Sacred traditions grow from common roots.

At one time, now-venerated places and people were passed by without even so much as a glance. They were common. They were unknown and unnoticed in a crowd.

From the humble seeds of place and people grow towering trees of tradition, often with many branches representing more key growth stages. It all started with a seed–an event involving a place that and a person who was so common as to go unnoticed.

The smart guys are hostile.

The smart guys are drilling him with their hardest questions.

Jesus doesn’t just sit there smug and silent. He actually talks!

I’d be wanting a glass of wine after a day of testing.

By his own admission, Jesus limited his speaking tour to Israel. Using a familiar metaphor, he said, “I have come for the lost sheep of Israel” (John 12). Not a very nice thing to say. The term “lost” was as derogatory then as it is now.