Cut That Out

Jesus was known for saying some interesting things. In John 6:54, Jesus informed his listeners that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood. Matthew 5:11-12, rejoice when you are persecuted. Needless to say, Jesus wasn't shy of using what we perceive as strong language. We live in a strange world today. On …

From the Mouth of Babes

Children are an important part of our culture. In a recent study (October 2017), the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health reported that there is a shortage of children who will grow to become contributors to society and take care of the aging Baby Boomers. The report says we need to invest in the future …

Declaration, Deterrent, and Determination

Our passage today comes from Mark 8:27-38. In this passage, Jesus takes his disciples on a field trip to one of the most corrupt areas in Israel, Caesarea Philippi. According to historians, Caesarea Philippi was located near the city of Dan in the northern part of Israel. The location housed the temple built by Herod …

Not For You, Yet.

Our perceptions of Jesus is that he is perfect and can do no wrong. I don't have a problem with that, except with our interpretation of what 'wrong' may mean. I once heard a speaker ask the question, "Do you think Jesus' parents ever spanked him?" Of course we all answered in the negative. However, …

The Proof is in the Pudding (or broiled fish)

Proof is a big word in academics. As an academic, we want to be careful not to overuse the word proof. In many cases we want to discover, evaluate, review, discuss, provide evidence. But, proof is another thing all together. You can pick up two articles that address the same phenomena and the two articles …

Jesus, the Purifier

The story of Jesus clearing the temple courts can incite images of a violent Jesus, angry at the evildoers in his midst. And, the only way to get rid of them was to turn over their tables and chase them out of the temple courts. Okay, that's kind of what happened. But, I think it's …

What Was (is) A Disciple?

Today’s passage comes from Mark 1:16-20. In this passage Jesus walks by Simon (or Peter), Andrew, James, and John and invites them to be his disciples. According to Mark, they dropped everything to follow him. Mark 1:16-20 says, 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting …

The Voice and the Wilderness

Last week we were introduced to John the Baptist announcing the Advent of Jesus, the Messiah. We looked at the two prophets that Mark quoted in Mark 1:2-3 and how their message related to Jesus as the coming King who would shepherd his people and how he would take up residence in the Temple. This …

Reading a Parable Upside Down

Have you ever read or heard anything that was simply confusing? Have you ever read or heard anything about the Bible that was confusing? How did you respond? Matthew 25:14-30 represents one of those confusing things in the Bible. Jesus tells the parable of a wealthy man who calls his servants to care for his wealth, …

The Image of God on Purpose

The image of God is not just a description of our creativity, etc. It is also a statement of the way we treat others, as well as how we treat the responsibilities we have been given.