In Matthew, Jesus finds himself in two profoundly desolate places, both of which bookend the gospel—the wilderness and the cross.

Both are places of isolation. The wilderness is bleak, uninhabited, and the epitome of scarcity. The cross is unforgiving, alienating, and a place of abandonment...

Modeling is a buzz word in the field of child development and developmental psychology. Essentially, it’s the monkey see, monkey do phenomenon—children emulate what they observe.

Modeling first takes place in the family unit. Children learn how to behave, respond, cope, and navigate life based off of how their parents behave, respond, cope, and navigate life.

In recently discussing this with a friend, we started talking about Jesus’ early socialization experiences, particularly, how Joseph and Mary served as models of obedience, and how this impacted Jesus’ ability to stay true to God’s calling throughout his life...

On Saturday morning, people gather for Zumba class for the main goal of exercise, weight loss, and fun.

Zumba-ites are a motley crew. We’re people of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities, who wear diverse workout attire and flash our uncoordinated moves as we seek to emulate the instructor’s rhythm.

There’s a lot of joy and laughter, but there’s also a lot of stumbling, sweat, and toil...

In 2 Samuel 12.7-14 (NRSV), Nathan, God’s prophetic mouthpiece, confronts David for his sin with Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah the Hittite). Speaking on God’s behalf, Nathan recounts David’s transgression and announces God’s judgment.

This passage hinges on two words—give and take...

According to Matthew (26.39) and Mark (14.35), after entering Gethsemane with his disciples, Jesus “threw himself on the ground and prayed” (emphasis mine).

The Greek verb πίπτω/piptō (past tense = ἔπεσεν) means to fall as a result of terror, astonishment or grief.** Contextually, it’s a physical fall—from an upright posture to a prostrate position. Unlike the ESV, NIV, or MSG, which state that Jesus “fell on his face,” the NRSV emphasizes the intensity and intentionality of Jesus’ action. Jesus didn’t just trip over an olive tree root. He intentionally threw himself down...