Tag: Kingdom of God

  • Wisdom Somewhere

    Proverbs 1:20–33, Proverbs 9:10, Matthew 7:7–12, James 1:5–8 (read online ⧉) Choose a side is the overwhelming discourse in politics and social issues these days. Without question, social media and the internet, in general, have made the ability to blare one’s opinion throughout the world. Regardless of one’s politics, newspapers (or news companies) seem to…

  • Bridal Party

    Matthew 25:1–13 (read online ⧉) This is an odd parable. It makes some sense on the surface, but even then, not much. One of the surface tensions is that Jesus refers here to the Kingdom of God. Jesus often refers to the Kingdom having already come, but here it is in the future. Some scholars…

  • Building Myths

    Luke 17:20–37, Acts 7:44–60, Revelation 21:14–27 (read online ⧉) Throughout the Old Testament, there are memorial stones. The names of springs have tale-telling names. Altars were built…lots of altars. Places provide identity. The Promised Land (Israel) was one of identity. That particular land was powerful enough in its name and history that there are still…

  • Pagan Response

    Ezekiel 27:1–36, Ezekiel 28:20–23, Luke 10:13–16 To understand Jesus’ “woe” statements, one needs to understand history. While Tyre and Sidon were now (in Jesus’ time) prosperous cities, their pride, pagan behavior, and anti-Israel behavior had gotten them a lot of punishment. After Ezekiel’s prophesy, the cities weren’t washed clean, but wiped-off-the-map cleansed. Because of their…

  • Denial and Grace

    Luke 23:50–24:12, John 19:38–42, Matthew 10:32–33 Joseph of Arimathea is described differently by Luke and John. Luke describes him as good, righteous, and looking forward to the kingdom of God. John describes him as a secret disciple of Jesus. On the surface, these appear to be different. And, depending on the audience, they can be…

  • Faithfully Blind Together

    Leviticus 21:16–24, Matthew 20:29–34, 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 Even today people struggle with blindness. Granted, today those who are blind have legal protections, braille, technology, and acceptance that wasn’t part of other cultures. In the New Testament era, the only “job” the blind could get was begging. Doesn’t sound very fulfilling or enjoyable. Our story in…

  • The Church Walls

    Matthew 5:1–12, Matthew 13:1–9, Luke 4:16–21, Acts 16:11–15, Acts 16:23–34, Acts 17:22–29 Mountain, boat, synagogue, riverside, prison, Areopagus (formal public forum) What do all of these have in common? Nothing. What happened at each of these, according to the Scriptures? Messages were delivered regarding the Kingdom of God. Only one of those places was a…

  • Open and Closed

    Jeremiah 15:19–21, Mark 2:1–12, Matthew 11:20–24 “One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:10 (CSB) “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (CSB) Confession and repentance resulting in salvation is a constant theme in the Scriptures.…