The Difficult Parable of the Dishonest Manager
A recent chat with friends regarding peaceful, non-violent resistance of cultural norms led to one of the most difficult parables taught by Jesus. Luke 16:1-9 has stumped and mystified interpreters for years, if not centuries. Some argue that the real meaning of this parable is lost to us forever; others point to Jesus’ overarching penchant for non-violent subversion as the key that unlocks the real meaning and intention of this parable. Given the social, political, and religious setting in which Jesus was situated, I tend to side with those who cite subversion. Read More »
I Wonder about Jesus
I wonder what Jesus would think of our modern church planting methods? I wonder what he would say about all the effort we put into putting a production on the ground, rather than investing in authentic relationships. I wonder if he’d repeat his parable about building a house upon the sand, but shift it’s point slightly in our direction. I wonder if we’d respond with, “But Lord, we did all of this in your …” I wonder what would happen next.
A Review of Threads’ The Tough Sayings of Jesus
I am quickly learning that Threads by LifeWay is dedicated to the production of high quality, DVD based, small group curriculum. Their newest offering, The Tough Sayings of Jesus, by Michael Kelley is no exception. It is another quality Christian resource in an admittedly small but steadily growing catalog of small group teaching materials and leader kits. Yeah, I really dig it. I was sold when I came across the following introductory statement by the author, Michael Kelley: Read More »
Matthew’s Subversion of Our Ordinary Norms
The Gospel of Matthew has been called the most Jewish of all the Gospels. Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish, mind you. I think that simple truth alone has been subtly buried by the crushing tide of our popular, Western expressions of Christianity. Jesus was Jewish, as were his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew reflects this Jewishness more so than any other canonical Gospel. This is very important. The Jewishness of Mathew is very, very important.
You see, in Matthew, the author is writing specifically to Jewish people who are well trained in Jewish Law or Torah. That’s why the Gospel begins immediately with a long and tough to read genealogy. Yeah, we may as well admit it, we all skip that part of Matthew, right! Right. It is, however, a very important feature of this Gospel. The author of Matthew includes it because he is writing to a Jewish audience and he wants to show his audience that the redemptive work God began with Israel is completed in Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. So, in this long and tedious genealogy, Matthew not only links Jesus’ heritage with King David, but also with Abraham. Jesus of Nazareth is Son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of God. That’s pretty important info., not only for Matthew’s Jewish audience, but for all of us Gentiles too. Read More »
Turning Off the Spiritual Infomercial
Jesus and his simple way are anything but ordinary. Jesus’ way is simple, but it is anything but ordinary. Jesus’ way is extraordinary, in its simplest form!
So, I guess I’m asking if you see simplicity itself as extraordinary; or beyond extraordinary. Complications, shallowness, and distractions are rooted in the world’s ordinary or everyday way of being and doing. These are the sorts of things upon which all of those things we are so tired of are built. Popular Christian words and spiritual sounding catch-phrases flow from these sorts of things; simplicity is the foundation of the extraordinary way of Jesus of Nazareth. Read More »
Living Out Matthew 4:23-5:16
C. Wess Daniels of Gathering in Light tagged me for a meme built upon favorite passages of Scripture. I have a lot of favorite passages and stories, but I think the following represents the one portion I find myself going back to time and time again. I personally believe Jesus meant what he said, and said what he meant. Yet, we are so comfortable with life lived apart from the practical ramifications of his teaching. I personally go back to the following portion of scripture because I - me - have to check myself daily against the master’s teaching, lest I comfortably wander away from my own cross. Jesus never said his way was easy … Read More »
The Jesus of Suburbia
I am reading through Mike Erre’s The Jesus of Suburbia. Wow! What a great and timely read this book is! It is a fairly light and easily understandable read, but it is not meant for the faint of heart. It is a piercing indictment of most of American Evangelical Christianity. So, if you are quite comfortable there, then you may want to take a pass on this one. It wastes zero time getting to the point too. The following excerpt is lifted directly from the third and fourth pages of the introduction: Read More »
