Many will long remember the “great eclipse” of 2017. Some believe that it was some kind of sign from God. And many believe that a similar solar eclipse marked the Crucifixion and death of Jesus. What really happened at Jesus’ death was both amazing and well-documented—but it was no mere solar eclipse!

Due to an unusually hot and dry summer, Portugal has requested help from Europe to combat forest fires on a scale not seen in recent memory. Thousands of firefighters are battling hundreds of blazes around the nation (Reuters, August 13, 2017).

U.S. public health officials have discovered fleas infected with the bubonic plague—sometimes called the “Black Death”—in the state of Arizona. This is the same bacterium that killed millions of people in Europe in the fourteenth century.

On September 24, Germans will participate in a federal election to select their chancellor. Many wonder if Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to retain the office she has held since 2005. Her critics abound.

Jesus warned the disciples to beware of hypocrisy. People do not like hypocrisy in others. But could we ourselves be hypocrites?

Jesus told His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:1–2). Hypocrisy comes to light sooner or later, and when it does, it is widely spread (v. 3).