Jacob is returning to his ancestral home in Canaan after twenty years of exile. He is rightly uncertain of his welcome. The last time he saw his brother Esau, he cheated...

Jesus Christ may be “the same yesterday today and forever” (Heb. 13:8), but that requires us to keep changing and growing rather than holding tight to our unchanging past. Human souls,...

Have you ever been with friends, family, or some large group where the goodwill seemed to overflow and the love radiate without conscious effort? You may have been very near “the...

After all our efforts to reach adulthood, we may be surprised to realize at some point well into our adulthood that we still need to grow up. Perhaps our patience or...

There’s a big difference between “all things work together for good for those who love God” and “in everything God works for good with those who love him” (rsv). The Greek...

You’re reading the paper or watching TV. You see or read something terrible that lands with an impact. You give a deep sigh; you groan or grieve inside yourself. Paul tells...

We’ve all known those who say they love the “whole human race” but seem to have difficulty interacting with individuals in front of them. Enduring relationships are specific, relational, and intentional....

The saga of Jacob, Laban, and Laban’s daughters revels in a clash of wits. Laban, with possible collusion by the two sisters, outwits Jacob (who has just outwitted his brother Esau)....

Imagine a world leader who delivers a speech that includes a story that doesn’t make a lot of sense to listeners. Then behind closed doors comes the meeting of the cabinet...

When I work hard to do something right and it gets spoiled, I feel surprised at first, then perturbed, and finally sad. The householder-master in this parable responds to the malevolent...