When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and… Continue reading Conjoined Twins
Entrapment
The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you… Continue reading Entrapment
Dressed to the Nines
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people, “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But… Continue reading Dressed to the Nines
Outside the Gates
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When the vintage time drew near,… Continue reading Outside the Gates
Prim and Proper
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the… Continue reading Prim and Proper
It Ain’t Fair!
“When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would… Continue reading It Ain’t Fair!
Math For Dummies
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18.21-22) It doesn’t take a math wizard to know that the number seventy-seven is much higher than the number… Continue reading Math For Dummies
Judgment Versus Mercy
Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the… Continue reading Judgment Versus Mercy
Risky Business
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”… Continue reading Risky Business
An Open Door Policy
Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And… Continue reading An Open Door Policy