The devil isn’t pressuring Jesus to doubt his identity as the Son of God. He’s asking him to secure it. To prove it. To seize it. To claim it on his own terms. And Jesus refuses.

When the Church no longer has faith in the eternal power of a single, loving act, then we accept the terms of engagement that the sinners and the tax collectors have set, and we become complicit in the very horrors we intended to oppose …

The Sermon on the Mount: A Mission Impossible Michael Battle Trinity Church Boston February 8, 2026 Lectionary:  Matthew 5:13-20  

How are you managing the stress of these days? Where do the words of the Beatitudes speak comfort and encouragement as you see direction forward? How do they turn the world upside down for you?

Basically, John is that one friend from college who needed to make everything ‘deep’ and ‘profound’ and ‘big picture’ when you just wanted to complain about your professor.

These graces remain more than regional fashion; they intend respect and appreciation, expressing our mutual recognition of one another, even in disagreement …

John’s account says nothing about a manger—nothing about Mary and Joseph—no mention of a baby. But the Church [makes] the claim that both Luke’s Nativity and John’s Prologue are equally Christmas stories. Both Christmas stories are true.

Stories are told over and over again and with each messenger the story comes to life for those who hear it, never underestimate your role in hearing and carrying the Christmas message of love in this world that is in desperate need of your feet and hearts to share it!

Image credit: Jonathan Beckley