Writer and professor J. Schaap keeps intriguing me with his love of New Mexico and his respect and love for native American people. Now he's telling small stories that never get told. Small stories...
In the context of Jesus' ministry, this parable indicts many of the Jews in the time of Jesus for failing to enter the kingdom of God, even though they had been invited. They...
The video to the right is a slideshow of images from the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Sadly, China seems to be censoring the video images of the opening ceremony itself, which...
Many of the religious leaders in Jesus' day were snared by their own self-righteousness. They looked down upon ones they considered to be hopeless "sinners," people like tax collectors and...
I am in charge of 32 English teachers in the second largest high school in New Jersey, and it is my honor...
Matthew 21:22 is one of those verses that gets some Christians into trouble. They take it out of biblical context and turn it into something Jesus never intended. Faith becomes a magic formula for...
Marcus here. Over at New Breed of Advertisers, Sam Van Eman has confessed "I think I can't, I think I can't." ...
The video I've posted on the homepage today is a funny one. A group of "performance artists" froze in place in Grand Central Station for 5 minutes. The people walking around were stunned. One...
This passage epitomizes the contrasting responses to Jesus. On the one hand, those in need of healing came freely and eagerly to him. On the other hand, the religious leaders were indignant. They...
As Jesus entered Jerusalem to cries of "Hosanna," the crowd had high hopes for him. Surely, if he were the Messiah, Jesus would gather together an army and soon lead a successful attack...
This familiar story of "Palm Sunday" dramatizes the irony of Jesus' ministry. He was indeed the Messiah, the one who was inaugurating the kingdom of God. He was the royal Son of God...
Stories that never get told - it makes you think of a forlorn and lonely little book, left on a dusty bookshelf. But I'm not talking about stories that don't get read or...
When the two blind men kept crying out to Jesus, those in the crowd around them tried to shut them up. Their...
Perhaps you've noticed that churches all around our nation are splitting over the issue of music in worship. This is a simple explanation, but it's basically the classic hymn lovers vs. those who...
When the blind men heard that Jesus was coming their way, they began shouting for mercy. No doubt they had heard that Jesus had healed people. Maybe, just maybe, he might heal them...
Around Mother's Day, my family took me to the local nursery and let me buy an abundance of bedding flowers. The kids brought me breakfast in bed, and my husband Patrick made brunch...
In response to his disciples' yearning for position and power, Jesus called them to servanthood. "If you want to be a leader," he said, "then be a servant." Then, in order to illustrate and...
I remember being in college and watching a Public Television fundraiser event. For a donation of a certain amount, you would receive a thank you gift, in this case a set of Monty...
When James and John tried to obtain positions of honor alongside Jesus in the kingdom of God, the other disciples became indignant. No doubt they also wanted the kind of glory and power...
Irony abounds in this passage. Just as Jesus finished predicting his gruesome death, the mother of two of his closest disciples, with them in tow, asked that they might be honored more than anyone...
