Joseph? In Luke’s gospel we read a lot about Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Mary. Joseph was mentioned only in 1:27 as the man Mary was engaged to. It is very fitting that Matthew focuses on Joseph. He had a very difficult part to play! But God cared about Joseph too, and made sure that this story was recorded in Matthew.
Read More sin, salvation, genealogy, EmmanuelAt the time when Jesus was born Palestine was part of the Roman Empire, and ruled by Herod the Great. Herod was an Edomite, and considered himself a Jew, but his commitment was disputed by the Jewish leaders, partly on the grounds of his lifestyle. It’s possible that Herod had up to ten wives and over 15 children at the time.
Read More worship, angel, dreamJohn the Baptist was both the fulfillment of prophecy (v 3) and a prophet himself (v 11). His attire, diet and lifestyle link him to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and his words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, – “You bunch of Snakes!,”” – link him to Jesus (Matthew 23:33).
John’s call to repentance was heard and heeded by many.
Read More baptism, repentance, Holy SpiritJesus faces hunger, thirst, loneliness, torment, and temptation as a sign of the Father’s love, as a result of the Spirit’s leading, as a consequence of his humble obedience to the Father’s will. The wilderness is God’s idea.
Read More temptation, devil, truthVerse 17: ‘From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
From that time on. I suggest everything Jesus does from here on in can be grouped under the category of preaching. This includes, as the passage indicates, calling disciples, proclaiming the Kingdom, casting out demons, healing the sick.
Read More preaching, listeningIt is a common way, if being in many cultures, to wish a person God’s blessing when they sneeze. A practice of uncertain historic origin, it may derive from the attempt to quell the bubonic plague or it may have found it’s roots in a sense that something of one’s soul departs a person when they sneeze. In any case, to this day it is considered polite to wish a person blessing and not cursing whenever they are sneezing.
Read More trouble, joy, blessingChristians are often criticized as extremists. Normally when I hear this I feel offended. When Jesus makes the claim, it is harder to reject.
We really are extreme – at least we ought to be. Perhaps not in some of the ways we are perceived to be, but as faithful citizens of the kingdom of heaven, the label seems appropriate.
Read More salt, law, extremesReflections from a young father listening to the Sermon on the Mount
. . . It was a warm day. Sitting with hundreds of people from the surrounding villages we strained to hear the voice of Jesus. He was talking clearly to his twelve key disciples, but we could hear it too!
Read More Sermon on the Mount, following GodReflections from an older male community leader listening to the Sermon on the Mount.
. . . It had been a long walk to this hillside to hear this radical young rabbi. I didn’t want to go, but everyone told me I had to hear him. There were more people than the population of our whole village sitting on the side of the hill. We waited. Then we saw him. He was unassuming, but commanding at the same time.
Read More humility, Sermon on the Mount, leadership