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Wild Beasts, the Wilderness, and Jesus
Wild beasts populate the Old Testament with some frequency. Elisha calling down the she-bears on the young men who threatened him and David fighting off lions come to mind. But when I read about Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness in Mark 1:13, I was surprised. No one had mentioned it in a sermon before. Of course, I have read Mark before, so I must have bypassed it as one does while reading the Bible. It can take such discipline to learn to read the Word closely. The verse says: …and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and…
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Blame: Toxic Love Killer
How does the blame game start? Picture this: we set out on a family trip and realize we forgot some essential item. So naturally, the first step is to figure out who was responsible for bringing that item. After all, it is crucial to establish whose fault the forgotten item is. Or is it? Then we grudgingly turn around, and our attitude punishes the forgetful member of the party. Finally, justice is served, and the trip is ruined. In Matthew 16, the disciples discover that they had forgotten to bring any bread on the trip. In what seems like a somewhat non sequitur response, Jesus warns them against the leaven…
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Walking on Water: Celebrating Risk and Failure
In rereading the miracle of Jesus walking on water, I notice a couple of things I hadn’t before. The first is that the water Jesus walked on was stormy. The image I had in my head previously was of Jesus walking across smooth waters, the light dancing across the little ripples. But no, Jesus traversed wind and waves, apparently without any trouble. The second thing I notice is that Peter, not Jesus, initiated the whole walking on water fiasco. Peter challenged Jesus to prove himself. And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Matthew 14: 28 I admit…
Healing Through Art & Words
