Jesus said a lot of challenging things. I’ve commented on this before, but I’ll bring it up again: nobody wants to crucify Mr. Rogers. There’s a point where we have to realize that Jesus wasn’t just a nice man who did nice things. He said hard stuff, and people who were to be His followers weren’t signing up for the easy route. True, Jesus said ... [Continue Reading]
Walking on Water (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17)
One night as the disciples were traveling on water, they saw what appeared to be a ghost in the distance. In reality it was Jesus walking across the water. Peter, being the one who constantly leapt before he looked, asked Jesus if he could walk on water too. Can you imagine making such a request? But Peter did, and Jesus invited him out. ... [Continue Reading]
Jesus and Storms (Matthew 8:14-34; Mark 4-5)
Sometimes I don’t give the Disciples enough credit. I mean, they were able to spend time with Jesus on a regular basis, and they saw the many miracles He performed. And yet there was still a naivety about whom He truly was and what He came to do. If I was in their shoes, I’m not sure how I might have perceived Jesus. One thing is for sure, ... [Continue Reading]
A Hidden Treasure? (Matthew 13; Luke 8)
Jesus told a story of a man who found a treasure hidden in a field. He realized the great value of what he had found, so he quickly gathered as much money as he could by selling his possessions, and he bought the land where the treasure was hidden. And then Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is similar to this. In other words, the Kingdom of God is of ... [Continue Reading]
The Overflow of the Heart (Matthew 12:22-50; Luke 11)
We're pretty good at censoring our words (although even that is a practice that's somewhat waning in our culture), but every once in a while a person slips. Out comes this expletive or nasty thought that surprises everyone around us, including ourselves. Where did it come from? Jesus told people that, from the overflow of the heart, the mouth ... [Continue Reading]
Rest… Finally! (Matthew 11)
I'll never forget a backpacking trip I took with my brother last year. We were hiking the Foothills Trail, and it was nothing short of exhausting. On Day 2 we hiked close to 15 miles, and we were both struggling to make it to the camp site. When we finally arrived, we collapsed on the ground and laid there for about 30 minutes. I think ... [Continue Reading]
Guilt by Association (Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7)
One thing I really appreciate about Jesus is that he was never concerned about being guilty by association. If anyone could be accused of having an interesting set of relationships and people whom he hung around, it would be Jesus. There were tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes. His associations ran the gamut, but he never worried about how he would ... [Continue Reading]
Foundation Matters (Matthew 5-7)
Several years back we were in Mexico building houses, and the very first thing we did was to create a solid foundation. In fact, we spent a really long time on the foundation because we knew how pivotal it was to the house as a whole. Jesus used that concept to describe how our lives should be built on a solid foundation of applying His teaching. Like ... [Continue Reading]
Lion Taming (Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6)
A few months back we were at the zoo with my parents, my brother, and his family on a cold and rainy day. Though the weather wasn't great, apparently the cooler temperatures made the animals more active, and of particular interest to us were the lions. One lion was pacing back and forth in front of the thick pane of glass that separated us from him, and ... [Continue Reading]
Insensitivity 101 (John 5)
When I read the story of Jesus meeting the paralyzed man by the pool in John 5, Jesus comes across as being incredibly insensitive. His question, "Do you want to be healed," is the equivalent of asking a blind person if he wants to see, a mute person if she wants to hear, or any other insensitive question to somebody who can't change his or her life situation. And yet, ... [Continue Reading]
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