The temptation for many is to view the Ten Commandments as an ethical standard for living in a good society, God's rules for living a moral life, or (in many Lutheran churches) an impossible standard meant to stir up the guilt that can drive us to Jesus. And while...
For the world, Paul says, the message of the crucified Messiah is foolish. But the assumptions upon which the world’s wisdom is based – humanism, materialism, informationalism, and meaninglessness – are unable to provide true purpose and connection with...
The command to rejoice in suffering seems impossible, but Paul says our suffering is not a destination but a path toward the hope of the glory of God revealed in those he loves. The guarantee of this future hope is the Holy Spirit whom he's poured out on those in...
Like the man whose sight Jesus restored in two steps, Jesus' disciples come to know him in multiple stages: first, they recognize him as the Messiah; second, they accept that his mission is not in military or political victory but in suffering; and third, they...
After promising him a son who would inherit the covenant promise to rescue the world, God commands Abraham to sacrifice him. And Abraham's willingness to do so is not a testament to his great capacity to believe in God, but his confidence in God's great...
Being tempted and giving in to sin is like being seduced, impregnated, and eventually killed by the baby. But God, our heavenly Father, has brought us to birth by the word of His gospel so that we can experience his good and perfect gift, the first and best of his...