I can look out my living room window and see the broad and basic contours of the southern edge of a small forest. But the beauty of this view cannot be seen while walking through the same woods where I can observe the individual trees, the undergrowth, the dead and […] Read more
Jesus, after unveiling the full extent of our sin (Matt. 5:17-48), tells us we need to perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48), and explains how to love our Heavenly Father (Matt. 6:1-34), introduces judgment. In so doing, Jesus addresses how to live in a world full of […] Read more
You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 We read these words and probably think Jesus is talking about perfection with regard to sin — our thoughts and actions — but I’m not so certain that’s what Jesus really meant. Everything preceding this is a […] Read more
We have read about the king’s heritage, the king’s herald, the coming kingdom, and the king’s baptism and temptations, but it isn’t until Matthew 5 that we encounter the king teaching the kingdom. It may seem as though there is a preposition missing in that last sentence but there isn’t; […] Read more
One of my favorite elements of the earth’s landscapes is the mountain. If I could, I’d have a house far enough away from mountains so I could see them clearly, but close enough so I could climb them daily. While I enjoy looking at mountain peaks, I don’t often study […] Read more
The name of the Lord shines brightly through each verse of Matthew’s first two chapters; that name we hold hallowed as we pray and offer praise. Certainly, the whole of scripture is a revelation of God, but Matthew’s first two chapters seem to be especially focused on his work, providing […] Read more
An argument could be made that James should have ended his letter after he wrote, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 4:12). He presented the problem with the tongue (3:1-12) and then offered the solution (4:1-12): God’s wisdom from above purifies […] Read more
The first car I owned was a Mazda 626, a fairly common car at the time. I didn’t recall seeing many on the road, but when I drove mine off the lot I started seeing them everywhere. Once our mind is tuned into one thing we often see it everywhere, […] Read more
I wrote in my first entry, Introduction, that prayer had become an unhinged experience for me until I began working through the Lord’s Prayer. I never really thought much about the Lord’s Prayer as a model and I always shunned formulas and structure for prayer, but lately, I’ve been questioning […] Read more
I’ve been watching The Godfather the past few weeks while I exercise. Watching something longer than the workout is about the only way I can maintain any sort of regular exercise regimen. I need the anticipation of what comes next to motivate me to get back on the elliptical each […] Read more