One of the commandments of Jesus: Thou shalt not judge others. We have to make judgements all the time. It is characteristic of human knowing to judge. As one scholar put it:  “it is only by judgment that there emerges a distinction between fact and fiction,  logic and sophistry, philosophy and myth, history and legend,… Read More »

On the mountaintop the disciples were “very much afraid.” Which is why Jesus tells them “do not be afraid.” We live in frightening times. It is frightening that we are altering the climate of the planet to the detriment of all living things. It is frightening that the nations possess nuclear weapons that are capable… Read More »

Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Loving your enemies is not a strategy. We like to think that if we love our enemies they will see the error of their ways, love us back and we’ll all sing kum-ba-ya. No, more times than not when we love our enemies they will… Read More »

You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” I certainly have said that. Shouldn’t so much goodness get that much reward? Like most children I was acutely aware of fairness. When there was one piece of pie left my mother would have to carefully cut it in half for my sister and me so that… Read More »

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. Jesus holds up the example of parents to help us understand God’s benevolence toward us. I am thinking of my sister who, when her daughter… Read More »

In the American opera, Porgy and Bess, the character Sportin’ Life sings “It ain’t necessarily so.” He is skeptical about some of the events in the Bible, such as Jonah being swallowed by a whale, and, hence, feels that he doesn’t have to take the Word of God seriously. For Jesus’ contemporaries the account of… Read More »

 My word that goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. When Jesus was resisting temptation he turned to the Scriptures as his way of understanding how God wanted him to act. The Word of God contains divine power;… Read More »

On a recent visit to a parishioner in a nursing home it struck me that there were many people who lived there. While I was able to visit one I had neither the time nor the energy to visit them all. My prayer that evening was that whoever was supposed to visit those other sick… Read More »

The devil has no imagination. Every temptation is some variation on the first one in the Garden of Eden. We heard in the Book of Genesis that the snake said to Adam and Eve: “You will be like gods.” They thought that was a good idea so they succumbed to the temptation. Jesus, on the… Read More »

My doctor is very kind. Each time I see him he offers several suggestions on things I should do to stay healthy. When I return and haven’t done these things the doctor does not yell at me, does not tell me to stay away until I have become healthy. No, he gently points out things… Read More »