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: Society
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 Something Greater
Sometimes, Jesus—through the gospel writers—repeats a particular phrase to grab our attention. For example, within the span of several breaths in Matthew 12, Jesus says several times that “something greater” has arrived. With each repetition of this proclamation, Jesus takes on an aspect of institutionalized structures and systems that supported daily life in that time […]
On Our Scarcity Mindset
After a bit of an Easter break from writing, it is time to resume my reflections here… In the gospel attributed to Matthew, on the heels of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus wastes no time resuming his work, going about healing people indiscriminately. With this immediate placement following perhaps the most monumental sermon of […]
On Our Peacemaking
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9) If we want to be like Jesus, we must be peacemakers. Full stop. There is no way around this. In the beatitudes, Jesus says that the peacemakers are the blessed children of God. In this statement, Jesus is proclaiming a unique […]
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 Meekness
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) As the listing of the beatitudes progresses, we see a shift from a focus on typically unchosen realities (poverty, mourning), to core values that are more self-imposed and that shape our overall character—meekness, righteousness, mercifulness, virtuousness, and peace making. Meekness, the third mentioned […]
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 Our Core Values
Jesus’ declaratory Sermon on the Mount begins with what we often call the “Beatitudes”, a short litany where Jesus calls out the happily blessed in the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 5:2-11) This opening dissertation of the New Testament (as arranged by the early followers of Jesus) brings us immediately to the heart of our Lord […]
On Joining a Movement
When Jesus discovered his first friends and followers along the shore, I doubt the five of them (Jesus, Peter, Andrew, John, and James) knew what they were beginning. What joys and sorrows were ahead of them. What miracles and horrors. What great number of disciples and deserters. What life and death waited for them. We […]
Relevant Reformation 