There’s a story about two brothers. They farmed together, split the work, and split the profits. Each had their own granary. One of the brothers had a family—he was married with some children. The other brother was single. One day the brother who was single and lived by himself thought: ‘If is not fair that … Continue reading Doing unto others—together
sermon on the mount
The plank in your own eye
The fundamental no-no in contemporary society is “being judgmental.” Unfortunately some people accuse others of “being judgmental” as a way of silencing what they have to say (no matter what they have to say), or as a way of shaming them into submission about what is happening. It can be a way of saying, ‘You’re … Continue reading The plank in your own eye
The measure you use will be measured to you
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” That’s what Jesus says in Matthew 7:1. If you judge, then you will also be judged by God. He goes on to explain further in verse 2: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it … Continue reading The measure you use will be measured to you
You can’t stand on quicksand
Yesterday I said that wisdom is hearing Jesus’ words and putting them into practice. Sounds good, right? But it also sounds STABILIZING. Here’s why.
What does it mean to be wise, anyway? [Plus, new book announcement!]
Yesterday I said that when you gorge on information, you’re too full for wisdom. But what does it mean to be wise, anyway? Fear not. We don’t have to guess. Jesus tells us.
When you gorge on information
Saying that we live in the “information age” seems like an understatement. There is more information coming at us than ever before. In 2019 YouTube reported that 500 hours of new video content is uploaded every single minute. Yup, every minute. Combine this with news, blogs, radio programs, social media, Netflix, TV, music, movies—the list goes … Continue reading When you gorge on information
Based on what we think is true
We live our lives based on what we think is true. For example, if I think it’s true that it’s going to rain, then I’m going to grab an umbrella when I head outside. But if I don’t, I won’t. If I think it’s true that my child is about to get hit by a … Continue reading Based on what we think is true
The clean of heart
In Matthew 5:8 Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The words “pure in heart” imply being clean before God. He’s not talking about taking a shower. He’s talking about holiness and integrity in God’s eyes. By adding the words “in heart,” Jesus is emphasizing the inner aspect of … Continue reading The clean of heart
Blessed are the merciful
In Matthew 5:7 Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” As I shared yesterday, my Gingrich New Testament dictionary tells me that someone who is “blessed” is the “privileged recipient of divine favor.” In other words, blessed people have been shown generosity (or favour) from God. Those who show mercy … Continue reading Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the deflated
Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To understand what he’s talking about, we first need to ask what it means to be “blessed.” A lot of people say they feel “blessed” or use #blessed as a hashtag when something is … Continue reading Blessed are the deflated
