Jesus the Story Teller. The imagination is the intellect at play, it is reason listening to a story. Of course Jesus, who invented the human mind, planned the learning process to include the capturing of the imagination. The master teacher, he loved to express his vivid and agile imagination whenever he could. Jesus loved to …
Be Salty “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matt. 5:13) What did Jesus mean when He flatly stated that His followers were to be the salt of the earth? In other words, Christians are called to be salt. What was He getting at? Since salt has so many qualities and purposes, it seems the sky is …
Thorn Birds: Meditation. “No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.” (Joy to the World, Isaac Watts) Many years ago in Falls Church, Virginia, …
Walking in Wisdom – Proverbs 3:5-8. When studying the Bible, I love to peruse many different translations so I can see the many nuances and wordings of that particular Scripture. I then like to weave together the different versions of the verses to get a more complete and I think fresher version of what the Bible …
In John 5:6, we find ourselves at the pool of Bethesda, which means House of Mercy. A wonderfully prophetic name. The pool attracts people with all kinds of disabilities, because it is known as a pool of healing, touched by the occasional angel. In the crowd of disabled people is a hopeless man who has …
The Gardener and the Seed – A Poem. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” (John 15:1) gardener leans into his pure ancient seed the ground is now ready, the time has now come father has spoken and son has agreed the emptying motion has truly begun he drops the …
Jesus and His Victory Tour After the Resurrection, it seems that Jesus could have hired a good PR agent. He didn’t exactly capitalize on His victory over death. Evidently, PR was the last thing on His mind. If I was Him, and I just dance out of the tomb, I would have made a bee-line …
Is there any greater mystery than God in glory becoming human in history? It’s not just a miracle, like water into wine. It transcends miracle, and is unthinkable. A spirit putting on flesh. Something larger than life becoming a lesser life form, voluntarily. Something along the order of an animal becoming a vegetable. Or an …
Thoughts on the parable of the Barren Tree- Please read Luke 13:6-9. THE CONTEXT. a. The early parts of this chapter in Luke refer to Jesus’ call for national repentance. This parable, more allegorical than most of his parables, continues that theme of repentance, only the story is directed toward the Jewish leadership, the pious ones, …
Thoughts on the parable of the Rich Fool – Please read Luke 12:13-21. THE CONTEXT. a. There was a crowd of people surrounding Jesus, and a man in the crowd tried to recruit Jesus to issue a ruling in an inheritance squabble. This man demands that Jesus be the judge that carries out his wishes. …
Thoughts on the parable of the Gracious Landowner – Please read Matthew 20:1-16. THE CONTEXT. Jesus is here addressing questions about the character of God and the nature of salvation, about the last being first and the first being last. The parable is an illustration of what that idea looks like in the kingdom of …
Thoughts on the parable of the Great Feast – Please read Luke 14:15-24. THE CONTEXT. a. Jesus is reclining at a supper hosted by a Pharisee. As usual, they are grumbling, putting Jesus under their microscope. They didn’t like it when he healed a man right there at supper, on the Sabbath! And they didn’t …