Temptation and sin are a tricky business. Their effects last well beyond the encounter with the tempter and prompt us to examine just where our hearts, love, and devotion are placed.

What does a community of the beloved children of God look like in a world so concerned with personal gain and relationships of power?

Jesus is deeply concerned with the well-being of all people. Jesus casts it as a mutual responsibility. The kingdom of God is a place where all flourish because of their loving cooperation, not some at the expense of others.

It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are not deserving of God's attention and love. That our failures and sins are more important in God's eyes than the goodness given to us at our creation. To forget that God's call is always good news.