Watching Jesus drive the moneychangers from the temple, the disciples recall a verse from the Psalms, "Zeal for your house will consume me" (Psalm 69:9). Surely we the readers are…
"Then Jesus began to teach his disciples..." (Mark 8:31). And what a lesson Jesus has to teach them. Perhaps we ought to say, at the beginning of our encounter with…
Some have argued that the wild animals in Mark’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness are not necessarily threatening Jesus. But that interpretation of these “wild animals” is unlikely.…
Jesus invites all people to follow Him. What does that mean, and what is our role? Jesus isn’t interested in fans. He’s interested in disciples. To follow Jesus means that…
The Isaiah passage comes on the heels of the Babylonian exile. What these exiles need to hear, what they need to know and believe, what they need to trust and…
Jesus' sermon is interrupted by a demon-possessed man. Most of us think of Sunday worship as a time of quiet and contemplation - a time of centering and serenity. And…
In Mark 1:15, Jesus proclaims: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news." One can sense the urgency of…
This story emphasizes the graciousness of the father more than the sinfulness and brokenness of the two sons. We all have a home with God, both the sinner and the…
There is both continuity and difference between the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. John's bapism is a "baptism of repentance." But the Messiah, "will baptize...with the…
After what has been a long year, many of us are ready for a fresh start or at least wondering if it will be a new year of hope. Christ's…