Something happened on April 29, 2015 that had never occurred in over a century of major league baseball. The Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox played in Camden Yards and the stadium was . . . . empty. Due to the unrest and violence taking place in the city, the decision was made thatContinue reading “Fabulously Clean and Invitingly Empty”
Tag Archives: Jesus
Aah . . . Hope
The Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III, stormed into the Mediterranean region and by 732 BC he had broken the Aramean-Israel alliance and captured Damascus. Northern Israel (i.e., the cities of Galilee) fell next, followed by Gilead. Following Assyrian custom, the people were deported and foreigners were brought in to occupy the land. (Conquered lands were much easier to controlContinue reading “Aah . . . Hope”
To Judge or not to Judge?
“Don’t judge!” This has been one of our culture’s mantras for quite some time. We’re so emphatic about it that I saw a meme of a little girl pointing an accusing finger at Santa Claus and saying, “Naughty or nice, huh? STOP JUDGING ME!” Even Santa has been taken down by popular culture. Of course,Continue reading “To Judge or not to Judge?”
Who is on Your Road?
When Jesus told the story of the Samaritan, His immediate purpose was to provide an answer to the disingenuously posed question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). The expert in the law (v. 25), was seeking to have his indifference toward others excused on the grounds that neighbor was too ambiguous of a term. It couldn’t beContinue reading “Who is on Your Road?”
Grace and Community (1)
Luke recorded a parable given by Jesus in 18:9-14 of his gospel. The story is about two men in the temple and their approach God. The first person, a Pharisee, comes before God reciting a checklist of all the good things he has done. Interestingly, Christ never suggests that the man didn’t do the things of which he boasts norContinue reading “Grace and Community (1)”
Communion Thoughts
Being alone is nice . . . for a little while. Then we need people. If you think about it, even some of the things we do when we are alone give us away. We read a book, listen to music, watch something online, and do other things that to some degree involve the human touch and aren’tContinue reading “Communion Thoughts”
Celebrities or Servants?
I caught the last snippet of a commercial where someone was identified as a celebrity landscaper. Well of course—why just be a landscaper when you can be a celebrity landscaper? The possibilities are endless: celebrity school teacher, celebrity pharmacist, celebrity construction worker. And let’s not forget the kids—we can have celebrity teenagers, celebrity children, and celebrityContinue reading “Celebrities or Servants?”
Water into Wine
Numerous contemporaries of Jesus speak of good wine not possessing intoxicating qualities (Pliny, Plutarch, Horace, etc.). In fact, they describe in detail the measures taken to produce such a drink. There’s no reason then, other than cultural bias or biblical ignorance, for insisting that when the master of the banquet spoke of what Jesus made as “choiceContinue reading “Water into Wine”
This is the Lord We Need!
John has a way of relating staggeringly immense truths in a ridiculously succinct manner. “The word was with God, and The Word was God” (1:1)—the diversity and unity of the Godhead in ten words. “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4)—the spiritual and moral illumination that Jesus’ lifeContinue reading “This is the Lord We Need!”
Taking Jesus at His Word
We’re not sure where the story found in John 7:53-8:11 belongs. This is why in most translations it is set in italics, bracketed, or even put into a footnote. Textual authorities tell us that it’s not in the two earliest manuscripts we have of John which date back to the beginning of the third century.Continue reading “Taking Jesus at His Word”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 