The Pharisees were always complaining that Jesus spent so much of his time with "sinners." At one point Jesus told them that those who were well didn't need a doctor. Jesus wants all to be saved. Which of us wants to "lose" one of our children to sin? We do everything we can to

Paul gives us advice in how to live in just about all of his letters. He writes to the communities of Christians that he had established to remind them of the necessity of living lives of love as well as pointing out behaviors that they might not see as sinful. Many people I know do not consider al

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We are probably more familiar with Matthew's Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes than we are with the "woes." But Luke's version of this sermon gives us something a little different to think about. For Matthew who was writing for the Jewish converts in Jerusalem, it was important

This prophecy from Ezekiel will come to fruition when Cyrus invades and conquers Babylon and allows those in exile to return with money and the sacred vessels, seed and flocks so that they can rebuild Jerusalem. And they were secure and might have remained secure if they had remained faithful to Go

Does this sound harsh? What does it mean to love father or mother, son or daughter more than to love Jesus? It could also have said, husband or wife, or friend! The answer isn't in the loving, but in not putting Jesus first. When we put anything or anyone before God, we are breaking the first c

It's hard to be joyful when you are being sent into exile. It's especially hard when you know that you are partly to blame. Those exiled into Babylon knew that their leaders and themselves had been unfaithful to God and had refused to listen to the prophets. Today there are men and women wh

What do you value? What are the things you treasure? We have considered these questions in another context, but it's worth considering again as we read these words from Matthew's Gospel. I have noticed that the highest fences are those of people with something they fear might be stolen. The

The path that God has set for us is not a path without obstacles and setbacks. We often tend to think that just because we are Christians, everything is going to go smoothly. No. God didn't promise us a smooth path. He promised that He would be with us in the tough and rocky times. Just because

The placement of this passage is interesting. It comes shortly after the parable of the sower and the seed and the explanation of the parable given to the disciples. It also follows the statement concerning the placing a lamp on a lamp stand so that the light will illuminate its surroundings. The m

The scribes and Pharisees were always testing Jesus. This time, in order to trap him, the scribe asked which was the greatest commandment? At that time, there were hundreds of commands that the Pharisees imposed on the Jews. Jesus did not fall into the trap, but quoted the two great commandments. U

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Peace. What is peace? We talk of a time of war and peace time. What do we call peace, then? Is peace just a time when there is no war? In my experience, when there is no overt war, there is just the illusion of peace. After World War I, there were countries that were still in an upheaval because th

Because the people were looking for a strong leader, they often overlooked the passages in the Old Testament that referred to Jesus. Now, I don't pretend to know all the passages in Scripture that Jesus quoted to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, but I do know some of them. Psalm 22 was quot

This passage continues to remind all of us that the day will come when we will have trouble seeing, hearing, eating and getting around. This tells us how important it is to learn about God early in life. Studies have shown that those who come to faith early in life, even if they walk away for a whi

When we go through trials and tribulations, the comfort that we receive from God isn't just for us alone. After enduring tough situations, we are able to testify God's goodness in such moments, and in those moments, we are able to reach out and encourage those who go through trials similar

When you dwell on all that God has done in your life, you will find a great joy bubbling within you. Our lives are so full of God's assurance and his faithfulness; we have so much we can fall back on in times where we feel weak. Take heart, and know that God is always there for you. Think of al

The Last Supper was Jesus' last opportunity to teach his apostles. This is only one passage of what is referred to as the "Last Discourse." In this passage however, he reveals the promise of eternal life to those who believe in him. He goes on to say that eternal life consists in that w

Today most Christians begin Holy Week, the week leading up to the celebration of Our Lord's Resurrection. This year our Orthodox brothers and sisters will celebrate one week later. This disparity has a long history. The Gregorian calendar uses the lunar calendar to fix the date for Easter while

Jesus has come to Bethany because he has received word that his friend Lazarus is ill. He is speaking with Lazarus' sister, Martha, who had complained to Jesus that he died because Jesus wasn't there to heal him. Martha then went to get their other sister, Mary. This incident was a contribu