Holy Words From Holy Cross

It is blasphemous to even think of Jesus saying something ridiculous, but the Beatitudes--Jesus' pronouncement of blessings over those the world would deem cursed--is just that... unless Jesus is right. Is He?  Listen and decide for yourself.

You cannot get a good answer to a bad question.  What sort of question should we be asking as we hear Jesus teach on this Reformation Sunday?

Of all the stories Jesus tells, the story of the unjust judge causes the most confusion.  What is Jesus trying to teach us through this difficult story?

Moralistic interpretations of the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed miss the crucial point that this is a story about healing... What is true healing and what does this story teach us about it?

There is increasing misunderstanding and fear of Christians in the United States.  Sociologist George Yancey calls this "Christianophobia."  How can Christians overcome the increasing prejudice directed against them by an uncomprehending culture?  What has God directed us to do?

Why do we believe what we believe?  Most of us do so because we trust our teachers... What sort of teacher can we trust?  Jesus gives us a jarring example in today's parable.

In the confusing parable of Luke 16:1-15, Jesus excoriates the followers of God and seems to praise a dishonest manager.  What is going on?  Understanding the distance of our culture from 1st century Palestine will help us understand what Jesus is trying to teach us...

Does Jesus think we want too much... or too little?  What is our final destiny as children of God and why would the pursuit of holiness have anything to do with the forgiveness of sins?

We live in a world obsessed with unity.  It is all the talk in our popular culture, so it is strange and shocking to hear Jesus talk about Himself as a force for division rather than unity.  When Jesus' words take us by surprise, we ought to stop and reflect more deeply upon them.  Why and how would the presence of "The Prince of Peace" be the cause for conflict and division?

How do we dare approach the Creator of the Universe with our paltry concerns?  What grounds do we have for thinking He would even pay attention let alone answer our prayers?

Everyone loves heroes.  What is a true hero?  Why do Christians revere Jesus so much?

Everyone has to set priorities.  How do we set them?

Who can you not possibly imagine as the hero of a story told by God?  That may be exactly whom God is calling you to embrace and love.  Don't think so?  Read Jesus' story about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-47), then reflect with us and decide for yourself...

Deep inner peace is something most people crave, but few people--even most Christians, who profess to serve the Prince of Peace--seem to be able to actually find.  What lessons can we learn from those who have actually found this elusive blessing, especially from Jesus, who possessed in so great a degree?

It is popular to ask, "What would Jesus do?" when seeking a proposed Christian response to any situation.  But is this a question that most people can really answer?  The Jesus we encounter in the Scriptures often defies our expectations of "gentle Jesus, meek and mild."  The real Jesus is both more challenging and more comforting than the Jesus of our imaginations.

What is the difference between a mere student and someone who will inherit the family fortune?  Who is more invested in learning?  Who is called to understand more deeply the principles involved in a given field of knowledge?  Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christians are not only forgiven of their sins, but made inheritors of eternal life and the Kingdom of God.  How should we act as people destined to inherit such a Kingdom?

As we ponder the mystery of Who God is and our salvation, what ought a Christian to pray for in the face of such glory?  Proverbs teaches us much this Sunday of the Holy Trinity.