1 7  On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18  He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20  When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21  And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22  They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23  Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24  The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25...

  (Leviticus 20:10) If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:22-24 22  If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. 23  If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24  Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.   I am Matthias, I am a temple guard and I work for the Pharisees.   It is my job to know the law and to advise the Pharisees and teachers.   I also guard the ...

  Then they all went home, 8  1  but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2  At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4  and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesu...

  Then they all went home, 8  1  but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2  At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4  and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9  At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesu...

    It’s Passover and I am a Roman guard. It’s a busy time for us, and not an easy one.  The city gets so crowded during Passover because the Jews are required to come here for their spiritual practices. When Jesus came through the city gates today, I guess you could say I was at the right place, at the right time. I saw with my own eyes and got the chance to form my own opinion about him. The rumors of his coming and the anticipation have been growing all week.   I wasn’t really sure what to think. When I heard he claimed to have raised his best friend from the dead, I became a disbeliever, and I was ready for this rebel. The crowds were waiting, singing, palm branches in hand, hopeful to get a glance from the would-be king. I thought it was going to be just another day of controlling the crowds, but it wasn’t. I am glad I got to see what all the fuss has been about and quite frankly; it wasn’t like I thought it would be at all.  I have been hearing all the c...

  I am Philostina, but people call me the Samaritan woman. I have followed Jesus since we met at the well in Samaria. I remember that day so clearly, he changed my life forever.   In fact, Sychar has never been the same.     I know Jesus pretty well. I have been through a lot with him, but I have never seen him like this before. I was terrified when I was with him today in the temple area. He was so angry that he made a whip and was lashing it all over the place. Jesus has always been about honesty and truth, he works hard to teach others what is just, and whenever he can, he lifts up the lowly, the poor; people like me who never had a chance. Today in the temple was no different in this regard, but his emotions really got the better of him.     Jesus is challenging many ideas and customs about his Jewish tradition. The poor and the widows are having such a hard time paying the customary offerings; Jesus sees this as an unnecessary and cruel burden...

  Sermon on the Mount –Matthew 5   Dear Diary: Today was such a long day, I am so tired, but I just cannot go to bed without telling the story of this day. I am afraid to forget many of the things I heard. The weather today was perfect. It was so beautiful that I went to walk the shores of Galilee, just to breathe in God’s beauty. I saw crowds of people lining the mountain. I went up to see what was going on.               There seemed to be thousands of people, men, women, and children, poor and rich people --- just people everywhere. Some Roman guards hanging about – probably fearing insurrection.   However, they did not break up the gathering – they just walked around keeping an eye on things. There was a prophet speaking….a long sermon. Someone said it was Jesus. He is the one who is getting all the notoriety about healing. I could not be sure since I do not really know him, but that is what everyone wa...

    I hope… for the Beloved never disappoints and always surprises in passion and in pain I trust because God’s ways are rarely mine.   I hope… each day a new beginning a fresh start in living and loving, in learning and letting go.   I hope…   because I am immensely loved. I hope… for life comes a day at a time my past, present and future belonging only to the eternal source of my existence.     I hope… for wind, fire, sun and rain are of the same source the same energy.   I hope…. for The Messiah has taught me to …                                     anticipate         expect                       ...

  Truth , strong and burley, was waiting at the bus stop in the bitter cold, with not even a hat to cover his oversized head. He is a bit mysterious. Some people claim he is everywhere, others say he is nowhere to be found, and still others reason he is just too hard to know.   But there he was, with all his chutzpah, out in the open, standing at the bus stop, just like a regular Joe.      Like any bus stop, the regulars were all there. There was the old woman who openly shied away from him, fearing his power to hurt, she silently reminded herself “it is better to say nothing at all, than to let Truth hurt me. And so, she confidently kept her distance and her silence.   The littlest traveler was four and this morning he was quizzically receiving the strong gaze of disapproval on his mother’s face as he ran right up to Truth and boldly demanded some of the candy he was eating. Truth’s good friend was there too, but she was so intent on finishing the chap...

  There he was at the front of the protest line wearing his shiny suit of armor ready to do battle for climate change. I knew Resistance would be there; he’s always there when the public is facing an issue that so many people care about.   Resistance is an interesting guy; sometimes he is exactly what you need and other times he needs to just go away. Resistance is much like the little girl with the curl, when he is good he’s good, but when he’s bad he’s very bad. He may fuel a fire that should really be extinguished, but is just as capable of starting one to save many from the bitter cold. Resistance also has a way of taking root in a person when he has no real reason to be there, these are the times he is unproductive, causing one to spin around like a toy top getting nowhere but causing a lot of unnecessary movement.   I once went to a rally with him to demonstrate against police brutality. Resistance was pretty mild mannered and shared a lot of good ideas people...

As Jesus nears Jerusalem, at least a week before his entry on Palm Sunday he raised Lazarus from the dead.  He declared, "I AM the resurrection." Click below for musical reflection  I am the Resurrection  

My name is Lazarus.   I am living proof of resurrection from the dead. More importantly, I am proof of the power of God in one of my oldest and dearest friends. I think I have been spared the grave to be a witness to Jesus’ authenticity, and right now he really needs it.  The problem is that my being raised from the dead, brought many to believe, but has angered many others.  The word is that there is a definite plot to kill Jesus now. Surely, his raising me from the dead has something to do with that.   I have thought a lot about it. I vacillate between fear for Jesus and gratitude and joy that I live.  It is a confusing time for me and for Jesus, but this is not new to us.  So many evenings over the fire with Mary and Martha serving us dinner, he and I had long discussions about what his teaching, preaching and healing might cause. Now he raised me from the dead, truly scary stuff. Jesus is not at all naïve about the fear in ...

  Monday Morning My heart is broken. I cannot believe Lazarus is gone.   O Gracious One, why do you deny my prayer? What could we have done differently? Even now my sister Martha has gone out to meet Jesus, Lazarus’ dear friend.   How can it be that we are such close friends with a miracle-worker, and we didn’t get the miracle we needed?   Your ways O God are so mysterious, so far beyond my thinking.   I want to trust that your plan for our lives is good, but I cannot see what good can come from the death of my dear Lazarus.   Even now O Holy One, I believe you hear my prayer.     Monday Noon Shortly after my morning prayer, Martha arrived home with Jesus at her side.   He looked like he had been crying.   He embraced me and I felt a powerful sense of calm and comfort.   He genuinely loved my brother, and immediately wanted to know where we laid him.   On the way and when we arrived at the tomb Jesus was crying. ...