“[F]ull of joy through the Holy Spirit”: let’s start there. The Holy Spirit brings the gift of joy, beloved. We want to be happy. Sometimes, we are. What we really…
“Not one of us” (9:49). I am not interested in hindering others, but I am interested in strengthening the church: healthy, vital, vibrant, whole. The church is strengthened when we…
Jews would not keep herds of pigs. The territory into which Jesus takes his disciples now is Gentile territory; more, it’s culturally Greek. Greek thought owed nothing to and had…
Most of the time, if you invite someone over, it’s because you want to cultivate the relationship. The Pharisees were clearly a mixed group and not all of the same…