Sunday Education

Mark 12:1-11

One of the most unique and historical things that people know about Jesus is the fact that he often taught using parables. The interpretation of these parables is frequently easy, though some of them are complex and take a bit of study. Each of these parables was told by Jesus in a specific context, which if it were known would probably help in the interpretation. More often than not, the parables of Jesus are simply recorded and not set within the context that surrounded him when he used them.

However, with the parable Jesus uses today, we are given the time, location and circumstances surrounding the telling. Jesus is in Jerusalem during the last week of his earthly ministry. Since the triumphal entry into the city and the cleansing of the temple, the conflict with the Jewish authorities is growing. They are questioning the legitimacy of this authority, seeing him as one who is stirring up trouble by his claims and actions.

Here, Jesus is teaching openly in the temple and he is standing face to face with the very Jewish authorities who seek his arrest (and death). They and the crowd are his audience, but it will become obvious that this parable is spoken directly to the Jewish authorities. Everyone present knew exactly what Jesus was talking about. Jesus tells a story about a man who builds a fully functioning vineyard, which he then leases to tenants (vinedressers).

Jesus’ Jewish audience would have quickly realized that this story is a parallel to Isaiah 5:1-7, which is known as “The Song of the Vineyard.” In the song God builds a vineyard, the best that could be built, and he uses the “choicest vines.” He returns looking for good grapes, but only finds bad. The moment Jesus began his parable, everyone knew that the owner of the vineyard is God, and that the vineyard represents Israel. To this mix Jesus adds those who are set up to be in charge of the vineyard. It was obvious that the tenants in parable are the very authorities to whom Jesus is speaking.

The parable serves as a short history of Israel. God the Father and vineyard owner had sent many envoys to the vineyard of Israel. Prophets were sent with the word of God. Most were ill treated and rejected and some were even killed. Finally, the son of the vineyard owner was sent. The tenants, realizing that he was the heir and wanting the vineyard for themselves, decided to kill the son. Jesus lets the Jewish authorities know that he understands exactly what they are planning. He also answers their earlier question regarding his authority. Jesus is sent with the authority of the vineyard owner, God. He is the Son, the heir and the stone which the builders had rejected, and as such he has all authority.

The parable sets the Jewish authorities on notice of their coming judgment, but what does it say to us? We need to remember why the son was sent to the vineyard in the first place. He was sent to collect the grapes that belong to his Father. We are those grapes. We are the produce from the vineyard that belongs to God. The son came and gave his very life to secure those grapes for his Father.

We are at the midpoint of Holy Week. Tomorrow and Friday we will remember and commemorate what happened to the Son in the vineyard. It happened for us, the grapes of God’s vineyard. We are redeemed for the vineyard owner by the son. That is how much God loves these grapes.

Mark 11:27-33

There are times when we, like the Pharisees in today’s text, want to ask Jesus questions. Our questions usually do not have to do with the source of his authority. The things we question generally stem from the fact that we recognize his authority but wonder about how that authority is used. Our questions are not generally of the “what” variety, but rather gravitate more toward the “why.”

If I had a dollar for every time that someone asked me “why did God allow this to happen?” I could take an early retirement. There are plenty of horrific things that befall the innocent and helpless people in this world. There are injustices that point out the inequities and unfairness of life. There are unforeseen natural disasters like hurricanes, earth quakes and tsunamis that can take the lives of hundreds and thousands. There are droughts that can leave entire nations without food and water. People are displaced by war and tribal conflicts and forced to live in primitive refugee camps. Some people are martyred for their faith.

Good people see these things and wonder why a God who is sovereign over all allows such things to happen to others, or to themselves. Where is God when these people need him the most? Where is God when we need him the most? Disasters and wars do not differentiate between the righteous and the unrighteous, or between the guilty and the innocent. Why is such suffering allowed by our God?

There is no way to give anyone a complete and satisfactory answer to such questions. There are trite answers that are designed to make us feel better, but cannot truly answer the questions. When God answered Job’s similar questions from the whirlwind, Job was told that such things are beyond human understanding. As threads in the tapestry of God’s created order, it is impossible for us to understand the entire pattern of the tapestry, or to fully understand the mind of the weaver.

There are however some things that we should take into consideration. As Christians we know that we live in a fallen world. Things are not as God intended them to be. We also believe that one day all of creation will be redeemed and all things will be restored. However, this is not that day, and we live by faith as fallen people in a fallen creation. Our present position would be hopeless were it not for God coming to us in the midst of his own creation in the person of Jesus Christ. Were we not fallen and sinful creatures there would have been no need for a savior.

This is Holy Week, when we remember and commemorate the saving grace of God that leads to the cross of Jesus Christ and to the empty tomb of the resurrection. This week we will remember and contemplate the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word “Passion” comes from the Latin word passio, which means suffering and submission. Jesus Christ, although innocent, suffered injustice and horrible abuses. He was eventually nailed to a cross, where he died.

While there is no satisfactory answer to the question of human suffering, know this: because of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, God completely understands the suffering of the innocent. When we are suffering the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” we have a suffering God who understands and stands with us. There are times we find ourselves weeping during the darkest nights of the soul, and ask “Where is God?” We can know that God is right there beside us, weeping with us for His fallen world. It is a world that will ultimately be redeemed because of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:26-38

Throughout world history there have been many unique and amazing women who are remembered for their contributions to humanity. There have been scientists like Madame Curie, who was awarded two Nobel Prizes, one in chemistry for her work with radiation and one for peace.  There have been unlikely heroic leaders like Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who, by divine guidance, led the French Army to numerous victories during the Hundred Years War. There were influential writers like Harriet Beecher Stowe whose novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” drew attention to the issues of slavery in the United States and gave support to the abolitionist movement.

There is one woman however, who is remembered everyday by billions of people around the world. It is Mary the Mother of our Lord. Every day she is remembered by name in both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. She is remembered by Roman Catholics who pray the Rosary, repeating the Ava Maria.

She is remembered today on the Church calendar as we observe the “Annunciation of our Lord.” This is the day set aside to commemorate the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. He announced to her that she would be the mother of the Christ. The date is traditionally set at March the 25th, which is exactly nine months before Christmas Day. (When the date falls on a Sunday, the commemoration is moved to the following Monday.)

Whether you are Protestant or Roman Catholic, Scripture makes it very clear that she is the most unique of all women ever born. She was chosen by God to bear His Son. She gave birth to Jesus, “the only begotten Son of God.” There are many titles that have been given to Mary by the Church. The vast majority of these titles were given to say more about her son than about her.

Although her son Jesus is born as a human, he is also God incarnate in human flesh. Therefore Mary is given the title “Mother of God.” This title was given as a proclamation of the identity of her son. In the Eastern Church she is given the title of Theotokos, which means “Bearer of God.” Again, this title speaks of the glory of her son, who is the fulfillment of the promise of “Emmanuel”, God with us. Even the title, “Mother of our Lord,” tells us more about who Jesus is than it tells us about her.

Even the title “Blessed Virgin Mary,” which comes from Luke 1:28 (blessed are you among women) and Luke 1:48 (henceforth all generations shall call me blessed), tells us very little about Mary herself.  Some have noted that she is the first person to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and as such should be called the “First Disciple” or the “Model Disciple”.   With no thought for herself, or what might happen to a betrothed woman who happens to be pregnant, she was willing to follow God’s will.  She was willing to bear whatever shame or grief might befall her in this situation. She had no idea what Joseph would do, or how her family would react.   In total obedience and surrender she placed herself in the hands of God, saying, “May it be done to me according to your word.”

Regardless of what titles we use when we speak about Mary, there is much that we can learn from her relationship with God.  Mary could not see the end of this great adventure with God.  She had no idea what things would be required of her, nor how others would react toward her.  Still, she was willing to take God at His word and submit to His will.  Should not our faith be strong enough to do the same? Our prayer today should be that God would strengthen us in faith and devotion, that we might be willing to risk the ridicule of stepping out of our comfort zones and follow God’s word, as did Mary.

The painting above is titled “The Annunciation” is by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1898.

Mark 6:1-13

There are some words that are overused in advertising, such as “new” and “improved.” When they really want to get our attention, they use them together. Another one of these words is “amazing.” There is even a series of GEICO commercials where someone in the opening scene sees something unusual and says, “That’s amazing!” The announcer then says that what is really amazing is how much money you can save with their insurance products.

Sometimes we are wowed by science and we label discoveries as amazing. In Richmond, Virginia there is a children’s museum called “Amazement Square.” We tend to reserve using the word “amazing” for things that are wonderfully spectacular. For instance, some will say that the birth of their child is the most amazing thing they have ever seen. (I happen to concur.)

We tend to think of the word “amazement” in positive terms, but there is a dark side to the word. Amazement can also mean that something is baffling, bewildering or strains credulity. We might say that we are amazed that the clerk at the store was so rude. I am amazed that the North Korean people believe the propaganda that they hear and read each day. It’s amazing that the word amaze can be used so many ways when expressing our surprise.

We are told numerous times that people were amazed at Jesus’ teachings. Sometimes it was meant as a positive statement. We are told earlier in Mark that the people were amazed, because he taught as one with authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:22, Luke 4:32) The authority that he possessed from his Father is certainly reflected in his teachings.

Then we read today that the crowd in Nazareth was amazed at his teaching. They had known Jesus since he was a boy. They had watched him grow up, and they knew his family. They knew that Jesus had not had any formal education to speak of. Where did he get his special knowledge and his special power to work wonders? They were amazed, but “they took offence at him.” He is one of us; how dare he pretend to be better, more knowledgeable and more powerful? He is just the carpenter from Nazareth. They were amazed all right. They were amazed at what they perceived to be his arrogance and presumptuousness.

Jesus was, in turn, amazed at them. He was amazed that he was not received and that their faith was so lacking that he could only perform a few miracles among them. Mark writes, “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” They had everything that was necessary for faith, including Jesus in their midst. It would seem that faith would have come easier for them, because they knew him. But we all know that “familiarity breeds contempt.” Even Jesus’ own brothers, who are here listed, did not believe in him.

Christianity is currently experiencing explosive growth throughout the world. It is the fastest growing religion in the world. It is growing primarily in places where people have not historically known Jesus: Africa, Asia and South America. However, in places like Christian Europe and North America where the name of Jesus is widely known, the Church is in decline. Those of us in the Western world live in Jesus’ hometown, his turf. We grew up with him, and we know him (some more intimately than others). Many are so familiar with Jesus, that we pay almost no attention to him. We cannot be amazed by someone if we do not pay attention to him. I’m sure that Jesus is amazed at our lack of faith.

We too have everything we need, even Jesus in our midst. We need only open our eyes, our ears, our hearts and our minds to his presence. When we do, there will be a rebirth of faith in our lives. When we do, we will find that Jesus is not passé, he is amazing!

Mark 6:13-29

At the Diet of Worms (meeting not a meal) in 1521 Martin Luther appeared before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V and representatives of the Church. He was given the opportunity to recant his writings and teachings, which they deemed to be heretical. He indicated that unless he was convinced by scripture or right reason, it would be unwise to recant. He concluded his statement by saying “I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”

I always liked the definition of conscience that is given in the Catholic Catechism. Conscience is defined as the last practical “judgment of reason which at the appropriate moment enjoins [a person] to do good and to avoid evil.” Conscience is informed by our values and faith. It has access to all that we have been taught about good and evil. It is a gift from God to enable us to at least attempt to do the right thing. When we go against our conscience, we generally feel remorse for the sins we have committed. That is unless you train your conscience, by slowly altering your value system.

A conscience can be trained in either direction. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) We are all born with a conscience, but it is molded and informed by many things. When we start to compromise our moral values, each subsequent modification becomes easier. We can find ourselves descending a slippery slope, from which it may be difficult to return. It is like the song “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns, which says, “It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.” Close on the heels of the compromise of conscience is the erosion of character. It is our conscience that tells us how to act and respond.

Herod Antipas had a conscience with which he wrestled throughout our text today. Herod knew right from wrong, and we are told that he actually liked to listen to the preaching of John the Baptist. Herod sent his first wife, Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas, home. He instead wanted to marry the Herodias, wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist preached openly against this union as being adulterous. Herod knew that, according to Jewish law, John was right but he continued in his sin. He followed his lifelong practice of compromising his values and morality. Scripture shows that Herod was conflicted with regard to John and that he protected John from Herodias.

We are all familiar with the infamous and well known story of Herod beheading John the Baptist. At a birthday banquet, the daughter of Herodias danced for those present. Everyone one was pleased, especially Herod. Herod swore an oath that he would give her anything up to half of his kingdom. In collusion with her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. Having so often compromised his conscience, Herod did not have the strength of character to stop the process leading to John’s execution. In weakness he yielded to the wrong. If there could be patron saints for wrong, Herod Antipas would be the patron saint of those who go against and compromise their conscience.

Those of us who have been raised in the church have a well informed conscience. We hear that wee, little, Jiminy Cricket like voice speaking to us helping us discern right from wrong. Despite this, how often do we turn against our conscience and what we understand to be the will of God? Each subsequent compromise makes it easier and easier to continue on this path, a path that leads us away from what is right, a path that erodes our character and a path that leads us away from God.

Let the story of Herod serve as our warning, and occasionally as our wake up call. How is your conscience doing, and what is it being trained to say to you?

Here is the link to the Casting Crowns video of “Slow Fade.”  It is a very powerful song and the video images are great.

The Jiminy Cricket photo is from Walt Disney Studios.

Mark 4:35-41

Don’t you envy people who remain calm and composed in the midst of chaos and horror?  Action heroes in movies are often depicted as unflinching and unruffled, even as bullets whiz past them and explosions demolish things around them.  They are portrayed with nerves of steel and never (I mean never, ever, ever) look back at the massive explosion behind them, as they walk away from the carnage.

In our text today, which is a rather familiar story, Jesus one ups the action heroes, by actually sleeping through a life threatening situation (How cool is that!).  Caught in a sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples are in a panic as waves “beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.”  Remember, they did not have the type I Personal Flotation Devices that would be required by the US Coast Guard in such a situation.  They were up the proverbial creek, without the proverbial paddle, and in very great peril.  In the midst of all of this we are told that Jesus was asleep on a cushion.

In their panic the disciples woke him and he immediately takes care of the situation.  He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be Still!’”  This is classified by biblical scholars as a nature miracle.  Jesus revealed his identity to his disciples by demonstrating his mastery over even the wind and the sea.  In keeping with St. Mark’s use of the “Messianic Secret (see “I Know Who You Are”), the disciples appear to be clueless as they ask, “Who is this?”

The primary intent of the story is to relate to us exactly who Jesus is, to let us in on the secret.  Many will read this text and be both awed and comforted by the fact that Jesus has such power.   The greatest danger we face is that many will read this story and attempt to interpret it as an allegory.  That interpretation would say that this story demonstrates how Jesus is there to calm the storms of our lives.  It would be fantastic if Jesus were there to straighten out the messes and to calm and still the waves of the great storms of life.  From experience I can tell you that this is not the case.  I have seen countless Christians call out to Jesus over the squall and pounding waves of distress, grief, illness, divorce and all manner of loss.  Jesus did not straighten out everything for them in fairy tale fashion, but in every single case he was there in the midst of the storm with them.

Our comfort is not found in the fact that Jesus can still a storm at sea.  Our comfort comes from knowing who he is, and from knowing that he is always in the boat with us.  He does not calm all the storms of our lives, but he does sail with us through them.

Photo is of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who is too cool to look back at an explosion he has created in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. (20th Century Fox 2009)

Mark 4:21-34

“Inch by inch, row by row
Going to make this garden grow.
All it takes is a rake and a hoe,
And a piece of fertile ground.”

When I first read today’s text, I started singing a folk song written by David Mallett called “Garden Song.” The song is about the wonder of growing things, and the cooperation between man, the divine and nature (Yes, I know that the lyrics are sort of new age but the tune is catchy.). After the planting is done, there is little for the farmer to do with regard to the growth of the plant. The song says, “Plant your rows straight and long, temper them with prayer and song.” (not much else you can do)

My father was a nurseryman, and he loved to watch things grow (especially flowers). There is a lot of hard work involved in the beginning: making sure the soil if fertile enough, planting the right seeds at the right time, adding just the right amount of water etc… Then Dad said, “You just sit back and watch the miracle.” There were of course plenty of other things that needed to be done, but he derived a great deal of pleasure from watching God do His part.

The farmer has no need to unravel and solve the mystery of how plants grow. He needs only to plant and harvest. In the wonder of creation, God makes beauty and life spring from a tiny, seemingly dead seed. Speaking of a farmer watching and waiting after planting Jesus said, “the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”Jesus was of course talking about wheat, the most common seed his audience would have know. It is amazing what yield comes from just one seed that is planted. We really take that for granted when we eat our daily bread.

However, Jesus was not giving a lesson in horticulture or agriculture. What he was really talking about is the kingdom of God, and the way it grows. To further emphasis his point he told the Parable of the Mustard Seed. It is a very, very small seed. Yet from a tiny mustard seed grows a huge plant, which will be large enough for birds to roost in, and rest in its shade. The obvious inference is that the kingdom starts out small and grows ever larger. Looking back through church history to the tiny group of original disciples, it is easy to see the truth of these teachings of Jesus.

The kingdom of God has expanded from an upper room in Jerusalem to every continent and country in the world. There are more Christians than any other religion in the world, and it is growing at twice the pace of any other. It grows despite continued persecution from outside the church, and heresies from within the church. It grows despite the mistakes and moral failures of church leaders. How it grows is a mystery, for we cannot always see the work of the Holy Spirit.

These teachings of Jesus tell us more than the history of growth of the church in our world. They also tell us how the kingdom of God should be growing within each of our lives. Just as we cannot always see the growth of the kingdom in the church, it is also difficult to see it within ourselves. Each of us has had the seed of God’s Word planted in our hearts, and it has been watered by the waters of our baptism. That presence of the kingdom should be growing within each of us, and it should be bearing fruit for harvest. It should become so obvious that the kingdom of God is within us, that others can see it and come to us to roost and find shelter. As Dad would say, “Sit back and watch the miracle.” If we tend the garden, the growth will be phenomenal.

Here is a link to a video of “Garden Song” being sung on The Muppet Show by John Denver.

Mark 2:23-3:6

In classical comedy, it is always funny to watch someone’s anger build incrementally during a scene. It is called the “slow burn.” It is usually reflected in the actor’s exaggerated facial expressions and demeanor. The slow burn is funny to us, because we have all been in that situation (not so funny when it is for real). The term “slow burn” is a reference to a slow burning, and therefore long, fuse which will eventually set off the explosion.

In reality, not all human anger builds slowly. Sometimes the fuse is very short. There are times when the explosion is so close to the triggering event that it seems almost instantaneous. Anger can come quickly with almost no warning at all. We have seen it in others and we have felt it ourselves. When anger comes so rapidly, it is hard for us to believe that it is always a secondary emotion. There is always a primary emotion that is felt before the arrival of our anger. More often than not, the emotion that triggers our anger is one of hurt. It may be a feeling of betrayal when someone tells a lie. It may be a feeling of jealousy when someone gets recognition they do not deserve. There are numerous emotional responses that can lead to anger.

As anger is a secondary emotion, we have to retrace the line of the burning fuse to discover what led to the explosion. It is often helpful to find out what lit the fuse in the first place. To find the primary emotion, we can work backwards from our anger by asking, “Why am I angry?”

In our text today we are told that Jesus was angry with the Pharisees with whom he was debating in a synagogue. They were debating what one could and could not do on the Sabbath. The debate began innocently enough, with a discussion of picking small handfuls of wheat and eating them on the Sabbath. However, the argument grew in intensity when it came down to whether or not someone could heal a human being on the Sabbath. We know that Jesus was angry, but we are also told that Jesus “was grieved by their hardness of heart.” It was the grief that Jesus felt over their lack of love for those in distress that lit the fuse of his anger.

The Pharisees believed that the sanctity of the Sabbath was more important that human hunger or other needs. The Sabbath Day was to be kept holy at all costs. Their oral tradition of laws spelled out what exactly what was lawful for a person to do. How far can you walk on the Sabbath before it becomes work? What can a carpenter do with his hammer or a tailor with his needle, before it becomes work? Their goal was to hold people in check on the Sabbath in order to preserve the day as Holy.

Jesus took a different track. He taught that the Sabbath was given to humanity by God as a gift. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Such opposing teachings were destined to clash. Almost as if by cue, a man entered the synagogue who had a withered hand. His deformity would have kept him from most employment, and the prevailing theology of the day would have looked upon his hand as a punishment from God for committed sins. Jesus brought the debate to a head by asking, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” He then healed the man.

How often do we, like the Pharisees defend our traditions and views of holiness at the expense of others? How often do we grieve the heart of Jesus? Throughout his ministry, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that God is less interested in our traditions and institutions than he is in the mercy and love that flows from our hearts. In Matthew 3:19 Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea to the Pharisees saying, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice…’”  When traditions and practices of religion get in the way of compassionate acts of love and mercy, the heart of Jesus is grieved.

Moe Howard (1897-1975) of The Three Stooges was considered to be a master of the slow burn.

Mark 2:13-22

While most people like new things, the vast majority of people are resistant to change. We are comfortable with the old and uncertain of things new. The old pair of jeans that have shaped themselves to the contours of our bodies, or the old shoes that have memorized the fit of our feet feel the best. New things have to be broken in. New things that require change on our part are most unwelcome.

New things that challenge the old tried and true ways are the worst. The models of the solar system that we used when I was a child had Pluto as a planet. It has since been demoted. What are we supposed to do, break off that part of the model? Scientific discoveries constantly, and rapidly, bring changes to our lives. While most of the changes are for the better we resist them just the same, because change makes us uncomfortable.

I first used a computer (a very archaic one by today’s standards) to write my senior thesis in seminary in 1986. In 1997 I received my first cell phone while in the Army. (Many made fun of the idea of having one at the time.) In my youth there were no video games, only pin ball machines. The idea of digital information being retrieved by laser light was the stuff of science fiction. Today it is common place. The only constant seems to be change.

In our text today Jesus calls for dramatic changes, and they are the kind that hit people right where they are most uncomfortable. His changes throw out many old conceptions of religion that still exist today. (That is how hard it is to change some things.) Jesus calls us to a new life and a new way of thinking about ourselves and others in relationship to God.

Levi was a tax collector, a recognized and well known sinner by Jewish standards. Jesus called Levi away from his old life. His new life would be found in following Jesus. As difficult as this change was for Levi, it seems to have been more difficult for those who knew him to be a sinner. His detractors, the Pharisees, wanted to know why Jesus was eating in the home of a tax collector with other sinners present. A good practicing Pharisee would never go near a sinner, lest he be contaminated. It is the “one bad apple spoils the whole bunch” theological approach.

Jesus was doing something new. It was not only that he had invited Levi, a known sinner, to be his follower. He was willing to share the good news message with other sinners, and even spend time in fellowship with them. Jesus believed that the good news could change a whole bushel of bad apples. Jesus was willing to risk his reputation and to chance contamination by eating and having fellowship with sinners.

What Jesus was doing was radical, new and could not be mixed with the old way of doing things. To follow Jesus is to make radical changes in every area of one’s live. It is not new paint on an old car; it is a whole new car. Old cloth and new cloth cannot work together on the same garment. New wine cannot be allowed to ferment in old wine skins. The mixture simply will not work.

We are comfortable with the old way of life, and not with the unfamiliar. However, when we try to combine the two, it will simply end in a dysfunctional disaster. While our old lives have the appeal of being known, the new life that is offered in following Jesus is exciting, new and constantly unfolding in unimagined and beautiful ways. Drink the new wine and wear the new garment.

Original photo is from physicsforum.com re: photo contest “Something Old and Something New.” Text has been added.