Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: “…He was amazed by their lack of faith.” Just after Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back to life, he is back in his hometown, the place where people knew him best. The Sabbath rolls around and Jesus enters the synagogue and begins to preach. Mark provides these remarkable observations from Jesus’ relatives, neighbors, etc.: Isn’t …
Read: Jesus is not happy with the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, and the religious right, but he doesn’t apply that stereotype to everyone who wears the mantle of Jewish leader. This is important for us to grasp. Our version of church has plenty of Pharisees, but there are many inside those organizations that …
Continue reading “Mark: Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter; Heals A Woman”
Read: As the Pharisees began to plot against Jesus, the crowds are overflowing. Mark quickly lists the 12 disciples, then focuses on accusations about Jesus’ motivation. In my mind, this quickly gets ugly. Jesus has some strong words for those who are completely confused. At the same time, we are challenged to consider the sin …
Read: God is serious about the Sabbath, the fourth commandment for those with a checklist. Working from home for nearly 20 years has tainted my personal understanding of Sabbath, something I need to figure out how to fix. In this passage, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to look beyond the stone tablets, but some are hell …
Read: The Pharisees continue to rack up evidence against Jesus in these two observations: 1) Jesus’ disciples aren’t fasting like they’re supposed to, and 2) Jesus and his disciples broke the law by plucking some heads of grain on the Sabbath. These two issues are dealt with directly: Jesus answered, “How can the guests of …
Continue reading “Mark: Pharisees are Confused about Fasting and Lord of the Sabbath”
Read: When was the last time you had dinner with sinners? When have I intentionally invited those who are regarded as sinful, shunned by the church, into my home to share a meal? Seriously. Consider the text: While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and …
Read: Not the end of the story. Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead …
Continue reading “Matthew: Jesus’ Trial, Crucifixion and Burial”
Read: The narrative captured in this chapter covers a wide range of activity during a short period of time. To be fair, this should be nine separate posts, but I’m not trying to write a commentary, simply point out some thoughts from reading through the Bible. The Plot Against Jesus (85): Jesus Anointed at Bethany …
Continue reading “Matthew: Plot, Betrayal, Arrest and Denial”
Read: If you have a red letter Bible, or like me, you have “red letter” turned on, chapters 24 & 25 are nearly all red (initially I thought I would cover both chapters). The words of Jesus are carefully transcribed here as part of the last discourse in Matthew’s gospel account. The prophetic voice of …
Read: Following the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus continues to challenge the Jewish leadership by exposing their inability to grasp the fundamental truth that was literally standing right in front of their faces. The reading today includes a wide array of topics presented by Matthew as keys to revealing significant problems with the religious …