“I hate divorce, says the Lord” (Mal. 2:16) because it tears apart what should be a permanent union created in love. Yet by most accounts

I generally gloss over this teaching and chuckle when thinking of Origen who took it literally. Yet when I go beyond the literal and consider

My Mother was born in the East End of London, the daughter of an Irish father and a Cockney mother. A single mother, she took

When Jesus began to teach his disciples about living a new standard of behavior according to his message, it must have appeared to be very

Jesus says to “let your light shine before others.” It is easy to let your light shine in the presence of fellow Christians, but does

Jesus used salt to describe how we are needed to bring balance and hope to an otherwise dark world. Salt is invaluable to human life,

People who stand up for their beliefs are often mocked and ridiculed by people who don’t live their lives according to God’s will. When we

We have a covenant with God. We know that we are loved beyond measure, but a covenant implies that we owe something in return. We

What is a peacemaker? A person can only work toward peace if they are at peace themselves. We have peace with God through Jesus. When

When Jesus talks about being pure in heart, he is talking about integrity—doing things right. He doesn’t necessarily mean living a dull or boring life,

This is a theme that Jesus will return to in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew; see 6:14 and 7:1. Again Jesus is reaffirming

In this verse, Jesus proclaims that the blessed are those “who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” One commentator has suggested

As with the other verses of the Beatitudes, this begins with the words, “Blessed are” – a familiar opening found in the psalms and wisdom