Jesus meets a woman who has been suffering physically for eighteen years and heals her on the Sabbath…very controversial for that time. Everyone wants to jump into the resulting fray while the woman fades into the background. But Jesus sees her and reminds everyone that she is important too, just as important as the rule […]

Who doesn’t want peace? As it turns out…Jesus doesn’t want peace, according to the gospel reading today. Maybe that’s because the need for “peace” is often used as a reason to keep people quiet and let unjust powers rule the day. Jesus urges us to help him burn down the things that oppress others and […]

Life is hard, exhausting sometimes, and it’s hard to keep the faith. It’s hard to continue living in a way that is so different from the rest of the world and sets us up for heartbreak and disappointment. Our readings today urge us to keep the faith, not by our own power, but because Jesus […]

Do you have a lot of stuff? Many of us do…too much stuff, in fact, for many different reasons. Jesus tells a story about a man who had so much stuff that he built new barns to hold it all, and what can happen when we measure the wrong things in life. Instead of measuring […]

Prayer seems like a simple concept: talking to God. But there are plenty of questions about prayer. How do we know God is listening? Why are some prayers answered and not others? What is the point of prayer if God knows what we need anyway? Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray, and […]

“Worried and distracted by many things.” That’s how Jesus describes Martha in today’s gospel reading, but he might as well say the same thing about us. What does he suggest as the answer? Only one thing is necessary, he says. The love of God for all people…including ourselves. Sometimes that’s the hardest one to accept. […]

When is your enemy also your friend? This isn’t a political question—this is the question that comes from hearing Jesus’ parable we know as the Good Samaritan. Jesus challenges the expectations of his hearers and points out that God’s love knows no limits. Neither should the Golden Rule: to love your neighbor as yourself. All […]

When you need help, but you don’t want to admit it, what do you do? The general Naaman in our first reading today was powerful, wealthy, respected, feared—but he harbored a secret illness that was embarrassing and shameful. He tried his best to fix the situation, but the only thing that worked was coming clean. […]

Looking for a public relations spokesperson? A social media influencer? Jesus would probably be your last choice. As he sets out for Jerusalem, he practically shoos people away from following him. Following Jesus all the way to the cross puts us into conflict with our world and with our own fears and desires. But it […]