Category Archives: Scripture

The Armor of God

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“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.” (Eph 6:11-13)

In today’s reading St. Paul uses the metaphor of the “armor of God.” I can remember the first time I heard the expression. It was spoken by someone who I thought, in general, was a bit dramatic about most things in life. Everything was a pitched battle between the forces of light and dark. While driving to a bible study at our country parish, a crow was spotted perched on a fence. “Look, it’s one of Satan’s demons!” Sometimes a crow is just a crow.

And then sometimes we have this reading on Halloween. Continue reading →

The Scribe’s reaction

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32 The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ 33 And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that [he] answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Continue reading →

Jesus’ Reply

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This coming Sunday is the 31st Sunday in Year B.  In yesterday’s post we discussed how Jesus’ reply moves from a singular eternal truth (the uniqueness of God) to a command for the continuous love response. Stoffergen offers an insight on love and its command. He writes: “Could you imagine a young couple on their first date? The woman thinks to herself, ‘I really like this guy. He’s so handsome. He’s so charming. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with him. What can I do to get him to love me?’ Then you hear the woman say in a stern voice: ‘I command you to love me. You will marry me. We will live happily ever after.’ Would a marriage like that work? Can love be commanded?” Continue reading →

Questions

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This coming Sunday is the 31st Sunday in Year B. Our gospel is taken from the Gospel of Mark and is one of the most well known passages. Jesus is asked about the commandments: 28 One of the scribes…asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” The response is very familiar to Christians: 29 Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Continue reading →

Bartimaeus: another thought

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This coming Sunday is the 30th Sunday. An interesting bit of background come from Dan Clendenin at Journey with Jesus

If “Timaeus” sounds vaguely familiar, you might be channeling your college introduction to philosophy class.  Timaeus is the title of Plato’s most famous dialogue and the name of its narrator.  In the Timaeus and elsewhere, Plato famously contrasts “seeing” the mere physical world while being “blind” to Eternal Truths.

And so Bartimaeus begs Jesus, “Rabbi, I want to see!” Continue reading →

Life, Purification, Covenant, and Atonement

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The first reading from Tuesday was taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. One verse stood out for me: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the Blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13) … and in a reflection two days ago I asked “this is “the good news?” In that reflection I pointed out how often the New Testament refers to the Blood of Christ as central to the entire plan of salvation – and provided a sampling of verses from across the entire New Testament. It raised the question of why the “blood of the Cross” was the path by which we are redeemed. Continue reading →

Bartimaeus: the Petition

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51 Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” 52 Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

This coming Sunday is the 30th Sunday. Jesus replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?”  One might note that either I miscopied v.51, but the astute student will know that I am citing v.36 when James and John ask for the places of honor. In both verses the verb is thelō. Again Mark is drawing our attention to the differences, this time between Bartimaeus and the disciples. Where they ask for glory, power, and prestige, the blind ask for mercy and healing. The blind man’s faith was recognized by the Lord as an affirmation of confident trust in the gracious mercy of God and his power to heal (cf Mark 5:34). The healing was immediate. Continue reading →

The Sacrifice of the Cross

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The first reading from Tuesday was taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. One verse stood out for me: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the Blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13) … and in a reflection two days ago I asked “this is “the good news?” In that reflection I pointed out how often the New Testament refers to the Blood of Christ as central to the entire plan of salvation – and provided a sampling of verses from across the entire New Testament. It raised the question of why the “blood of the Cross” was the path by which we are redeemed. Continue reading →

Bartimaeus: the Call

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This coming Sunday is the 30th Sunday. Neither the blind man’s social status or the crowds’ rebuke matter to Jesus. It is evident that Bartimaeus has heard about Jesus of Nazareth and that his relentless crying of “Son of David, have pity upon me” reflects a conviction, formed on the basis of what he had heard, that Jesus could restore his sight. Continue reading →

Bartimaeus: Mercy

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This coming Sunday is the 30th Sunday. Though Bartimaeus was blind, he understood a great deal about Jesus. There is a division of opinion about the expression “Son of David.” Some scholars hold that it is a generally accepted, polite moniker for a Jew. Others hold that it is a title with Messianic overtones as indicated in documents from the Qumran community. Others take it more literally because in Judaism there was a tradition that Solomon, as David’s son, was specially enabled by God to heal (Josephus Antiquities 8.41–47). There is something compelling, in the shadow of the City of David, to suspect that the Markan Messianic “secret” is becoming unveiled. Continue reading →