One of the striking, paradoxical, extraordinary features of Jesus’ way and teaching is that those who do not resist his commandment, but submit to it, find rest. Just the opposite occurs for those who resist Jesus’ commandment. When Jesus’ yoke of discipleship rests on us, we rest. When we throw it off, we experience heaviness of soul. Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus as saying: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon... Read more

Those who would live authoritatively as Christians must learn to live under authority, as in the case of Jesus, whose dedication to do God’s will should lead the way. Anything else is either authoritarian or anemic. As Jesus’ dedication as a baby reveals, Jesus was born of a woman under the Law in the fullness of time (Luke 2:22; Galatians 4:4). Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered during his entire life here on earth (Hebrews 5:7-8; cf. Luke 22:42-44).... Read more

Those who are an authoritarian law to themselves do not live authoritatively. Nor do those who champion anarchy against all rule. Authoritative living requires living under God’s authority with those on history’s underside, namely the disinherited and oppressed. We will develop this theme in what follows. One of the most striking features of Jesus’ authoritative life involves how he lives under authority. We find this dynamic in play in Luke 2, where Jesus’ parents dedicate him as a baby in... Read more

Jared Kushner made guest appearances on TV news shows to promote and defend the Trump Administration’s peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians. Many observers welcome Kushner’s stated desire for peace and stability for Israel and the Palestinians, along with his aspiration for economic viability and eventual statehood for the Palestinians alongside Israel as a sovereign state. Commentators have also been impressed with Kushner’s ability to articulate the Trump Administration’s peace plan. Still, his disparaging remarks about the Palestinians suggest... Read more

Usually, a baby dedication is sweet, uneventful, and yet memorable for the family and close friends. The worst thing that can happen at a baby dedication or baptism is that the infant may start to cry. Based on what occurs at Jesus’ dedication in the Temple recorded in Luke 2, memorable is correct, but certainly not uneventful or sweet. This event recorded in Luke 2 stands at a crossroad in the church calendar, as it marks the first recorded instance... Read more

It is so easy to get caught up in the moment as Jesus works his glorious wonders in our midst and we fail to see his hour of glory. Take for example Jesus’ miraculous turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana in Galilee discussed in the last entry. Even though his hour has not yet come (John 2:4), Jesus is the life of the party as he saves the wedding day, and possibly the marriage. As great... Read more

One of the main events in Jesus’ life that the church celebrates during Epiphany-tide is the miraculous sign of water being turned into wine at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. The event is recorded in John 2:1-11. It is the first of the recorded signs in this gospel. The story goes that a major mishap occurs at a wedding that Jesus, his family, and disciples attend. They have run out of wine! For some of us, that may be... Read more

Jesus’ call to discipleship and our responses to that call shed light on him and on us at any time of the year, including Epiphany-tide. The prior entry on Epiphany-tide focused on the revelation of Jesus’ call of his first disciples. Here we highlight briefly the nature of that call and the appropriate response. In Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about “simple obedience.” Jesus “demanded voluntary poverty of the rich young man.” The man’s “only choices were obedience or disobedience.” Jesus’... Read more

Have you ever heard the phrase “relational martyrdom ”? Well, I hadn’t, until my colleague Becca Jones mentioned it to me. Becca Jones is the Director of Student Counseling & Wellness at Multnomah University. Becca and I discussed this topic yesterday. The entire discussion was recorded and will appear at New Wine, New Wineskins’ YouTube channel over the coming days. A clip from the video is included at the close of this blog post. Becca, others and I will be... Read more

Many churches celebrate Epiphany Season from January 6 with the visit of the Magi to the Transfiguration just before the beginning of Lent. Epiphany-tide focuses on the manifestation of Jesus and his glory. In the Western church tradition, Epiphany Sunday focuses on the visit of the Magi whereas the Sunday following Epiphany reflects on the manifestation of the triune God at Jesus’ baptism (See Matthew 2 and 3 respectively for treatment of these two accounts). To truly see Jesus is... Read more