An official asked him this question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.   20 You know the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’”   21 And he replied, “All of these I have observed from my youth.”   22 When Jesus heard this he said to him, “There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”   23 But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looked at him [now sad] and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”   26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”   27 And he s

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe [in me] to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. [44] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. [46] 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, 48 where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.  49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.  Jesus used parts of the body that are particularly precious and useful to the body to e

The Temptation of Jesus in the Desert is the gospel of the first Sunday of Lent. The purple color of Lent symbolizes penance, but also royalty. As we remember how the first Adam was tempted and failed his test, we rejoice that Christ the King, the New Adam, triumphed over the tempter. We celebrate that we, sons and daughters of the same heavenly King, can also win the battle against temptation. As I crossed the great divide of puberty, I formed a vivid image of God. He was a grumpy old man with a frown on his face. Every time anyone tried to have a little fun, he’d shout “Thou shalt not!” But to really live and not just exist, you had to do the daring, “sinful” things. What the Bible calls “sin” is where the action is. TEMPTATION AS PROPAGANDA This is what I was taught in the movies I watched and the books I read. It’s what I heard in the locker room and in the checkout line, from men and women, young and old. Everybody appeared to accept this as an unquestioned matter of fact. Behind

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. The disciples were upset because someone that was not in Jesus’ inner circle was casting out devils in the name of Jesus and they tried to stop him from doing so.  Jesus told them that no one who performed exorcisms in his name could at the same time speak ill of him so they should not try to stop him because his power came from God through Christ so the disciples and the man are working toward the same goal of growing the Kingdom.  It is through the Holy Spirit that such deeds are performed.  The smallest service rendered to disciples of Christ

Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. The Parable of the Sower.  Women held significant roles in Jesus’ ministry.  The close group of disciples followed Jesus through the Galilean towns and villages as he preached the good news of the Kingdom of God.  The women disciples who accompanied Jesus were all healed of physical or spiritual maladies.  They would have been a scandal in first-century Palestine and the scandal was made worse because not all of the women were of good repute.  It was not uncommon for women to provide money, property, or foodstuff to Rabbis or their disciples, but they never traveled with a Rabbi and his d