How do you define success in your life? Many of us came to Boston with plans and ambitions for our future. Yet in this week's passage, Jesus turns the idea of "success" completely on its head. What kind of success should Christ followers aspire to? And why is Jesus' way to greatness better than that of the world around us?
When was the last time you made a mistake and looked foolish? This passage shows the disciples doing just that, again! In this week's text, Jesus performs two extraordinary miracles. And yet, the miracles are almost an afterthought as Jesus focuses on training his still-weak and confused disciples. Through the disciples' mistakes, we'll see the dangers of our own discipleship so we can avoid too little faith and too much offense.
Our culture surrounds us with messages of self-love and self-fulfillment, yet in our passage this Sunday, Jesus calls us to self-denial. After declaring the mission of the church to storm the gates of death, we'll see how the church is to do this. Surprisingly, we are to bring life by following Christ in death.
