Category: daily meditations

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:40-42 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and… the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40) God created us to re-present Him, to be ‘like God’ in the world, to the world. When we live like God (ie good, loving, merciful, faithful, etc), we reflect God. Anyone who welcomes this goodness, even if…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:32-39 “For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father…’” (Matthew 10:35) Jesus came to displace the dominion of darkness with the kingdom of light. He stands against hate, murder, rape, injustice, violence, deceit, crime, etc. He stands with the poor, the weak, the oppressed, the abuse, the tortured, etc….

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:26-31 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30) In my family of origin, early balding was an issue. For some reason, I held on to my hair covering, while my brothers didn’t. I joked it was because I was a minister, my boss had my hairs…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 13 “But I trust in your unfailing love…” (Psalm 13) This one word ‘but’ is the critical turning point in this song. The author is genuinely troubled, feeling abandoned and unloved. Their mind is a battleground of fear, doubt, sorrow and despair – they feel defeated. They are desperate, they feel like…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Exodus 22-24 “Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” (Exodus 23:33) Why does God appear so stern and strict, a consuming fire? To my sensitive ears, this God sounds angry,…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Exodus 19-21 “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6) The bible is made up of two parts, the Old and New Testaments. Jesus is the bible’s turning point; He initiates a new arrangement. God used Moses and Israel (Old Testament) for a time and purpose….

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:21-25 “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) I have never been hated because of Jesus. Some people I know may snicker at my religious gullibility, or naive beliefs. Do I experience little resistance because I’m not out there enough for Jesus? To be like my teacher, I…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:16-20 “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) Living with, like and for Jesus in this dark world will not be easy. He will help us, His Spirit will speak and work through us, we will not be alone. Jesus urges us to be wise, to…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:9-15 “Let your peace rest on it… let your peace return to you.” (Matthew 10:13) The Middle East had a strong hospitality culture, the disciples can travel light. But someone is inhospitable, don’t call down curses (Luke 9:51-56). Freely share your peace with everyone, and wait and see what happens. If they refuse…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 10:1-8 “Proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 10:7) The kingdom of God (or heaven) has come near… what does this mean? When Satan tricked Adam and Eve, this world became a dominion of darkness. Violence, death, misery, sickness, injustice, inequality, poverty, despair… Every child of Adam is…