Who do you say Jesus is?

 This Sundays reading is from Matthew 16:13-20 where Simon gets a new name and the church gets a rock,

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

An important question for someone you are getting to know is, "Who do you say Jesus is?" 

 

 

Christophobia: Brighton, NY's not so bright Nativity ban

 From Todd Starnes,

A New York town is facing legal trouble after elected leaders said it was okay to display Islamic symbols in the public square, but not Christian symbols.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a federal lawsuit accusing officials in Brighton, New York, of violating the First Amendment after refusing to allow a Christian resident to erect a traditional Nativity scene in the town’s public square—despite permitting other religious displays, including a prominent Ramadan banner celebrating the Muslim holy month...

...According to the complaint, Brighton officials have ignored repeated requests from a local physician for more than two years to display a life-size Nativity scene in the Twelve Corners public square during the Christmas season. Meanwhile, the town has allowed other private religious displays, including a large Ramadan banner and a Hanukkah menorah.

The lawsuit argues that the town has engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by welcoming some religious messages while effectively shutting the door on Christianity.

I  suspect the not so bright Brighton officials were hell bent on appeasing the Muslim minority and avoiding any of their angry backlash. 

The town officials deserve the name: "Christophobes." 

 

A Lesson in Humility

This Sunday's reading is from Matthew 15:21-28, "The Faith of a Canaanite Woman." In it we get a lesson in humility.

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”  But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”  He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”  And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”  She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.”  Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. -English Standard Version

Humility is a virtue that is not appreciated these days where pride in self reigns supreme. Let us come to Jesus begging on our knees like the Canaanite woman. 

Some more things you cannot discuss in Scotland

 How come nobody says the word "christophobia" when it clearly exists?

From LiveAction.org comes the story of a American substitute teacher working in Scotland being summarily fired after answering student's questions on the subject of abortion in America. 

 Sarah Morse was teaching at Arbroath High School when a group of older teenage students began asking her questions after noticing her American accent. Among questions about fast food and school buses arose one regarding the topic of abortion.

In turn, Sarah answered prudently (knowing that she was teaching in a secular school): “I’m a faithful Roman Catholic, so I don’t agree with it; I don’t support it.”

When a student broached the subject of rape, Sarah replied that she did not believe it was correct to penalize a child for the wrongdoing of a parent. Her aim, she maintained, was not to provoke an argument. 

“There was no back and forth,” she told Live Action News. “It was more like a hailstorm of arguments, but with replies answered in short sentences.”

Morse felt she was merely doing what a teacher had to do: answer students’ questions, keep order in the room, and move on to the next task at hand. 

Later that day, however, she was summoned into the school office and fired on the basis that she had discussed her “religion and abortion.”

,,,The school’s decision to fire her reveals a deep-seated problem: the misuse of “balance” and “impartiality” language to quash traditional Christian and pro-life voices. She said educators are increasingly being forced to implement one authorized ideological line.

“If you only ever hear one opinion, it’s not education, it’s indoctrination,” Morse told Live Action News. 

She believes that Christians are particularly susceptible to being singled out, even though many religious traditions have moral objections to abortion...

...If Morse has one message for other Christian and pro-life teachers, it is to be wise, faithful, and ready for persecution. She also cautioned that if teachers choose to remain in the classroom, they may still share their beliefs when appropriate, but also be prepared for the possible backlash that may ensue.

...All in all, Morse’s story is not solely an anecdote about her losing her job. It is about whether pro-life beliefs remain in their rightful place in the public sphere without consequences. In view of how so many people are tempted to hide their beliefs for fear of reprisal, Morse’s courage reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful witness is calm, principled, and unwavering. 

She is contesting this in court. Stay tuned. 

 

Water boarding

This Sundays reading is from Matthew 14:22-33,  "Jesus Walks on the Water."

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.  And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” -ESV

Do you believe it?

If not, do you believe in God, and what can He not do?

Sisters Act: By filing suit

 I sure hope they win.

From Paul Anagnostopoulos at The IRD,

On July 17, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, alongside several other groups, filed a complaint against the state of New York for the implementation of doctor-assisted suicide, known by its proponents as Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). The sisters object to any forced participation in the MAiD program and filed suit arguing that the law, set to take effect this August, has not provided proper protections for their religious order.

Implementation of the new law comes with the expectation that healthcare providers and staff are required to inform patients about their option to end their own life through the new system. While the law doesn’t require nuns or religious sisters to directly assist in a suicide, opt-out requirements do not allow the nuns to refuse to inform a patient in their care about it. Failure to inform patients about the program under current regulations would mean that these groups would face heavy fines and sanctions.

Under the law passed in February, these organizations would be forced to compromise their beliefs. The law requires that a patient must “be able to self-administer the medication” and would compel Catholic ministries to inform patients of their eligibility to kill themselves, contrary to Catholic teaching...

...With the bill coming into effect August 6, the Catholic institutions seek to avoid legal punishment for their beliefs on the sanctity of human life.

“Christ the Divine Physician calls us to accompany the sick and dying with compassion, not abandon them to death,” Barres stated...

UPDATE [8/3/2026]: Becket has announced that, with agreement from the state of New York, a federal judge ordered the state not to enforce its assisted-suicide mandate against four orders of Catholic nuns and several Catholic healthcare ministries while their federal lawsuit proceeds. The temporary agreement protects the ministries from being forced to help terminally ill patients end their lives via suicide in direct violation of their faith.

I have visited New York once, stayed at the Waldorf  Astoria in the Presidential suite, and suffered through their airports several times. This and other stories about the horrors that the state and city governments (and voters) are allowing have convinced me to never go there again. 

Judeo-Christians fight back

 With the rise in antisemitism that we are seeing in the world it might be wise to look into our own backyards for signs of it encroaching into our lawns. I did not know this until recently, but the term "Judeo-Christian" is not liked by some who think of themselves as "Christian." Those who would throw out the tree to which we were engrafted are falling for the old heresy of Marcionism which rejected the Old Testament God. 

Educate yourself and see Bill Muehlenberg who has a long post on the topic titled, "On the Term ‘Judeo-Christian’".

If you encounter someone who does not accept the "Term", please don't jump on them and call them an antisemite even though they might be one. Armed with the Biblical facts, first ask them about how they reached that conclusion, and then practice your apologetics with them.