Scripture Study
Hearing the horror of the planned genocide, the light went on: Esther connected with her inner self and understood why she had been made queen. Esther had been made queen to save her people.
We might not always agree on the meaning of Jesus' participation in Jewish festivals, but we can agree that Jesus honored these traditions of his people. For Christians, this model should invite an appreciation for Jewish tradition.
Jesus is a king who never rose so high that he couldn't see those who were down low. If we would see Jesus, we will look in places kings seldom go.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
For those who believe God's Spirit does work in the world through signs and miracles, tragedies can function as intellectual puzzles, but they should never stop us from responding with heart, head and hands.
The widow we encounter in Mark 12:38-44 provides a case study in poverty and oppression. Unable to confront poverty, we have turned her into something safer -- an example of generosity.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, evangelical Christians widely believed the Bible says life begins at birth and supported looser abortion policies. Given current evangelical anti-abortion activism, the reality and significance of this history deserves fuller discussion.
The Bible is neither an operating manual nor a policy book. In all its soaring ideals and unsettling messiness, it reflects to us -- sometimes clearly, sometimes dimly -- what we might find near to God's heart.
Jesus trys to protect them with a strong prohibition against divorce. Perhaps this sheds new light on the recent discovery of a fourth-century fragment of papyrus which contains the line, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'"
How did a smart "creature of the field" come to be identified with the Prince of Darkness? That's an impressive leap in a reptile's résumé. The answer tells us a lot about the importance of Genesis, and how people thought about it, in the early years of Judaism and Christianity.