Liz Cooledge Jenkins

• Speaking Honestly

  For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.  But when…

  December 23, 2019

• Troubled (White) Consciences

  At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Matthew 14:1-2) Guilty conscience, much? King Herod hears that there’s this guy named Jesus who is going…

  December 22, 2019

• When You Can’t Win

  “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son…

  December 21, 2019

• Buddying Up to Power

  7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.…

  December 20, 2019

• John and the Bethel Worship Leader’s Daughter

  Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities. When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to…

  December 19, 2019

• John and the Military

  Soldiers also asked John, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” (Luke 3:14) In yesterday’s post I reflected a bit on how John the Baptist’s words to soldiers might relate to present-day law enforcement. Today…

  December 18, 2019

• John and the Long Arm of the Law

  Soldiers also asked John, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”  (Luke 3:14) This third group of people who come to John the Baptist asking, what then should we do? gets an answer that I want…

  December 17, 2019

• Evangelical Pastor John

  And the crowds asked John, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him,“Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no…

  December 16, 2019

• I Must Decrease…Or Must I? (Part 3 of 3)

  After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized—John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about…

  December 15, 2019

• I Must Decrease…Or Must I? (Part 2 of 3)

  After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized—John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about…

  December 14, 2019

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