Podcasts about Capernaum

Today on Like It Matters Radio we are asking the question, “Who are my people?”. It was Dr. Martin Luther King who lived and died for the Dream; “I have a dream! That one day my 4 little children will live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!” On April 4, 1968, as he stood on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, he was assassinated! Well less than 60 years from his death, we have assassinated his dream as well. Today we seem to be all wrapped up in color again. Racism is openly government sponsored today. All that matters is one’s skin color to determine how justice is meaded out, who gets free money, good schools and sympathy and empathy. All we did was switch colors. White used to be good, and Black was not good. Nowadays, Black is the color of a victim and white is the color of a persecutor. The only thing that has changed is the preferred color. For those who don’t ‘group’ identify, this show is for you. Who are your people? If you are not wrapped up in skin color and which bathroom someone uses, then how do you identify “your people”? Jesus addressed this in a home in Capernaum, when he said, “Who is my Mother, and who is my brother, but he or she who does the will of my Father, that is my mother and that is my brother. Today on this hour of power Mr. Black will be joined by Joel Hillary. Joel has a podcast called, “The Jesus Magnet”. Joel is a follower of the risen King, he is a New Zealander who lives and missions in Thailand- Joel is my people. Listeners will be moved as he shares the stories and the power of the people he interviews and share incredible stories. Inspiration, Education and Application- that is what is on the menu for our People, those who want to be more and use Like It Matters Radio as a source of growth and encouragement! Be sure to Like and Follow us on our facebook page!www.facebook.com/limradio Instagram @likeitmattersradioTwitter @likeitmatters Get daily inspiration from our blog www.wayofwarrior.blog Learn about our non profit work at www.givelikeitmatters.com Check out our training website www.LikeItMatters.Net Always available online at www.likeitmattersradio.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FROM TODAY'S RECAP: - James 1:13 - Isaiah 61:1-2 - 1 Kings 17:7-16 - 2 Kings 5 - Article: How Does Jesus' Temptation Link Him to Israel? - Article: The House of Peter: The Home of Jesus in Capernaum? - Article: Who Was Matthew in the Bible? - TBR Bibles Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our own. SHOW NOTES: - Follow The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube - Follow Tara-Leigh Cobble: Instagram - Read/listen on the Bible App or Dwell App - Learn more at our Start Page - Become a RECAPtain - Shop the TBR Store - Credits PARTNER MINISTRIES: D-Group International Israelux The God Shot TLC Writing & Speaking DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.

October 5, 2025 - Sunday AM Bible Class   In this episode Phil leads a focused, fast-paced study through the “hidden highlights” of John chapters 4–7. With limited time the teacher intentionally touches key episodes and themes: the woman at the well, Jesus' miracles in Cana, the royal official's distant-healing, the Bethesda pool miracle, the feeding and Bread of Life discourse, the loss of disciples, and Jesus' teaching style and authority. Chapter 4 revisited: after the Samaritan encounter the message moves to Cana and Capernaum. The royal official from Herod's household brings a desperate faith—his son healed from sixteen miles away—illustrating that Jesus' word is sufficient and that faith can overcome distance. Cross-references (Luke 8:3) and the way news of Jesus spread are noted as factors that moved people to seek him. Chapter 5 highlights the pool of Bethesda and a man who had lain there thirty-eight years. The speaker explores the man's faith and fading hope, the curious tradition of the angel-troubled waters, and Jesus' vital question, “Do you want to be made whole?” The three action verbs Jesus uses—rise, take, walk—become a practical motif for spiritual response, while the ensuing Sabbath controversy exposes how law-focused leaders missed the miracle of mercy. Chapter 6 touches on the feeding of the 5,000 and then centers on the Bread of Life discourse. The episode contrasts the crowd's physical expectations (food, a political king) with Jesus' spiritual offer—food that endures to eternal life. The controversial language about eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood is examined as a turning point that split casual followers from committed disciples; many left when they could not reconcile a spiritual message with physical expectations. Chapter 7 draws attention to the manner and matter of Jesus' teaching: he spoke with unique authority and drew crowds because his teaching came from the Sender, not from rabbinical training. The speaker reflects on internal and external verification of truth, warns preachers against seeking human praise, and emphasizes the responsibility of listeners to work on their faith. Key takeaways and applications: true faith is more than a desire for signs and material benefits; it is rooted in Christ's word and requires wholehearted commitment. Practical themes—faith that trusts a word at a distance, the renewing power of hope, and the call to “rise, take, walk”—invite listeners to examine motives for following Jesus. The episode closes with the classic challenge: when confused or disappointed, will you abandon Christ, or will you echo Peter's question, “To whom shall we go?” Format: the episode blends biblical exposition, practical illustration, and application aimed at encouraging deeper faith and a renewed commitment to following Jesus wherever he leads.   Duration 43:19

What is Capernaum, and the Day of Atonement have to do with Peter's Boat and Noah???? Listen today – When did you Take Him at His Word?

Jesus offers a stern warning to the villages of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin, reminding us that there are real consequences for the choices of our lives. (Lectionary #459) October 3, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Joshua Charles joins Terry for Friday with the Fathers: Saint Irenaeus Gospel - Luke 10:13-16 - Jesus said to them, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One Who sent Me." Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Gospel Luke 10:13-16 Jesus said to them, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Reflection To watch Jesus perform miracles was thought, in most people's minds, as the major way in which Jesus changed people's lives and drew them into his teaching. But the fact is that many people witness these miracles and never, ever believed in Jesus because they didn't listen to his message. It wasn't the power he had to heal, it was his message that they had to embrace. And if one focused only on one, the other just seemed to melt away. Jesus even had a hard time going to certain places because they were there only for a miracle. And Jesus longed for his message to take root in our hearts. Closing Prayer Father, we humans have a problem with power. If you give us a great gift that everybody recognizes and we feel empowered by that, our ego just goes crazy. We end up getting caught up in something that's about our self-importance. Bless us with a consistent focus on your message. Yes, we have power to help and to heal people, but the real issue is whether we are understanding the role that you have created for us. Giving us the wisdom we have to reach whatever level you wish, and not to let our ego start running the show. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus said to them,"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!For if the mighty deeds done in your midsthad been done in Tyre and Sidon,they would long ago have repented,sitting in sackcloth and ashes.But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidonat the judgment than for you.And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?You will go down to the netherworld.'Whoever listens to you listens to me.Whoever rejects you rejects me.And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

In this Bible Story, we learn about Jesus' provision over Peter's taxes. Jesus also gives a stiff warning to those who would threaten the innocence of a child. This story is inspired by Matthew 17:24-27; Mark 9:33-41 & Luke 9:49-50; 17:1-2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 17:27 from the King James Version.Episode 198: It was tax season in Capernaum and Peter had no money to spare. Yet Jesus was not caught off guard. He cared for Peter and his family and told him where to go and what to do to find the money needed. The next evening around dinner Jesus called on His disciples asking them what they were arguing about earlier that day. Embarrassed, they sheepishly remained silent. While Jesus shared with them that if they truly want to be great, they must put the needs of others above themselves.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After forty days of fasting in the wilderness, Jesus faces three temptations from Satan and responds with Scripture alone. Following John's arrest, Jesus moves to Capernaum in Galilee to begin His public ministry, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about light dawning in darkness. He calls four fishermen to follow Him and begins teaching in synagogues, preaching the kingdom, and healing throughout the region. Matthew 4 shows Christ succeeding where Israel failed and launching the mission that would transform the world.  The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 4.  To learn more about Prince of Peace, visit princeofpeacebuffalo.org. The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

In John 4, Jesus "had to" travel through Samaria. There, He has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well, offering her living water that gives eternal life. He also reveals to her that He is the Messiah. She shares her testimony with the whole town, and many believe and are saved. Jesus returns to Cana, and an official from Capernaum travels to ask Jesus to heal his son. Jesus tells him to return home and that his son will live. The man believes Jesus, trusts His word, and returns home to find his son recovering. The fever left him at the exact hour Jesus said that his son was well. Both stories remind us that Jesus is true and trustworthy; He is the promised Messiah who satisfies for eternity, providing for us what we cannot provide for ourselves.For more information on this study, go to FeastingOnTruth.com/JohnFor recommended resources, go to FeastingOnTruth.com/ResourcesFor booking inquiries, go to FeastingOnTruth.com/Speaking 

Discover what virtually every Pre-Nicene Christian believed about the arrival of Jesus on earth in 90 seconds. And also discover why the Roman Empire tried so desperately to erase it from history."In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar (29 A.D.), Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Jesus descended into Capernaum, a city in Galilee..." - The Gospel of The LordMarcionite Churchhttps://www.marcionitechurch.org/The Very First Bible:https://www.theveryfirstbible.orgJournal of Pre-Nicene Christian Studieshttps://journal.pre-nicene.orgThe Persecution of Diocletian: A Historical Essay: A classic historical analysis by Arthur James Mason focusing on the motivations and events of the persecution.Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources: An edited volume by William Stearns Davis that includes primary accounts of the persecution, such as the search for Christian scriptures.

In this Bible Story, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. The young man who is healed is then questioned by the Pharisees, for they do not want to admit that Jesus is truly good and had the power to heal. The once blind man stands firm in declaring that no evil man could do what Jesus did. This story is inspired by John 9:1-38. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is John 9:25 from the King James Version.Episode 196: As Jesus and His disciples were passing through the streets of Capernaum, they passed by a man who had been blind since birth. The disciples, misunderstanding the man's condition, thought that his blindness was a result of sin. But Jesus proved to them that the man was not blind because of sin but rather so God could be glorified in healing him. After Jesus had healed the man he was brought in front of the Pharisees to be questioned about his newfound sight. But as they were questioning the formerly blind man, his honest answers revealed their spiritual blindness.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 And when Jesus passed on from hence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.Et, cum transiret inde Jesus, vidit hominem sedentem in telonio, Matthaeum nomine. Et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens, secutus est eum. 10 And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.Et factum est, discumbente eo in domo, ecce multi publicani et peccatores venientes, discumbebant cum Jesu, et discipulis ejus. 11 And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?Et videntes pharisaei, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat magister vester? 12 But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.At Jesus audiens, ait : Non est opus valentibus medicus, sed male habentibus. 13 Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.Euntes autem discite quid est : Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.St Matthew was at first a publican at the toll at Capernaum. The publicans on account of their many acts of injustice and extortion, were looked upon as the greatest sinners by many of the Jews. Matthew himself by his humble confession gratefully acknowledged the gracious condescension of the Lord to sinners. At his Matser's invitation he promptly joined Him. He wrote the first Gospel and preached the good news in Palestine and Ethiopia, where he was attacked and killed while saying Mass A.D. 60.

Pastors Alex and Chris talk about Jesus' "homebase" throughout the Gospels and try to describe a day in the life of Jesus with His disciples. Then, they entertain a brief foray into the biblical theology of rest and our modern misunderstandings of it.Key thought from this episode: Rest is only found in Christ our King.We look forward to hearing from you for future topics we might address!Email chris.stukenberg@parkhillsefc.org or check out parkhillschurch.com for more info.

4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 4:25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 4:26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 4:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 4:37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 4:39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 4:44 And he preached in the synagogues of Gali...

Join Pastor Mike Burchfield as he continues his series, Jesus Christ: Perfect Man - Mighty God. This Sunday he will be discussing: Inaugurating a New Kingdom. Matthew 4:12-17 "Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.' From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

When Jesus stepped into the synagogue at Capernaum, everything the Pharisees thought was stable was suddenly disrupted. In this episode, we explore the clash between positional authority and spiritual authority, and how Jesus' response reframes leadership for His disciples and for us. You'll discover why Jesus silenced demons who proclaimed Him as Messiah, how His authority flowed from relationship rather than position, and why power always serves mission—not platform.This conversation will help you rethink leadership in a way that frees you from striving for influence and instead positions you to walk in Kingdom authority.Covo Multipliers:Join the Signal Group: To connect with others living the co-vocational lifestyle, share wins/challenges, and get early access to event updates: https://forms.gle/TWB6kGRQWdpgbvFu8Visit MuddyBootsLeader.com for Mark's writings mentioned in this episode

A Sermon for the Feast of St. Matthew St. Matthew 9:9-13 and 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 by William Klock “As Jesus was leaving that place, he saw a man called Matthew sitting in the toll booth.” I expect that Matthew was just itching to get to this part of the story as he wrote his gospel account.  It's nine chapters in, roughly a third of the way.  But he knew that the Gospel is about Jesus, not Matthew.  Still, he was excited to tell people how he had met Jesus.  Up to this point, Matthew's been telling us about walking around Galilee preaching good news and doing all the Messiah things that made the good news real and tangible to people.  He's been across the Sea of Galilee where he cast a multitude of demons out of a man and now he's back and on his way home to Capernaum.  And that's how he meets Matthew.  Matthew's a tax- or a toll-collector and here he is, sitting in his tollbooth next to the road.  I suppose there must have been some kind of gate.  Matthew would get up from his stool, go out to the road, and collect the toll from everyone going from Point A to Point B and from Point B to Point A.  And everyone who went by grudgingly handed over their money.  And they grumbled.  And probably not a few people had some choice words for Matthew.  Because everybody hated tax collectors. I was racking my brain this week trying to think of an example from our world that would explain just how much people hated tax-collectors and why and it's hard to think of a modern equivalent.  That was a different world.  No one likes a tax-collector, because no one likes paying taxes.  But in First Century Judaea there was way more to it than just people not liking paying taxes.  The local Roman government decided how much they would need to run things and then they'd farm the collection of taxes out to the highest bidder.  And, of course, the tax collectors had to make a living themselves, so they'd pad their collection.  But they weren't just getting by.  Tax collectors were notorious for using their position to enrich themselves.  And the local council or governor didn't care just so long as they got their cut of the revenue.  It was bad enough and common enough that when the rabbis wrote about tax collectors, they typically lumped them together with thieves.  And it only made it worse when the tax collectors were working for the Romans.  We don't know if Matthew was working directly for the Romans or for some local Galilean authority, but at the end of the day it didn't really matter.  At some level the Romans were in charge of it all and tax collectors were thieves doing their dirty work. But there's more to it than that.  We think of Matthew, padding his toll collecting and getting rich by stealing from people whom he's got over a barrel and we think he's a pretty rotten guy.  That's an awful thing to do.  That's a scummy way to make your money.  But for the Jews there was another layer, something deeper to what made it so horrible, what made them hate someone like Matthew so much. Let me try to explain.  So, if you or I hear about a thief—or maybe a crooked tax collector skimming off the top—we just think, “That's a bad person”.  If we found out that this thief had been baptised and grew up going to church and Sunday school, we'd think something like, “I guess he forgot everything he was taught as a kid.”  Maybe if it came out he was an active warden or elder or deacon in his church, then we might start to think about what he'd done as a betrayal not just of his faith, but of us all.  Here's a guy who professed faith in Jesus, but betrayed that faith by doing something really sinful.  And maybe that gets us closer to how Matthew's fellow Jews would have thought about him.  Because Matthew was circumcised.  Matthew was part of the covenant community.  Matthew was marked out as one of the Lord's people.  And Matthew knew their story.  Matthew knew all about the Lord and how he had delivered his ancestors from Egypt.  Matthew knew all the great things the Lord had done in the centuries that followed.  We can kind of excuse some people today.  We all know people who were baptised, but they were never really taught the faith, their parents never really took them to church, now they're grown up and say they're an atheist, and the sinful lifestyle they live kind of makes sense in light of all that.  But that wasn't Matthew.  That wasn't anyone in Israel.  Everyone knew what it meant to be God's people.  There were no atheists.  They all knew that God hates sin.  They knew what it meant to be the people who lived with God in their midst.  They knew that you had not only to be holy to enter God's temple, but that you also had to be pure.  That's what set them apart from the pagans.  Matthew knew all of this.  Even if he he'd had rotten parenting, everything and everyone around him would have reinforced all of this. And he rejected it.  Maybe he chose this life on his own.  Maybe he inherited the job from his father who inherited it from his father.  That probably would have made it easier.  But whatever the case Matthew chose to live a life in apposition to everything his family, his people, and his nation stood for and he chose to do it right in the midst of them.  Imagine an Amish boy who decides he doesn't want to be Amish anymore.  Usually they leave and go to live in the outside world, but imagine this Amish kid decided to stay in his close-knit Amish town, but he struts around in fancy clothes, whips around town in his Porsche, and throws wild parties with loud music at his house on the weekends.  And everyone would be horrified at him.  That's Matthew, a tax-collector in Israel. But it gets worse.  Or at least I think it does.  Not everyone would agree with me on this part.  Mark and Luke, in their Gospels, refer to Matthew by the name of “Levi”.  Christian tradition has mostly understood Matthew and Levi to be the same person, but to make this connection is not without its difficulties.  One of those difficulties is that it was pretty rare for a Jewish person to have two Aramaic names.  A Jewish name and Greek name?  Like Saul of Tarsus who is also known as Paul: that's common.  But usually if someone with an Aramaic name has a second Aramaic name, it's because their given name is common, like John or Judas or Joshua, and the second name—maybe the name of his father—distinguishes him from other guys with the same name.  But neither Matthew nor Levi were common names.  No one was likely to confuse this Matthew with another Matthew.  But the one instance in which we see men with two Aramaic names is when they come from prominent families.  It wasn't uncommon for these men to be known by their family names.  And I think that's what has happened with Matthew.  Mark and Luke remember him as “Levi”—his family name—but Matthew went by his given name.  Because the family name Levi mean that they were a Levitical family.  And this made things all the worse for Matthew.  The tribe of Levi were the priestly family.  They were the ones who served in the temple.  They were the ones who acted as mediators between the Lord and his people.  Israel was a holy people, but the Levites were a holy tribe within that holy people.  Consider that one of the duties of the Levites was the collection of taxes.  They collected the tithes of Israel.  Those tithes were their livelihood.  And they collected the temple tax, to pay for the upkeep of the Lord's house.  But Matthew had become a tax collector of another kind, not one dependent on the Lord and the faithfulness of his people, but a man who fleeced God's people in collusion with the pagans. Brothers and Sisters, that was Matthew sitting in his toll-booth.  A wealthy traitor not only to the Lord, but to his people and to his family and to his calling and despised by everyone.  I fully expect there were days when Matthew longed to get out of the mess he was in.  In theory he could have made everything right and returned to the Lord, but to do that he'd have had to make restitution.  I don't think Matthew would have even known where to begin.  And so he stayed in his toll-booth, he kept his riches, and he threw parties for other tax collectors and sinners—because they were the only people who would associate with him.  And every day he became a little bit more dead inside. And then, this day, along came Jesus.  Matthew knew perfectly well who Jesus was.  Everyone in Galilee was talking about Jesus.  If nothing else, Matthew would have heard about his miracles, but I expect he'd heard about his preaching, too.  Maybe Matthew had even stood at a distance a time or two in Capernaum to hear Jesus preach.  Matthew knew that in Jesus the God of Israel was doing something.  But Matthew stayed at a distance.  Because Matthew knew he was a traitor to his God and to his people and to his covenant.  As attractive as Jesus and his message were, it was not for someone like Matthew. Brothers and Sisters, how many people around us feel just like that?  They're sinners.  They feel the weight of it and would love for it to be gone.  They've got some vague knowledge of Jesus.  But they'd never come to church.  A coworker once said to me, “Church is for holy people, not for people like me.”  They see no way out. And now Matthew sees Jesus approaching his gate.  Maybe he thought, “This might be the Messiah.  I should really cut him a break instead of ripping him off like I do everyone else.”  And that's when, he writes in verse 9, Jesus “said to him, ‘Follow me.'”  And he just says, “And he rose up and follow him.” I have to think there was at least a little bit more to it than that.  But those words, “Follow me” were ultimately what did it for Matthew.  No Pharisee, no scribe, no lawyer had ever come to Matthew and said, “Follow me, Brother.  Let me help you get out of your sins.”  They paid his extortionate toll, dropping their coin in the toll-box and being extra careful not to touch it or anything else that Matthew had touched.  They sneered at him—if they looked at him at all—called him “traitor”, and went on their way.  But this Jesus, this man in whom the God his fathers was so clearly at work doing something new, Jesus smiled and invited him to join in what he was doing. Brothers and Sisters, sometimes that's all it takes.  Matthew had seen God's glory on display in Jesus, but he didn't think it was for him.  He just needed to hear that, yes, in fact it was for him—for everyone, but especially for people like him.  That was actually part of the new thing Jesus was doing.  Without Jesus, reconciliation with is people was hopeless.  He was a toll-collector.  How could he ever make things right with everyone he'd ever stolen from?  How could he even make a good faith effort?  But in those words, “Follow me,” Jesus offered Matthew forgiveness.  Jesus bypassed the temple, because he is the new temple himself; he bypassed the priests, because he is our new priest; and he bypassed the sacrifices and the law of restitution, because he is the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of Israel and the whole world.  Jesus simply held out forgiveness and reconciliation to Matthew.  All Matthew had to do was leave his tollbooth behind—that's repentance—and follow Jesus.  And, Matthew says, that's just what he did.  “He rose up and followed him.” He “rose up”.  I think Matthew chose that language deliberately.  It's resurrection language.  When he decided to trust Jesus—and that's just what it was: trust and loyalty and allegiance—he was raised up out of his sin, he was raised up out of his alienation from God and from his people, and he was given his life back.  And not just given back his old life, Jesus gave him something even better.  He lifted Matthew up out of the life this evil age of sin and death and gave him a taste and a promise of the age to come, of new creation, of the Holy Spirit, and of the fellowship with God that his people had been so longing for. And, too, Jesus restores to Matthew his birthright as a Levite.  As the Levites mediated the Lord to his people, so Matthew now brings the good news about Jesus to his people.  In verse 10 he immediately takes us to his house.  “When he was at home,” he writes, “sitting down to a meal, there were lots of tax-collectors and sinners there who had come to have dinner with Jesus and his disciples.”  Other tax collectors and sinners were the only people who hang around with Matthew.  Matthew knew that some of them felt the same way he did.  They were traitors to the Lord and traitors to his people.  They were hopelessly lost sheep.  There was no way out.  But Matthew had found it—or, rather, the way out had found him.  And so he invites his friends to meet Jesus.  They'd heard and seen him doing amazing things.  Like Matthew, they'd been on the fringe.  If the priest and Levites—not to mention everyone else in Israel—condemned them and kept apart from them, the Messiah certainly wasn't for them.  But here he was and Jesus was saying the same thing to them that he'd said to Matthew: “Follow me.”  And, I expect, at least some of them did.  And Jesus and the disciples rejoiced with those people because they knew that heaven itself was rejoicing too. But there were always the Pharisees.  Matthew writes that when they “saw it, they said to Jesus' disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?'  But Jesus heard them.  ‘It isn't the healthy who need a doctor,' he said, ‘it's the sick.  Go and learn what this saying means: “It's mercy I want, not sacrifice.” I haven't come to call upright people, but sinners.'” Like Paul says in our Epistle today, there was a veil over their eyes.  The Pharisees were sick in their own ways, and Jesus exposed their sickness by going to the tax-collectors and sinners.  When they complain about it, he quotes the words the Lord had spoken to Isaiah.  We heard those words last week when our Gospel was the parable of the good Samaritan—Hosea 6 turned into a story.  The problem was that the people lacked the heart of God.  The sinners devoted to their sinning, the greedy tax-collectors ripping everyone off, and the Pharisees too—almost everyone in Israel—was far from God.  His absence from the temple all those years was a metaphor for Israel's problem.  Even those who were devoted to the law and who were “religious” about their tithing and their sabbaths and their diet and their sacrifices, were no closer to God than the prostitute or the tax-collector.  And so Jesus came to the sinners with God's mercy—because they so desperately needed it—and he gave it to them in front of the watching scribes and Pharisees and all the “upright” people in Israel so that they could see that they needed to learn that same mercy and know it themselves. It was that mercy that reached Matthew.  It was that mercy that reached Paul and lifted the veil from his eyes.  And it was that mercy, made manifest in Jesus, that both Paul and Matthew proclaimed.  It was this mercy that's at the centre of the Gospel that Matthew wrote to his people.  And it's this same mercy that Paul preached.  In today's Epistle from 2 Corinthians 4, he writes that it's this mercy that drives him forward despite all the obstacles.  “The ‘god' of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they won't see the light of the gospel of the glory of the Messiah, who is God's image.”  So what's the solution?  Paul writes, “We don't proclaim ourselves, you see, but Jesus the Messiah as Lord…because the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts, to produce the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus the Messiah.” Brothers and Sisters, Paul—and Matthew, for that matter—knew that it wouldn't be gimmicks or tricks or fancy speaking or trying to make God's word palatable to sinners that would lift the veil from the eyes of unbelievers.  It would be the proclamation of the good news about Jesus.  That light—the glory of God in the face of the Messiah as Paul describes it—that light met Matthew in the darkness of his tollbooth.  That light met Paul on the road to Damascus.  And it lifted the veil.  It dispelled the darkness.  It cast out the ‘god' of this world who enslaves us to sin and death and makes us to think there's no hope of escape.  The light of the glory of God revealed in the good news of Jesus the Messiah is the answer and the only answer.  It's our hope and our only hope.  We too often try those other things.  We water down God's word to try to make it less offensives.  We try gimmicks or we try programmes.  But Brothers and Sisters, we should know better.  The Lord has promised that one day the knowledge of his glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea and that will happen because and only because his people have been faithful to proclaim his glory revealed in Jesus the Messiah who died and rose again. Brothers and Sisters, don't be afraid.  Don't question whether it'll work or not.  If the light of the gospel could tear down the veil that once had you blinded, if it could break the chains of sin that once bound you, it will tear down the veils that blind and it will break the chains that bind the rest of the world.  Just proclaim it.  Jesus has died and Jesus has risen, not just for you or for me or for holy people, but for sinners—for everyone.  He holds out his hand to us wherever we are and invites us to leave it all behind, to follow him, and to rise to new life. Let's pray: O almighty God, whose beloved Son called Matthew from his tollbooth to be an apostle and evangelist: Set us free from the chains of our sins to follow and to proclaim your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

What would it be like to see Israel through the eyes of a child? From riding on the Sea of Galilee to standing in the synagogue at Capernaum, every moment brings the Bible to life. Join Jim Scudder on InGrace for this joyful adventure that shows the land of Scripture in a whole new way. Join the adventure!

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we pick up where we left on in Book Three: Jesus go from Capernaum to Nazareth with Manean and the Women Disciples. Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Sacrifice. Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Suffering. Catholic Christian. Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church.

Read OnlineJesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. Luke 7:11–12Try to imagine this mother. She had been married, she and her husband had a child, they raised their child, she and her son watched her husband die, and then she watched her son die and was participating in his funeral. Since he was her only son, she was now alone.When we think about this woman, it is easy to feel compassion for her. Her heart would have been filled with a sorrow that is tangible to anyone with empathy. Her heart might also have been filled with fear. At that time, a widow would have had a very difficult time taking care of herself in a rural village. With her husband gone, she would have had to rely upon her son to provide for her as she aged. But now that he was gone, her heart would have not only felt the pain of his loss, but also fear for her future. What would become of her? Who would provide food for her year after year? Would she be reduced to begging and poverty?It is in the context of this very real sorrow and fear that Jesus enters her life. We do not know if she knew anything about Jesus. It appears she was not one of His followers and might not have even heard about Jesus since He had not been ministering publicly for very long. Jesus' encounter with her and her dead son appears to be unplanned and unexpected. What is it that moves Jesus to raise this man from the dead? It does not appear to be a response to anyone's faith within the village. It is not even done at anyone's request. Instead, it appears to be done purely out of Jesus' compassion for this mother. At least that's how it seems at first read. And though Jesus clearly acted out of compassion for her, if we consider the entire context, there might also be a secondary motive.Jesus, his disciples and a large crowd were all walking together through this village. Since Jesus' miracles were normally performed in response to people's faith, it is most likely that faith was a contributing factor to this miracle. The faith that called forth this miracle, however, could only have come from the crowds of people who were walking with Jesus from Capernaum. The day prior, these same crowds witnessed Jesus heal the servant of a centurion. They clearly believed in Jesus. As they walked with Him and encountered this funeral procession, it was not only Jesus' heart that was moved with compassion, it was also the hearts of His followers. Therefore, as Jesus' followers witnessed this mother's sorrow and then witnessed Jesus' own human sorrow and compassion for her, they would have had hope that He would do something. Their hope would have been supernatural in origin, which means that it was also united with faith. By faith, they knew Jesus would act. Thus, in a very real way, the compassion, hope and faith of the people traveling with Jesus would have called forth His almighty power to heal, and Jesus responded.There are many ways to act as mediators of God's grace. One way to do so is by growing in compassion for others and hope in God. When we witness the sufferings of others, allow ourselves to feel compassion for them, manifest hope in the power of God to heal, and then stand there, in faith, waiting for God to act, God will be compelled to act. Our holy compassion, hope and faith act as a prayer to which God always responds. The crowds accompanying Jesus through the Village of Nain appear to have acted in this manner and, inspired by their witness, we, too, must act as intercessors for others in the same way.Reflect, today, upon anyone in your life who resembles this widow of Nain. Who is it that God wants you to notice and to feel compassion for? As your empathetic heart notices those who need your compassion, open yourself, also, to the supernatural gift of hope. Have divine hope that God will heal them. As you do, allow that hope to manifest faith in God and offer that compassion, hope and faith to God as your prayer for those who are in need.Most compassionate Lord, You are always attentive to our needs and our sorrows. Your Heart is filled with compassion for all. Please give me a truly empathetic heart so that I will see those in need. As I do, fill me with hope and faith that You will pour forth Your mercy upon them so that I will become an intercessor for all. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The record tells us that at Hezekiah's death his son Manasseh began to reign, aged 12. His mother's name was Hephzibah, meaning 'my delight is in her'. What joy must those final years of Hezekiah's have been? But sadly, Manasseh's rule was steeped in idolatry and blood shedding. Read the LORD's summary of that bloodthirsty king's rule in verses 11-15. The streets of Jerusalem flowed with blood under this king. History records that the prophet Isaiah fled from this evil man and hid in a hollow tree. The king gave orders to saw the prophet in half (cp Hebrews 11 verses 37). However, despite 55 years of evil at Manasseh's end God forgave him because he repented and that final turning to God saw him being taken from prison to Jerusalem - see 2 Chronicles 13 verses 10-13. Ezekiel explains why in chapter 18 verses 4-23 read and ponder. But the people of Judah, having revelled in idolatry for so long, could not change their behaviours. Manasseh's son Amon succeeds him ruling for two years before being slain by the king's own servants. In Ezekiel 11 judgment is pronounced upon Judah's wicked counsellors who mistakenly saw themselves as untouchable. The prophet Ezekiel counsels Judah to settle in Babylon for the 70 years. The length of the exile that Jeremiah had prophesied. But the arrogant rulers in Judah said that no destruction could ever come to them. It was essential to totally overthrow these wicked people and to make a new start with the remnant, who were to be the returning exiles. Luke 7 begins with the healing of a faithful and loved Roman Centurion's servant. The Centurion had built a synagogue for the Jewish people - most likely in Capernaum. As a man in command and also under the authority of Rome he saw our Lord Jesus Christ as the emissary of God. Jesus announces that the Centurion's faith exceeded any faith that could be found in Israel. This Centurion was truly the seed, and heir of Abraham's kingdom (Romans 4 verses 13; Genesis 12 verses 3). In the town of Nain Jesus raises a widow's son. In this and many like incidents our Lord Jesus was learning how painful it would be for his Father to see His only begotten Son die. Messengers are sent to our Lord Jesus Christ from a disconsolate John the Baptist, who was languishing in Herod's prison at Machaerus. Jesus immediately performs many miracles before John's messengers and refers them to Isaiah 61. The Lord then remonstrates with the crowd on their fickleness - Jesus and John are both the Father's wise children. Not a greater man than John the Baptist had ever been born of a woman, except the Messiah himself. The chapter next says that a sinful woman, who comes into the house of Simon the Pharisee, anoints Jesus' feet in love - and because of her great love she is forgiven greatly for her sins. Luke is telling us in this chapter of three confrontations our Lord had with the Pharisees occurring in the house of a Pharisee - Luke 7; 11; 14. Simon the Pharisee and those with him are instructed by Christ on the basis of divine forgiveness i.e. love. Let us pause, ponder and learn this. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

Matthew 8:5–13, NIV “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.”

Luke 7:1-10 "After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this to him, for he loves out nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well."

In the 8th chapter of Ezekiel, the typical Son of Man, the prophet is taken by way of vision, or literally, to the temple to see the great abominations being practiced. On the north side of the house i.e. the Temple stood a great idol. Worse yet follows when Ezekiel sees women in the temple worshiping Tammuz. In Babylonian mythology the mother god begets the trinity (read Alexander Hyslop's "The Two Babylons"). Worse yet follows when the prophet next is confronted by the High Priest and the 24 orders of the priesthood outside the eastern side of the house worshiping the sun. The vision portrayed in this chapter highlights the depths to which Judah had progressively sunk in its idolatry - originally introduced by Solomon to please his foreign wives. This is an example of what the Apostle Paul speaks of when he says in 1 Corinthians 5 verses "a little leaven leavens the whole lump". In Luke 4 we have the account of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth. Before this we read of our Lord Jesus Christ returning triumphant from his three-fold temptation in the Judean wilderness. Jesus was, as Hebrews 4 verses 15 tells us, tempted in all points as we are BUT without sin. These three points of temptation are verses 1) the lust of the flesh; 2) the lust of the eyes; and 3) the pride of life (see 1 John 2 verses 15-17). But our Lord overcame by the Word of God (Revelation 19 verses 11-16). All of Jesus' rebuttals of his temptation come from the book of Deuteronomy chapters 6 and 8. Verse 14 tells us that Christ's ministry begins in the power of the spirit of God. This verse and verse 15 cover a period of 4-6 months from has baptism and his first visit during his ministry to Jerusalem described at the end of John 2. To Galilee Jesus goes to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah 9 verses 1-7. On the Sabbath day in Nazareth Christ begins to preach starting with Isaiah 61 and reading the first one and a half verses, finishing with the words "to preach the acceptable year of the LORD". Then our Lord closed the scroll and sat with his announcement that those words were fulfilled that day. On being invited to speak he tells them that they will not accept Jesus. When our Lord Jesus finds opposition to his teaching and says that since no prophet has ever been accepted among his own people. For that reason, our Lord declares, Elijah's and Elisha's missions were with those Gentiles to whom those prophets were sent by God. The citizens of Nazareth then attempt to kill Jesus intending to cast him from the Precipice. But Jesus uses the power of the spirit to pass safely through their midst. It was just as he reveals in John 7 verses 34, "where I am you cannot come". In the synagogue Jesus cures a man with a sick mind. Next, whilst our Lord, is in Capernaum he cures Simon Peter's mother-in-law. Many other cures follow, and our Lord's preaching continues throughout Galilee. If we follow Luke's account other than the few events recorded at the beginning, and the time of his crucifixion, we would think that Jesus didn't go to Judea. The reason for this was, largely, Christ's acceptance in Galilee and his rejection in Judea.

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Keywords: Matthew,Book of Matthew,Revival, Character Of God,Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, Sermon Index, What Is The Truth, kjv bible, Audio Bible, Bible, God, God's Love, Scriptures, Holy Bible, Prophets, Apostles, KJV, Jesus,Christ, audiobook, book, holy life, love, bible verses, king james bible audio, audio bible KJV, king james bible online audio, bible audio, online bible kjv, audio bible kjv, daily bible verse, bible verse of the day, KJV audio, Remastered, Best Version, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, The Chosen, Salvation, Saved, Christian, Suffering Servant, Arm of the Lord, Plants Roots, Despised Rejected, Sorrows, Peace War, Crucifixtion, The Cross, Violence, Judgement, Master Servant, Life Death, Old Testament, Exposed, Music, Education, Great Tribulation, Endtimes, Top Bible Verses, Bible Topic Prayer, Evangelicalism, bible study, Word of God, scripture, scriptures, Matthew Henry's biblical commentary, bible commentary, Matthew Henry commentary, God's Word, Matthew Henry, studying the Bible, understanding the Bible, God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Spiritual, Hope, Jesus Answers Prayer, Answers to Prayer, Prayer, Pray, God Answers Prayer⚠️ Support our ministry: https://ko-fi.com/jesusanswersprayers❓️ How does this chapter apply to you?

In this Bible Story, the ministry of Jesus begins to take on form. Jesus preached with authority, healed with compassion, and cast out demons with power. His fame begins to grow rapidly. This story is inspired by Matthew 4:13-17, Matthew 13:54-58, Luke 4:14-32, John 4:43-54. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Luke 4:21 from the King James Version.Episode 180: As Jesus was walking the streets of Cana and Galilee, an official from Capernaum came running to Jesus begging Him to heal his son. Jesus, showing both compassion and tact, tells the man his son will live. And it was so. Jesus stayed in Galilee for a while longer, then made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum. While there a man, possessed by a demon, began to make a scene, but Jesus cast the demon out and set the man free using only His words. After a few weeks of healing and teaching, Jesus came back to His hometown of Nazareth where He was met with a less-than-warm welcome.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew's Gospel, recounts the story of the call of the first disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew. When they encounter Jesus, the Capernaum fishermen drop everything and follow him. Bishop Robert Barron books available at https://amzn.to/44W7nwN Gospel of Matthew available at https://amzn.to/3LEeP8F ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Mark's TIMELINE Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credit: Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons-Go to Joseph, Episode #360, 27dec2023 (Word on Fire Catholic Ministries). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gospel of John Week 10 Scripture: John 6:22-7:24. Our teaching today starts with Jesus saying He is the Bread of Life.  He is teaching from the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus is the rabbi that is teaching. In a service in the synagogue in the first century, people talk back and forth asking questions and engaging with the rabbi.  It can get heated - and what Jesus says is causing things to become heated.  He continues to say many things in this dialogue:     ⁃    I am the Bread of Life     ⁃    Believe in Me and you will not hunger or thirst     ⁃    You've seen Me yet you still do not believe     ⁃    Whoever comes to Me I will not drive away     ⁃    I have come down from heaven to do the Father's will     ⁃    I will raise them on the last day     ⁃    My Father's will is that everyone look to the Son and believe in Me      ⁃    In Me is eternal life Pastor talks about a current day synagogue built on the first century synagogue there in Capernaum in Jesus' day and shares pictures. This current day synagogue is built on the foundation of the synagogue of Jesus' day.The foundation of black basalt from the first century is still visible. On this basalt foundation is built the several other synagogues with the newest synagogue built over these others. But the basalt rock shows us just where Jesus was as He gave the teaching we are studying today.   Pastor also shares what the inside of a synagogue in Jesus' day would have looked like in order to help us visualize today's story As our story continues, John 6:53-57 “Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.”   Pastor helps us understand this:     ⁃    Jesus is Jewish     ⁃    The crowd He's talking to is Jewish     ⁃    Hearing what Jesus is saying - the listeners would have processed what Jesus was saying through a Jewish perspective - their thought would have gone to temple sacrifices where they brought their sacrifices to the Temple     ⁃    The blood was drained from the animal and sprinkled on the altar because without the shedding of bleed there is no forgiveness     ⁃    We have sinned against a Holy God and that requires blood to be shed     ⁃    Jesus is saying here that He is the real sacrifice     ⁃    “I am the One who offers up My flesh and blood for the life of the world”     ⁃    “If you do not realize who I am, that I am the One the Father has promised, then you don't have life”The scriptures all along have said that God Himself would pay the price for our sin. Old Testament offerings were offered up day after day, year after year, but Jesus is the offering made once for all.  Jesus is saying that He is the “Once for all sacrifice” and many of the people following Jesus turned away from Him after He said this.  Jesus then turns to His disciples and asks if they want to leave Him too, but Peter answers: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” Note Peter says, “we have come to believe” and then he says, “and to know that You are the holy One of God.”This is highly significant as we human beings think that we know in order to believe. Pastor shares a personal story of an interaction from a friend who brought this truth to light that “I do not know in order o believer, instead, I believer in order to know God.”  So many time we say, “if you prove this to me (once I know it)  then I'll believe.” But what Jesus calls us to do is to believe FIRST and then we will know Him. When we trust and follow Him - He reveals himself to us. Pastor comes with a look at three Jewish festivals - and how each has its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.      Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01     ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.      ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Last week, Charles Love joined me to talk all about the political aspect of the trip to Israel.Tonight the IT Dept joins me to discuss the week of touring we did AFTER the Diplomatic mission was over. We toured the Old City of Jerusalem, King David's Palace, The Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, Sea of Galilee, the West Bank and so much more. We tried to share the best pics and hopefully not bore you!And actually it'll be lots of pictures and very little talking!

Jesus' care for the possesed man in Capernaum. 

Crowds gather in Capernaum as Jesus heals, drives out demons, and proclaims the Good News of the Kingdom of God. (Lectionary #433) September 3, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

Read OnlineAfter Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.  Luke 4:38–39If you wanted to share some important message with a group of people, you would first need to get their attention. This could be done through a variety of means, such as through a charismatic personality, a powerfully moving story, a heroic act of virtue, or anything else that leaves people impressed or even amazed. Once you have their complete attention, you can share the message you want to share. This is what Jesus did in today's Gospel.Jesus began His public ministry in Nazareth, but the people of his hometown rejected Him from their Synagogue. Therefore, He immediately traveled some 20 miles on foot to Capernaum, a town just north of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus would spend much of His time. In this first visit to Capernaum, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus taught in their Synagogue, cast out a demon, and then went to the home of Simon (who eventually was given the name Peter) to perform His first recorded physical healing in Luke's Gospel. He cured Simon's mother-in-law, who suffered from a severe fever. Then, later that evening, many people brought to Jesus the sick and possessed, and Jesus “Laid his hands on each of them and cured them.” He certainly got their attention. And the next morning, as Jesus was preparing to leave Capernaum after this first visit during His public ministry, the people tried to convince Jesus to stay. However, Jesus said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”Has Jesus ever gotten your complete attention? Though you most likely have never witnessed a miraculous healing first hand or seen a demon being cast out of one who was possessed, Jesus still wants your full attention. He wants you to be so amazed at Him and so impressed by Him that you find yourself seeking Him out so as to be more fully fed by His divine teaching.Some people give their full attention to our Lord after a powerful experience on a retreat. Others are struck by a powerful sermon. And there will be countless other ways by which Jesus has gotten your attention so as to fill you with a desire to listen to Him and be with Him. Such experiences lay a wonderful foundation by which we are continually invited to turn to our Lord. If this is not an experience to which you can relate, then ask yourself the question “Why?” Why haven't you been amazed by our Lord to the point that you fervently seek Him out so as to listen to His nourishing Word? Reflect, today, upon this initial way by which our Lord got the attention of the people of Capernaum. Though some would eventually turn from Him, many did become faithful followers on account of these personal experiences. Reflect upon any way that you have encountered our Lord powerfully in the past. Have you allowed that experience to become an ongoing motivation for you to seek Him out? And if you cannot point to any such experience, beg our Lord to give you an interior drive to desire more of Him and to be fed by His holy Word and divine presence. My miraculous Lord, I know that You desire my complete attention in life. And I know that I am often distracted by many things that compete with You. Give me the grace I need to become so amazed by You and by Your action in my life that I fervently seek You out so as to be continually nourished by Your holy Word and divine presence in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: John Bridges, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Luke 4:31-37 - Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at His teaching because He spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about His word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of Him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Pope Leo tells Catholic politicians: You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion https://www.lifenews.com/2025/08/28/pope-leo-tells-catholic-politicians-you-cant-be-catholic-and-pro-abortion/ 3) Upcoming documentary on Diocese of Charlotte's suppression of the Latin Mass https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/upcoming-documentary-diocese-charlottes-latin-mass-suppression-video/ 4) The Annunciation Church will must be re-consecrated by a Bishop https://x.com/father_rmv/status/1961254753649750130

Gospel  Luke 4:31-37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. Reflection We see Jesus' ministry evolving. Now he's using a sign to prove who he was. But the interesting thing about this sign, it came from evil. And Jesus did not want people to know yet that he was the Son of God. But he does prove his authority by simply drawing that evil out of that person. That's the symbol that is so important about Jesus' ministry. He's come to overpower the power of the evil one. Closing Prayer Father, we know the tug and the pull of that which draws us into darkness. Help us to always turn to you and know that you are longing to awaken us. Fill us with the Holy Spirit, the light and life that is our inheritance. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.He taught them on the sabbath,and they were astonished at his teachingbecause he spoke with authority.In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,and he cried out in a loud voice,"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?Have you come to destroy us?I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!"Then the demon threw the man down in front of themand came out of him without doing him any harm.They were all amazed and said to one another,"What is there about his word?For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,and they come out."And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Read OnlineThey were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. Luke 4:36–37Jesus had just encountered the wrath of many in His hometown of Nazareth, so He left there and traveled about 30 miles to Capernaum, a town just north of the Sea of Galilee. This was to become His new home during His public ministry. The reaction He received in Capernaum was much different than that which He received in Nazareth. As He taught in the Synagogue in Capernaum, a man with a demon came to Him, Jesus rebuked the demon and cast it out, and the people were amazed. Word spread about Jesus quickly. After this, Jesus performed many other miracles, and the people continued to be in awe of Him.What was it that impressed the people of Capernaum? In part it was the “authority and power” with which Jesus spoke and acted. But it was not only this, since Jesus had done so also in Nazareth where the people failed to believe in Him. In Capernaum it wasn't that Jesus was different, it seems that the people were different. Jesus won over many hearts in Capernaum because the people were open to the gift of faith. In fact, when Jesus was preparing to leave from Capernaum, the people begged Him to stay. Though eventually Jesus would also encounter resistance from the people there, their initial reaction was one of faith.Do you want Jesus to act powerfully in your life? Do you want Him to act upon you with authority and power? Many people, from time to time, can feel as though their lives are somewhat out of control. They experience weakness, confusion, a lack of direction and the like. For that reason, true spiritual “authority and power” is very welcome. What sort of authority and power do you need Jesus to exert over your life today?Think of a small child who is frightened. When this happens, the child turns to a loving parent for comfort and security. The embrace of a parent immediately helps to dispel the fear and worry of the child. So it is with us. We must see Jesus as the source of calm in our lives. He is the only one Who is capable of ordering our lives, freeing us from the attacks of the evil one, bringing peace and calm to our disordered emotions and clarity to our questions and doubts. But this will only be possible if we are open. His power never changes, but it can only enter our lives when we change and when we recognize our weakness and our need for Him to take control.Reflect, today, upon the infinite spiritual authority and power of our Lord. It is a power beyond anything else we could imagine. He wants to exercise this authority in your life out of love. What is hindering Him from taking greater control of your life? What sin or temptation does Jesus want to rebuke in your life? From what oppression does He want to set you free? Reflect upon yourself being a member of the town of Capernaum who fully welcomes Jesus, is amazed at Him and desires Him in your life. His working in your life depends upon you and your response to Him. Call on Him and let Him in.My most powerful Lord, You and You alone are able to take authority over my life and bring order and peace. Please remove any doubt and stubbornness from my heart so that I can open myself to You and Your grace. Take authority of my life, dear Lord, and lead me into Your most holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - LK 4:16-30 - Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had grown up, and went according to His custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at Him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His Mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the Son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,' and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'” And He said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove Him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl Him down headlong. But He passed through the midst of them and went away. Bishop Sheen quote of the day Father Charles Murr discuss Saint Pope Pius X and his fight against modernism in the Church

Gospel Matthew 19:16-22 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Reflection What we see revealed here is something very common. How does something so extraordinary as God's Spirit works through ordinary human beings? I know Jesus wasn't an ordinary human being, but certainly those who grew up with him saw him as that. Maybe they had some resentment against him for whatever reason, but the thought that someone ordinary could have this kind of wisdom and this kind of understanding, just blew away their basic understanding of the way the world works. And it's interesting that their reaction was not disbelief, but anger. And they wanted to destroy him as if to say, God can't work in ordinary people. Closing Prayer Father, your grace and our humanity are made for one another. We should expect, and we should long for those moments when we can feel you moving through us. Help us to be aware of this gift. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,and went according to his custominto the synagogue on the sabbath day.He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed meto bring glad tidings to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captivesand recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.Rolling up the scroll,he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.He said to them,"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."And all spoke highly of himand were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?"He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb,'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native placethe things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"And he said,"Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.Indeed, I tell you,there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijahwhen the sky was closed for three and a half yearsand a severe famine spread over the entire land.It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.Again, there were many lepers in Israelduring the time of Elisha the prophet;yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."When the people in the synagogue heard this,they were all filled with fury.They rose up, drove him out of the town,and led him to the brow of the hillon which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

+ A Reading from the Gospel according to Saint Luke 4: 16 – 30 He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. The Gospel of the Lord

**When God Turns Disgrace into Glory — Matthew 4 Explained** In Matthew 4, Jesus relocates His headquarters to **Capernaum** in **Galilee**—a region many considered disgraced and unlikely for the Messiah. Yet this is exactly where the Light dawns. In this message we unpack why Jesus chose Galilee, what "**Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand**" truly means, and why pastors must serve as **watchmen** who speak to the moral and political realities of their day. ### What You'll Learn - **Why Galilee?** How a land once marked by shame became the launchpad of Messiah's ministry (Isa 9:1–2; Matt 4:12–17). - **Prophets & Pastors as Watchmen:** John the Baptist confronted corrupt power (Herod/Herodias) and suffered for it—modeling the church's duty to apply Scripture to culture (Ezek 33; Acts 20). - **"Kingdom at Hand" Clarified:** Understanding God's kingdom program—universal, theocratic (past), spiritual (present), mystery (church age), and **messianic** (future millennial reign). - **Strategic Wisdom of Jesus:** Why Jesus avoided premature conflict and set up in a high-traffic hub where news would spread quickly. - **From Guilt to Grace:** How the Lord transforms the "Galilee" of our lives—our failure and shame—into places of light, freedom, and calling (Rom 8:1; 1 Jn 1:9). - **The Rejected Stone:** The world's "discarded" stones become God's cornerstones in Christ (Ps 118:22; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 2:14). ### Key Scriptures Matthew 4:12–25; Isaiah 9:1–2; Ezekiel 33; Acts 20:26–27; Luke 4:16–30; John 4:43–45; Psalm 118:22; John 5:24; Romans 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:14. --- ### Apply It - **Reset your mindset:** Repent = "chan

**When God Turns Disgrace into Glory — Matthew 4 Explained** In Matthew 4, Jesus relocates His headquarters to **Capernaum** in **Galilee**—a region many considered disgraced and unlikely for the Messiah. Yet this is exactly where the Light dawns. In this message we unpack why Jesus chose Galilee, what “**Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand**” truly means, and why pastors must serve as **watchmen** who speak to the moral and political realities of their day. ### What You'll Learn - **Why Galilee?** How a land once marked by shame became the launchpad of Messiah's ministry (Isa 9:1–2; Matt 4:12–17). - **Prophets & Pastors as Watchmen:** John the Baptist confronted corrupt power (Herod/Herodias) and suffered for it—modeling the church's duty to apply Scripture to culture (Ezek 33; Acts 20). - **“Kingdom at Hand” Clarified:** Understanding God's kingdom program—universal, theocratic (past), spiritual (present), mystery (church age), and **messianic** (future millennial reign). - **Strategic Wisdom of Jesus:** Why Jesus avoided premature conflict and set up in a high-traffic hub where news would spread quickly. - **From Guilt to Grace:** How the Lord transforms the “Galilee” of our lives—our failure and shame—into places of light, freedom, and calling (Rom 8:1; 1 Jn 1:9). - **The Rejected Stone:** The world's “discarded” stones become God's cornerstones in Christ (Ps 118:22; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 2:14). ### Key Scriptures Matthew 4:12–25; Isaiah 9:1–2; Ezekiel 33; Acts 20:26–27; Luke 4:16–30; John 4:43–45; Psalm 118:22; John 5:24; Romans 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:14. --- ### Apply It - **Reset your mindset:** Repent = “change your mind.” Lay down false assurances and self-condemnation; receive Christ's finished work. - **Stand as a watchman:** Measure cultural issues by Scripture and warn in love. - **Choose wise battles:** Like Jesus, engage with discernment—truth with timing. --- ### If this blessed you: 1) **Like • Subscribe • Bell** to push past the algorithm.   2) **Pray** for boldness, protection, and fruit.   3) **Support the work** so we can keep producing and traveling for biblical content.   Give here: YOUR-DONATION-LINK

Matthew 4:12-25 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leav-ing Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their fa-ther and followed him. 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those hav-ing seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

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Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Breaking Through to the Real Jesus, Part 2 Series: Unveiled Scripture: Mark 2:1-12 Episode: 1413 Bible Passage Summary: In Mark 2:1–12, Jesus returns to Capernaum, and a large crowd gathers as He teaches inside a house. Four men bring a paralyzed man, but unable to get through the crowd, they lower him through the roof. Jesus, seeing their faith, tells the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” This shocks the religious leaders, who accuse Him of blasphemy, since only God can forgive sins. To prove His authority, Jesus then tells the man to get up, take his mat, and walk—and the man is instantly healed. The amazed crowd glorifies God. Key themes include faith in action, Jesus' authority to forgive sins, and healing as a sign of divine power.