Why were “sinners” so drawn to Jesus even before learning that he had come to suffer and die for their rescue? Can we put ourselves in their place, and his? (Matt 9:9-13) Is it possible that the most righteous person who ever lived can identify with “the worst” among us better than we can? Seems […]
The Bible uses the word picture of hedges in some provocative ways. Satan complains, for instance, that God has bought Job’s loyalty by building hedges of protection around him (Job 1:10). Later after the Lord has taken some of the fences down to give the Devil access, Job wonders why the Almighty has shut him […]
Tragic events, as we’ve witnessed in the bombings of this week’s Boston Marathon, have a way of showcasing the worst and the best of our shared humanity. Even as we shudder at the thought of how people like us could deliberately carry out acts of murder and mayhem against strangers, we hear of the courageous […]
As the FBI leads the investigation into yesterdays Boston Marathon tragedy, many will be tempted to try to pin the blame on one or more individuals responsible for such loss and suffering. But even when the investigations of Federal, State, and Local agencies are done, we won’t be at the bottom of this or any […]
As a child I remember singing the spiritual, Jacob’s Ladder. We sang the words. But I never thought much about them. Now, many years later, I find that I’m ready for another look. I’ll need you to be patient with me because the story turns out to get a little involved. But I’ve found some […]
Isn’t it ironic that what so many call The Good Book doesn’t put a high value on moral pride and seems to go out of its way to honor those who have made a mess of their lives? What’s even more amazing is that the people of the Book haven’t found a way to clean […]
As baseball season returns, I bumped into an old story that still makes me smile. My apology to cricket fans, and the March Madness of college basketball. Three baseball umpires are each asked how they call balls and strikes. The first explains,”If a thrown pitch crosses the plate between the knees and the shoulders, it’s […]
In the somber remembrance of a crucifixion, followed by the joyful celebration of resurrection, many of us have once again reflected on events that solved one of the longstanding mysteries of the Bible. For thousands of years, the identity of the Savior of the world was a mystery. The promise of One whose heel would […]
Long ago, a young king of Israel wrote, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, . . . she is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15 NIV). The Wisdom of Solomon: To this day, we still tell the story of how God appeared to him in a dream and […]
