As Jesus hung upon the cross so many declared elements of the truth in the form of mocking Jesus. How often does that take place? They talked about Jesus destroying the temple and in three days he would rebuild it. They missed the point, not the literal temple, but his body and life would beContinue reading “The Irony of Mockery”
Category Archives: pride
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
The proverb familiarity breeds contempt was evident in Jesus’ neighbors’ response to him when he came to teach in Nazareth’s synagogue. They were amazed at his teaching and at the reports of what he had done in other cities, but rather than listening to Jesus, they were offended by him. The question is why? TheyContinue reading “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”
Addressing Opposition
It is interesting to observe the opposition rising against Jesus. As the crowds increasingly came to the conclusion that Jesus was the long expected Son of David, their Messiah, the Pharisees became more radical in their opposition. Since Jesus demonstrated that he had power and authority over the demonic spirits, the Pharisees literally demonized JesusContinue reading “Addressing Opposition”
Pride and Humility
The Scripture that declares that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud (James 4:6) is easy to understand at one level, but can be difficult to accept in practice. This was Paul’s point as he concluded his discussion in Romans 9. When he declared that the Gentiles, who had lived dissolute livesContinue reading “Pride and Humility”
Righteous or Self-Righteous
I have learned and am learning that much of God’s truth for us is quite subtle. In Romans chapter 4, Paul makes some statements that are quite easy to gloss over, but when you ponder them, they are quite profound. In Romans 4, Paul uses the case of Abraham to argue the concept of beingContinue reading “Righteous or Self-Righteous”
Walking in the Light
The story of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is an illustrative one to us. First we know from John’s gospel that he had a love for money. John revealed that as the group’s treasurer, he stole from the money bag. So it should not be surprising to us, that he offered his servicesContinue reading “Walking in the Light”
Avoiding People Pleasing
When the religious leaders demanded Jesus to tell them on whose authority he accomplished miracles and taught the people, Jesus responded with a question of his own to them. His question revealed the perils of living as people-pleasers. Jesus responded to the leaders’ demand by asking them about John the Baptist, whether they believed thatContinue reading “Avoiding People Pleasing”
Dealing With Our Stuff
Most of us naturally believe that our opinions are correct, that we see clearly and have the solutions that others need. However we often have difficulty putting those same solutions in practice ourselves. Jesus addressed these issues in Luke 6:37-42 with his contemporaries, who were quite religious and believed that they had it all together,Continue reading “Dealing With Our Stuff”
Jesus’ Upside Down Kingdom
After calling Levi (who was also called Matthew and became one of the twelve apostles), Jesus accompanied him to his home for a banquet along with other tax collectors. Seeing Jesus’ behavior, the Pharisees and Scribes complained to his disciples about Jesus associating with unsavory people. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish tax collectors were perceivedContinue reading “Jesus’ Upside Down Kingdom”
David Freitag 