In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father committed four acts atypical of a Middle Eastern patriarch. First, the father gave an unwarranted inheritance. Second, he ran to a prodigal son outside the city gates. Third, he restored him to authenticity, regardless of the cost. Fourth, he pleaded with an older son who attempted […]

The Gospels show us that sand-hearted sinners were drawn to Jesus more than stone-hearted legalists. Why? A glimpse at the geneaology of Jesus’ life gives us a clue. In it we see the stories of five women who were disreputable in the eyes of religious society. Tamar disguised herself and tricked her father-in-law into sleeping […]

Everyone wants wisdom, but what is it really, and where do we find it? Wisdom is God’s heart combined with street smarts, the vertical intersecting with the horizontal. Wisdom applies our relationship with God to our relationships with others, including our tasks. We were designed to have a heart for wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6; 22:17-18), to […]