As Jesus prepared to go on a preaching tour, he sent seventy followers out before him. They were sent in both vulnerability and power, and Jesus explained the risks. He spoke...

“You reap what you sow” has become a casual saying that means something like, “You will get what’s coming to you.” It carries a bit of menace, a warning of divine...

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is beloved for its bold appeal to oneness in Christ. The specific context of the letter, an argument about Gentile Christians, seems archaic now. Underneath the...

This psalm is a song of gratitude, a praise offering in response to healing. The author seems to have been someone who was wealthy, even powerful, who thought prosperity made persons...

Naaman wants to be healed of his leprosy, but he also seems to need to be recognized as an important person. Naaman wants Elisha to perform some complex ritual, not just...

In this story of a miraculous healing, we see the powerful and the humble drawn together, as God uses persons and circumstances to reveal the divine will. Naaman, who is the...

Well, dear friends, Jesus has set his sights on Jerusalem. The path is clear. The time is now. Our invitation waits. It will not be easy. There is no safety or...

I can never read this text without my anger showing toward Jesus. The disciple can’t pause long enough to bury his father?! Doesn’t discipleship include the work of burying the dead?...

A dozen years ago, I stood on the hillside of the village of Sarra in the West Bank. I was there with Meta Peace Team doing third-party nonviolent intervention. The Israeli...

When I see terms like “flesh” and “sexual immorality,” my stomach tightens and grief rises in my throat. I know I’m entering scriptural territory that has been used for generations to...