toddcast

I don’t like being sick, but it might be even more difficult to see your child sick. You try to comfort them and help them heal, but there’s only so much you can do. There have been times when I would say to my child that if it were possible I would trade places with them. And it’s true. If you’re a parent you’ve probably had the same sentiment. We would gladly bear their pain if we could spare them. But as much as we want to take their pain, we just can’t. One of the prominent pictures of God throughout the Bible is that of a father. God is our father providing for us, guiding us, teaching us to walk, and even disciplining us. And I get this sense that just as I hurt when my children hurt, he hurts when we hurt. And as a compassionate father he nurses us back to health. He helps us heal just like we do for our kids. And I imagine that God has those same feelings I have for my children when they are sick. He too would gladly bear our pain to spare us. Though I can’t do that for my chil...

This Sunday is traditionally known as Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the praise of the Passover crowd.  Much is made of the palm branches, the shouts of Hosanna, the objection of the Pharisees, but overlooked in the story is owner of the donkey. As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem he instructed his disciples to go into a village where they will find a donkey. When they find the animal they are told to just untie it and bring it him. Sounds like a first century version of grand theft larceny. Who in the world is going to let perfect strangers just walk up to their donkey and take it with no explanation? Anticipating that someone may have issue with this apparent thievery, he further instructed the disciples that if anyone asks why they are untying this donkey just tell them, “The Lord needs it.” I guess the disciples are satisfied with the plan and proceed – an act of faith in and of itself. They followed the instructions and as they are untying th...