John 7:43-8:11 The woman caught in adultery… Today’s reading is one of the shortest that we’ll have all year. It is also an incident that is not included in most of the earliest manuscripts. But to me it’s one of the most powerful of all of Jesus’ activities. It shows His wisdom, His empathy, His …
Author Archives: Fred
March 26 / John 7:25-52
John 7:25-52 My mind is on the Holy Spirit these days. We just finished our four-part, “Three Streams” (Scripture, Sacrament, Spirit) Lenten series at church this past Wednesday. Michael brought the previous “three streams” talks together with a number of references and applications from the second half of Acts 2 (Pentecost, ff.), then Brian and …
March 25 / John 7:1-24
John 7:1-24 But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly but in private. (v. 10) I’m trying to understand Jesus’ actions, not just His words. He did not want to go up to the feast publicly – that is, He did not want to join one …
March 24 / Matt. 17:24-18:9; Mark 9:33-50; Luke 9:46-50
Matthew 17:24-18:9, Mark 9:33-50, and Luke 9:46-50 …where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:48) Jesus is citing this verse to “describe” hell (or some aspect of hell). In so doing he is quoting Isaiah (also in verses 44 and 46, left out in some manuscripts), but what’s intriguing …
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March 23 / Matt. 17:14-23; Mark 9:14-32; Luke 9:37-45
Matthew 17:14-23, Mark 9:14-32, and Luke 9:37-45 And when they came to the disciples, they saw … scribes arguing with them. (Mark 9:14) As I note in the second link below, Jesus had taken Peter, James, and John with Him for His Transfiguration, leaving the other disciples behind, presumably nearby. And the scribes were there …
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March 22 / Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36
Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36 And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. (Matthew 17:2) And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. (Mark 9:2b-3) And as He …
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March 21 / Mark 8:27-9:1; Luke 9:18-27
Mark 8:27-9:1 and Luke 9:18-27 And calling the crowd to Him with his disciples, He said to them, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) Both Matthew and Luke have Jesus speaking these words (and those that follow) to His disciples. Only …
March 20 / Matt. 16:13-28
Matthew 16:13-28 For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done. (v. 27) I’m always intrigued by these “rewards” verses. See also Mt. 5:12, 19:27-30; Luke 6:23, and others. I’m going to quote John S. …
March 19 / Matt. 16:1-12; Mark 8:11-26
Matthew 16:1-12 and Mark 8:11-26 In discussing the feeding of the 4,000 in the area of the Decapolis I had wondered yesterday who might those people be who came from “far away”. We learn this morning that some in this “far away” crowd were Pharisees and Sadducees: And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to …
March 18 / Matt. 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10
Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-10 Jesus speaking: …and some of them have come from far away. (Mark 8:3b) According to both Matthew and Mark (if they were writing chronologically) Jesus and His disciples are on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. So I wonder about those who …