11/12/2024
No One Said It Would be Easy
Amy Jill Levine, a New Testament teacher of some renown, said the following:
“Jesus never said being a disciple would be easy; to the contrary. But he did assure his followers that being a disciple would be worth their while. The task of the disciple is not to take the easy road, for as the Sermon on the Mount puts it, ‘the road is easy that leads to destruction’ (Matthew 7:13).
But he did offer a promise to those who could accept and follow him whole heartedly: “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30).
To love Jesus first is to learn to love all the other people in our lives with greater intensity and less selfishness; to care for our families for their sake and not our own; to exude humility when all around us are trumpeting their own horns; and to want what is best for those close to us so that we are willing to work toward what is best for them, even if it is not necessarily what is best for us. It’s not hating Mother/Father, Sister/Brother, or child. It is allowing Jesus to love them through us. And that’s a whole lot better than what we are capable of on our own!
Archived Posts
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.