The Healing of Bartimaeus. Please read Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus. He is a blind beggar pleading for food or money outside of Jericho. We don’t his real first name, because Bartimaeus simply means “son of Timaeus.” We do know his name ironically means “highly prized” or “esteemed.” He is outside the city gates, by the side …
The Healing of the Ten Lepers. Please read Luke 17:11-19. On the Way to Jerusalem. Jesus knew very well what awaited Him in Jerusalem: torture, death, and eventual resurrection. He predicted this several times (Matthew 20, Mark 10, and a little later here in Luke 18). Yet He traveled toward Jerusalem, making steady progress southward …
The Healing of the Crippled Woman Please read Luke 13:10-17 The Synagogue. Jesus was an orthodox Jew in good standing, spreading the Word in the presence of other orthodox Jews, in the local meeting place for such things, the synagogue. He was teaching Scripture, reading from Torah, leading discussion, answering questions. Jesus did this virtually …
The Healing of the Widow’s Son in Nain Please read Luke 7:11-17 Prior Healing. This healing in Nain, which is one of the three resurrection scenes of Jesus, apart from His own resurrection, is just on the heels of a dramatic long-distance healing of a Gentile’s slave. Because the Gentile was a Roman officer, this …
“I AM the Light of the World!” (John 8:12) Jesus once again tells the crowd that He is at one with Yahweh, who is the Great I AM and is the personal Name of the Holy One revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Every time Jesus says “I AM,” He is referring to Yahweh, …
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Please read Matthew 18, especially v. 21-35. CONTEXT a. Matthew 18 is apparently one long private conversation between Jesus and his disciples, and the gospel values here are certainly at odds with the ways of the world. This chapter is concerned with a fascinating variety of topics about …
“If you listen carefully you can hear the truth from the unlikeliest sources, especially from the unlikeliest sources, from an enemy, from a stranger, from children, from nuts, from overheard conversations, from stupid preachers… Are not great discoveries also made at the unlikeliest moments?” (Walker Percy, The Second Coming, p.181) One of my family’s favorite …
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 …
Goofy Dad Stories (11) – The Danger of Elastic Waistbands. This story goes way back, to when I was a mere lad of four. So, it’s ancient history, 64 years ago and counting. But it’s still funny. We were of course living in Rockford, Illinois. My parents had many friends from church, and often invited …
Goofy Dad Stories (10) – Food Blunders Note to Parents: Choose your battles wisely when raising your kids. Discover what is worth taking a stand, and let the rest go. Especially when it comes to food. Mealtime can be a battleground, and a parent has to think hard… Do I really want to wage this …
Goofy Dad Stories (9) – Splinters I Have Known While working through graduate school at Michigan State, I enjoyed a variety of jobs… liquor store manager at Sav-On Drugs, painter of apartments with the Christian Brothers Painting Company, gas station attendant at a Shell station, and a lineman for the Michigan Bell Telephone Company. While being …
Goofy Dad Stories (8) – Adventures in Golf I have a somewhat spotty history with golf. I did not enjoy the game in the least. It’s too infuriating, tedious, expensive, and not even close to fun. My golfing highlights would include: The Golf Bag – I had a good friend in Texas who loved to …