Hebrews 6:13-20; Mark 9:16-30 It may be tempting at times to fantasize about having achieved great heights in any endeavor, including the Christian life. Our calling is nothing less than to become like God in holiness as partakers of the divine nature by grace, but the more that we assume we are quickly and easily fulfilling that vocation, the further we will be from acquiring the mature…
Hebrews 4:14-5:6; Mark 8:34-9:1 We do not have to look very closely at dominant trends in our culture today for signs that growing numbers of people are offering their lives for the service of false gods, regardless of how they identify themselves religiously. The evidence of their idolatry is not primarily in where they congregate to worship, but in how they seek first the things of this world, such as possessions,…
Hebrews 1:10-2:3; Mark 2:1-12 We will misunderstand these blessed weeks of Lent if we assume that they are about helping us to think more clearly about our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. We will be even more confused if we think that our intensified prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance somehow satisfy the demands of divine justice for how we have disobeyed God’s laws. Quite to the contrary, this…
Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40; John 1:43-51 On this first Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate the restoration of icons centuries ago in the Byzantine Empire. They were banned due to a misguided fear of idolatry, but restored as a proclamation of how Christ calls us to participate in His salvation in every dimension of our existence. The icons convey the incarnation of the God-Man, Who had to have…
Romans 13:11-14:4; Matthew 6:14-21 On the last several Sundays, our gospel readings have challenged us to return home from our self-imposed exile. Zacchaeus gave more than justice required to the poor and those whom he had exploited from his ill-gotten gains, and was restored as a son of Abraham. By her persistence and humility, the Canaanite woman received the deliverance of her daughter as a sign that Christ calls all people…
