“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing, and when was it that we saw you sick […]
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Did Jesus really say that? Read More »
“When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) Hi Fighter, I don’t often depart from the Gospel text in my weekly newsletters but this verse from Paul’s first letter to the
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Peace and Security? Read More »
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.” (Matthew 25:1-2) Hi Fighter, The Kingdom of God is a party. It’s a familiar theme in Jesus’ parables. In this case it’s a small-scale wedding reception
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Hi
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
It’s All About Love! Read More »
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:2) Most of us will recognise this line from the Gospel of Matthew. Indeed, ‘Render unto Caesar’ has become something of an aphorism for many Christians and is regularly used to defend the ‘Two Kingdoms’ doctrine in Christian
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Render Unto Caesar Read More »
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.” (Matthew 22:2) And so begins another of Jesus’ great party parables. ‘The Kingdom of God is a party’. It’s a familiar theme. Jesus talked a lot about parties. Jesus attended a lot of parties. Jesus evidently loved
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
The Kingdom of God is a Party Read More »
“Hear another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.” (Matthew 21:33) Thus begins the ‘Parable of the Vineyard’ – quite honestly, my favourite parable, though
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Making Sense of the Chaos Read More »
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Collaborators and sex-workers Read More »
So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16) Greetings, Fighter. I’m introducing this week’s Gospel reading with the last verse rather than the first. That seems appropriate in this case, of course, but my reason for doing so is solely because I feared losing your interest if I began
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
The Kingdom of God is Full of Surprises Read More »
