The compassion of Jesus runs deep: it is deeply felt in his body and deeply present in his ministry and his teaching. We can observe and imitate the consistent structure of Jesus’ compassion, learning how compassion can move us from vision to action. Most of all, we should rest in Jesus’ deep compassion for us….
Saint Thomas Sunday: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Sunday after Easter is also called โSaint Thomas Sunday.โ This Sunday, we read the story of the apostle Thomas, his doubts about the news of the resurrection, and his confession of faith when Jesus showed him his wounds. It is a day to acknowledge skepticism and celebrate belief. Most importantly, Saint Thomas Sunday is…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Simon & St. Jude
As the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude approaches on October 28th, the Church anticipates a unique celebration that honors not one but two remarkable saints and apostles. The Church commemorates them together due to ancient Christian traditions and writings that suggest their collaboration in spreading the Gospel and a shared martyrdom in distant…
Was St. Paul an Anglican?
As an Anglican, I’ve always been fascinated with the familiar rapport between the Apostle Paul and his understudy, Timothy. Their friendship and partnership, forged through correspondence and cooperative missionary efforts, are familiar to me, as they are to most Anglican Christians. My title question, “Was St. Paul an Anglican?” is tongue-in-cheek, of course. But I…
Did Jesus Reject the Land Promise?
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. In Luke 21:24, Jesus prophesied that one day Jews would have sovereignty over the land of Israel. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all…
Jesus and the Jewish Covenant
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. (Matthew 21:43) Did Jesus…
Did Jesus Reject the Temple?
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. He who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. (Matthew 23:21) It has been something of a Christian consensus that Jesus rejected the temple…
Jesus and Jerusalem
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. (Matthew 4:5) As I have written in previous posts in this series, it was only a few decades ago that I started to…
Jesus and the Jewish Commission
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. Jesus sent off the Twelve after commanding them, saying, โDonโt take the road for the Gentiles and the city of the Samaritans. Keep on going instead to the lost sheep of…
Jesus and Leviticus
This article is part of a series on Jesus the Jewish Messiah by Gerald McDermott. Click here to view other articles in this series. Go and show yourself to the priest and bring the offering which Moses commanded (Matthew 8:4, alluding to Leviticus 14:21). In a previous article, I wrote that Leviticus is the book most…