Jesus selects twelve apostles. Unsaid is that there were so many followers of Jesus that he had to select the twelve from the many. Each Gospel has a slightly different list of the twelve, indicating that maybe the list changed over time, or it wasn’t as hard and fast as some might think.
Today Jesus continues his “Amazing Healing Show” but also continues to infuriate the authorities. The God of Laws the authorities believe in is dramatically different than the God of Love that Jesus is teaching. Today’s healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath is a head on confrontation of these two concepts.
Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to follow him. Levi invites Jesus to dinner with other notorious rich sinners, which upsets the Scribes. Then the scribes get upset about eating wheat on the sabbath, too. But Jesus isn’t taking the bait and explains every event to them.
Peter continues the story of Jesus Healing people in his early ministry. The local scribes raise issues about Jesus authority, but Jesus always stymies them. When he heals the man who was lowered through the roof the place explodes with amazement and praise.
What does it take for you to grant that someone is au authority? What characteristics do you look for in an authority?
Ash Wednesday 2021, our Lenten Journey begins. For Lent this year I am presenting the “A Talk with Peter”, a retelling of the Gospel of Mark in the first person, as if Peter himself was telling us about his best friend, Jesus. I will post a new passage everyday during Lent, and ending on Easter. …
The excitement of Christmas is here. But are we excited about the right things, for the right reasons? Why did Jesus come to us? What gifts does Jesus give us that we need to share with others? Rev. Steve Petty explores these questions in two devotions for Christmas Eve or Day. Here are some presents …
When we finally get to week 4 of Advent we are just a few days from Christmas. The excitement of getting and giving presents sometimes diverts our attention away from the true meaning of the Season. Emily Bredthauer reminds us that the gift that matters is the love behind the gift. God’s love is behind …
The theme of the third week of Advent is Joy. We may feel that these are impossible times in which to find Joy. Consider the Joy of Mary, an unwed mother, afraid that her fiancé will abandon her, dark days indeed. Yet Mary’s heart soars with the news that God is with her – pure …
The theme of the second Sunday in Advent is Love. God’s love for us and our love of God. God’s love can uplift us and strengthen us. Whereas our love of God defines who we are and whose we are. Rev. David Petty amplifies those themes in this week’s Advent Devotional.