Holiness and Mercy
One distinctive feature of Jesus’ teachings was a lack of holiness language. In the place of holiness, Jesus put mercy. Continue reading
Tag Archives: forgiveness
“Loving Our Enemies” Part Two
In the second part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermon entitled Loving Your Enemies, he spoke specifically about why we should love our enemies. The following are some the reasons he gave along with some thoughts of my own. Loving our enemies is the only way the perpetual cycle of… Continue reading
Loving Our Enemies: Part One
Perhaps no command of Jesus has been more difficult to accept or follow than his charge to love our enemies. Most Christians believe that such love is both impossible and unrealistic. In our society with its competitive capitalism, rugged individualism, and obscene sense of entitlement, such love (and the forgiveness… Continue reading
“Father Forgive Them” Part Three
(9 minutes) After quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr regarding his call for Blacks to forgive those white supremacists who had caused them so much suffering, I ended the previous article by suggesting that there was so much more to be said about the blindness and ignorance of those who… Continue reading
Father, Forgive Them, for They Do Not Know What They Do: Part Two
MLK recognized that “some men are segregationists merely for reasons of political expediency and economic gain.” However, he also realized that many good people were convinced that segregation was good for their families, their nation, and their faith. But all such people are spiritually blind and ignorant. “Millions of Negroes have been crucified by conscientious blindness. With Jesus on the cross, we must look lovingly at our oppressors and say, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know now what they do.’” Continue reading
Father, Forgive Them; for They Do Not Know What They Do: Part One
(10 minutes) Luke’s Gospel tells us that as Jesus was being crucified, he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) What many people do not know is that these words are not found in some of the most ancient Greek copies of the… Continue reading
Matthew 18:21-35 “The Dynamics of Forgiveness”
(23 minutes) Read the Scripture Should Christians always forgive? The initial response of most people in the Christian faith is “Yes.” The popular understanding of Christianity seems to include the necessity of forgiveness, regardless of the magnitude of the sin or offence. And I think that’s one reason why some… Continue reading
Psalm 32 “Deepening Our Spirituality Through Confession”
Read Psalm 32 (Based in large part on Brian D. McLaren’s book entitled Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words) A wise spiritual leader once said, “A secret to the spiritual life is desiring to actually be more spiritual than you appear to be. The secret to… Continue reading
Psalm 51:1-12 “Are We Moderns Too Sophisticated for Sin and Guilt?”
Psalm 51 is one of the seven penitential psalms of the Hebrew Scriptures and is among the profoundest of prayers in the history of religion. It is also historically one of the most important passages of Scripture during the Lenten season. But there is something about this psalm which jars… Continue reading
Mark 8: 13-34 “Let’s Go to the Movies: ‘The Mission'”
(This sermon was preached in 1998 in the Wabash Christian Church (DoC). Unfortunately, the message in the sermon is still relevant today as the persecution, displacement, and slaughter of native peoples in Latin America continue in 2020.) The Mission is one of my favorite movies. This film is powerful and… Continue reading
