Have you ever had your calls for help dismissed? Were you able to persevere to get the help you needed? After a long day debating the Pharisees and ministering to the crowd in Gennesaret, we read that Jesus and the disciples are withdrawing to the region of Tyre and Sidon. This retreat is more than

How can Jesus’ love and friendship restore our relationships with one another? Jesus teaches his disciples in this passage about abiding in God’s love through the keeping of the commandments. He then highlights the command that we should, “Love each other as I have loved you.” To illustrate this love he refers to the ultimate

When Jesus encountered a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees thought Jesus was caught in a conflict of interest. A win-lose situation. Would Jesus heal the man or honour the Sabbath? The Sabbath was a day of rest and there were laws to ensure that people rested on the Sabbath. In

During the time Jesus walked the earth, people who had leprosy were some of the most ostracised. At the time, people believed that leprosy was highly contagious. So, at the first appearance of leprosy, loved ones were banished from their community and left to die. A man who was riddled with the disease came to

Jesus restored people and communities. Therefore, following Jesus requires us to do the same. Jesus portrayed what this looks like when he told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told the parable in response to a lawyer questioning him as to what it meant to love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus tells of a

As Lent begins, we remember the love and work of Jesus. We often use this season to reorient ourselves and draw nearer to Jesus in the lead up to Easter. Over the coming weeks we will be reflecting on the theme of restoring community by watching what Jesus does to restore people and communities in