Jesus began his ministry north of his hometown of Nazareth along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. There were many small towns and commercial centers on the northern end of the lake. Capernaum was a larger city at the time. It grew into a large commercial center as it...
Jesus words today are very hard. He is speaking of Christians so dedicated to their faith that their family and social relationships will be broken. Their neighbors and their synagogues will turn against them. Not only that, but family members will denounce them and...
Jesus chooses his apostles from a diverse range of ages, trades, personalities and faith experiences. Peter was outspoken and insightful. But he was often off track. John was apparently very young. There are two sets of brothers. Many were common fishermen. Matthew...
Our reactions to terrifying events and difficulties in life tend to show what kind of faith and relationship we have with God. People who live in natural religiosity will approach life with all its difficulties through constant fear. Every day is an encounter with...
Leprosy was a particularly frightful disease in the first century. Even today the word is a bit scarry. Physically it was a slow degeneration of the body but it also produced an end to all social and family contact. At the time disease and disabilities were seen as a...
