Exploring the Scriptures Together
Matthew 12:22-50; Mark 3:20-35; Luke 11:14-36; 8:19-21 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23 In Matthew, Jesus makes this statement just before saying that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, that next verse (Mt. 12:31) starting off, “Therefore, …” …
Continue reading “October 20 / Matthew 12:22-50; Mark 3:20-35; Luke 11:14-36; 8:19-21”
Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-17; John 4:46-54;Matthew 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-50 Today we see some tremendous contrasts in attitudes toward Jesus. First we have the Roman centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant but who says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…” (Mt. 8.8) At the end of our reading …
Continue reading “October 19 / Matthew 8:5-13, 11:2-19; Luke 7:1-50; John 4:46-54”
Matthew 6; Luke 11:1-4, 12:22-34;Matthew 7; Luke 6:37-49, 11:5-13 …and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.…For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:12,14-15 How often do we …
Continue reading “October 18 / Matthew 6-7; Luke 11:1-13, 12:22-34, 6:37-49”
Matthew 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-19; Luke 6:12-19;Matthew 5:1-48; Luke 6:20-36 You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:43-44 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to …
Continue reading “October 17 / Matthew 12:15-21, 5:1-48; Mark 3:7-19; Luke 6:12-36”
Matthew 9:1-17; Mark 2:1-22; Luke 5:17-39;Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 6:1-11 Matthew tells us that on at least two separate occasions, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 to the Pharisees: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” The first time is in Matthew 9:13, where Jesus is responding to the Pharisees’ questioning of Jesus’ association with tax collectors …
Continue reading “October 16 / Matthew 9:1-17, 12:1-14; Mark 2:1-3:6; Luke 5:17-6:11”
Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37;Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41;Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-5:11;Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16 That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the …
Continue reading “October 15 / Matthew 8:14-17; 4:23-25; 8:1-4; Mark 1:21-45; Luke 4:31-5:16”
John 4:1-45;Matthew 4:12-22; Mark 1:14-20; Luke 4:14-30 Today Jesus passes through the region of Samaria and stops at Jacob’s well to rest and get a drink of water. There Jesus interacts with a woman who is surprised (or, I daresay, shocked) to find that this Jew would have anything to do with a Samaritan. (For …
Continue reading “October 14 / John 4:1-45; Matthew 4:12-22; Mark 1:14-20; Luke 4:14-30”
John 1:35-3:36 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 I’m guessing that this is the most well-known verse in the entire Bible, and rightly so. Here Jesus declares God’s love for the world, the giving of …
Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34;Luke 3:23-38;Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 John the Baptist preaches baptism for the forgiveness of sins, yet Jesus — Who has no sin and needs no forgiveness — insists on being baptized by John, even when John says it ought to be the other way round, that …
Continue reading “October 12 / Matthew 3:13-4:11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 3:21-4:13; John 1:29-34”
Matthew 2:22-23; Luke 2:39-52; Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28 All four Gospel writers speak of John the Baptist. All four identify him as fulfilling Isaiah 40:3: The voice of one crying in the wilderness… John does not come to be the star of the show. He comes to prepare the way for …
Continue reading “October 11 / Matthew 2:22-3:12; Luke 2:39-3:18; Mark 1:1-8; John 1:19-28”