Blog (Page 249)

Psalm 31:9-16 “For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.” vs. 10 The psalmist wasn’t just having a bad day…his misery had become chronic and times of joy were but a distant memory. Most of us probably can’t identify with such long-lasting pain and sorrow…but some can! These are those who deal with depression, grieving, and sadness every day of their lives. Sometimes they…

Isaiah 50:4-9a “The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;” vs. 7 When Martin Luther, fresh from his scriptural studies, began to speak out and write about abuses in the sacramental system of the church, there were some who resonated with his insights and gave him great support. But the majority of scholars, bishops, and influential people in…

John 11:38-45 “I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” vs. 42 The whole of John’s gospel has one intent and purpose, that all who read it would come to believe that Jesus is the Christ and has been sent by God. In nearly every chapter, from beginning to end, we read stories about individuals who encounter Jesus, hear…

John 11:28-37 “But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’” vs. 37 The mourners at the home of Martha and Mary were aware of Jesus’ reputation as a healer. They’d heard the stories of miraculous cures and they wonder aloud why Jesus hadn’t made more of an effort to help his friend, Lazarus. Their question is a good one. In fact, it’s one that many of…

John 11:17-27 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” vss. 25-26 Martha already believed in resurrection…it was a common belief among the faithful of her day. But she’d always thought of it as something reserved for the future, an end of time experience. What Jesus presented was something quite different,…

John 11:1-16 “But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” vs. 4 In John’s gospel things are not always what they appear to be. There’s always more to the story. We see another example of this as Jesus receives notice of the severe illness of his friend, Lazarus. On the surface it seems straight-forward. Mary and Martha…

Romans 8:6-11 “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” vs. 6 Some followers of Jesus struggle to live with their flaws. They have been blessed with a spirit of perfectionism and have the irrational notion that they should be able to live exactly as God desires. Paul had a dose of that gene too…and he struggled to do what he thought he ought to be doing.…

Ezekiel 37:1-14 “Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.”” vs. 11 Even though the land of Judah had been devastated by the Babylonian invaders and the ruling families had been carried off to live in the land of exile, the prophet had not lost hope. He looked for revival, for a restoration of the dream, and…

Psalm 130 “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” vs. 1 So what shall we do when we’re down and life seems to be closing in on us? It’s a situation that all of us face from time to time, and one that some deal with on an almost daily basis. The darkness of those moments is overwhelming and it’s hard to make wise decisions. Our well-meaning friends may offer advice or prescribe possible solutions, but often…

John 9:35-41 “Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’” vs. 39 This statement from John’s gospel is one of those enigmatic Jesus sayings that can leave us scratching our heads. We have to read it again and again before its meaning begins to come out…and even then we can’t be sure that we’ve gotten it right. Jesus isn’t saying that he’s…

John 9:24-34 “He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’” vs. 27 The gospel writer John, always evangelistic and occasionally obscure, will sometimes drop a bit of humor into his stories. In those moments he seems to be seeking a smile or a chuckle from his hearers and readers, and many times he gets it. In today’s passage he…

John 9:13-23 “His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.” vs. 22 As the gospel writer John wrote his account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he naturally makes reference to the conflict that arose between Jesus and the religious establishment. Unfortunately he often uses the word “Jews” to describe those opponents even though Jesus and…