Matthew 17:24-18:9 “Notice what you notice.” Three short vignettes today from Matthew – the temple tax, becoming like children, and temptations to sin. Two of these are also covered in Mark and Luke, but only the temple tax is covered in Matthew. Later Jesus again deals with taxation in Matthew (the former tax collector) and …
Author Archives: Fred
June 13 / Luke 9:37-45
Luke 9:37-45 “Notice what you notice.” Luke has two interesting twists to the story that we have been reading the past two days. First, for Luke, this boy is an only child. Matthew and Mark only mention the boy as “my son”. Second and more striking to me, however, was the Jesus’ quote in the …
June 12 / Mark 9:14-32
Mark 9:14-32 “Notice what you notice.” WOW! A number of good items to report on today, including, for every one of us, our favorite Bible verse: Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (v. 24) “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.” How often have I cried out …
June 11 / Matt. 17:14-23
Matthew 17:14-23 “Notice what you notice.” Is Jesus as exasperated as it might seem in this reading? We have Him twice asking, …how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? (v. 17) It seems fully out of character for Him. Yet, even if He is exasperated, He …
June 10 / Luke 9:28-36
Luke 9:28-36 “Notice what you notice.” Luke’s account of the Transfiguration… Posting from the plane – you’ll get it Tuesday morning. I’m always intrigued by what’s different in the Synoptic Gospel writers’ accounts. Two items come out in Luke’s account. First, Luke tells us that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. The other …
June 9 / Mark 9:2-13
Mark 9:2-13 “Notice what you notice.” Mark’s account of the Transfiguration… Carol and I are on the road to Maryland (thank you, Mobile HotSpot!), then tomorrow on a plane to Prague and more. We’ll be 16 days in CZ, SK, and Ireland, then back to MD for an undetermined number of days. Suffice to say …
June 8 / Matthew 17:1-13
Matthew 17:1-13 “Notice what you notice.” The transfiguration. The first thing that I noticed was the disciples’ fear. But the fear came, not at the bright light or Moses and Elijah or the cloud, but only when the Father spoke, when He spoke the same words that He had spoken at Jesus’ baptism. I’m trying …
June 7 / Luke 9:18-27
Luke 9:18-27 “Notice what you notice.” Verse 24: For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Today it is worth quoting an entire footnote from my Study Bible regarding this verse, that this saying of Jesus “…is found in all four Gospels and …
June 6 / Mark 8:27-9:1
Mark 8:27-9:1 “Notice what you notice.” I have often imagined / presumed that whatever Jesus said to His disciples, He was also saying to us today. For example, He could easily be asking us, Who do people say that I am? (v. 27) Or He could be asking us, But who do you say that …
June 5 / Matt. 16:13-28
Matthew 16:13-28 “Notice what you notice.” My Study Bible notes that verse 21 begins a new phase, a turning point in Jesus’ ministry: From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on …