Hardly anyone is as weak as a newborn baby. They are totally dependent. Totally vulnerable. For a “new mother” it can be completely overwhelming. The lack of sleep-unbelievable. The demands –devastating. The time restraints – immense. Humanly speaking, the baby Jesus was as weak as any other newborn. However, as far as heaven was concerned […]
This is not the stuff of Christmas, not yet. No Hallmark card here. In those days…poor Mary…literally dirt poor…no status… In those days…she flees “in haste.” An unmarried girl, barely a woman… 12 or 13 years old… No ring on her finger… Living in a small village… A lot of censure… Untold shame… A lot […]
The people of God have always tried. They want to make things right. They desire to be right with God and with their fellow human beings. They try. Admittedly, some try “harder than others.” Sometimes we are more successful than at “other times.” Sometimes we are more concerned…it sits right in front of us, on […]
So, John was out in the hinterlands. It was where he was raised. It was his “home.” It was his “thing.” Comfort was to be found in the desert. The area around the Jordan River was familiar territory. It was here that God had tapped him on the shoulder…and whispered into his ear. Luke mentions […]
First off, just a comment on all those strange names to pronounce… They represent one emperor, one governor, three tetrarchs and two religious high priests – they are a listing of who is important and who is prestigious in the eyes of the world. We think (we think) Luke included them just to show “how […]
I have a friend who collects “nativity sets.” I specifically asked about them and she has over 90 different sets in her collection. Each individual one is totally unique and different. As a matter of fact, she has so many, that I do not think she has room to display them all at one time. […]
Luke was one of those history “whiz kids.” Who knows his stuff and it just rolls off his tongue. He likes spouting stuff off…especially about these guys. They are the direct opposition. They are the “high muckety – mucks.” For the most part they are considered to be evil, hated and despised. They all lived […]
These words of Jesus for the first Sunday In Advent are strange and scary both at the same time. Cosmic signs in the heavens above – danger…fear…foreboding … look out…run…quickly…skedaddle! Not exactly what we would expect when we come to worship in the brand New Year…but here they are, sitting right in front of us. […]
“Apocalyptic” literature that big fifty cent word (again)… refers to the end of times… The literature, itself sounds like a lot of “bad news.” It is not. Nor was it ever meant to be. The intention behind it – is always – “good news.” “God is in charge.” “God is in control.” Relax. Easier said […]
When it comes to Jesus – there is no fence sitting. During the 10 years (26-36 CE) that Pontius Pilate served as “Royal Governor” – there were 32 riots. Three of them were “major riots” and major “sizeable events…” The Jews hated the Romans. The Jews hated Pontius Pilate. They hated the insensitivity to their […]