Author: Norm

My sense is that many Christians are like Peter in this story.Peter is sincere in his devotion to Moses, and Elijah, and Jesus.Peter was raised to honour Moses and Elijah as the greatest voices for God.Moses represented the Law, and Elijah represented the prophets.Both experienced the blinding glory of God on Mount Sinai.They shone with…

So when did some of the disciples see the kingdom of God?All of them saw the triumphal entry, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.Only some of them saw the transfiguration, the story that follows next.It was about eight days later, after Jesus said this, yet it is the next verse.Luke wants us to see this next story…

Yesterday I reflected on how I know and experience Jesus.For me, Jesus is the humble, gracious God of love as a human.In today’s reading we see that humble gracious love in action.In humility, for love, God puts Himself at the mercy of human violence. The God of love as a human must suffer many things.God…

I like to put myself into the Jesus stories.If Jesus asked me this question today, how would I answer it?Notice that Jesus is specifically asking for a personal answer.He knows that there are many opinions, and so do the disciples.But what about you? My ideas about Jesus have changed through the years.I have been shaped…

I am reflecting on this section again because of these words.Jesus inspires me with His response to scarcity.Obviously 5 loaves and 2 fish are not enough for the need.This is a crisis moment, yet Jesus is not giving in to the crisis.According to John, Jesus had in mind what He was going to do (John 6:6).We…

The disciples see both the problem and the solution.The problem is there are too many hungry people who need food.The solution is to send them away to find food and lodging elsewhere.This is a sensible and reasonable solution, one that I would propose too.It would not have crossed my mind to expect Jesus to feed…

The more I read the Jesus stories, the more perplexed I get. Not about Jesus per se, but about what I hear from others about Jesus. The Catholic Jesus, the Calvinist Jesus, the Baptist Jesus? The pacifist Jesus, the anarchist Jesus, the sweet little baby Jesus? The white Jesus, the Jewish Jesus, the black Jesus,…

As Jesus followers, we do not to pressure people to believe.We are to freely love, bless and serve all people wherever we go.We offer this generous love in Jesus’s Name.We are demonstrating what life in Jesus’s kingdom is like.The characteristics of the kingdom are healing, help, kindness, hope.Everyone is welcome to receive it, but no…

An unclean woman and a dead girl.Both were to be avoided according to the religious rules.But if the unclean and unholy cannot be touched, how can they be helped?If sinners are to be avoided, how will sinners be saved?The bible seems to teach both gracing sinners and avoiding sinners.This tension between holiness and unholiness is…

What stands out to me today is how this man could not stop talking about Jesus.Jesus tells him to spread the word about what God had done for him.Instead the man tells everyone about what Jesus had done for him.While I cannot relate to his specific case, I do relate to this part of his…