
Jesus is walking the borderlands—the space between Samaria and Galilee—when ten men appear. They do not approach. They cannot. They stand at a distance, bodies marked, voices raised, shouting the only prayer they have left:“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” The village is unnamed, but it does not need a name. It may have been […]

The rich man and Lazarus is about compassion, mercy, the afterlife, reaping and sowing, wealth and repentance. The rich man was not able to secure a place in heaven through his ancestry or his wealth. The Pharisees were known for their love of money, pride, and status. Jesus draws a direct comparison between the rich […]

Jesus begins with a severe warning: “Woe to the one who causes others to stumble. It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the sea.” He immediately follows with a demanding command: “If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.” At first […]

The parable of the prodigal son has been retold countless times, often as a story about wayward sinners returning to God. But in its original context, it is primarily a message to the Pharisees and religious leaders—a challenge to their understanding of devotion, righteousness, and compassion. Jesus tells a series of parables in succession (Luke […]

In Luke 13:10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day and healed a woman. A synagogue during the time of Jesus was a place of worship, torah reading, prayer and community life. These houses of worship were not the Temple where sacrifices were made instead they were like houses which […]