Jesus saw a crippled woman in the synagogue, called her over, and cured her on the Sabbath. God does not always wait for us to ask before rendering His help. At the home of a Pharisee, Jesus asked the assembled leaders and scholars of the law whether He could lawfully heal someone there on a Sabbath day. No one answered, and Jesus healed the sick man anyway. Then Jesus asked if anyone would fail to rescue a person or animal trapped in a cistern on the Sabbath. No one answered that question, either. After a night in prayer, the Lord chose the Tw
Read MoreGod creates each person for good works and provides everything needed for salvation. Scripture recounts the parable of a man who plans to live it up for years after a bountiful harvest but does not live even one more day. Jesus told the story, challenging the faithful not to store up earthly treasure at the expense of what matters to God. This week’s readings use various images for the Lord and His Church. Picture Jesus as the top, wedge-shaped stone that holds an arched entranceway together, central to the faithful who become part of a Churc
Read MoreJonah warned the Ninevites to repent, and they did. The Queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom of Solomon and went to him with questions. Jesus offered something greater—the key to understanding the law and prophets. Still, the Pharisees and scholars failed to listen to the knowledge He opened to them. Worse yet, those pedantic leaders prevented others from coming into Jesus’ way of seeing things. Skipping the ritual washing before a meal to help make His point, the Lord advised the Pharisees to work on cleansing evil from within themselves.
Read MoreKnowing the Commandments to love God and neighbor, a scholar of the law asked Jesus to define neighbor. Jesus answered with the parable of a man robbed, severely beaten, and ignored by two passers-by. Listeners would have pegged a Samaritan as no good, but he treated the victim with neighborly compassion. In another parable, Jesus depicted a traveler arriving late at night, prompting his host to knock on a friend’s door to borrow some bread to serve as a midnight snack. The friend who finally got up illustrated God’s responsiveness to the f
Read MoreAfter a man named Job lost just about everything but faith, God rewarded him with a long line of descendants and a return to prosperity. Jesus chose 72 disciples to go ahead of Him to places He planned to visit. Whether people opened their homes to them or shut the doors in their faces, the Lord instructed the disciples to declare the Kingdom of heaven at hand. Doing great things in Jesus’ name does not confer greatness on His followers, but anyone invoking His name for help in doing good works has the Lord’s blessing. People grow up, and y
Read MoreWhen called by the Lord to follow Him, Matthew threw a party. Jesus had close friends on Earth, but He counts anyone who hears and acts on the Word of God as family. Herod the tetrarch (son of King Herod at the time of Jesus’ birth) had John the Baptist beheaded, but he heard rumors that John, Elijah, or one of the other prophets had come back in the person of Jesus. When the Lord asked the Disciples their opinion, Peter called Jesus the Christ—no doubt about it. The Twelve received authority from Jesus to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven and
Read MoreAt the home of a Pharisee, a sinful woman approached Jesus, washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed them, and applied some ointment. What the Pharisee regarded as impudence (what nerve!), Jesus recognized as love. With forgiveness of her sins, she loved Him all the more. In contrast, the Pharisee failed to even provide the customary basin of water for Jesus to rinse His feet upon arrival. As the Lord traveled from town to town, He shared the Good News like scattered seed. Explaining one of His parables, He taught that w
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