The Works Testify

John 10:19-33

In this passage the religious leaders are going to say to Jesus, “Tell us plainly if you’re the Messiah or not.” And Jesus’s reply is essentially, “My works testify to who I am.” In other words, it’s this basic principle that actions speak louder than words. And, of course, the same is true for us, as followers of Jesus Christ. Our greatest witness to the Gospel and Faith we proclaim is not just what we say, but what we do. So, to begin, let’s look at the context

Practice Righteousness

Matthew 6:1-6;16-21

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. I’ll be honest, out of all the seasons we observe as Christians, besides Holy Week and Easter, Lent has become my favorite. One thing I really like about Lent is that if I take it seriously, and by that, I mean, if I take the time to be focused on the spiritual practices of prayer and fasting and giving, then Lent becomes a time for me to recalibrate, to refocus spiritually. And I have noticed each year my own spiritual practice becomes a little deeper and richer because this time of focus during Lent. And so, I look forward to it, I really do.

Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-20

So, we’re picking up where we left off last post. This passage also comes from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. In the last post we looked at those opening lines: Blessed are the poor in spirit for they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled, Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God, and so on. Those opening lines aren’t commands, and they’re not a method for how to be blessed. So, what is Jesus doing? In a sense, he is pulling back the curtain so his followers can see that they are blessed.