To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: âWe played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.â For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, âHe has a demon.â The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, âHere is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of…
“Which is easier: to say, âYour sins are forgiven,â or to say, âGet up and walkâ? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.â So he said to the paralyzed man, âGet up, take your mat and go home.â Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority…
Each year I write a short post highlighting the top ten books I read that year, plus a few honorable mentions. I do this because I want to honor those worthy of honor, and also in the hopes that some of you might see a title or two that interests you. (Those who know me well know I love to get others reading excellent books!) So without further ado, here are the ten best books…
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. âQuick,â he said, âget three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread. Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a…
Silence has been an important spiritual discipline since the birth of the church. It may be more important now than ever before, for two reasonsâboth related (unsurprisingly) to the challenges of living in a digital age. First, the discipline of silence is so important because a digital age is also a distracted age. We carry little devices around with us that quite literally clamor for our attention. Needless to say, this will drastically inhibit our ability to…
For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:17) Jesus has just shared the parable of the four soils, and his disciples are confused (as they often are). As he explains why he teaches in parables, he alerts the disciples to the tremendous privilege they have. In the past, God’s prophetsâholy…
âGreat is my boldness of speech to you; great is my boasting about you.â (2 Corinthians 7:4, AT) Paul has had to say a great many difficult things to the church at Corinth, beset as they were by sins of arrogance, sexual immorality, and factionalism. He had chided them many times about the immaturity of their faith, despite their constant boasting in their (self-declared) spirituality. Apparently, he had even had to write them a letter…
I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for usâyes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. (Isaiah 63:7) Isaiah is about to make some bold requests of God (starting in 63:15), but before he gets there, he tells of God’s kindnesses, mighty deeds, and compassion. God sympathizes with his people when they…
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. 2 They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. (Isaiah 46:1-2) I love this image. Isaiah prophesies the Persian conquest of Babylon under Cyrus the Great. As the Babylonians flee the coming onslaught, they pack their idols along with the rest of their belongings. (As they’re…
Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. (Isaiah 42:24) Jesus promised us we would face trials and tribulations in this life, which means we will be tempted (with alarming regularity) to ask that tormenting question, “Why?” Why me? Why is this happening? Why would a good God allow such suffering in the life…