Material goods are instruments, not goals Mark 10:17-27. How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! Wealth is not the goal; but it could be an instrument to love our neighbors and truly enter the Kingdom of God. When Jesus said to sell our possessions and to leave […]
Insight is inner sight Luke 6:39-45. Be wary of hypocrisy and judgement of others A unique trait humans have is the ability to self-identify and refer unto one’s self. This is also how we learn; we are able to identify our behavioral patterns and design an environment to correct it or exercise personal agency to […]
When have we stopped being children? Mark 10:13-16. Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it How is it possible that a child already has a natural and pure desire to know the truth? How is it possible that my nephews and nieces can call me out when […]
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts Mark 10:1-12. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate The common themes in love songs are the honeymoon phase and the breakup phase, illustrating the intensity of highs and lows in a romantic relationship. During the courtship and premarital relationship stages, […]
Gardens and jungles Mark 9:41-50. Avoid causing the little ones to sin In terms of avoiding sin and choosing virtue, half the battle is the context: are you in a garden of paradise or a jungle of survival and temptations? I’ve come to realize that the best way to avoid sin is to avoid putting […]
For whoever is not against us is for us Mark 9:38-40. For whoever is not against us is for us This, for me, demonstrates the allure of the teachings of Jesus. When common sense or the “law of the jungle” would say that our world is that of survival of the fittest, when we say […]
How do we know that we know? All human insights have to be verified Matthew 16:13-19. Who do you say that I am? (Note: This is Matthew’s version of the same gospel from Mark 8:27-33) Peter’s understanding of the real identity of Jesus is said to be an example of divine revelation, characterized by God […]
Faith is about humble reasoning and responsible action, not testing God nor the other Mark 9:14-29. Help my unbelief! I distinguish between “abandoning reason” versus “recognizing the limits of reason”. I can see the danger that this gospel could be misinterpreted: as if all that matters is an intention or a belief. But as the […]
Justice seeks an appropriate penalty; vengeance seeks to destroy another Luke 6:27-38. Love your enemies The tragedy of vengeance is that it creates a vicious cycle. If the desired outcome is to stop evil and pursue good, evil cannot be a response to another evil. This is waaaaaay easier said than done. The commandment of […]
An authentic faith is not an appeal to our gullibility Mark 9:2-13. The transfiguration of Jesus Even after the transfiguration, Jesus insisted to the Apostles not to divulge what they have witnessed, at least not before the Son of Man’s death and resurrection. This speaks to the importance of timing and one’s personal journey of […]