Some people are hard to say “No” to, especially if you have a relationship with them. Maybe it’s the boss, or a family member with a strong personality. Perhaps the apostle Peter, after some initial resistance to the changes God was proposing, decided that he was not in a position to say “No” to the Almighty.

“Apocalypse” comes from the Greek word for “uncovering” or “revealing.” It is not meant to scare us into submission, but to use our most difficult experiences to teach us about hope — and maybe even fix a few of our worst personality traits.

In the middle of this dramatic, traumatic story of change, a little man appears, perhaps you have never noticed him if you have heard this story of Paul's conversion before. His name was Ananias. Ananias, who, on the basis of nothing but God's voice and this vision risked his life, went to the street called Straight, addressed this once bitter enemy by the term, "Brother."

The post-resurrection scene of the Gospel of John is different from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew concludes its gospel with a glorious scene in which Jesus ascends into heaven with the declaration of the great commission to his eleven disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). John retells the post-resurrection scene in a more somber tone.

In a world filled with physical, spiritual, and other forms of hunger, we crave sustenance to not only fill our stomachs but shelter us from the troubles and anxieties of life. Living out our faith sustains us. Living out God’s justice fills our hearts, our minds, our souls, and even our bodies. Here, we recognize that believing in Christ means we feed others and are ourselves fed by faith. We do so with the enduring guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

The story of Zacchaeus is unique to Luke’s gospel. Set in Jericho, Jesus’ final stop before reaching Jerusalem, this narrative revisits several key themes Luke has explored throughout the previous eighteen chapters: journey, wealth, encounter, salvation, and sharing.

The Lukan Jesus loves teaching with parables. Several parables are unique to the Gospel of Luke; the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are the most well-known. Many parables in Luke enrich Jesus’ messages as they metaphorically illustrate the intersections of theology and ethics. In today’s passage, we encounter two parables, both centered around meals

Matthew 6:11 (“give us today [epioúsios] our daily bread”), at first glance, seems to be straightforward in its petition. However, looking closely at the English translation of this verse, there is a superscription at the end inviting us to look into the footnote section. The footnote encourages us to think about exchanging the word “daily” with “tomorrow.