Jesus continues spreading compassion, care, and joy among his most vulnerable neighbors – but the religious professionals won't have any of it! They're using the Bible as a weapon rather than a sacred gift meant to help us pursue shalom. This week in Matthew 12-13 we explore a few of these stories, and the cryptic parables Jesus tells in response.

Episode highlights

• Compassion should take precedence over strict adherence to rules.
• Sabbath is a revolutionary practice that promotes rest and justice.
• Curiosity is essential for understanding and growth.
• Why the story of Jonah slaps.
• Oppression harms everyone, including the oppressor.
• How what we believe & practice about knowledge & learning can be fundamentally anti-authoritarian
• Community and mutual aid are part of how this whole God-thing works

Our guest co-host today is Ell, a cohost over at the fantastic podcast The Word in Black and Red. She is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, is a board member at her church, and enjoys gardening spending time in nature. Ell’s pronouns are she/they.

• The Word in Black and Red

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Read LIT online: https://www.litbible.net/matthew-12 and https://www.litbible.net/matthew-13

More about the Liberation & Inclusion Translation: https://www.litbible.net/translation-commitments

Support LIT & FIT: https://donorbox.org/found-in-translation-1

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Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Keywords: Bible, Matthew, parables, compassion, justice, authority, spirituality, faith, community, interpretation