Lord’s Prayer: Forgive Us Our Debts
The Lord’s Prayer is short. That’s kind of the point (Matt. 6:7-8). If you’re going to whittle things down and say no more than what absolutely needs to be said, this is what needs to be said. The prayer only has four movements, and one of them is about forgiveness. “And forgive us our debts […]
Lord’s Prayer: How Can We Pray for Our Daily Bread?
If you’re looking for general advice on prayer, the first thing the Lord’s Prayer says is to center yourself on eternity. Paradoxically, the second thing it says is that the small stuff matters. I guess that’s one advantage of being an infinite being—nothing is too big for God, but nothing is too small for him, […]
Sermon on the Mount: What Is Love in Christianity?
What is love in Christianity? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us the love God has for us and we are called to have for each other. If you made a list of “The Top 10 Greek Words Normal Churchgoers Know,” agape would be on that list. It’s the word Jesus uses for […]
Sermon on the Mount: An Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth
What are we to make of Jesus’ take on “An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”? Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount explains that there’s a better way forward than seeking retaliation in our relationships. It’s a familiar script. Let’s say I wrong you somehow. You can respond in one of two […]
Sermon on the Mount: Manipulator Defined
“But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all…” (Matt. 5:34) In the second half of Matthew 5, Jesus repeatedly says, “You have heard it said . . .” (Matt. 5:21-48). He never actually says that he’s quoting Scripture. He’s quoting popular proverbs that have been floating around since the time of “the […]
Sermon on the Mount: How to Cut Off Your Hand
The problem with most Christian discussions of sexual ethics is that they’re usually heavy on the “why” and light on the “how to.” But in Matthew 5:29-30, Jesus is pretty serious about the importance of doing something. Objectification is not okay. We get that. But quite a bit of my unredeemed body doesn’t care. So […]
Sermon on the Mount: Contempt
As of Matthew 5:21, we are officially past the introductory parts of the Sermon on the Mount. The meat of the sermon is framed by two statements about fulfilling the law and the prophets (5:17-20; 7:12). On this theme, Jesus will spend the rest of Matthew 5 exposing ways that people keep the letter of […]
Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law
In the second century, some of the early church fathers thought the Old Testament was weird, kinda pointless, and should be cut out of the Bible entirely. (To be fair, some of them were, like many Romans, horribly anti-Semitic.) Nowadays, we realize that’s going way too far. Instead, some of us accomplish the same thing […]
