Anyone who has ever been afraid knows that fear is a powerful motivator. At the same time, we have to admit that when Jesus confronts the fears of those to whom and with whom he ministers, he always seems to have a reaction that at least borders on disappointment. "Fear is useless," Jesus is heard to say to the couple whose daughter has died. "Why are you so afraid," he questions his...
Abraham and God enter into a dialogue today that can seem confusing and strange. Part of our confusion arises from the cultural differences that existed at the time of Abraham.
While we citizens of the Western world cherish our individuality, the people of the Eastern world do not look at themselves as individuals so much as members of a collective. That collective takes many forms:...
Now that Matthew has finished the first of the five discourses of his Gospel, he turns his attention to healing stories. This next chapter of the Gospel is filled with all sorts of stories including a curing of leprosy, the healing of the son of a Roman centurion, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, the expelling of several demons from unnamed people, and one exorcism of a demoniac in the...
The Gospel passage for our Eucharist today represents the final words of the first discourse of St. Matthew's Gospel, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout these three chapters, St. Matthew has been reinterpreting the Law or the Torah for his disciples. In so doing, Jesus has been accentuating the spirit rather than the letter of the Law. This is not to say that he abrogated...