Exploring the Scriptures Together
Matthew 13:31-33, Mark 4:30-32, and Luke 13:18-21 “Notice what you notice.” Two parables today – the mustard seed and leaven. A common denominator seems to be growth. The mustard seed is small, yet when planted grows into a 10-foot tree. And leaven “grows” the flour mixture to make bread or cakes. But the two examples …
Continue reading “April 17 / Matt. 13:31-33; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-21”
Matthew 13:34-43 “Notice what you notice.” I keep seeing “the house”: Then He left the crowds and went into the house (v. 36). I just find it fascinating that Jesus has “a house” to go into. In addition, whenever I see “the house”, I just expect that He is in Capernaum, staying with Peter. Nothing …
Matthew 13:24-30 “Notice what you notice.” Matthew’s Parable of the Weeds (Tares)… Jesus’ explanation for this parable comes tomorrow, so be careful not to try to explain the parable or make too much of the meaning behind the story. This is the first of six “kingdom of heaven” parables in this chapter, with Jesus using …
Luke 8:4-15 “Notice what you notice.” Luke’s account of the Parable of the Sower… In spite of being the shortest of the three accounts of this parable, Luke has two items that the other writers do not have. The first is in verse 8, As He said these things, He cried out (or He called …
Mark 4:13-20 “Notice what you notice.” I try to remain true to our guideline for this year, “Notice what you notice.” And often it’s a small thing – and again today. Mark 4:14 says, The sower sows the word. That doesn’t sound like anything earth-shattering, but it was a sentence that was missing in Matthew, …
Mark 4:1-12 “Notice what you notice.” Today is Mark’s account of the Parable of the Sower. As with Matthew’s account, the parable comes today with the explanation tomorrow. Yesterday I dealt with minutia, a focus on the word “has” in Matthew’s Gospel. That focus was, in part, because Matthew is the only account of this …
Matthew 13:10-23 “Notice what you notice.” Yesterday, today, and the next three days are all about the sower and the seed. I’m sure we’ve all heard a number of sermons/messages on this famous parable, so it might be hard to pick out much to say, especially when we are repeating it twice. So I would …
Matthew 13:1-9 “Notice what you notice.” Today is our 100th day in the Gospels – just so you know… Pat yourselves on the back if you’re keeping up. What hits me today is the fact that it’s all coming together for me. Except for our earlier time in Judea, we’ve had almost three months in …
Luke 8:1-3 “Notice what you notice.” A very short passage today. My Study Bible tells me that these verses are from Jesus’ second journey into Galilee, so if true my chronology is messed up. Still, we do have Jesus in Galilee going throughout the “cities and villages” (v. 1). So three women (“and many others”, …
Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, and Luke 8:19-21 “Notice what you notice.” Two things strike me today. The first is very simple, one word – outside. I’ve always pictured Jesus preaching out in the open air with crowds all around Him. But each of these writers today has Jesus inside (presumably a house) with His mother …
Continue reading “April 8 / Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21”