The Dividing Line

According to Mark 3:20-21, Jesus’ family was desperate to find Jesus with the hopes of getting him to temper his efforts; it might appear that his popularity was beginning to take a toll on them. “He’s crazy,” was their conclusion. Verse 31 picks this theme back up, with Mary and her sons, and perhaps her daughters, having READ MORE

Doing Good; Planning Harm

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on READ MORE

Reflections Regarding Temptation

As soon as the Voice from Heaven offered its amazing affirmation that Jesus was the “beloved Son” and that in him the Father was “well pleased” (see Mark 1:11), we might expect that trumpets should blare and crowds to be jubilant. And being that we who associate with Christ Jesus likewise share in these precious affirmations (being loved READ MORE

In the Midst of Darkness—Light!

Honesty recalls the shame that often defines our lives. Like dark clouds hovering above, shame lingers, squeezing out any real light, suffocating us with its heat, making us long for relief. I define shame as that intense feeling of despair brought on by either guilt or threat. Some of us are ashamed because we are READ MORE