If we claim to live as a servant of God, a doulos tou theou, we must reckon with the daily choice: Do I serve and protect my own interests and my own life? Or serve the will of God, even at the cost of my own comfort and life?
Fr. Chris Salamy compares the story of the man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden with the story of the man, Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane. He reminds us that serving our own wills surely ends in death, while serving the will of our Heavenly Father opens unto life. Fr. Chris Salamy is the author of The Way of the Warrior Saint: How to Live a Crucifixional Life. Listen to this episode or read the interview transcript.
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Good leaders manage expectations. Good leaders provide clarity and a path forward to eliminate surprise and disappointment. Since the beginning, the Lord makes it clear that all will be well for those who do His will.
As Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's Gospel, He reiterates His Father's expectation. The crowds who follow Him are impressed with His prophesies, healings, and mighty works, yet they hold false expectations about entering the Kingdom. Jesus addresses their self-deception, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." So why are the crowds astonished at His teaching? Read the full episode transcript here. 
What do you wish for in this new year? Imagine if your every wish stirred an impulse to serve your neighbor with the very thing you first desire from them?
Fr. Timothy Lowe turns to Matthew 7 which challenges our presumptions and turns the worldly order upside-down. The easy path leads to destruction while the narrow gate leads to life. Those who look like sheep may be ravenous wolves, so you must know them by their fruits. And those who fall prey to false teaching may need to check their very wishes and desires against the fruit of Christ's teaching. Read the full episode transcript here. 
A new year offers a chance to reflect and reset priorities. What kinds of new year resolutions are set by the servants of the Lord?
Fr. Timothy Lowe suggests we resolve to pray, out loud and often, the very words provided by Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. Our daily bread is closely linked to the daily practice of forgiveness, suggesting that as often as we eat, we must seek the Lord's daily bread through His Word and extend His mercy to one another. Noting its priorities, its communal emphasis, and even its own powerful simplicity in what the prayer leaves out, the Lord's Prayer sets the ultimate goal and direction for those who pray, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." Read the full episode transcript here. 
In what ways is prayer used to gain the favor of men, to bargain for position, or even to gossip and control others?
Fr. Timothy Lowe submits to the critique of Matthew's Gospel which warns about heaping up empty words and praying in order to be seen by men. A father provides for his children, and Our Father in Heaven knows what you need before you even ask. We can't keep secrets from Him anyway. As Matthew instructs, "When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Fr. Timothy reminds us, like Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, it is in the acceptance of the simple prayer, "Thy will be done." Read the full episode transcript here. 
Reactions to Black Friday and Giving Tuesday range from enthusiasm to disgust. Many just feel conflicted with the commercialization of the holidays which is intended as a time for thanksgiving, spending time with loved ones, and extending acts of mercy and generosity as the Lord graciously offers His Son for the salvation of all.
How do business and nonprofit leaders who strive to serve the Lord respond to the pressure of these events? How do consumers and patrons respond in light of their baptism in Christ? Fr. Timothy Lowe turns to Matthew's Gospel which critiques our motivations surrounding Black Friday and Giving Tuesday in light of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Read the full episode transcript here. 
Jesus calls his followers to be exceptional. It's easy to feel exceptional when the whole room of people who look like you and behave like you express their love for you.
But Jesus isn't impressed by loving those who love you and saluting only your brethren. That's just basic human behavior. Jesus sets a higher bar in Matthew's Gospel with instruction to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." How is this possible? How are we to respond with the call to "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect?" Read the full episode transcript here. 
Whom do you seek to please? Whom do you fear? A powerful leader seeking to please himself, King Herod desired to kill John the Baptist for referring to God's law above Herod. Fearing the people, Herod at first refrained from killing John because the people considered him a prophet. Seeking to please his unlawful wife's daughter and his dinner guests, Herod finally ordered John's head on a platter. Herod's reference points were whimsical, multiple, and self-serving.
Fr. Timothy Lowe shares the story of Herod and John the Baptist, reminding us that our reference points matter. We are called to refer to One Lord, serving and fearing only Him. Read the full episode transcript here. 
Leaders would rather lead change and preach repentance and mercy. But what happens when time has run out?
Standing in the Lord's presence, the prophet Isaiah cries, "Woe is me! I am undone!" and charged with a confounding message of coming judgment and destruction. Fr. Timothy Lowe, in a study of Isaiah 6, suggests it's time to sober up in the midst of utter devastation. Our only hope is in the seed of the Lord that might sprout from the burned and fallen stump. Read the full episode transcript here. 
We may think the Canaanite woman offers a leadership example of persistence and humility, content with the crumbs that fall from the Master's table. But the lesson is far beyond successful negotiation.
As an outsider, the Canaanite is like a dog compared to those who feast at the Master's table within the religious community. Jesus honors her great faith which stands in stark contrast against the disciples and religious leaders who reflect such little faith throughout Matthew's Gospel. The challenge presented even today is whether those who presume to feast at the Master's table are willing to offer even just a crumb to those in need. Read the full episode transcript here. |
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