Narrative Context: A Lectionary Preaching Commentary

Matthew's birth narrative emphasizes Joseph's quiet obedience amidst uncertainty rather than celebration. Rather than acting from moral superiority, Joseph's righteous response embodies compassion despite limited understanding. His actions facilitate God's work, highlighting that obedience involves relinquishing power and creating space for new life, challenging traditional expectations during Advent.* [Scripture quotations are taken from] the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.https://micahkrey.com/2025/12/15/matthew-118-25-4th-sunday-of-advent-december-21-2025/

The post explores John the Baptist's crisis of faith as he questions whether Jesus is the expected Messiah. Initially heralding a figure of judgment, John finds Jesus embodying mercy and restoration instead. This tension encourages reflection on human expectations versus divine reality, inviting acceptance of a Messiah who heals rather than conquers.https://micahkrey.com/2025/12/08/matthew-112-11-3rd-sunday-of-advent-december-14-2025/* [Scripture quotations are taken from] the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

In Advent, John the Baptist’s portrayal in Matthew is pivotal for understanding the transition from John's prophetic authority to Jesus. Matthew aims to address both insiders seeking control and outsiders needing hope. The prophetic message invites communal reorientation, emphasizing openness and transformation within the kingdom of heaven as it expands, challenging readers to avoid exclusivity.https://micahkrey.com/2025/12/01/matthew-31-12-2nd-sunday-of-advent-december-7-2025/* [Scripture quotations are taken from] the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Matthew's Gospel contrasts with others by using a prophetic tone that emphasizes judgment as a call for change rather than fear. The apocalyptic sections urge communities to actively engage in justice and compassion, preparing for Christ's return by embodying God's care for others. Advent is a time for spiritual attentiveness and immediate action towards love and justice.https://micahkrey.com/2025/11/24/matthew-2436-44-1st-sunday-of-advent-november-30-2025/* [Scripture quotations are taken from] the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

As we step into a new lectionary year, we’re invited to see the world through Matthew’s eyes. Each Gospel writer has a theological “lens,” and Matthew’s is one we need to wrap our heads around before Advent begins. Otherwise, we risk hearing his texts through Mark’s urgency, Luke’s expansiveness, or John’s mysticism. Matthew has his own heartbeat, his own anxieties, his own hopes, his own vision of what it looks like for God to break into the world.This helps to ready us to preach and hear Matthew's word.https://micahkrey.com/2025/11/23/turning-our-eyes-toward-matthew-and-grounding-in-year-a/

Preaching Commentary for Luke 23:33-43 for Christ the King Sunday.Christ the King Sunday in Luke reveals a Messiah who overturns power not through revolution but through mercy. From the Magnificat to the cross, Jesus challenges entrenched systems—even our own. His kingship dismantles illusions, levels divisions, and meets us with forgiveness. At the end of the year, his kingdom of compassion begins again.https://micahkrey.com/2025/11/17/luke-2333-43-christ-the-king-november-23-2025/* [Scripture quotations are taken from] the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Pastor Micah Krey explains why “narrative context” is at the heart of this preaching commentary. Rather than treating the Gospels as flat stories, Micah explores their narrative, literary, and historical layers, asking why each Gospel is constructed the way it is, and how the communities behind them shaped their tone and focus.Mark writes near the destruction of the Temple. Luke speaks from within the Greco-Roman world. Matthew is rooted in a Jewish and Gentile community wrestling with identity. John’s high Christology emerges from conflict and boundary-drawing.Understanding these contexts helps us preach more faithfully today. When we stay close to the political, religious, and cultural tensions inside the text, we gain more honest ways to speak into the tensions around us. And we open ourselves to being transformed by Scripture as well.

An introduction to Narrative Context: A Lectionary Preaching Commentary, a weekly podcast where Pastor Micah Krey reads his written reflections on the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel texts. This short episode explains the purpose, format, and approach behind the commentaries—designed for pastors and leaders who want accessible, narrative-driven insights for preaching and preparation.