PODCAST · religion
Jesus Unmasked
by The Raven Foundation
Following the format of the Common Lectionary, Pastor Adam Ericksen and Lindsey Paris-Lopez explore passages of scripture together, sharing insights, real-life applications, and meaning for the modern world.“Jesus Unmasked” seeks to remove the masks of exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses that obscure the truth of Jesus’s unconditional love. Scripture passages are read from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible."Jesus Unmasked" is a Raven Foundation production.
Episodes
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SERIES FINALE | Hope In a Vulnerable Baby: The Weird and Wonderful Story of Christmas (Luke 2:1-20)
"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace... for my eyes have seen your salvation." Old Simeon says these words when he sees eight-day-old Jesus presented in the temple. He has been waiting to see the hope of the world before he dies... and now he can go in peace. The sign from God…
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The Surprising and Subversive Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17)
"An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham..." Wait! Don't roll your eyes! We tend to skip the genealogies when we read scripture, but family trees tell stories. What story does Jesus' tell? Basically, it tells the story that God chooses to be born...
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The Magnificat: Carrying God Within Us (Luke 1: 46-55)
"Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name." That's a powerful self-affirmation for an unwed pregnant teen! An umarried teen girl, from long before Jesus until, sadly, today, could be called many things, but...
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Rolling The Stone Away From Our Hearts (John 11:32-44)
"Then Jesus began to weep." Jesus weeps with all of us. On All Saints Day, we remember our loved ones who have gone on before us. In some ways, this past year has been one of extraordinary loss. Covid-19 and other diseases have robbed us of beloved friends and family members. This pandemic has…
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Faith That Heals, Not Faith That Harms (Mark 10:45-52)
"Go; your faith has made you well." Jesus says this after he heals the blind beggar Bartimaeus. What are we supposed to make of this verse? Faith healing verses have been grossly abused. Sometimes, the idea that faith can heal has been used to shame and frighten those who most need comfort and...
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Following Jesus: Do We Know What We're Getting Ourselves Into? (Mark 10:35-45)
"Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" That's an ominous question if ever there was one. John and James want to share in Jesus' glory, but little do they know what they are asking. The reality they are living through must be so…
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Imagine All The People Sharing All The World (Mark 10:17-31)
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” And it’s probably easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is to resolve the technical difficulties that came along with this particular episode, too! At any...
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Have a Faith Like A Child and Question Everything (Mark 10:2-16)
“Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” These words of Jesus, so often repeated by well-meaning adults, are not always the most...
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Stumbling Blocks, Severed Limbs, and Living In Peace (Mark 9:38-50)
"Whoever's not against us is for us." It's refreshing to hear these words from Jesus, especially when we so often hear the opposite from our culture. The disciples try to stop someone from casting out demons because he isn't an official disciple, but Jesus stops his disciples from stopping him.…
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Servant Leadership (Mark 9:30 -37)
"Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” I can’t help but feel sorry for the disciples in this passage. By turns, they’re bewildered and then mortified. First, Jesus tells them that he’ll be killed and rise again three days later. What could he mean? The Messiah, the…
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Satan and Crosses and Shame... Oh My! (Mark 8: 27-38)
"Get behind me, Satan!" Ouch. This is how Jesus answers Peter when Peter expresses that he doesn't want Jesus to die? Sounds rather harsh. Actually, a lot of Jesus's words in this passage sound harsh and hard ... There is no sugar-coating either his fate or that of his followers. How are we...
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Filthiness is Next To Godliness (Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23)
"For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come... and they defile a person." Some pharisees and scribes are wondering why Jesus's disciples don't wash their hands before they eat. Jesus scolds them for teaching "human precepts as doctrines" and then explains that nothing...
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Communion is Anti-Cannibalism (John 6: 51 - 58)
"Those who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood abide in me, and I in them." Okay, Jesus. You've been going on about eating your flesh and drinking your blood for a while now, and it's getting weird. "The Jews" aren't the only ones asking, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 2000 years...
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More Bread, More Life, But No More Exclusive Interpretations, Please! (John 6: 35, 41-51)
New Time! Join Jesus Unmasked on FB live Wednesdays at 11 am CT/ 9 am PT! Start your morning with Jesus and friends! "Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." More Bread of Life this week, but also more opportunities for...
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Truth is the Bread of Life (John 6:24-35)
"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." -- Jesus. "I am here because I stole something that was never mine to take -- precious human life." -- Daniel Hale. Whistleblower Daniel Hale is feasting on the bread of life.…
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Is Jesus Out of His Mind? (Mark 3:20-35)
"Who are my mother and my brothers? ... Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus's family is trying to "restrain" him, because rumors are starting to fly. He and his disciples are healing the sick and casting out demons, and the...
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What Is Salvation and What's Up with the Trinity? (John 3: 1-17)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so the world might be saved through him." These verses fall on Trinity Sunday, and the...
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Fire and Judgment... In A Good Way! Happy Pentecost! (John 15:26 - 16:26)
"When the Advocate comes... he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment." The Holy Spirit is Coming! Fire and speaking in tongues and a heavenly Advocate. What does it all mean? Pentecost was an ancient Jewish celebration before it became known as the birthday of the...
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In the World But Not Of It – What Does That Mean? (John 17:6-19)
"The world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world." Ah, the infamous "Be in the world but not of it," saying. How dangerously these words have been misunderstood! In this final discourse to his disciples before his death, Jesus has a lot to…
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Forget "Commands"; Jesus EMPOWERS Us to Love
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." What a beautiful commandment! But when you're struggling in your faith, especially when you're most familiar with exclusive interpretations that seem to shut most of the world off from God's love or salvation, and these...
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Shepherding, Policing, and Transforming Everything
"I am the Good Shepherd... And I lay down my life for the sheep." Jesus the Good Shepherd serves, protects, and lays down his life for the sheep. At its best, policing is meant to serve and protect. Yet sheep are often not safe in the hands of most shepherds (who would look after them but also…
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Jesus Breaks In and Eats Fish
"Peace be with you." For what may be the millionth time, Jesus greets his disciples with these words of comfort and love. And they need it, for they were heartbroken and afraid. It's the first Easter evening, and Jesus's disciples are shut up away, when Jesus comes among them. "Why are you...
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Trust-But-Verify Thomas and the Power of Forgiveness
"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Far, far too often, these words, spoken to Thomas, are used to shame doubt and extol the virtues of an unquestioning faith. But deep faith seeks, explores, and questions, and that is...
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Jesus Our Mother: Transgender Day of Visibility and Unlearning Violent Atonement
"Behold your mother!" When Jesus speaks these words, he uses his dying breath to place his mother in the care of his beloved disciple. But he also declares to the world that he is our mother, giving birth to our new, fully human selves through his blood and labor and breath-taking pain (pain that...
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When God's Glory Really Sucks
“Jesus Unmasked” is now a FB live as well as a podcast! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too. “Father, glorify your name.” “I have…
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"For God So Loved The World": Why This Is Good News For EVERYONE
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life." Have you ever heard these words recited faithfully, reverently, as if they are supposed to be the most comforting words anyone could ever hear... and felt scared and...
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Jesus's Kickass Mercy in the Temple
“Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle.” It’s raging Jesus! This is the fiery, zealous Messiah we’ve been waiting for, bursting in, whips blazing …right? Every now and then, a meme of this scene pops up in social media, with a caption: “When...
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Live In Such A Way As To Piss Off The Powers That Be
“Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Ouch. This is probably one of the harshest things Jesus says. Maybe even harsher than “Get behind me,...
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Good News; It's Lent
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too. Good news; it’s Lent! What, Lent doesn’t sound like good news to you? Actually, we’re not sure if...
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Jesus Lights The Way Through Darkness To Love
“Jesus Unmasked” is now a FB live as well as a podcast! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too. O, Shiny Jesus! This is the Gospel for...
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The Gospel Wouldn’t Have Gotten Anywhere Without Women
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too. “Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and...
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The Badass Authority of Knowing You Are Loved
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too! “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey...
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Starting Anew; Leaving the Old Behind: A Special Inauguration Day Jesus Unmasked
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too! “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately. That’s how quickly these fishermen…
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The Call of Discipleship
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too! “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Can’t you just hear the skepticism and disgust in...
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Baptism: Immersing Ourselves In A New Life of Love
Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times, Jesus would wear a mask! Loving others as Jesus loves us requires us to wear a mask too! “And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit...
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Merry Christmas! The Love that Banishes Fear
We begin with an overview of a vast, sweeping Empire and an Emperor who wants to tax all whom he has conquered. In the Roman world, Caesar was understood to be the Son of God… But we quickly zoom in on a tiny barn in the middle of nowhere. Our focus is redirected; our perspective shifts. God…
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The Magnificat: Mary’s Courageous Love
“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Mary sings with joy, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. … Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” What extraordinary words from a newly pregnant, unmarried 14-year-old girl at a time when such a condition could mean death or shunning! It’s...
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Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” These are the first words of the first Gospel (historically, not in order of appearance), and it’s so easy to miss their subversive power. But make no mistake: these words are a political throwdown! In the time of the Roman Empire,...
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Sheep, Goats, and Judgment
Some interpretations of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25: 31-46) are downright terrifying. It seems to condemn the “goats” – “accursed” nations – to eternal damnation. Terrible fear-based religious violence and persecution has come from the idea of eternal hell. So where’s the...
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Talents Shouldn’t Be Buried (But Imperial Greed Should Be!)
In a world where money equals power and upward mobility is the ultimate sign of success, those who seek another way, a message of hope to the poor and downtrodden, would hardly expect Jesus to reinforce a brutal status quo. Yet a surface reading of The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30)...
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Share Your Oil! Changing Our Perspective from Win-Lose to Abundance
In the first podcast after the election, the lectionary gives us the perfect challenging text! The parable of the 10 Bridesmaids (Matthew 25: 1-13) appears to be about being prepared for anything – a good lesson for turbulent times in the wake of the 2020 election! But there’s much more to the...
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It’s All About the Beatitudes, Baby!
It’s the final podcast before the election, the lectionary for All Saints Day. It’s about time for some blessings! All Saints Day reminds us that we are all saints beneath the veneer of ego, since at our core we are made from and for Love. We are called to remember that we are caught up already…
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The Ultimate Authority Affirms Same-Sex Unions
Pope Francis has come out in affirmation of same-sex unions! In doing so, he is fulfilling the greatest of the commandments, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s what this week’s lectionary, Matthew 22:34-46, is all about, and Adam…
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God, Empire, Taxes…Oh My!
In this episode, Lindsey and Adam discuss Matthew 22: 15 - 22. Pharisees and Herodians teamed up to entrap Jesus. After buttering him up, they asked him whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor. Jesus has them produce a coin, asks whose image it bears, and then tells them to give…
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Getting Kicked Out of the Wedding Banquet
In this episode, Adam and Lindsey discuss Matthew 22: 1 - 14. A king threw a banquet and no one came. So, the king burned the city to the ground, and then invited new guests. No one dared refuse! But one got kicked out for wearing the wrong outfit. What are we to make of this terrifying story? Do...
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Wicked Tenants and a Merciful God
In this episode, Lindsey and Adam discuss Matthew 21: 33 - 46. Jesus tells a parable of a landowner who leased his vineyard to tenants. But when the landowner tried to collect the produce, the tenants killed his servants and even his son! What will that landowner do? Does this parable challenge…
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Why Prostitutes and Tax Collectors are First in God’s Kingdom
“Jesus Unmasked” returns, now a FB live as well as a podcast! We warmly invite you to join the conversation every Wednesday afternoon at 5 CT / 3 PT on the Raven Foundation Facebook page! Adam and Lindsey unmask Jesus from exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses. But, during Covid times,...
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9th Sunday After Pentecost: From Emptiness to Abundance (Feeding 5000+)
Imagine your cousin and friend has just died for speaking truth to power. You know you can’t be silent, and you’re pissing off all the same authorities. So you know your hour is near. You are weary, grieving, and yet you know you’ll have to continue to speak out for a better world. But first, you...
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7th Sunday After Pentecost: Jesus Was A “Weed”
“In gathering the weeds, you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both grow together…” If we would only pay attention to what Jesus is telling us to do, we wouldn’t need to worry so much about that scary stuff at the end! For the seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Adam and Lindsey reflect on...
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6th Sunday After Pentecost: The Sower Sows Love
So remember, if you’re not fertile ground for the seed, the devil will take you away! This is not good news… and it’s not the Gospel. For the sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Lindsey and Adam discuss an oft-misunderstood parable and how interpretations of it can be dangerous or life-giving depending...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Following the format of the Common Lectionary, Pastor Adam Ericksen and Lindsey Paris-Lopez explore passages of scripture together, sharing insights, real-life applications, and meaning for the modern world.“Jesus Unmasked” seeks to remove the masks of exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses that obscure the truth of Jesus’s unconditional love. Scripture passages are read from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible."Jesus Unmasked" is a Raven Foundation production.
HOSTED BY
The Raven Foundation
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How many episodes does Jesus Unmasked have?
Jesus Unmasked currently has 85 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Jesus Unmasked about?
Following the format of the Common Lectionary, Pastor Adam Ericksen and Lindsey Paris-Lopez explore passages of scripture together, sharing insights, real-life applications, and meaning for the modern world.“Jesus Unmasked” seeks to remove the masks of exclusive theology and violent cultural lenses...
How often does Jesus Unmasked release new episodes?
Jesus Unmasked has 85 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Jesus Unmasked on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Jesus Unmasked?
Jesus Unmasked is created and hosted by The Raven Foundation.
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