One thing is clear: a living God is full of surprises. Some people put their trust in dead idols that belong in dusty museums or heritage trails. But we Christians place our faith in the hands of a God who is pulsing with life and vitality, who walks with us day by day, and throws us new challenges to help us grow in grace.

Jesus never held back from bringing us new ways of living. He threw down the gauntlet to the whole human race when he said “Love your enemy!” The people of the time said, “Away with you! God Himself told us to take an eye for an eye!” But Jesus stuck with this new way of life, the path of loving your neighbor as yourself. And to underline his authority, he showed us all his supremacy over death. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and he even allowed himself to be crucified and then came back to life. Believe me, you don’t want to mess with people who come back from the dead! If Jesus says “Love your enemy!”, then, really, you should be loving your enemies.

Have you thought of what Jesus’ next big surprise might be? You can be sure it won’t be anything that any of us can foretell with our puny human imaginations. This living God of ours may already be posing a new challenge to us. When you hear it, I know a lot of you are going to think like the Philistines of  …