The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” -Matthew 25: 40 As John Ortberg concludes his discussion of Luke 14: 1-13 in Chapter 3 of Who is This Man?, he notes that Jesus’ advice to invite the […]
John Ortberg begins Chapter 3 (“A Revolution in Humanity”) of Who is This Man? by observing that Jesus could be a very irritating person to be around. This comment is particularly noteworthy because compassion probably is Jesus’ best known quality. Referencing Luke’s account of Jesus’ invitation to eat at the house of a prominent Pharisee […]
” . . . unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 18: 3-4 In Chapter 2 of Who is This Man? author John Ortberg comments that, in the ancient world, ordinary […]
At the beginning of Chapter 2 (“The Collapse of Dignity”) of Who is This Man?, author John Ortberg contrasts Jesus with King Herod, who from our perspective certainly was the most villainous person at the time of Jesus’ birth. King Herod 1. To an ancient reader, the picture or epitome of greatness 2. Given the title […]
In Chapter 1 of Who is This Man? Pastor John Ortberg describes Jesus’ impact on the ancient world. While the people of Jesus’ time scorned humility, humility became enshrined on a cross and eventually championed as a virtue. Enemies, once seen as worthy of vengeance, now were worthy of love. Forgiveness, once perceived as an […]
“I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’ “- Acts 26: 13-14 As John […]
In Chapter 1 (“The Man Who Won’t Go Away”) of Who is This Man?, author and Presbyterian minister John Ortberg contrasts Jesus’ influence in His own time with His modern impact on the world. Pastor Ortberg notes that the day following Jesus’ death, it appeared to His followers that whatever small mark Jesus had left […]
In the Epilogue (“The Journey Home”) of The Attentive Life, author Leighton Ford notes that time is redeemed when our memory of the past and desire for the future are united by love in the present. Our attempts to clutch what passes as well as trying to achieve what is beyond our grasp are in […]
As Leighton Ford concludes Chapter 9 of The Attentive Life, he relates a well-know story told by the authors of Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life. During World War II thousands of orphaned children were placed in refugee camps, where they were safe from the bombs raining down on Europe. Although they were […]
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those how love him- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”- 1 Corinthians 2: 9-10 Leighton Ford asks what we should especially pay attention to at Compline in Chapter 9 of The Attentive Life. In […]
“Let it come, as it will, and don’t be afraid. God does not leave us comfortless, so let evening come.”- Jane Kenyon “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.”- Psalm 91: 4 In Chapter 9 (“Grandfather Time: When Evening Comes”), the concluding chapter of The Attentive Life, Leighton […]
As Leighton Ford concludes Chapter 8 of The Attentive Life, he notes that Thomas Keating (The Human Condition) maintains that we spend the first half of our lives finding our role- what our culture conditions us to do– and the second half of our lives finding our true selves, what God has called us to […]