Kingdom People

“Remember Lot’s wife!” – Jesus, to the disciples speaking of the arrival of his kingdom (Luke 17:32) “Remember the Alamo!” This battle cry emboldened soldiers seeking revenge for the massacre which took place at the Alamo in 1836. The slogan was intended to bring to mind the earlier battle and thus propel the soldiers into [...]

Here are links to this week’s five Easter reflections on the beauty of the cross: The Beauty of a Blood-Stained Cross The Cross of Christ: God with Us The Cross of Christ: God instead of Us (1) The Cross of Christ: God instead of Us (2) The Cross of Christ: God for Us

The truth that God is with us and that Jesus has died instead of us is indeed glorious. But without knowing that God is for us, victory would not be ours. We need more than a shoulder to cry on. We need more than hands and feet that will take the nails that we deserve. [...]

(Continued from yesterday) Passover – Jesus bears God’s wrath in our place Now let’s revisit Passover – the central moment in the history of the Jewish people. After hundreds of years in slavery, the time had come for God’s chosen people to be delivered. The cries of his oppressed people had reached his ears. He [...]

The cross offers a glimpse into the heart of a God who is willing to be with us in death and suffering. But we need more than a God who knows our pain. We need mercy for our own contributions to the pain in the world. Christ’s death is not merely a picture of God [...]

Loneliness and alienation are part of human existence. Signs of loneliness appear everywhere: In the flickering light of the computer screen at night. In the big house with only one inhabitant. In our chronic distrust of one another. In the younger generation’s cynicism. We are alone. Isolated. Friendships fade. Relationships are severed. Trust is broken. [...]

Every year, I devote several posts during Holy Week to the cross and resurrection of Christ. I realize that blogging and thoughtful devotional material often do not mix, since many readers simply scan feeds. But I hope that during this week, you will take a few moments to read through these five reflective posts and [...]

In the Gospel of Mark, each time Jesus predicts his suffering, the disciples demonstrate their pride and weakness.  The scenes are sadly comical. Jesus talks about going to the cross, and the disciples begin trying to one-up each other for glory in the kingdom. But there is one scene that stands out. At the table [...]

Mark’s account of the woman who anoints Jesus is shrouded in darkness. Just before the story, we see the religious leaders plotting Jesus’ demise. Right after the story, Judas makes plans to betray Jesus and wait for the right time to hand him over. But Mark not only heightens the drama by sandwiching the woman’s [...]

“Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.” - Jesus to Zacchaeus (Luke 19:9) Zacchaeus was indeed a “wee little man,” and not only physically. He was a small man spiritually, a crook that ripped off his neighbors and pocketed his profit at their expense. One day, Jesus informed [...]