When the lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbor was, I don't think he expected the response he received. True to form, Jesus answered the question with a parable that drove the point home. The Samaritan was the one who got his hands messy and helped the poor man who was left for dead on the side of the road. He gave of his time, he gave of his energy, ... [Continue Reading]
A Teachable Spirit (John 9:1-10:21)
The Pharisees were not known for having teachable spirits. After the blind man was healed by Jesus, he was questioned profusely by these men who were looking for any possible way of accusing Jesus of breaking the religious Law. It was as if the man was sitting under hot interrogation lights with questions flying from all directions. How did Jesus do ... [Continue Reading]
An Unexpected Blessing (John 7-8)
One of the stories that has fascinated me most in the Gospels is the woman brought to Jesus who was ripped from bed while sleeping with a guy. The Law said that she should be stoned to death, but what would Jesus say her punishment should be? I wonder what would happen if the situation occurred today. If a woman was brought into a church and thrown in ... [Continue Reading]
As many times as it takes (Matthew 18)
It was Peter who asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him. Jesus gave Peter the typical answer in parable form by telling a story of a man who was forgiven much but who was unable to forgive little. Jesus used that illustration to challenge Peter about the reality of forgiveness. The problem is that we tend to base ... [Continue Reading]
Becoming Great (Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62)
Can you imagine Jesus overhearing His disciples discussing amongst themselves who was the greatest. After all, Jesus was the greatest person ever to walk the face of the earth, and He seemed to make a point to do the exact opposite of what you would expect a great person to do. He wasn't some incredible military leader or a powerful ruler. Jesus ... [Continue Reading]
The great paradox of faith (Matthew 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27)
One of the greatest paradoxes of faith is spoken of by Jesus in the three Gospel accounts from today's reading: in order to gain your life you have to lose it. Losing your life means something different to every person, but it ultimately comes down to surrendering oneself to the Lordship of Christ. It's a daily decision to say, "not my will, but ... [Continue Reading]
For whom did Jesus come? (Matthew 15; Mark 7)
In both Matthew 15 and Mark 7 readers are confronted by a very unusual story: a foreign woman begs Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. It seems like Jesus would honor the request as He did for countless others, but He instead speaks harsh words to her about not taking the children's bread and feeding it to the dogs. If you've read many of ... [Continue Reading]
The crowds disappear (John 6)
As Jesus discussed the realities of following Him, the crowds got a whole lot smaller. The fact is, following Jesus isn't easy. Living the way He taught people to live isn't easy. Last week I was listening to a sermon that was forwarded to me via email, and the speaker commented that one of the biggest disservices done to faith in America is ... [Continue Reading]
Keep your eyes on Jesus (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]
The Reality of Following Christ (Matthew 9-10)
When Jesus sent out the disciples to do ministry among the people, He warned them of the costs of following Him. In short, He let them know that doing His will was not a popular activity and that those who opted to do so would face persecution. I wonder how many people in our American churches suffer from persecution. It seems that those who are true ... [Continue Reading]
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