“Jesus was a legalist.”

No, that’s not my new blog title! (I’m still thinking through some updates and changes, but I’ve been kind of busy the last two weeks now that I’m “bi-vocational” for a month or two).  But unfortunately, this title was found on a local church sign near where I live: Now, let me admit a couple [...]

A laugh with Judas…

I wonder if Jesus and Judas ever shared a laugh together.  Matthew 26 opens with another statement of Scripture regarding Jesus’ prediction of his upcoming death and of course his betrayal.  I don’t think I ever really have spent too much time thinking about the betrayal of Jesus.  I guess, perhaps, the Bible stories I [...]

on that Sermon on the Mount…CS Lewis

In another essay entitled “Rejoinder to Dr. Pittenger” from the God in the Dock collection, Lewis gives a dead-on evaluation of the Sermon on the Mount in response to criticism that Lewis liked Paul’s theology of sin too much and didn’t “care for” Jesus’ more optimistic ethics, such as found in the Sermon on the [...]

Seeking Reward in an Upside-Down Kingdom

In Matthew 19, we have the well-known story of the “Rich Young Ruler.”  Well, in Matthew we don’t find out he is a “ruler”, but you know what I mean.  Most of us are familiar with his pride (assuming there was only “one good thing” left on his to-do list, assuming doing bare minimum commandments [...]

Jesus and Paul on Marriage…

I find it interesting that between Jesus’ teaching on marriage in Matthew 19 and Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7, each of them take a slightly different angle on it… In Matthew 18, Jesus proclaims the utter difficulty of marriage (the requirement for hearts joined to one’s spouse that endure even the toughest situations) so [...]

The Transfiguration

To me, the Transfiguration is one of the Bible events that often leaves me scratching my head.  Why does Jesus appear in glory before his disciples at this one time?  What are Moses and Elijah doing there?  How does Peter manage to mess even this up somehow? This is no “ordinary” miracle of healing, exorcism, [...]

Lewis, Justification, Collision: Coming Soon…

Hey.  I’m getting ready for a DiscipleNow retreat weekend at my church, so basically, no updates or thoughts this week. But next week, hopefully, a few thoughts on… -new documentary “Collision” featuring the debates between Christopher Hitchens and Doug Wilson -”Justification and Variegated Nomism”- set. -CS Lewis reflections -Maybe some more from my slow journey [...]

Rest Reflects Relationship

Continuing through Matthew 12, I encountered yet another Sabbath controversy for Jesus.  He’s just claimed that he is Lord of the Sabbath, and yet the people still want to test him to see what he’ll do–this time providing a man with a withered hand to be their case study. I was reminded today that Matthew [...]

Have you not read?

I’ve been working my way through Matthew bit by bit.  Today I landed in chapter 12 and was hit by the stinging question of Jesus: “Have you not read?” Read?  Of course, I’ve read.  I’ve read the whole thing.  If someone wants to know about a story or a major verse, I could take them [...]