Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (Translation and Notes) After around 2000 years of preaching, whole nations that have claimed to be Christian, serious Bible study by well-qualified scholars, and plenty of examples to work from, does the cross still look like foolishness? I have answer, “Yes, in every way!” There is an element lacking in our…
I have always loved Psalm 19, and I also regard it as a unified Psalm even though it is divided into two parts. Those two parts, however, convey a unified central message. God is the creator and this is why he is also the lawgiver. In the ten commandments, also part of this week’s reading,…
The story in Mark 8:31-38 fascinates me because the disciples were, in one sense, so right, yet they were so wrong. What we often forget is that there was good reason for the disciples to expect the Messiah to take over the throne of David immediately, to rescue their nation from the Romans, and to…
Read: Mark 9:2-9 Reading the gospel lesson for today–and I’m writing this on Sunday morning before going to teach Sunday School–I was struck by the parallel to a question I commonly get from Bible study classes. “Why can’t God just make it clearer, unmistakable? Why all this variety and human stuff?” I can imagine the…
Isaiah 40:25 asks us to consider who might be comparable with God, and who might be considered his equal. Now we normally use this passage to talk about God’s great power and how he is unique, the creator, someone greater than anyone we know. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But when I think of…
I have posted a devotional to my wife’s devotional list under this same title. It includes a partial translation of the Old Testment lectionary for this week (Christ the King Sunday) and some meditations on Judgment. Read it at Jody’s Devotionals.
This week’s gospel reading is Matthew 25:31-46. There will be plenty of sermons preached on serving one’s neighbor and how this is serving Christ himself. There will also be quite a number preached on the judgment and how we will stand in it. I have already written a bit about how the texts today would…
Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, especially 24-27. Partially cross-posted from Jody’s Devotionals. I’m interested in knowing just what meets God’s disapproval. We all have our ideas on this, which often involve truly despicable and perverted behavior according to our cultural standards. But sometimes the Bible will shock us and make us stop and think. This thought was…
Reading: Psalm 123 (From proper A28) Is there a correct attitude for prayer? Many people have rigid standards for how to pray, the type of language, the attitude one must have toward God, things that one must ask for–or not. Who must be addressed (Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit), and how much praise and thankfulness is…
