The sermon on the mount—Matthew tells us that Jesus spoke to the people on a mount, a big, high hill. Maybe that would remind Jewish listeners of Moses on the…
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Jesus is back from the wilderness, tested, steeled with the Spirit, with purpose, devotion, zeal, focus. People notice. People gather. So many bump through life wishy-washy, pale, bruised. Oh, why…
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It’s no accident, no coincidence, that temptation follows baptism. John offered a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jews were familiar with the forgiveness of sins: they gloried…
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Jesus came to call people to follow, to believe and follow: only believe, just follow. If they weren’t sure whether they believed, Jesus told them to follow and see. “Trust…
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I’m not sure whether Jesus lived in turbulent times or just sort of caused tumult wherever he went. He definitely upset a lot of old, traditional notions and ways—those venerable…
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I wish they had been walking by a field, maybe at sowing time. As it is, “they were walking along the road” (9:57). It’s a dirt road. The road is…
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