Today we have the tale of two lepers. One was a rich and powerful man, the commander in chief of the Syrian army. The other, a poor nameless beggar on the road. One was a Syrian, a Gentile, an enemy of Israel; the other an Israelite, a son of Abraham. One…
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You might say it was a very busy Sabbath day for Jesus. First he preaches in the synagogue in Capernaum and casts out a demon. Then he goes from the synagogue to the house of Simon and Andrew to pay a house call on Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. “She’s a bit down…
You might say it was a very busy Sabbath day for Jesus. First he preaches in the synagogue in Capernaum and casts out a demon. Then he goes from the synagogue to the house of Simon and Andrew to pay a house call on Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. “She’s a bit down…
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” The first time the Word of the Lord came to Jonah, Jonah did what most of us would do if God sent us to a…
We have worshipped the Infant in the manger with shepherds. We’ve worshipped the Child with the Persian astrologers who followed the star. Today we make a huge leap - thirty years later. We are on the banks of the Jordan River with John the Baptizer. Today is the Baptism of our…
Today is the first Sunday in the season of the church year called Advent, the four week fast before the feast of Christmas. Sadly, we don’t have much of a concept for fasting and feasting in our consumer culture. Our culture was shaped by a form a Christianity that didn’t have much use…
“Clothes make the person,” they say. And to a great extent we believe it. Clothes are important. The fashion industry believes it, or at least wants you to believe that you are what you wear. I dress therefore I am. We can “dress for success” or for failure. Show…
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to die. The road to Jerusalem led through the town of Jericho, a town most known for Rahab, its most infamous citizen, and its miraculous capture under Joshua, when the army of Israel encircled the city, blew the trumpets, and the walls came tumbling down. The…
What is greatness? And what is glory? What does it mean to be great? Whom do you think of when you think of greatness and glory? Michael Jordan flying to a slam dunk. Or Ken Griffey hitting a home run. Or John Elway throwing a last-minute game winning touchdown.…
The Pharisees were out to trap Jesus in his own words. And what better place to trap Him than in the sticky matter of marriage and divorce. “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife?” It’s a trick question, designed to pull Jesus into the middle of an age-old debate.…