As this week opens near June’s end, a traditional month of committed love and marriage, our first four days center on two great love stories in scripture. In this first story,...

Today’s brief passage from the teachings of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel contains a simple and straightforward message: In the life of discipleship we find fulfillment by turning outward from self and...

Paul not only warns the Romans of the dangers of sin. He has more to say about the offer of life governed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We...

The apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome to try to make clear the contrast between a life governed by sin and the offer in Jesus Christ of a life...

We have seen the candid laying of distress before the Lord in this psalm of lament; but in the last two verses, the psalm’s mood changes entirely. The psalmist may be...

“How long, O Lord?” Four times in the first two verses the psalmist cries out in distress to the Lord. He is beset by enemies. He feels that God has forgotten...

Christian tradition tends to emphasize the role of Isaac in the story. It is notable that Isaac willingly goes with his father. Even when he notices that there is wood, fire,...

This story is one of the most meaningful and challenging stories in the Bible. It has been pondered by theologians, rabbis, pastors, and artists. Throughout this rich tradition, Jewish interpretations often...

If the beginning of today’s Gospel passage offers reassurance amid difficulty, the second half of the passage reads like the fine print on a contract. It reveals some difficult information: The...

Sometimes reading the lectionary feels like picking up someone else’s library book by mistake and finding familiar words but an unfamiliar story. This week’s Gospel lesson is like that, a chunk...