Let’s talk about “wokeness” and the bible. When the teacher of the law asks Jesus “who is (εστιν) my neighbor?” in the well known parable of the Good Samartian (Luke 10: 25-37), we could talk at length about the social/power dynamics, or religious and ethnic discrimination, but before we get to that, let’s look at…
Category: Bible reflections
Praising with the Saints
For this reason, as we are fully encircled by such a cloud of witnesses, having set down every weight and the easily entangling sin, we should run with endurance the course laying before us. Hebrews 12:1 This week, I’m going to explore a bit more the theme I introduced last time. Last week, I focused…
Two or More are Gathered
“For where two or three gather in my name, I am there in their midst” Mathew 18:20 After the Ascension of Christ, one of the big questions that presses the Church is, “Where is Christ?” Those from a more reformed perspective might immediately state “seated at the hand of the Father.” If you grew up…
Easter 2019: Mark 16:1-8
Mark 16:1-8 Empty! He is Risen! In Mark’s account, we have only the women going to the tomb. They bore witness to his death, they alone bore witness to his burial, so it stands to reason that they alone go to attend to the body and act as first witnesses to his resurrection. As they…
Lent 2019Day 46: Mark 15:42-47
Mark 15:42-47 He was Buried Today is known as Holy Saturday. It stands between the cross and the resurrection. The cross is God’s ultimate identification with humanity, and the resurrection is the promise of the future. In the cross we find reconciliation, but in the resurrection we find victory. Today stands between those. This is…
Lent 2019 Day 45: Mark 15:21-41
Mark 15:21-41 The King is Dead So much could be said. I hope today you will reflect on the cross of Christ. I would perhaps recommend you reread today’s passage as a lectio divina, a divine reading. It’s a way of meditating and praying on the passage that comes from the early centuries of the…
Lent 2019 Day 44: Mark 15:1-20
Mark 15:1-20 King of the Jews Despite the predilection of some to place the blame for crucifixion upon the Jewish Leaders, the inescapable fact is that the Romans are the ones who crucified him. And so, the Jewish Leaders hand him over to Rome. Pilate’s reluctance may have been a true desire not see someone…
Lent 2019 Day 43: Mark 14:66-72
Mark 14:66-72 Denial The denial that Jesus predicted comes to pass. This is a sobering passage and a reminder of who we all are when it really comes down to it. We like to think we would never do such things. We like to imagine that it’d have been different if we had been there,…
Lent 2019 Day 42: Mark 14:43-65
Mark 14:43-65 Contrasts Today I just want to highlight two contrasts in this scene. In the first, Jesus is betrayed with a kiss. The greeting reserved for those who know each other closely and deeply, the type of greeting between long friends, this is the tool of betrayal. Much has been made about the kiss…
Lent Day 41: Mark 14:27-42
Mark 14:27-42 Unkept promises It is perhaps somewhat telling that, at least according to tradition and a few ancient sources, John Mark, the so name author of the Gospel of Mark (though there is no named author for any of the Gospels within the text, nor throughout the New Testament), wrote his Gospel from listening…
