Wise Man or Fool? ~ The sermon that began “Blessed are the poor in spirit …” came to an end with the observation that the crowds were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, not as their teachers of the law. The religious teachers of the day established authority by Continue reading

What About … What about my happiness? What about my needs? Leave everything? This radical life of following Jesus, focusing on the vertical and not the horizontal, would raise a lot of questions. I’d suggest to you that this is another of those most difficult sections of Jesus’ teachings. Don’t store up treasures for yourself Continue reading

–Right in the middle of his teaching on true acts of devotion, we find the passage known down through the years as The Lord’s Prayer. This sample prayer that Jesus offers his disciples adds to the whole matter of perspective: Our Father … in heaven … hallowed be your name. Could there be much stronger Continue reading

Giving, Praying and Fasting ~We all like to be noticed. To have someone recognize your efforts feels good. As the Sermon on the Mount continues, Jesus turns his attention to three acts of devotion common among faithful God followers—giving, praying and fasting. He warned that, if we’re not careful, those things we do religiously can Continue reading