Herod the Great built a series of palace fortresses that were designed to give him safe asylum if forced to flee the country to his homeland of Idumea (a sign of his desire for security). Indicative of his heart, he saw security in his fortresses and locked doors, keeping others out. In the end, Herod […]

Known for his great building programs, including the rebuilding of the Temple (a sign of his desire for contentment), Herod the Great built his first of a series of palace fortresses three miles southeast of Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem. Herod remained discontent. He killed his favorite of ten wives, three of his sons, and decreed […]

There might not have been another human being in Jesus’ time whose pride imprisoned him, both figuratively and literally, more than Herod the Great. He proudly held the title of Tetrarch of Judea (a sign of his desire for significance) 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born. Herod was known as the “King of the […]

In order to humble our hearts, we must continue to surrender our pride. In a great story tucked in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus contrasted the temple prayer of a proud Pharisee with that of a humble tax collector. The respected Pharisee exalted himself while the disrespected tax collector stood at a distance, refused to […]

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst…” 1 Timothy 1:15 I hate how difficult it is to hide a mess. Sure, you can shove the mess into a closet or under your bed… but I’ve found that only makes […]

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus affirmed to the world that in the kingdom of heaven, the humble are “in” and the proud are “out.” His first words were, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus was saying, “Satisfied are the humble.” Humble means “to be lower than, or to bend the […]