Jesus – Page 3 – 300 words a day

Holy Week PSA.

(First published April 14, 2011) This is a public service reminder. We are in what is known as Holy Week. During this week, in churches everywhere, there will be an unusual number of public services. There were be public services on Palm Sunday. There will be public services on Maundy Thursday. There will be public […]

by Jon Swanson

Honest assessment of impending struggle.

Jesus said, “Now, my heart is troubled. And what shall I say, ‘Father save me from this hour?’” You know the feeling? It was a couple days before Good Friday. As best as I can tell, this is part of the last speech that Jesus gives, the end of his public teaching. In the next […]

by Jon Swanson

Three days later.

One day at the temple, during the celebration of Passover, Jesus disrupted the disruption. In the space of the temple where gentiles could visit and worship, people were selling animals and exchanging money. It was work that had a right to be done, but it was disrupting the purpose of that space. God had said, […]

by Jon Swanson

Don’t be surprised.

The safety person came to our chaplain staff meeting one day. She needed to make sure that we knew how to use a fire extinguisher. She said some general stuff. And she said four things, slightly summarized here. The fire extinguisher is heavier than you think. The pin is hard to pull out than you […]

by Jon Swanson

Jesus needed a break.

He had been teaching, thoughtfully, skillfully. He had been taking on the powers of darkness. He was preparing his followers for his death, getting them ready for what they were going to watch. And for Jesus each day was full of resistance. There was the intentional resistance from those in power. There was the spiritual […]