle to follow through on our best intentions? In this episode, Robin Litjohan, Sherman Lee, and Jonas Ellison explore Jesus' parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:23-32), uncovering how fear, shame, and the desire to appear faithful can keep us from honesty. The good news: God's grace frees us from earning our belovedness and invites us into a genuine "yes."

Find the corresponding Text Study on the Crossings website at https://crossings.org/text-study/eighteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-2026/

"We know the one who goes to the darkness. And in my text study, I kind of say, for a Christian, that's where the real party will be."

What do we do with one of Jesus' most troubling parables?

In this episode of Law & Gospel, Robin Litjohan and Sherman Lee are joined by Shaun O'Reilly to wrestle with Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the wedding banquet. The conversation explores the discomfort many readers feel when confronted by a story filled with exclusion, judgment, and uncertainty. What do we do with a king who welcomes everyone only to cast one guest into outer darkness? And why does this parable leave us wondering whether we truly belong?

Together, the hosts examine our deep desire to get the rules right, our fear of not measuring up, and the constant anxiety that we may not be good enough. Yet the conversation ultimately turns to Christ, the One who enters the darkness before us, bears our rejection, and invites us to trust his promise rather than our qualifications.

If you've ever wondered whether you belong at God's table, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: look to Christ, not yourself.

Find the corresponding Text Study on the Crossings website at https://crossings.org/text-study/twentieth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-2026/

"Jesus redirects us to the deeper question: Whose image do you bear?"

What did Jesus mean when he said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's"? Steve Albertson joins the podcast to explore faith, politics, authority, and identity through one of Jesus' most misunderstood sayings.

Find the corresponding Text Study on the Crossings website at https://crossings.org/text-study/twenty-first-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-2026/

"Where we expect judgment, God answers with resurrection."

Jesus tells a story of violence, rejection, and judgment. Yet God's response turns expectations upside down. Timothy Hoyer joins the conversation to examine the parable of the wicked tenants and the surprising mercy revealed in Christ's death and resurrection.

Find the corresponding Text Study on the Crossings website at https://crossings.org/text-study/nineteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-2026/

Why is forgiveness so difficult? In this conversation, Christina Schultz, Robin, and Sherman Lee explore Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant and uncover the scarcity mindsets that keep us from extending mercy. They discuss debt, grace, generosity, and how God's forgiveness transforms our relationships with others.

Find the corresponding Text Study on the Crossings website at https://crossings.org/text-study/sixteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-2026/