In his Ars Poetica, the Roman poet Horace advised writers, “Do not bring a god onto the stage, unless the problem is one that deserves a god to solve it.” Romans follows this advice perfectly. Paul begins this letter with a God-sized problem: sin.  Chapter 1 condemns Gentiles before God.  Chapter 2 condemns the Jews before God. Romans 3:10-12 indicts us all: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  We are guilty, condemned, and helpless sinners. How can one get right with God? Various religions offer different answers. There is only one right answer. Romans 3:21-26 states it clearly, fully, and powerfully. Martin Luther called it: “The...

There are three main characters in the book of Ruth. Chapter 1 introduces two characters: Naomi and Ruth. Naomi was married to Elimelech. During a famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons became refugees in the country of Moab. Elimelech died in Moab. Naomi’s sons, Mahlon and Chilion, married Moabite women. Without having children, both sons died, Naomi was left without her husband and two sons. When the famine passed, Naomi returned to Bethlehem. Her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, followed her. Naomi pressed them to remain in Moab to restart their lives. Orpah obeyed. Ruth clung to Naomi.  When Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, the women asked, “Is this Naomi?” In Ruth 1:20-21, Naomi...

The story of Ruth begins with a time reference: “in the days when the judges ruled.” The Judges ruled during 400 years of moral chaos and corruption in Israel. Judges 21:25 explains: “In those days there was no King in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes.”  This was arguably the darkest period in Israel’s history. Yet against this dark backdrop, Ruth records a beautiful story of redemptive love.  Ruth is one of two books named after a woman – the other being the Old Testament book of Esther. Ruth is one of two books named after a Gentile – the other being the New Testament Gospel of Luke....

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. Though weak and weary, Jesus cried out with a loud voice. Then he breathed his last. Mark 15:39 says, “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’” The centurion’s confession is Mark's theological high point. Mark 1:1 says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” A centurion’s declaration of Christ’s deity is the climax of the story. It is not the end of the story. The crucified Savior rose again. The burial of Jesus is the bridge between the crucifixion and the resurrection.  1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also...

Matthew 5:10-12 is the last of the beatitudes of Jesus. This is the longest beatitude. It is stated in verse 10. It is restated in verses 11-12. This is the only beatitude Jesus explains. Verses 11-12 are a commentary on verse 10. This is the only beatitude that contains a direct address. Verse 10 is in the third person: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” Verse 11 is in the second person: “Blessed are you…” This is the only beatitude that contains a command. Verse 12 says, “Rejoice and be glad.” These unique features transition from the introduction to the main body of the Sermon on the Mount. Moreover, these features emphasize the spiritual gravity of Christian persecution. Virtually every godly person you meet in the Old...

In the sixteenth century, Matteo Ricci went on a mission to China. He brought along religious art to illustrate the Christian story for people who had never heard it. The Chinese responded fondly and favorably to portraits of the Virgin Mary holding her child. They were revolted to learn that Jesus died on a cross. They preferred to worship the Virgin and her baby rather than the Savior and his cross. Centuries later, that remains the preference of most people around the world. Biblical Christianity does not work that way. You cannot know, trust, or love Jesus without the cross. That’s the burden of Mark 15:33-39.  Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. Mark focuses on two blocks of these six hours.  Verses 22-32 tell us what happened during...

Alfred Bernhard Nobel invented dynamite in 1867. It is the most famous or infamous of the 355 international patents Nobel held. It was his goal to use dynamite to aid demolition and construction. It was used to create weapons of war that made Nobel rich. In 1888, Alfred’s brother Ludwig died. A French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary for Alfred, entitled “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” A chastened Nobel determined he did not want this to be his legacy. He quit the business of warfare, liquidated his assets, and used nine million dollars to establish the Nobel Peace Prize. It is the most prestigious award in the world.  Matthew...

One day, a woman called her friend in tears. Her mother had given her a beautiful handkerchief, which had been passed down from her grandmother. The woman had carelessly marked it with indelible ink. The handkerchief was ruined, and her heart was broken. Her friend, an artist, asked her to send it to him, which she did. Several weeks later, the artist returned it to her. The woman called again, this time with tears of joy. Her artist friend had taken the ink spot and designed a beautiful work around it. The ruined handkerchief was brand new, more beautiful and...

In The Window, G.W. Target tells of two men who shared a hospital room. One man’s bed was next to the wall; the other’s next to the window. Nurses sat the man up by the window to drain fluids from his lungs. He would describe to his roommate the beautiful things he saw outside the window. A father and son are fishing. Lovers having a picnic. A parade is passing by. These descriptions lifted the spirits of the man by the wall. But he began to resent the man by the window. Why did he get to the bed with a view? One...

Mark Twain said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” No one exemplifies this reality more than the woman of Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 Woman is idolized by many Christians. She is notorious to just as many. Her good example is an annoyance that is hard for many to put up with. But the tension of the text is eased by knowing that Proverbs 31 is one long discourse.  King Lemuel wrote this chapter. Proverbs 31:1 is the only place where the name occurs. Lemuel may be a pseudonym for Solomon or Hezekiah. All we know for sure is that Lemuel was a wise king whose mother taught him the ways of wisdom. Proverbs 31:1 calls this chapter “an...

The beatitudes teach the attitudes of heart that God blesses. Poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness are dispositions that characterize citizens of the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 5:7, Jesus adds mercy to this blessed list. But this beatitude is about more than possessing a merciful spirit. It is about practicing a lifestyle of mercy.  The first four beatitudes are purely and primarily God-centered. The poor in spirit acknowledge their bankruptcy before God.  Those who mourn grieve the sinfulness of their sin against God.  The meek adopt a posture of lowliness under the authority of God.  Those who hunger and...

Mark 15:22-32 records the crucifixion of Jesus. The word “crucified” occurs four times in these verses. That terrible term is the dominating theme of the text. Crucifixion was a slow death by dehydration, exhaustion, and asphyxiation. It was illegal for the Roman government to crucify Roman citizens. Foreign slaves, soldiers, and citizens were crucified. This “cruel and unusual punishment” was a public service announcement that warned all of the consequences of defying Caesar and Rome. The Jewish religious establishment and Roman political authorities did not crucify Jesus simply to get rid of him. They did it to make a point. Mark’s account focuses on the point that the Jews and Romans were making. The text is about the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet Mark says little about the crucifixion itself. The Gospels describe the crucifixion of Jesus in an economy of words. Mark ignores the physical...