I’m always fascinated to dig into the Hebraic background of words we know from the New Testament. One prominent word we encounter is euangelion – “gospel” or “good news.” We hear it all the time in the New Testament, but what can we learn about its meaning and imagery when we find it in the […]
The Scriptures are “Sticky,” in a Way
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. (Matthew 25:29) I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard a sermon based on this saying of Jesus. It sounds so unfair! Yet this line comes up several places in […]
A Surprising Idea in Isaiah 53
As often as you’ve read the prophecy of Jesus’ suffering in Isaiah 53, you’ll be shocked at the implications of one widely overlooked line.
Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling?
One of the most difficult lines in the New Testament is Paul’s command that we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12). Did he really mean that we should constantly shudder in fear of God’s judgment? I think Paul has a completely different idea in mind here. Let’s take a closer look. […]
A Closer Look at the Sabbath Commandment
The refreshment of Sabbath was primarily intended for the ones who could not rest without the permission of others. Sabbath was not just about religious observance, but about social justice.
Rosh HaShanah – A Time to Pray for God’s Kingdom
Christians should be fascinated by how an ancient Jewish prayer describes the Kingdom of God being established on the earth, and how it desires that all the nations repent and worship the true God of heaven. It is very related to Jesus’ words about “the coming of the Kingdom of God.”
Reconsidering the Lilies of the Field
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe […]
Mercy or Justice? A Rabbinic Parable
by Lois Tverberg “And [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for […]
Beautifying God’s Commands
The idea of hiddur mitzvah (beautifying a command) says that if God tells us to do something, we shouldn’t just do the minimum, but to perform it in the best way possible, sparing no expense or trouble.
Remembering A Passover Long Ago
Prior to celebrating our Passover Seder, I had always thought the crowds unimaginably fickle, cheering Jesus one day and then shouting for his head the next. But Jesus’ supporters never changed their minds. The entire plot unfolded in the wee hours, after the late-evening Passover feast had ended, while most people were sound asleep.
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