Zechariah had his doubts when an angel promised him a son, and he said so. He then lost the ability to speak until he named the baby John, as the angel had directed. Soldiers under a centurion’s command obeyed his orders, and the centurion believed that Jesus had the authority to cure his paralyzed servant by just saying the word. Admittedly unworthy of the favor, the centurion asked anyway. If Jesus wanted to heal a leper who came to Him, it would happen. The leper had no doubt. Jesus healed the servant and the leper. Sometimes, we want to p
Read MoreLook for Jesus in His Father’s house. Pray without babbling, fast without gloominess, and give to the poor without showing off. Besides giving us advice, the Lord challenges His followers to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Objectively, we cannot do everything flawlessly. It’s perfectly fine with God if we do whatever good we can, with faith that He does the same. Why do we sometimes tell God certain steps we want Him to take, rather than trusting that He will always go the extra mile for us?
In the Old Testament, the Lord promised to pass by the cave where Elijah, in danger and discouraged, had taken refuge. After a gale, an earthquake, and fire came and went, God arrived in a whisper to send Elijah back into the world. Jesus later called His followers “light of the world” and “salt of the earth.” Whether persecuted or making peace, we have opportunities to let others see our faith. Salt loses its taste as it absorbs other tangs, and we should let faith flavor our words. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, do we us
Read MorePharisees and Herodians (a Jewish sect) asked Jesus about paying the Roman census tax in a veiled effort to get Him to deny either the sovereignty of God or of Caesar. The Lord said to give each his due. Sadducees tried to refute belief in resurrection to new life by asking whose wife a widow seven times over would be in heaven. Jesus said that the resurrected become like angels. Marriage on Earth doesn’t constrain the unlimited love in heaven. Observing a poor widow give all that she had to the temple treasury, Jesus pointed out that two sma
Read MoreFinally, Jesus spoke to the Disciples in plain terms, and they realized that He knew absolutely everything. They believed in Him. When the Lord said that His friends would abandon Him anyway, the words must have stung. Jesus prayed for them, knowing that they would continue the work that He began on Earth. He prayed to the Father that the Disciples would be consecrated in truth, have oneness in love, and join Him in heavenly glory. During Jesus’ Passion, Peter denied Him three times, but the Risen Lord later gave him the opportunity to declar
Read MoreNo matter what, in life and death, the Risen Lord told the Disciples to testify to Him. He would soon go back to the Father but promised that it would work out for the best. Assured that the Holy Spirit would come to guide them, the Disciples still didn’t want Jesus to leave, even for a little while. The Lord had more to tell His friends than they could bear, but He did say that no one would take the rejoicing away when they saw Him again. When we miss loved ones gone before us and long to have them still alongside us, how does their love hel
Read MoreJesus told the Disciples that He would go to the Father but come back. He gave them His peace, a fragile gift in the face of fear about what would happen once He departed. Jesus said to remain in His love, keeping the Commandments and loving one another just as He loved them. In case they forgot lessons He taught, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would remind them. Reassuringly, our Savior invited them to picture Him as a vine. They would stay connected to Him like branches. Vines need pruning so that errant shoots and tangled stems don’t
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