Speaking of people close to Jesus not understanding Him... we're wrapping up this series with a look at John the Baptist, and his own personal moment of struggle.

Jesus interacts a number of times with two sisters in the Gospels, and each time the exchanges involve some tension, as Jesus doesn't do what's expected or being asked of Him. In each of those moments, and when He doesn't fall in line with our way of thinking, He is always inviting us to something better.

This week, Jesus is at another dinner party, with a very different host. Tensions rise as an unexpected guest does unexpected things.

So many people struggle with feelings of unworthiness and disqualification. In part, that comes from the reality of what we know about ourselves, and in part it comes from our culture of achievement and earning our "lovability." But the Bible reminds us, it's not about us being worthy of God's love... it's about Jesus being worthy, and choosing to sacrifice Himself to bring us to God.

Jesus comes down from another mountain in Mark 9, and steps into an argument. When He enters the situation, a miracle happens, and there's a massive invitation to each of us as well.

We're looking at the moment when Jesus comes down the mountain and brings Kingdom life to the people, and specifically Matthew gives us two immediate stories of healing, of outsiders.

Still in the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, we see Him have a long and tedious conversation with the wrong person, in the wrong place, at the wrong time - a conversation that changed the course of her life.

OK so this is a bit of a sidestep, but if we're looking at interactions Jesus had in the gospels with others, we can't miss the fact that his first interaction upon launching his public ministry, was with the enemy. And in that interaction are huge keys for us as we face spiritual opposition as well.

Jesus will return, and although we won't know the time, we can keep ourselves ready and growing in love with Him and with others.

We're adding a bonus Parable in our Kingdom Vision study as we look at the parables of Jesus. This Father's Day we want to return to the heart of the Rejected Father in Luke 15.