"The One Where Jesus Talks in Riddles" (December 14, 2025 - Advent 3C)

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Season 3 kicks off with the return of our Resident Comic Theologians, Abby Evans and Erick Williams, as we dive straight into Matthew 11—the part where John the Baptist is in prison, Jesus sounds like Columbo, and nobody can agree how many Highlander films are canon.

Along the way we cover:

• Advent, aka the spiciest, wokest liturgical calendar season
• Why some churches still have a lone pink candle and whether that makes them heretics
• Macduff, belly buttons, Adam’s abdominal scars, and other things absolutely not in the text
• Jesus’s whole “go tell John what you see and hear” approach to evangelism
• Whether calling Jesus a capitalist or a socialist would make him flip a table (spoiler: yes)

And in a surprisingly heartfelt turn, we explore what it means that John doubts, Jesus doesn’t shame him, and the kingdom of heaven keeps turning everything upside-down anyway.

It’s theology, comedy, riddles, crickets, camel hair, and Erick insisting Jesus is basically the Riddler. (Will that preach? No. No it will not.)

Season 3 is here, and we’re already off the rails in the best possible way.

Matthew 11:2–11 (NRSVue)

[2] When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples [3] and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” [4] Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: [5] the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. [6] And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” [7] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. [9] What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ [11] “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Music: Trickster by Phat Sounds
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

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.