Behind the Pharisees’ question in this passage is a test of loyalties. Over and over again in this section of Matthew, some religious leaders have been trying to trap Jesus. They...

I live right at the bottom of a mountain. As I go through my days, I regularly come face-to-face with my own smallness, and I’m reminded of the beauty and majesty...

Do you have a friend who puts a smile on your face every time you think about them? First Thessalonians is a letter overflowing with Paul’s fondness and gratitude for his...

Moses already knows that God has called him to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, but he wants the details. In the previous verses, God has said it’s time to...

A few days ago I was deeply frustrated over something that had gone wrong while planning our family vacation. The problem was my own mistake, but I still felt outraged that...

And finally, my kindred siblings, finally, let us think on what is beautiful and alive and life-giving. Rather than figuring out how we can defeat the other political party, or drawing...

After a week of difficult passages, this passage brings it all together. This foundational exhortation accompanies the other harsh stories this week to finish the message: This is the clothing of...

My work is focused on restoring sacred relationship with nature as a foundational aspect of our spirituality. I can see evidence throughout scripture that relationship with God in the wilderness is...

The parable of the wedding banquet is found in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. I’ve preached on this parable before, and Luke’s version allows us to focus on the...

What begins as a psalm praising God and requesting the Lord’s favor quickly turns specifically to the confession of sins committed by the Israelites. It is not the Israelites in the...