In the New Testament world, genealogies were important. In fact, two of the four Gospels include records of Jesus’ ancestry. Find out more about Jesus’ lineage and its significance. Family roots were very important to the Jewish people. In traditional cultures, genealogies identify the status of people in relation… Read More

For many North Americans, interactions with animals are summarized neatly in terms of pets, pests, and meat. Yet the lives of the ancient Israelites and the early Christians were filled with animals. They play important roles in Biblical stories as a source of praise to God and revelation of the… Read More

Right before Luke’s story about the Good Samaritan, Jesus and a lawyer discuss the way to have eternal life. In that talk the lawyer says that the whole of the Law of Moses is contained in Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19.18. Immediately before Luke’s story about the Good… Read More

The phrase “to inherit eternal life” reflects more than a simple description of a time line. Its deeper meaning hints at a life where one is free of the restraints typical of human existence. In the phrase “to inherit eternal life” the focus is not so much on… Read More

The Greek term for feeling compassion is used by Luke in several key stories, including the Widow of Nain and the Prodigal Son. This verb includes a physical aspect in the tone of its feeling because the related noun means “bowels, viscera.” Both the Greek verb and noun match our… Read More

In the opening chapters of the Bible we find the story of the two brothers, the children of Adam and Eve. Theirs is a story of how jealousy led to anger, causing one brother to turn against the other. In the opening chapters of the Bible we find the… Read More

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 prayers and songs used by the ancient people of Israel in their worship of the LORD. They express a range of human emotions, and the writers of these psalms often let God know when they were angry. The book of… Read More

Sometimes we wonder if God even listens to us when our prayers are filled with anger. Find out how God responds to our angry prayers. The writer of Psalm 77 felt hurt and rejected by God. Take a moment to read Psalm 77:1-10.  Another writer asked God to destroy… Read More

The Scriptures remind us over and over again that God gets angry – angry at sin and disobedience and acts of injustice. The same is true about Jesus, God’s own Son. The Scriptures remind us over and over again that God gets angry – angry at sin and disobedience… Read More

Sometimes it is hard to remember that God knows what is happening to us and will help us. Have you ever been scared about doing something new like starting in a new school or seeing a new doctor? Sometimes it is hard to remember that God knows what is… Read More