Many who read the calling of Jesus’ first disciples tend to gloss over it. At first glance, these accounts appear trivial in comparison to Jesus’ overall ministry of healing and inclusion of the marginalized, his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. But either the calling of Jesus’ first disciples tells us nothing…or it tells us something. Let’s…
Election seasons in the twenty-first century have become increasingly fraught times for Americans who profess to be disciples of Jesus. American partisan politics has gotten more and more polarizing and it’s difficult for Christians to find where they belong. It’s very tempting for Christians to become members of partisan political groups and adopt unswerving loyalty…
In the second half of chapter 2, Paul teaches that the cross of Jesus does more than just reconcile people to God, it also reconciles people groups to one another. Namely, Jesus’s life of self-sacrificial love shows us the way to peace and tears down the divisions between people of different cultures. The Way of…
We bring all of our selves to everything we interpret, including assumptions we have based on the influence of the cultures around us. When we come to this week’s text, Ephesians 2.1-10, many of us have been influenced by Modern, Western culture, which has conditioned us to understand the concept of “faith” as opposed to…
Today in the United States, many people are experiencing an identity crisis. The labels and categories that used to provide a sense of security and purpose no longer do. To make matters worse, identity has become highly divisive. Race, culture, ethnicity, gender, orientation, partisan politics, and faith are just a few of the areas where…