What Jesus does in the synagogue is too much. The people cannot handle it. It is so off-putting they riot against Jesus in order to hurl him off a cliff which leads Jesus to declare, “No prophet is accepted in a prophet’s hometown.” This scripture is the underbelly of what it looks like to refuse to think deeply about the theology of home.

In one of the most provocative teachings in all the gospels, Jesus stands and reads from Isaiah in the middle of a worship service. People are floored by what he says and even what he does not say. This singular moment defines his ministry better than any other text in the gospels and it is built around the fact that Jesus is ready to set people free as well as become the fulfillment of one of Israel’s most important prophecies.

Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John is turning water into wine. He’s at a wedding reception in Cana and the party runs out of wine, so Jesus fixes the problem by making more wine than the party needed. Multiple themes emerge within this story, none more important than Jesus brews the new idea that in God’s home, there will be abundance, not scarcity.

Some of the most prolific characters in the Bible are the Wise Men. The magi’s narrative of following a star, avoiding capture and tricking Herod, paying homage and bringing gifts to the newborn king, and escaping home thanks to the voice of God make it one of the best stories you can tell. It even has ramifications for how we can begin our new year and listen for God’s voice and follow God’s star.

The opening verses of John are some of the best-known verses in the New Testament. John expands our image of Jesus and reframes what it means for God to live among us. At the beginning of a new year, we still have things we can take from this beautiful passage as we set forth on a new journey.

Simeon and Anna are two people who don't get a lot of attention in the birth narrative of Jesus. But they are two of the most faithful people we encounter in the Gospel of Luke. But what do we have to learn from them?

Mary is knocked off her feet when the angel of the Lord spoke to her. She is to carry the son of God to term?!?! This moment changes Mary’s life forever, and her response to the angel has so much to say to us today.

As Matthew tells it, Joseph wanted nothing to do with Mary’s pregnancy until an angel of the Lord stepped in and spoke. This voice was game-changing for Joseph, and what unfolds for him still has ramifications for us today.

Matthew’s gospel opens with a very intentional genealogy. On the surface, it is quite boring, but as you dig into it, you discover it is anything but. Matthew knows what he’s doing. He’s opening his gospel by setting the stage that this baby matters. He comes with a grand tradition. And he’s its fulfillment and its hope for the future of God’s chosen people.

The prophet Isaiah speaks a word of hope to people who have had a lifetime of suffering and hopelessness. This passage can still offer a word of hope to us today as we strive to be people of light in the world

Jesus knew there would be people who would revile all of us, just as the prophets were. And that’s such a great word: revile. It means there are going to be people who “criticize you in an abusive and insulting way.” And I’ve been on the receiving end of such words. I’ve even been the one who gave them. And in both cases, it hurts.

This is the eighth of nine Beatitudes, and it’s the heaviest. Jesus openly admits that injustice is happening to other people right now. Intolerance is present. People are suffering. And it’s happening to people trying to live what they believe is true even in the face of persecution.

Jesus is clearing out any confusion with this Beatitude: to be a part of God’s family . . . to be a child of God . . . to be someone who works towards and makes peace.

Think about all the children running around on the hillside overhearing Jesus wax poetic. Think about what their little ears hear when Jesus says: “Blessed are you, children, for you, are the pure in heart. You deserve a world better than this. On this side of eternity, we’ve failed you, but in God’s realm, you will be blessed, for you will see God.

“Mercy,” that’s a loaded word. The Greek here in Matthew is “eleemon.” This refers to concrete acts of mercy . . . not so much a merciful attitude. I like this distinction. “Blessed are those who show mercy, not just those who have the capacity to forgive in their hearts.” See the difference? It’s concrete. Blessed are those who do the hard work of letting things go . . . who offer forgiveness . . . who show mercy.