Chip Shots

“He had to pass through Samaria.” No. In fact, he didn’t. When Jewish people traveled north from Jerusalem to Galilee, they intentionally avoided Samaria. But Jesus wasn’t like most people. He went where others did not dare to go.  “He had to pass through Samaria.”  Why? Because there was a woman there who needed him. It didn’t matter to him that she was a woman and he was a man. It didn’t matter to him that she was a Samaritan woman and he was a Jewish man. It didn’t matter to him that she was a sinful Samaritan woman and he was a sinless Jewish man. There was a thirsty woman who needed living water: "He had to pass through Samaria.” Jesus was always crossing boundaries in order to find thirsty people. He still does. He knows that many of the things we pursue in life are, at their root, efforts to assuage a deep spiritual thirst. We crave relationships.  We crave success.  We crave significance.  We crave power.  We crave recognit...

Loopholes. That’s what we’re looking for. We want to obey God, but we don’t want it to be too costly, or too inconvenient, or too complicated. That’s why we need loopholes. Sure, we’ll keep our marital vows, but not if it gets too hard. We’d like an escape clause if necessary. Sure, we’ll honor God with our wealth, but not if it gets too costly. We’d like to keep our standard of living if possible. Sure, we’ll follow Jesus, but not if we don’t get something out of it…. These are not just contemporary problems: they confront every generation. In fact, they are evident in the 10th chapter of Mark. It begins with a thorny question about marriage: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10:2). It continues with the heartfelt question of a wealthy man: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:17). It concludes with a searching question for some power-hungry disciples: “What do you want me to do for you?” (10:36). The first question involves sex and marriage. The second invol...