One of the most troubling images in Jesus’s teaching is the sorting of the sheep and the goats (the “sheep” being the “righteous” who are rewarded with eternal life, the goats the “unrighteous” condemned to punishment). At first glance the stakes appear to be “heaven” and “hell,” with our human actions the determining factor in...
Tag: understanding the Bible
Understanding the Bible 26: Jesus’s Parables and the Story of a Sower
While Jesus certainly gave some famous speeches, most of Jesus’s public teaching was done by means of parables. These short, fictional stories were intended as both calls to action and as a means of offering a vision of an alternative reality- the kingdom of God. Yet they are more than illustrations, stories to be distilled down to their...
Understanding the Bible 25: A Case Study in Making a Difference!
This episode is guaranteed to make you SMILE! And, if you’ll let it, it might just change your life. Because today we hear the story of one, self-described “ordinary guy” who decided it was time to make the world a better place. That guy is Todd Miller, co-founder (along with his lovely wife) of Global...