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In Matthew 14, Jesus’ exercise of divine power is set in contrast with the corrupt, violent, and fear-inducing power of Herod Antipas. Jesus’ power not only surpasses that of Herod; it is, more importantly, a (...)

The problem with the temptation narratives at the beginning of Lent is the reductive view of all temptations as garden-variety challenges to individual faith. How many times do we need to elide Jesus’ desert temptations (...)

Isaiah 55 appears at the end of the so-called “Book of Comfort” (Isaiah 40-55), which is believed to be addressed to the exiles who were returning from Babylon.1 It appears that Isaiah 40-48 is addressed (...)

Jerusalem is the geographical and hermeneutical center of Luke’s Gospel. The drama of the narrative begins and ends in the Jerusalem temple (1:5-8; 24:52-53). Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem unfolds over many chapters in Luke, (...)

Hebrews has the most intricate Christology in the New Testament.1 It presents a high Christology in which Christ is the agent of creation and the exalted Son of God and High Priest installed at God’s (...)

The last in a four-part series on Colossians, this passage gives practical counsel on how to enact the letter’s theological themes in everyday life. Using metaphors related to spatial location, and stripping off and putting (...)

“I used to think that God never changes,” said one of my seminary students a few years back, “and then I read the Old Testament.” This story in Exodus 32 is one of the prime (...)

Sometimes the good news that we need to hear is not what we want to hear. The doctor gives us a good report, but says your next step for healthy living requires lowering your carbs (...)

Theologically speaking, the book of Lamentations covers a lot of ground. And for communities that have suffered debasement, displacement, and destruction, it can teach us to give voice to the soul-wrenching questions and cries of (...)

This week’s reading contains a couple of potentially difficult metaphors. First, consider verse 6: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted (...)