Jesus was a master teacher. In this passage, he uses the classic teaching device of answering a question with another question. This incident occurs when a lawyer wants to test Jesus....

I was in midlife before I realized that God’s judgment could be good news. God’s judgment will be righteous and based on truth. We don’t have to worry that God will...

The writer of Psalm 82, named as Asaph at the beginning of the psalm, opens with a picture of God presiding over the council of judgment. Asaph brings his complaint to...

When I was fifteen years old and disillusioned with church, God spoke to me through Mount Rainier. The mountain seemed to be saying, “There’s more to life than what you can...

In an earlier part of Luke, Jesus sent out believers to heal, but they came back discouraged. This passage has a positive result and is likely less familiar. Maybe that is...

As Jesus prepared to go on a preaching tour, he sent seventy followers out before him. They were sent in both vulnerability and power, and Jesus explained the risks. He spoke...

“You reap what you sow” has become a casual saying that means something like, “You will get what’s coming to you.” It carries a bit of menace, a warning of divine...

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is beloved for its bold appeal to oneness in Christ. The specific context of the letter, an argument about Gentile Christians, seems archaic now. Underneath the...

This psalm is a song of gratitude, a praise offering in response to healing. The author seems to have been someone who was wealthy, even powerful, who thought prosperity made persons...

Naaman wants to be healed of his leprosy, but he also seems to need to be recognized as an important person. Naaman wants Elisha to perform some complex ritual, not just...