The Gentle Savior

Family is an important topic in the Gospel of Matthew. The book opens with a genealogy, and among the 42 fathers in Jesus’ lineage four notable mothers are also named, plus of course his mother Mary. In fact, the word mother occurs more in Matthew than in any other Gospel.

In Matthew Jesus quoted Mosaic laws about honoring parents and not cursing them. He even rebuked religious leaders for creating loopholes that released them from providing financial support to their parents.

Amongst all this focusing on the family, some other things Jesus said seem almost paradoxical. After speaking on the imminent persecution of his followers, he ended this way. …

Read the rest of my guest post about putting family in its proper perspective on the Kyla Joy blog.

Today is my friend Virginia’s birthday. Virginia was born 94 years ago in 1917 on a farm in the southside region of the state for which she was named.

Virginia is strong woman who has gracefully navigated a difficult life. She told me once about how as a child she watched her mother style the hair of her two older sisters and send them off to parties that Virginia was too young to attend. Little Virginia with freckles and straight hair was jealous of her sisters’ beautiful curls, clear skin, and exciting social calendars. “Your time will come, Virginia,” her mother would reassure her. Tragically, when Virginia was only 9, her mother died in childbirth. Virginia’s voice wavered when she told me, “My time never came.”  (Read More)

In Week 6 of The Gentle Savior Bible study, I wrote the following:

In the Old Testament, God made laws about providing for the needs of the defenseless, but Jesus came and demonstrated that God wasn’t just the founder of a charity. God actually loves these people. The good news Jesus brought them was that God’s heart is moved by their suffering. He notices them. He finds them worthy of his attention. He values them so much that he wants to give them the kingdom.

In studying scripture for this chapter of the book, I realized that my heart for the poor and oppressed also needed to reflect the heart of the Father. I have a long way to go, but one of the first steps I took was to begin volunteering with an organization called Love in the Name of Christ. Their mission is to mobilize churches on behalf of needy people in Jesus’ name.

Our local chapter of Love INC has produced a booklet of “Love Stories” that recounts some of the many situations in which caring followers of Jesus have reached out to help people in need. There are some lovely testimonies to the power of Christian compassion here, and I hope you are inspired as you read them.

Download Love Stories (pdf)