The Jesse Tree—what is it? It seems like a simple question. Actually, it can be answered in a variety of ways. We'll return to this question several times as we continue through Advent. Each time we do, we’ll understand it better!

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It might be tempting to view the early chapters of Genesis as primitive and even irrelevant. The text is ancient, but it’s also quite complex, sophisticated, and wise. We can miss this in our busy world, so let's take another look.

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Have you ever thought about just how much time and effort we invest in making ourselves independent? To be independent of the fluctuations of seasons, we have elaborate systems of agriculture and transport. To be invulnerable to financial pain, we save, we invest, we have credit cards, 401(k)s, s...

Cain is a living contradiction. He relies on God for his life, but he also denies this reliance by taking matters into his own hands, most notably taking his own brother’s life. How do we make sense of this situation?

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After an epic opening about the Nephilim—the mighty men of the earth—Genesis 6 moves right along to wickedness and then to Noah. It’s almost a letdown... where are all the heroic deeds? But Genesis makes a powerful point: God’s favor takes no notice of the mighty and instead rests on Noah.

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Do you remember hearing the story of Babel as a child and being impressed by the magnificent tower? But then God punishes the people! Is God being petty or fickle here? What's going on?

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So far in Genesis, we've seen a recurring cycle of goodness, sin, and God’s merciful intervention. Creation, fall, promise of redemption. Family life, fratricide, promise of protection. Descendants, flood, promise of the covenant. After Babel, God makes yet another merciful move to lead us back t...

We’ve already seen Abram’s faith at work when he left his home and family. In Genesis 22, we see the pinnacle of his faith, which has deepened over years of trusting in the Lord and learning from him. We also see the limits of faith and why it must also be accompanied by hope and love.

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Even in the womb, Jacob is a wrestler. Back in Genesis 25, Rebekah is pregnant with twins: “The children struggled together within her” (Gen 25:22). And then at birth, Esau is born first, but Jacob is born holding his heel—in other words, in the middle of some neonatal jujitsu. But it doesn’t sto...

Are you familiar with the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" by Andrew Lloyd Weber? Sure, it isn’t always biblically accurate (nor the most theologically profound!), but the music is creative, fun, and varied. Let's talk about Joseph the Dreamer.

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Moses is one of the greatest figures of the Old Testament: an unstoppable freedom fighter, a powerful intercessor, a prophet like no other, a great patriarch, and a friend of God. It’s an impressive resumé. But Moses didn’t start off this way. He grows up in Egypt, raised in Pharaoh’s household, ...

We can think of the Exodus as God’s definitive saving act in the Old Testament. But one of the main goals is not just to lead the people OUT of Egypt but also to lead them INTO a covenant with God and INTO the Promised Land.

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God didn’t guide his chosen people on a straight shot from Pharaoh’s land to the Promised Land. They ended up wandering for years in the wilderness. Why? Not because God wasn’t a good navigator. Instead, the journey was less a matter of navigation and more about purification. But, ultimately, God...

Do you remember Samson? Perhaps you, too, have a childhood image in mind. Imagine Samson standing blind between two pillars, muscular arms outstretched, grasping the pillars with his huge hands and shaking them as the structure comes thundering down around him. Amazing! Let's talk about this guy....

Because the book of Ruth is so short, it allows the author to do some remarkable things with the structure, story, dialogue, and characters. It’s so focused that it has a kind of rich, theological density to it. If Genesis is like the best soup you’ve ever had, the book of Ruth is like the best s...

Only one person in the Bible is described as a man after God’s own heart: King David. It’s a pretty amazing description. Wouldn’t you like to be described that way?

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“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus offers us this profound truth in the Sermon on the Mount. Those things we think of as precious, those things we desire—these reveal what we love. How would you respond if God asked, “What would you have me give you?”

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We've finally arrived at the main biblical text from which we get the idea of the Jesse Tree: from the stump of Jesse, a shoot comes forth—and from his roots, a branch... a tree sprouting up from Jesse!

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Ever since Adam and Eve gave in to the serpent's temptation, division abounds: between the body and soul, humans and God, man and woman, and humans and the earth. The consequences of that first sin reveal to us the depth and reach of this division. But that's not the end of the story.

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epictions of Christ the Good Shepherd combine two beautiful biblical images: John 10 and Luke 15. Reflect on Jesus rejoicing—the lost sheep found and laid across his shoulders—and how the sheep almost melts into him. The sheep must rely so completely on Jesus’ strength that it becomes one with hi...

When it begins its teaching on Mary, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.” That’s paragraph 487, where the Catechism begins to unpa...

Perhaps you dreaded today's Mass reading as a child: "It’s just a list of names!" Maybe you, too, found yourself thinking the words of 1 Peter 1:25: “The word of the Lord endures FOREVER.” And reaching the breaking point, you might've meditated earnestly on Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord!?" Relatabl...

Coming to FORMED December 3!

This new 22-episode series guides Catholics through a daily Advent reflection using the Jesse Tree model traditionally practiced by families. Each seven-minute episode introduces the ancestors of Jesus Christ, shares a Scripture passage, and offers an engaging, pract...