Episode 420: James Martin – Come Forth

New York Times bestseller Fr. James Martin joins the pod again to talk about his latest book Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle.

In this wise and compassionate book, Father James Martin, SJ explores the story of Jesus’s greatest miracle—the raising of Lazarus from the dead—and what Jesus means when he calls each of us to “come forth.” Meditatively and carefully, Martin leads us verse by verse, offering profound reflections on Jesus’s lessons on love, family, sadness, frustration, fear, anger, freedom, and joy. Come Forth combines:

  • Compelling analysis of the biblical text
  • Insights about the historical setting of the story
  • Spiritual lessons for today’s readers
  • Meditations on Lazarus in art and the larger culture
  • Stories from Martin’s travels through the Holy Land

As he explores these strands in depth, Martin helps us let go of the limiting beliefs that prevent us from experiencing God’s presence in our lives. We need only to open ourselves to the transformative story of Lazarus and trust that God can use it to free us to experience, like Lazarus, new life.

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR’s Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

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About the Author
Teer Hardy is husband, father, and brewery theologian.  He lives in the D.C. area and is a United Methodist Pastor.  Teer has received degrees from West Virginia Wesleyan College and Wesley Theological Seminary.  Keep up with his sermons and thoughts on his Substack.