by Mason Puckett

Through the first three chapters of Romans, Paul has much to say about the faithfulness of God and of Jesus. And when we get to Romans 4, we finally read specifically of what we mean when we talk about God’s faithfulness – faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15). Since Abraham, God has been on a mission to bless the whole world, and that mission has never faltered (even though we humans mess it up plenty). As proclaimed in…

One of the apostle Paul’s favorite Bible stories comes in Genesis 15. For what Paul has to say about faith as the defining trait of those who belong to the family of God in Jesus Christ, he goes back to the beginning where all the talk of faith and God’s family began. In Genesis 15, God has already made a shocking and scandalous promise to Abraham, that Abraham will have a family and use that family to bless “all the…

At any given moment in the book of Romans, the author Paul is trying to convey at least one of three things: first, God’s faithfulness to the covenant he made with Abraham (Genesis 12 & 15); second, the new Exodus, our once for all deliverance from all that would enslave us and separate us from God; and third, the establishment of the one church that belongs to Jesus (composed equally of Jew and Gentile). When Romans gets dense and difficult,…

I don’t know what each of us might think the wrath of God actually looks like, but Romans 1 is offering us a bit of help with that. The Bible is the story of God constantly reaching across the threshold into human history, into human lives to mend what is broken and make something new. But when God’s wrath is revealed (Romans 1:18-32), that crossing of the threshold stops taking place. The wrath of God means God is leaving the…

Paul reveals to us in Romans that he’s never actually been to Rome. He wants to come, but circumstances keep getting in the way. So how does Paul approach this letter in such a way that convinces the Roman Christians to welcome his voice? For starters, he showers the church with praise and affection. He’s thankful for the church in Rome (Romans 1:8), giddy with excitement that there is a church in Rome, right under Caesar’s nose. He wants to…

Paul begins the whole letter with the words, “Paul, a servant of Christ.” This opening might not catch us off guard, but maybe it should. What does it say about the Church that we would willingly gather around a letter written by someone who considers himself nothing more than a servant? It is common to give our attention to those who are the most charismatic and most successful. Many books are sold on the premise that a successful person will…

Romans is full of complex theological teaching – about sin and atonement, about law and grace and justification, about Spirit and flesh. But the apostle Paul has not written any of this complex theology for its own sake. It’s all adding up to something: a church. A church composed of people from different ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds who now bring different religious priorities into the church. All the rich, dense teaching that Paul offers in Romans takes on a…

Here is the real drama, the central dramatic foundation from which all other story is derived. It is the drama that occurs within the most secret crevice of the human heart, where the deadliest battle is being fought. We are pulled to conform to the present world in its present age of sin. And we are pulled to be transformed into the image of Christ, set free from sin. How aware are we of the forces that tug on us…

Luke 2 tells the story of Mary and Joseph losing track of their 12-year-old Jesus when they leave Jerusalem and Jesus quietly stays behind. By the time his parents realize he’s missing and conduct their search for him, it’s more than three days. They finally find him, upbraid him, and return home with him. And somehow, Mary comes to “treasure” this in her heart, Luke tells us. Apparently, Mary eventually decides that that time she lost her son was something…

The opening of Luke’s Gospel draws us to contemplate the promise that Christ is coming into our midst. Coming into our lives. Entering into our day. Invading our space. Such a promise is bound to make some of us leap for joy, and make some of us sweat. Sooner or later, Christ will pierce his way into our lives. When that finally happens, will we be ready for him? Will we make for good hosts when he gets here? Luke…

After Jesus was born, how many people do you think walked right by Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, totally oblivious to the fact that this baby was in fact the Christ, the hope of Israel? Do you think you would have known? Be honest. In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph bring a month and half old baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem (40 days, according to Torah custom). This is normal for newborn boys in Israel. Even though Mary…

The season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, is a time to be honest about everything that’s still broken, all the healing that hasn’t happened yet. When Christmas finally comes, we will praise the God who has come into our midst, but until then, we remain in the language of Advent, in which God’s transforming work in and around us isn’t done yet. While the season of Advent makes room for the sourness of not-yet-healed brokenness, it…