The gospel attributed to Matthew tells us that Jesus loved speaking in parables and always included them as a staple of everyday dialogue and teachings. When we are introduced to the importance of parables in this gospel (Matthew 13; after we have already heard a smattering of allegories in prior chapters), Jesus presents a string […]
Tag: Morality
On Family Values
A common buzz-phrase in political commentary is “family values”. This phrase is often articulated by those of “conservative” leanings, claiming such values are fundamentally Christian. Yet, when we conservatively look at the gospel texts and Jesus’ comments on family relationships, we find that our Lord’s actual family values are much more radical than most fundamentalists […]
On the God of Judgment
About a third of the way through the gospel attributed to Matthew, we are introduced to the twelve apostles and Jesus’ first charges to them as those called to be laborers for God’s harvest. Chapters 11 and 12 sound a lot like a recapitulation of the earlier Sermon on the Mount a few chapters ago. […]
On Practicing What We Preach
A key teaching in the Sermon on the Mount—and from the life lessons of Jesus in general—is learning to love our enemies. Saying this is simple, doing it is much harder. While Jesus’ inaugural sermon talks about praying for our enemies, the subsequent two chapters in the gospel attributed to Matthew demonstrate that action is […]
On Compassionate Love
Compassionate love is the ultimate Christian core value, at the center of all the core values we have considered during Lent. It is found in all the acts of Jesus. The gospel attributed to Matthew emphasizes this by immediately surrounding the Sermon on the Mount with stories highlighting Jesus’ compassionate love.
On Our Persecution
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets […]
On Our Virtuousness
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) As the beatitudes progress, so does the difficulty to achieve these blessed characteristics that Jesus asks of fully devoted followers. The latter blessings require us to do more; to not simply be satisfied with ourselves as we are. They require intense character […]
On Our Mercifulness
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) At face value, this beatitude seems so simple and obvious: to those who are merciful, mercy shall be given. It is a “reap what you sow” statement, a karma-style mantra, and a “what goes around comes around” mindset. Yet, for being such an easy […]
On Our Wealth
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) This Lenten season, I am reflecting on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This is a sub-series of writings as part of a yearlong effort to ponder the gospel of Matthew and look at this text as it relates to the […]
On Conscience
One of Martin Luther’s most well-known quotes comes from when he was asked to retract his statements (which, at the time, were considered heretical and wrong). Standing before the authorities of his day, Luther said “…my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant, since it is neither safe nor […]
Relevant Reformation 