Read John 4:5-42 Jesus Sees and Understands In the middle of an awkward conversation on a hot day by a well, Jesus said to his unnamed conversation partner, “You have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband” (John 4:18). He blew her cover. It...
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing...
On the grace that comes after letting go….
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He...
If you or someone you love is deeply depressed…
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you...
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to...
A funny thing happened on the way to “Amen.”
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled....
Good, In Other Words J. Marshall Jenkins Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Mt 5:6). He wanted to do something good, the meaning of which he worked and reworked with improvising mind and earnest heart, with feet and...
A Therapist Queries His Wife, a Pianist, About Silence J. Marshall Jenkins (for Wanda, Valentine's Day 2024) When musicians talk, what do you say about the silence between the notes? Is it like the silence between us as we sleep and eat or as we segue from talking...
Several months before my father’s death, I wrote this piece to ease his worries as he sensed the time approaching. It turned out to be my most widely-read post.