Jesus let the Disciples pick and eat heads of grain as they walked along on a Sabbath day, and He cured a man’s withered hand right in the synagogue. His rejuvenating conduct on a day of rest never went against the grain of God’s purpose. Like new cloth that would pull at a tear if used to patch old fabric, or like new wine that would burst an old wineskin already stretched to the limit by prior fermentation, Jesus offered new ideas and showed us how to use them. Do we listen to Scripture with attentiveness to new relevancy of God’s Word

In the Old Testament, Samuel heard God’s voice but didn’t recognize it. Eli figured it out for him. After John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Son of God, Andrew and Peter followed Him. Later, when the Lord saw the two brothers out fishing and invited them to become “fishers of men,” they jumped at the opportunity. People listened in amazement as Jesus taught, even though, at times, it seemed that He got carried away. For instance, friends lowered a paralyzed man through the roof to get to Jesus. First, the Lord forgave the man’s

John the Baptist and Jesus baptized along the Jordan River, but John explained his subordination to the Lord. Jesus cured a leper and sent him to the priests for readmission into the community. Our Lord wants to work with people! After multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd, Jesus stayed behind while the Disciples left by boat. When the wind kicked up, He walked on the water to calm His friends and the sea. The first Letter of John advises that one who fears lacks perfect love. Why do we pray for the Lord to calm our fears, instea

Shepherds saw the newborn Savior and gave glory to God. In the temple at the Presentation of the Lord, the prophetess Anna spoke about the Child to people awaiting redemption and gave thanks to God. Time went on. After explaining that he came to prepare the way of the Lord, John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God and Son of God. Andrew and his brother became Apostles of the Messiah, who decided to call the brother Peter. Friends and family know us by name, but what words do they use to describe how they see us as part of God’s glorious

God promised King David an heir to rule over a Kingdom without end. About a millennium later, a man named Joseph, descended from the House of David, became betrothed to a Virgin named Mary. She gave birth to the Lord Jesus, Savior and King, in fulfillment of the promise. On the night of the Nativity, shepherds saw from Earth’s landscape the rejoicing in heaven. An angel told the shepherds that they would find the newborn Savior lying in a manger. Imagine their confusion when contrasting the glory of heaven to the idea of finding Jesus cradled

Zechariah didn’t take the angel’s word for it that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son in their old age. As a result, he lost the ability to speak until he announced the name of the child who would become John the Baptist. Reassured by the angel Gabriel, Mary accepted the message that she would give birth to the Son of God. Chief priests and elders later asked Jesus where He got His authority. The Lord refused to answer unless they gave an opinion on the origin (human or divine) of John’s baptism. The questions hung in the air, u

Jesus wanted people to understand things in terms of fulfillment. Isaiah prophesied about a voice in the desert, and John the Baptist later came on the scene. We, too, can proclaim the Lord’s straightforward way of love. Mary was conceived without original sin, but that was just the beginning. The angel Gabriel explained that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of the Most High. Anything we can conceive—and more!—the Lord can do. Jesus described Himself as “meek and humble of heart.” Meekness means patiently enduring what, in