Matthew 28:5Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen. What?!! Who is this strange man? White and shining as the sun? And what does he mean: ‘He is risen’? We saw his body go in. We saw the men roll the great stone against the mouth of the tomb. He is risen? Can it be? Oh, that would be just like Jesus! Wait until Peter and the rest hear a...  Read More

Matthew 27:50Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. There’s a lot going on in this chapter. Jesus is bound, led away, accused by the priests, condemned by the mob, abandoned by the governor, mocked by men, forsaken by God, and swallowed by death. What a colossal chapter this is. And he submitted to it all. But it’s, perhaps, this last step that I find most remarkable – ...  Read More

Matthew 26:52a, 53Put your sword back into its place… Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? During this time a Roman legion consisted of nearly 7,000 men. Can you imagine opening your front door to a legion of soldiers? It would be quite breathtaking to behold such an enormous force, let alone be attacked by one. Therefore, ...  Read More

Matthew 25:40As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Jesus stands in solidarity with the down and outs. He has a special affinity with the needy. I find it interesting that he doesn’t come and personally fix the problem himself but waits for his representatives (the church) to do something about it. He wants the church to see them. He wants the church to know he s...  Read More

Matthew 24:2You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. Getting the news of Kobe Bryant’s passing last week was a shock. Here one day and gone the next. Seems surreal. But that’s the way of the world. Nothing in this life remains forever. Kingdoms will pass, dynasties will fall, cities will topple, statues wil...  Read More

Matthew 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Can you feel the tug? The weighted down heart? If you are a parent, or a caring friend, you know the feeling. If your loved one is wayward or just being difficult then you know how Jesus sometimes feels regarding us. He loves us. And that love doesn’t make his life easy. But, just as you know, you don’t give up. Your love keeps you in the game. No questions ask...  Read More

Matthew 22:33They were astonished at his teaching.It’s interesting that the gospels never say the crowds were astonished by his miracles, but they were by his teaching. We think of Jesus’s miracles as mind blowing, but apparently his teaching was out of this world. So, it would seem, his miracles were simply a means to an end, and that end was his Word. So isn’t it a blessing to actually have insc...  Read More

Matthew 21:42The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Isn’t that just like God? He takes what others consider to be trash and makes it his treasure. Maybe you’ve never been good enough. Others don’t seem to notice you’re there. You’ve been rejected all your life. Maybe you’ve been fired? Or maybe you’ve even been divorced? But no matter what level of rejection you have suff...  Read More

Matthew 20:15Do you begrudge my generosity? Grace is scandalous business. Especially when someone else gets it when you think you’re the one that deserved it. Oh, you get blessed alright, but somebody else gets blessed just as much as you. But it’s a scandal when they didn’t earn it like you. Why should they get the same treatment? If that’s our attitude, then we have yet to understand grace. We c...  Read More

Matthew 19:14Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. If we’re not careful, we can become like the disciples. They got a little impatient and testy with kids. Because kids are great at ruining a serious moment, and, as you know, spiritual matters are serious business. The disciples were trying to guard the moment and remove distractions....  Read More

Matthew 18:21Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?After asking the question, Peter suggested that perhaps seven times was a generous amount to forgive a brother. And I think he’s right, seven times is a lot of times to forgive somebody. But Jesus seemed to indicate that that’s only the beginning. Never can we say we’ve reached the limit. You know why? Cause his forgive...  Read More

Matthew 17:17How long am I to be with you?Was Jesus being impatient here? Sure seems like it to me, and rightly so. He wanted his disciples to believe they could do the same things he was doing. I think we Christians tend to put this big difference between ourselves and Jesus. And, categorically, I think we’re right to do so. However, functionally, I think we can be wrong. It’s true, we will never...  Read More