Although the question posed to Jesus about paying taxes was designed to find fault with him, in one sentence Jesus shed light on how his followers are to live in the world. Jesus’ contemporaries chaffed at being ruled by the Romans; paying taxes to Caesar was particularly aggravating to them. However, it was necessary forContinue reading “Living with in the world with a heavenly mindset.”
Author Archives: dpfreitag
Why people may reject Jesus
Observing the reaction of the religious leaders to Jesus is instructive. Jesus did amazing things; primarily he helped people. So we must ask the question, why would the religious leaders react so negatively to him? What do we know about the religious leaders? They often did not act or speak the truth, because they fearedContinue reading “Why people may reject Jesus”
How are we to view ourselves?
In the workplace there is a difference between meeting expectations and exceeding expectations. When an employee does his or her job, they are doing what they were hired to do at a certain pay rate. They should not expect special recognition. However sometimes individuals misunderstand and believe that because they do their job well andContinue reading “How are we to view ourselves?”
Distracted by the Good
Most of us are aware of how negative things can distract us from following Jesus, but we may fail to recognize that sometimes the allure of good things can do the same. This was the point of one of Jesus’ parables to the people. Jesus taught that a master had prepared a banquet and invitedContinue reading “Distracted by the Good”
The Love and Wisdom of Jesus
On an occasion in which Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, he saw a woman who was disabled for 18 years. She was crippled to the extent that she could not stand up straight. When he saw her, he healed her by laying hands upon her for which she glorified God. However theContinue reading “The Love and Wisdom of Jesus”
Jesus’ Call To Us
The Jewish people of Jesus’ day had a similar view of the world to what we now call “Karma”. If you do bad things, bad things will happen to you. Recorded in Luke 13, some came to Jesus telling him that Pilate killed some Galileans and mixed their blood with sacrifices. Jesus addressed their assumptionContinue reading “Jesus’ Call To Us”
Rest In Our Father’s Care
Jesus warned his disciples not to fear what their enemies could do to them (Luke 12:1-7), because their enemies only had power in the physical realm, but no power in the spiritual. Rather, they were to respect God who had authority and power in both the physical and spiritual realms. As God cares for nature,Continue reading “Rest In Our Father’s Care”
Choosing The Better Over The Good
The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 is a curious one. It reveals that the values of Jesus’ Kingdom are quite opposite to the values of the world. In our world those who accomplish are valued and praised. Martha was a doer; she accomplished; she served Jesus. She was also stressed out becauseContinue reading “Choosing The Better Over The Good”
True Joy
After the 70 returned from proclaiming the kingdom of God throughout Galilee, they reported to Jesus that they saw that spirits obeyed their commands. Experiencing such authority over the spiritual realm brought them great joy. Even Jesus told them that he had seen Satan fall from the heavens like lightning. However, Jesus cautioned them thatContinue reading “True Joy”
Jesus Meets Our Real Needs
While Jesus was alone praying, his disciples gathered around him. Jesus asked who the people said he was. Responding, the disciples said John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the ancient prophets raised again. Then Jesus directed his question to the disciples and asked them, Peter responded that he was the Christ (Messiah) of God,Continue reading “Jesus Meets Our Real Needs”
David Freitag 