In these linked stories from Jesus's ministry in Jerusalem, we see the message: preaching sacrifice for others while using their sacrifice for your own ends is the opposite of holiness.
On the centennial of Armistice Day, we remember all the losses of war, and celebrate that God does not demand the sacrifices of our children.
Solomon's exploitation of labor and subjects split the kingdom. Pope Leo X's exploitation of distant Catholics split the church. But as we Protestants stripped down sanctuaries in a move toward…