It’s a worry if the church simply transfers the exhausting, life-draining, joy-sucking demands of the rest of life to its own agenda and programs. The Gospel demands that people need something very different than to feel that their church sees them as a resource to meet their goals. Worse still, the thought that coming to …
When a leper seeks Jesus, the leper wants one thing – not a change in social status – not a change in health – what the leper wants is Jesus. From Rosaria Butterfield. “And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean’” (Luke 5:13). That touch changed the man. But …
The Gospels contrast the disciples of Jesus who were not consistently clear about what they wanted with those at the margins (like blind Bartimaeus) who were completely focussed on their need. Jesus keeps asking a question (actually or implied) of those he encounters to help them understand that their present desire was masking their need …
When Jesus encounters doubt in his disciples he asks why, so that the doubter can explore where their doubt is coming from, and return their focus to Jesus and the relationship they have with him. From Winn Collier. When Jesus encountered doubters, he did not leave them to wallow in their uncertainty, but neither did …
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