The criminal’s indefinite, open-ended “when“ is met with Jesus is very definite and specific “today”.

Pilate’s pragmatism and instinct for self-preservation one out over his sense of justice.

He comes to them in His Word, attached to a physical element, water.

At first, we might think the lesson here is that if we are persistent and tenacious enough in our prayer to God, He will eventually relent and give us whatever we ask of Him, lest by our continual coming we weary Him. This is not the lesson. God is not like the corrupt judge of the parable. I should be greatly disturbed if our God was the type of g…

We are to deal with sin differently than the unbelieving world, which looks for payback for wrongs done to it. Jesus says we are to rebuke sin, and we are to forgive it.

Jesus wants us to know what is ultimately important. It isn’t our stuff. If we think that it is, we have already received our reward.

So, should Christians fast? Should they put ashes on their heads and “give up things for Lent“?

To say that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath is to say that He has a special relationship to the Sabbath; He has the authority to decide what the rules are. A meditation on Luke 6: 1-5, for the Monday after Quinquagesima.

A brief meditation on the daily lectionary reading for the Tuesday after Sexagesima (Mark 10:32-45).