May 1 / Matt. 13:53-58

Matthew 13:53-58 “Notice what you notice.” Today is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ return to his hometown, Nazareth. And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” (v. 57) I can’t remember when I first read this verse or …

April 30 / Luke 8:49-56

Luke 8:49-56 “Notice what you notice.” Today is the second half of Luke’s account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter. And her spirit returned and she got up at once. (v. 55) I have often heard the phrase “body, soul, spirit” applied to humans as a person’s physical body, personality, and life, respectively. These words …

April 29 / Luke 8:40-48

Luke 8:40-48 “Notice what you notice.” Today is the first half of Luke’s account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the woman with a discharge. Today’s first verse reads, Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. I’ve been assuming all along that Jesus and His friends …

April 28 / Mark 5:35-43

Mark 5:35-43 “Notice what you notice.” Today is the second half of Mark’s account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter. I see Jesus today as a “take charge” guy: But He put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with Him and went in where the child was. …

April 27 / Mark 5:21-34

Mark 5:21-34 “Notice what you notice.” It’s only the first half of Mark’s account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with a discharge of blood, but there’s a ton of stuff that could be said. We covered this in our Men’s Group a year or two ago, so I …

April 26 / Matt. 9:18-34

Matthew 9:18-34 “Notice what you notice.” Matthew: Healing miracles… Our reading today omits a simple item from earlier in the chapter, that Jesus had returned to Capernaum from across the Sea of Galilee in the land of the Gerasenes. We see this in verse 1 of chapter 9: And getting into a boat he crossed …

April 25 / Luke 8:26-39

Luke 8:26-39 “Notice what you notice.” Luke’s account of the Gerasene demoniac… Here are Luke’s verses 28 and 29: When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do …

April 24 / Mark 5:11-20

Mark 5:11-20 “Notice what you notice.” Mark’s account of the Gerasene demoniac, the second half… Today was a travel day for us, to Pittsburgh for our daughter’s Ph.D. graduation ceremony tomorrow. Glory! So a very short post…, but I think – not insignificant. Again, as has happened so much with Mark, the details…!! Matthew and …

April 23 / Mark 5:1-10

Mark 5:1-10 “Notice what you notice.” Mark’s account of the Gerasene demoniac, the first half… Two items struck me. First, when the demon first approached Jesus, the demon-possessed man …ran and fell down before Him (v. 6, ESV). The NASB has “bowed before Him”. Either way, the demon bowing down before Jesus clearly showed that …

April 22 / Matt. 8:28-34

Matthew 8:28-34 “Notice what you notice.” For the next few days we will be across the Sea of Galilee in the country of the Garasenes, where Jesus meets one or two demon-possessed individuals (Matthew has two; Mark and Luke have one). Matthew’s account is quite short compared to the other two. Mark’s account is the …