Cutting off the Old for the New, Matthew 10:34-42

Jesus speaks of bringing a sword instead of peace, which is seemingly shocking. And yet, when one considers that not all will believe in Jesus, it makes sense. When Jesus renews the hearts of some and others reject him, there will be conflict and division and a sword will split people apart. This is also true of ourselves. When Jesus renews our hearts, he creates a divide within us and puts us at war with ourselves. This is his work of redemption in us, to cut off the old that the new would rise up.

Image: Scenes from Matthew 10: 34-38, by Daniel Hopfer, Licensed under CC0 1.0. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scenes_from_Matthew_10-_34-38_MET_DP835392.jpg

The Outside-Inside You Life, Romans 6.1-11

Baptism and new life go together. But how does it fit? Does new life begin inside of me or is it something that comes from the outside for me to receive and lay hold of? St. Paul directs our thoughts about this in Romans 6. Father Jeremiah explains this passage by telling us about the life that comes from the outside and enters in that we might come into an identity in Christ.

Image: “Baptism Window” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Memphis, TN. Public Domain. Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stained_glass_window_depicting_Episcopal_baptism.JPG

The True Story of Our Hearts, John 11.17-44, Romans 6.15-23

The reality of this world is that it is broken and that there is a longing deep in our hearts for redemption. And yet, there is a deep set resistance within us to this longing, wanting us to believe that there is no fulfillment for that longing. Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a small foretaste of that fulfillment of the longing. What can be done to answer this longing? What of the resistance within us to this longing?

Image: The Resurrection of Lazarus, Giovanni di Paolo (Public domain). Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_di_Paolo_-_The_Resurrection_of_Lazarus_-_Walters_37489A.jpg