The next day the new guy invited all of us to his place for lunch. My first reaction was to refuse, but who can turn down a free lunch? And besides, last night, when I told Esther what had happened, she insisted that I give Matthew a chance. Not that I do everything thing Esther…
Chapter 18
We had just entered the synagogue for Sabbath worship when Jesus saw him. I hadn’t even noticed him, but that was probably what he was hoping for, that nobody would notice him. He was standing off to one side, head down and his left hand hidden beneath his robe. His appearance and attitude told people…
Disappointments
Have you ever been disappointed? Really disappointed? Maybe you watched as your dreams crashed and burnt, or perhaps someone you loved and trusted let you down. These past two years have been twenty-four months of disappointments. Disappointments as birthday parties were cancelled, hockey tournaments were cancelled, weddings were cancelled, and funerals were cancelled. I am…
Chapter 19
The group following Jesus seemed to grow every day, some he called, and others just seemed to join the party. And as exciting as the growth was, it was starting to get a little unmanageable. Everywhere we went it was like a parade, with people following Jesus, pushing and pulling to get closer. There were…
Chapter 20
Where were the people coming from? It was another one of those days; it started off when the twelve of us got back from our trips. We were clamouring to tell Jesus all about what happened, and people were gathering around him as they always seemed to be doing, so he said. “Simon, let’s get…
Chapter 21
We had just gotten settled and Jesus said, “Have you heard what happened to John?” Judas spoke up. “Only that Herod had him thrown in prison, why?” “That’s why I wanted to talk to you away from the crowds. John is dead.” I couldn’t believe it and blurted out “Dead? John’s dead? No, that can’t…
Chapter 22
How did people figure out where we would be? One minute it was just the 13 of us and then out of nowhere people started streaming into the field. There were scores of people; it felt like a festival. Some were sitting down while others were pressing in trying to see Jesus and others demanded…
Chapter 23
"Peter, you take the rest of the guys in the boat, I’m going up the hill and spend some time alone, I’ll catch up with you later.” We had just finished passing out leftover fish and bread and the sun was setting when Jesus let me know that we could head across the lake without…
In the Dark of the Night
Do you ever find yourself listening to voices at 3 o’clock in the morning? No, not your neighbours, or even others in your home. I’m talking about the voices inside your head. Before you call the men in the white jackets, bear with me. I am always amazed at what I learn at three o’clock…
Chapter 24
The night before Jesus had told us we needed to get ready for a trip. He said that we’d be gone for a week or more. The destination? Nazareth. Jesus was taking us to the little town he had grown up in. And we’d get a chance to meet his family. Esther wasn’t all that…