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You are not beyond God's reach."But He needed to go through Samaria." Jn 4:4 NKJVThe Bible says that Jesus "left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria" (vv. 3-4 NKJV). In case you may not be aware of it, Samaria was not on the way to Galilee. Actually, it was miles out of the way. Yet, the Bible says Jesus "needed to go." Think about it: It was a long journey, and He was on foot. It was hot. As a Jew, He wouldn't be welcomed there because of a long-standing animosity between Jews and Samaritans. As for the woman at the well that He went to meet, women in that culture were forbidden to talk to men outside of their own family. Furthermore, this woman was the talk of the town because she had been through five divorces. So, why did Jesus feel like He "needed to go"? Because He saw this woman as a diamond in the rough. While those around her talked about her past and her problems, Jesus saw her potential for His kingdom. "Many of the Samaritans... believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified" (v. 39 NKJV). To reach Galilee on God's schedule, Jesus had to throw man's schedule out the window. But the schedule didn't control Him. What did? The will of God and the unmet needs of hurting people. And He was willing to go out of His way, turn tradition on its head, and break new ground in order to do it. How about you? Can God interrupt your plans? If He can, then He can use you. Pray, "Lord, show me what I must do today in order to please you."You are not beyond God's reach Can God interrupt your plans?Share This DevotionalSend us a textSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
Gospel Mark 7:31-37 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Reflection People were changed when Jesus healed their body of some infirmity. They were never the same. And it seems that if we take this particular miracle and look at it carefully, it implies that there has to be some kind of awakening of something new, something different, in order for anyone to speak about it, to teach it. The miracles of Jesus, even the fact that they were what they were, was something that changed a person deeply, and they couldn't not speak about it. Even though he often said, don't tell anyone about this, they still couldn't keep it silent. To be touched by God, in a sense, is to teach who God really is. Closing Prayer Father, there's something in all of us that longs for the gifts of God that comes through Jesus. And the joy of being able to proclaim it is a great responsibility and a great source of joy. So give us the wisdom to know how to speak, how to teach, how to open people up to this marvelous healing power that is our inheritance. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The life and legacy of the Apostle John—the last surviving eyewitness of Jesus' ministry. From his early days as a fisherman in Galilee to his pivotal role in the Jerusalem church, and finally to his later years in Ephesus, John's journey is one of faith, endurance, and profound testimony. We'll examine his possible familial connection to Jesus, his close relationship with Peter and James, his exile to Patmos, and the enduring themes of his writings. Here we will sift through history, Scripture, and early church testimony to reconstruct the life of the disciple whom Jesus loved. Title: John, the Last Apostle Date: AD 6-98? Place: Jerusalem, Ephesus, Patmos Key Figures and Events: John Contact: churchhistoryandtheology@proton.me License: Church History and Theology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For full license details, please visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Under this license, you are free to download, copy, share, remix, and translate episodes. You must credit Church History and Theology, link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. These materials may not be used for commercial purposes.
Jesus left the district of Tyreand went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,into the district of the Decapolis.And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impedimentand begged him to lay his hand on him.He took him off by himself away from the crowd.He put his finger into the man's earsand, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)And immediately the man's ears were opened,his speech impediment was removed,and he spoke plainly.He ordered them not to tell anyone.But the more he ordered them not to,the more they proclaimed it.They were exceedingly astonished and they said,“He has done all things well.He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
This text examines Jesus' Sermon on the Mount from the perspective of the Aramaic language and culture. It posits that Jesus likely delivered the sermon in Galilean Aramaic, and explores how key concepts and phrases carry deeper significance when understood through this linguistic lens. The study highlights Aramaic nuances in words like "blessed," "poor in spirit," and "fulfillment of the Law," revealing their original connotations of divine favor, humility, and completeness. Furthermore, it connects Jesus' teachings to the cultural and historical context of Aramaic-speaking Galilee, where his message resonated with ordinary people seeking spiritual hope under Roman rule. By analyzing the Aramaic roots, the analysis aims to offer a richer understanding of Jesus' message, emphasizing its timeless call to righteousness, love, and peace. more resources: www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com
Passage: 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ( Luke 1:1-4, 26-33 ESV ) Song: Mary's Song (Our King Of Peace) by Wendell Kimbrough Lyrics: My soul magnifies the Lord My spirit rejoices in God My Savior has seen his servant in need And behold the great things He has done He scatters the proud and rich He lifts up the humble and weak The kings of the earth He casts from their thrones And the hungry He welcomes to feast Oh behold my Savior has come And my soul will tell of His praise For He Who is strong has come to the weak And at last He will reign as our King of Peace From now to the end of time The nations will know me as blest For God has made new His promise of love And mercy through Abraham's seed Prayer: Listen to the prayers of your children! When sheep see the wolves, they flee to the shepherd for shelter under his staff. Your flock has seen the wolves, and they cry out in terror! Let your cross be a staff to drive away whatever would swallow them up. Angels came down and proclaimed peace to the baby born in a cattle stall. I pray for the same peace, for my people—the peace that we could never find on our own. It took a baby, the son of Mary. Have mercy, Lord who was once a child, on these children. Hear the cry of your little ones. Save them by your grace. They cry out from the midst of this flock of sheep to the shepherd of all. Deliver us! Amen. —Ephraim the Syrian
+ Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 7: 31 – 37 Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!," that is, "Be opened!" And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and (the) mute speak."The Gospel of the Lord
Homily by Father Peter Zwaans Mount Gambier Catholic ParishGospel: Luke 2:22-40When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel's comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.' As the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.' There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to thedeliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.The Gospel of the Lord.R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Mk 7:31-37Jesus left the district of Tyreand went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,into the district of the Decapolis.And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impedimentand begged him to lay his hand on him.He took him off by himself away from the crowd.He put his finger into the man's earsand, spitting, touched his tongue;then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)And immediately the man's ears were opened,his speech impediment was removed,and he spoke plainly.He ordered them not to tell anyone.But the more he ordered them not to,the more they proclaimed it.They were exceedingly astonished and they said,“He has done all things well.He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comMark 1 Mark's gospel is the shortest of the four and packs lots of information in each chapter. For instance, this opening chapter begins with John the Baptist preaching and Jesus coming to him to be baptized. Immediately following this, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted by Satan. The text moves to Jesus selecting His first four followers: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. The rest of the chapter documents miracles and Jesus' works in Galilee: casting out a demon, healing Peter's mother-in-law, moved by compassion to heal a leper, as well as references to other miraculous works. Mark is interested in getting to Jesus' ministry quickly and spending a great deal of time there. The word “immediately” is used throughout, as the stories move at a rapid pace. The key to applying fuller chapters is to find the theme or thread. In today's reading, the words about Jesus tie the events together. John the Baptist said, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I…” The Father said, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” Even the demon said, “I know who You are – the Holy One of God!” God, men, and even demons know who Jesus is. Do we? Following this testimony, more proofs are seen in His miracles. Jesus, filled with compassion, heals a leper who pleads for help. Though instructed to stay quiet, the leper demonstrates thankfulness by sharing the glory of Jesus with everyone. We should do the same! Kind Father, who spoke for ages about the coming of Your Son, praise be to You for sending Him to be our Healer and Savior. He came to live in the flesh, subjected Himself to Your will, refused the devil's temptations, and devoted His life to teaching and helping others. Help us to love Him as He deserves to be loved. May we see His miracles and know who He is and what He can do. Like the leper pleading for help, may Jesus see us and be moved with compassion to make us clean and new in Him. Thought Questions: - If John the Baptist, God from heaven, and even demons confessed the name of Jesus, should you be doing so openly and boldly? - The disciples “immediately” left their nets to follow Jesus. That word connotes urgency. In what ways should your faith involve urgency? - The leper, once healed, was told not to speak of Jesus, but he too proclaimed Him openly. What has Jesus done for you that must be shared?
23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Luke 4:14-20 ESV 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
We have reached the final chapter of the book of Luke, and in our last episode Christ was crucified and buried. In an effort to prepare the body of Jesus for a proper burial, some of the women among Jesus's disciples approach the tomb with spices in hand. Much to their surprise, they meet an angel who announces that he is no longer there. Jesus has risen from the dead just as He had prophesied way back in Galilee. Reappearing to his disciples at different times and in different places, Christ opens their eyes to the many things they had not previously understood, and the kingdom of heaven begins to spread in the hearts and minds of Christ's disciples. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comMatthew 28This is the brightest moment in human history. Women approach the tomb early Sunday morning, and the stone is rolled away. An angel appears to them and says the most triumphant thing about Jesus: “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” Jesus then appears to the women, and they are amazed and worship Him. He sends them to the disciples to report the news. At the same time, the guards report what happened, but they are paid to lie and say the body was stolen. That story spreads in their day, though Matthew exposes it in this letter. The eleven disciples go to Galilee to meet Him. They see Jesus and worship Him. Jesus tells them to proclaim His authority and to preach baptism and faithfulness. The four Gospels add different elements to Christ's resurrection story. Matthew's account focuses heavily on proof that Jesus is risen. The first report comes from a shining angel. Then Jesus Himself appears to the women. Any attempt to cover this up is false and hollow. He met with the apostles and told them exactly what to share with others. This means we can put full confidence in their teachings in the book of Acts and the epistles. Matthew's testimony is substantiated by multiple witnesses. The tomb was empty and will always be empty. Jesus is risen and ruling. We must observe all He has commanded us, and He will be with us until the end of the age. Great Lord, with Your victorious and exalted Son, all glory be given to You and to Christ. Your Son defeated our greatest enemies: Satan, sin, and death. No grave could hold Him, no lies could diminish Him, and no force of darkness could stop Him. He is our King, and we love Him. Father, guide us and help us understand what that means. All authority over our lives belongs to Him. We seek to love Him, obey Him, and live in full confidence that He is with us. Help us develop a faith that will live in His honor today. Thought Questions: - Why do you believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead? And how is your life different because your King defeated death? - The women saw Jesus and bowed down to worship Him. You would have done the same. How are you bowing before Him in your life? - Will you allow Jesus to rule your life? Have you been baptized? If that is His command, will you submit to Him and obey His will today?
Matthew 8:14-17
23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Fr. Brendan McGuire - Podcasts that Break open the Word of God
You can hear a sense of frustration in today's gospel with Peter. Peter has been working hard all night with his friends, he says they were up all night and caught absolutely nothing. Then here comes Jesus. Remember, Jesus is a carpenter and he is telling the fishermen what to do. You can see how outrageous this sounds. So you can imagine what Peter is feeling, “Like really ? Put out again? Really! I have been working hard and I know my job. I know this Sea of Galilee pretty well and I have been doing this fishing thing a while.” (Read more…)Here is my homily for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. This weekend we launche the Annual diocesan Appeal as well a Baptism. Please feel free to share with others.
Mrk 14:54 And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. Mrk 14:66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:Mrk 14:67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.Mrk 14:68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.Mrk 14:69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.Mrk 14:70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.Mrk 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.Mrk 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.Mat 26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Mat 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.Mat 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.Mat 26:71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.Mat 26:72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.Mat 26:73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2b-3). What images come to mind when you hear (or read) the name ‘Jesus'? A little lad hanging onto his mother's leg in the marketplace, unnerved by all the noise, smells and people? A teen learning trades from his father? A dusty-footed traveller wandering the paths of Judea and Galilee followed by a gaggle of uncomprehending disciples? A preacher sitting in a boat? A feeder of thousands? A healer of the sick? A shepherd of his flock? An innocent person, arrested, tried and crucified? Or resurrected appearing to his bewildered disciples who in hiding? All valid images. All valid portraits of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. But coming towards the end of his letter, our author wants us to see something different, to focus our attention not on Jesus' humiliation, but on his glory. Not because his humiliation was not important, nor because it doesn't have great value for our faith and life and contemplation. He draws our attention to the truth that Jesus was able to endure all these humiliations because he knew that at the end of the race there was joy. What joy? The joy of redemption of course, not his own but ours. In Luke 10, Jesus sees Satan fall from heaven and is filled with joy, while in Luke 15, when Jesus tells stories of the lost being found, the finders are all filled with joy. Those finders represent God in the parables. Jesus was willing to endure the agony of humiliation, suffering and death because he knew that this was the road to bring us and the entire cosmos back into communion with God. And because he finished his race, shouldering the humiliation, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. It is this final image of Jesus in his glory and power that our author draws to our attention now. Jesus is the firstfruits of the new creation, he is the guarantee that we will be glorified too. We have a whole crowd of witnesses cheering us on, but it is not to them that we should look. No, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the prize. We see him, there, on the throne, nail scarred hands, sword pierced body, the crown of glory not hiding where the thorns pierced him. In his encouragement to us not to grow weary or lose heart, our author does not point us to the great cloud of witnesses, but rather to this one. But it is not his battle wounds that draw our attention, its his joy. The joy that radiates from his face draws us on. Today, we might struggle. Today, we might be weary of the bills that need paying. Today, we might be weary of the brokenness we feel in our hearts and see in the lives of others. Today, we might be burdened with the endless slaughter of innocents in our world. Today, we are called to self-denial and humility, to sacrifice, to resisting the world and self even unto death. Dying is the way of the disciple. Jesus would not have us ignore all that. But his joy draws us forward, it keeps us in the fight. It keeps us doing the right thing in the right way, just like Jesus did. His joy enables us to suffer for his cause today. His joy tells us that someday, we will be enveloped in that joy. Someday, all of creation will be filled to overflowing with that joy. For now, we look at Him, we hear him speak, we do what he says, we follow where He leads, we trust he will provide. Looking to him and his love, till our hearts burn with it. We see him beckoning us on. His eyes are fixed on us, radiating joy, delighting in us. He is drawing us to himself, leading and perfecting our faith, changing us into his likeness from glory to glory. As you journey on, go with the blessing of God first given in this letter: Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,In mense autem sexto, missus est angelus Gabriel a Deo in civitatem Galilaeae, cui nomen Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.ad virginem desponsatam viro, cui nomen erat Joseph, de domo David : et nomen virginis Maria. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.Et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit : Ave gratia plena : Dominus tecum : benedicta tu in mulieribus. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.Quae cum audisset, turbata est in sermone ejus, et cogitabat qualis esset ista salutatio. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.Et ait angelus ei : Ne timeas, Maria : invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum. 31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.Ecce concipies in utero, et paries filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum : 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.hic erit magnus, et Filius Altissimi vocabitur, et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris ejus : et regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum, 33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end.et regni ejus non erit finis. 34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?Dixit autem Maria ad angelum : Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco? 35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.Et respondens angelus dixit ei : Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei. 36 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:Et ecce Elisabeth cognata tua, et ipsa concepit filium in senectute sua : et hic mensis sextus est illi, quae vocatur sterilis : 37 Because no word shall be impossible with God.quia non erit impossibile apud Deum omne verbum. 38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.Dixit autem Maria : Ecce ancilla Domini : fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Et discessit ab illa angelusThis Feast commemorates the appearing of our Lady on several occasions in 1858 at Lourdes in France.
Patty spent the afternoon on the banks of a local river, using her fishing pole to cast bait into the water. Having only recently moved to the area, she wasn’t hoping to land fish; she was angling for some new friends. Her line wasn’t baited with worms or any other traditional lure. Instead, she used her heavy-duty sturgeon rod to extend packets of cookies to people who were floating down the river in rafts on a hot summer day. She used this creative way to meet her new neighbors, who all seemed to enjoy the sweet treat! Patty went “fishing for friends” in a much more literal way than Jesus intended when He invited Peter and Andrew to walk with Him through life. The two brothers were hardworking fishermen, casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus interrupted their labors with a call to follow Him, saying He would send them out to “fish for people” instead of fish (Matthew 4:19). He made the same invitation to two other fishermen, James and John, shortly thereafter. They all left their nets and boats immediately to journey with Jesus. Like the fishermen who became His first disciples, Jesus invites us to follow Him and focus our attention on eternal matters: the spiritual lives of those with whom we interact. We can offer those around us what really satisfies—the enduring hope of life with Jesus (John 4:13–14).
Episode NotesFor Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com Daily Office - Monday in the Fifth Week After Epiphany Opening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1–7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 801Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.2In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *stir up your strength and come to help us.3Restore us, O God of hosts; *show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.4O Lord God of hosts, *how long will you be angereddespite the prayers of your people?5You have fed them with the bread of tears; *you have given them bowls of tears to drink.6You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *and our enemies laugh us to scorn.7Restore us, O God of hosts; *show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.8You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *you cast out the nations and planted it.9You prepared the ground for it; *it took root and filled the land.10The mountains were covered by its shadow *and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.11You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea *and its branches to the River.12Why have you broken down its wall, *so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?13The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it, *and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.14Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;behold and tend this vine; *preserve what your right hand has planted.15They burn it with fire like rubbish; *at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.16Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.17And so will we never turn away from you; *give us life, that we may call upon your Name.18Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 58:1-12Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.The Word of the Lord. Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the king of glory,the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us freeyou did not shun the Virgin's womb.You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people,bought with the price of your own blood,and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Gal. 6:11-18See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised-- only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule-- peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 9:30-41They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.The Word of the Lord. Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you; R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today; R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy; R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope; R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DaySet us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Collect for Grace O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen
In today's readings we hear about Peter and from Paul, two of the giants of early Christianity. Contemporaries, they became followers of Jesus very differently, though they reportedly met the same end, martyred by Nero in Rome. At the time Jesus began his ministry Peter was a fisherman who apparently fished with his brother Andrew and their partners James and John. Based on the fact he was sometimes called Simon, or Simon Peter, he was likely not simply an Aramaic-speaking Jew but rather one who knew at least some Greek as well as Aramaic and perhaps Hebrew. Peter is believed to have lived in Capernaum on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee where he and his brother and their friends fished. Listen to or read Sharon's entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”
John 2:1-2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. John 2:3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” “Where there is no wine, there is […]
Life is full of storms—some we see coming, others hit us out of nowhere. Whether it's a health crisis, a broken relationship, or an unexpected job loss, these moments can shake us to our core. But what if the storm isn't just about the storm? What if it's about who we trust in the middle of it?In this message, we kick off Week 1 of our Miracles series by diving into Mark 4, where Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were afraid, but Jesus had already told them, “We're going to the other side.” Just like them, we often struggle to trust God when the waves start crashing.Join us as we unpack powerful lessons about faith, fear, and what it means to truly trust Jesus in the midst of life's most unpredictable moments.
Jesus moves through Galilee to preach in the synagogues and to cast out demons. He heals a man with leprosy who spread the news of his healing so that many people came to Jesus.
John 2:1-12,On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. I had not experienced the Joe Rogan podcast until last month — with its three-hour conversations. But I heard he hosted a Christian apologist from Canada named Wes Huff.At one point early on, they were talking about the beginning, whether creation, or “the Big Bang”:Rogan: However many billions of years ago there was nothing. And then all of a sudden there was something. . . science requires one miracle.Huff: When people ask me about . . . the miracles in the Bible . . . I say “Well . . . if the first miracle happened, if everything you know [came from] nothing [then] Jesus turning water into wine . . .Rogan: That's an easy one. Huff: Well, yeah. That's a party trick.Rogan: Yeah, exactly. It really is nothing compared to the birth of the universe. But [people today are] convinced at the creation of the universe, and we're very skeptical at other miracles. Huff: Yeah, very odd.Rogan: Yes, it's very odd.This morning we come to that “party trick.” And the Rogan and Huff conversation might help us put a piece of it in perspective.The fundamental miracle is that we're here. The world exists. You exist; you are alive. Once there was nothing, and now, everything you know! And if that original miracle happened, which it obviously did, then multiplying loaves, giving sight to the blind, turning water into wine, and even raising the dead — those are not the real issues. Life, existence, the world as it is, that's the original miracle, which clearly happened — and these other lesser miracles are secondary — important but secondary. And in that light, such miracles are not as imponderable as your average unbelieving person today might first think.Not Just Water and WineBut how does that help us this morning with “water into wine”? Well, perhaps like this: the most shocking reality in John 2 isn't that water became wine. What's most stunning is this person named Jesus. This story is not finally about water and wine. That's secondary. The story is about Jesus. It's not about science and whether this can happen; it's not about alchemy and whether we might be able to repeat it. The point is what the miracle points to — that is, whom the miracle points to.Which is why John calls this a “sign.” See that in verse 11:“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”A sign is something that points beyond itself. It signifies. And what does this miraculous episode signify in John 2? John says it “manifested [Jesus's] glory.” That echoes what we saw a few weeks ago in John 1:14:“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”In this Gospel, John is giving us glimpses of the glory. John has seen Jesus's glory and believed in him. And so he carefully writes what he's seen, that we can see it too, with the eyes of faith. Verse 11 says that in doing this miracle, and revealing his glory, Jesus's “disciples believed in him.” That, John says, in 20:31, is the purpose of the book, chapter 20, verse 31,“that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”The Gospel of John was written to give us life (now and forever) in the name of Jesus by presenting him to us in his glory that we might find him compelling and believe in him. So, let's ask this morning: How does this story breed faith in Jesus? I'll highlight three in particular.Three Glories of JesusLet me give you a word ahead of time about where we're going at the end: I want to invite you to consider Jesus this morning like maybe you never have. I'm not going to ask you to raise a hand or walk to the front, but I am going to ask you not to get in the way of this Jesus decisively changing your heart and your life.I'm not asking you to make a decision today, as much as not get in the way. If you came here not believing in Jesus, or not quite sure what to think about Jesus, I'm asking you to let your guard down for a few minutes, and look with me at these three glories. See if Jesus presents himself to your soul as compelling, and whether he evokes your trust.1. Jesus Is the Good Son (verses 1–5)First, he's a human son to Mary, his earthly mother. Verses 1–3:“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.'”Put yourself in Mary's shoes. She has raised this amazing boy, now a man. And while his sheer holiness must have been frustrating to her sin at times, can you imagine what it must have been like to have the sinless, eternal Son of God, in full humanity, as her earthly son? Just think of the ingenuity of Jesus.Somewhere along the way, her husband, Joseph, had died. We don't know when or how. But now Jesus is in his thirties, and for years he has provided for his mother. She has leaned on him as her man, and what a good son he must have been.So, Mary's helping with this wedding, perhaps for extended family, and they run out of wine (which is a huge disgrace at a wedding!). She comes to her son, who seems to always fix her problems. Just recently he left carpentry behind to take disciples and travel around as a teacher, and he's there at the wedding with his disciples. So Mary tells him, “They have no wine.” Jesus, help. You always know what to do, my good son.Then comes verses 4–5 and Jesus's surprising response:And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”Jesus's response is abrupt. It puts distance between this good son and his earthly mother. Instead of calling her Mother, or something more endearing, he calls her “Woman.” Which is not disrespectful; it's true. But it's a stiff arm. And a surprise.As we move through the Gospel of John, we will see how Jesus's mind and awareness is often operating at a different level than the person he is speaking with. Mary states the practical problem at hand: “They have no wine.” Jesus hears wine, and he thinks of his calling. The Old Testament has promised a coming messianic age in which, says Amos 9:13–14, “the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. [God] will restore the fortunes of [his] people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine.”Jesus hears whispers of the coming age, which he has come to bring in, but there will be a price, and he says, “My hour has not yet come.” What will become very clear in the Gospel of John is that Jesus's “hour” is the time of his death and resurrection — the moment of his glorification, when he's lifted up on the cross to die for sins of his people, and then lifted up from the grave in the new life of the resurrection.And this hour that Jesus has coming will not come from any human initiative. No human will suggest the time and the way Jesus will bring in the new age. Not even his dear mother.Jesus will take his cues from his heavenly Father, not his earthly mother. And how does Mary, who could have been offended, respond? She responds humbly, in faith. She trusts him.This is an awesome moment for Mary. Jesus has just distanced her (his own family, his own mother), which is necessary but surely unpleasant for her. Yet she responds in faith, and gives the wedding servants the timeless advice “Do whatever he tells you.” Which is what she would tell us still today.So, in verses 1–5, we see that Jesus is the good son. He is the earthly son of Mary, the one she has relied on for years, and she trusts in him even when he gives her this necessary pushback. And even more than Mary's good son, he is the Son of his heavenly Father, and does his Father's will, as we will see.2. Jesus Provides the Good Wine (verses 6–10)What does Jesus do next? Verses 6–8:Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.Verse 6 mentions the six stone jars used for Jewish rites of purification (key detail). To fill these, the servants must draw from a well about 150 gallons of water. This is no small job. It likely took some time. Mary has said, do whatever he tells you, and the servants do it, as much work as it is. Then, once they've completed the job, he says, “Draw now and carry to the master of the feast.” This is like the emcee today, the guy on the mic.What is Jesus doing with these six jars? Remember, Jesus already has in mind his “hour.” The coming hour of his death and resurrection, when he will usher in the new age, is not here yet, but in the meantime, he's going to give this modest wedding, and these servants, and his disciples a glimpse of his coming glory. A taste of the glory.The stone jars were used for Jewish purification rites, for various washings according to old-covenant laws and traditions. And Jesus wants the servants to fill up these six stone jars to show that the old way, the old covenant, is coming to its fulfillment. Then Jesus will do something new.Jesus brings with him a new covenant, a new era, a new age, one dripping in sweet wine, rather than endless washings and ritual cleansings. The old was grace (huge water jars, filled to the brim); the new is grace in place of grace (1:16), the dawning age that drips with wine.Now look at verses 9–10:When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”Like Mary speaks even better than she knows in verse 5 (“Do whatever he tells you”), now the master of the feast speaks even better than he knows: “you have kept the good wine until now.”The master of the feast thinks it was the bridegroom who provided the good wine, but the servants know it's Jesus. It's Jesus who kept the good wine till now. And it's Jesus's Father who in his perfect timing and plan has kept his good wine for now.Ultimately, what the master of the feast says is true about God, and about the way he works in the world and in history, and in particular in the old covenant with Moses and now the coming new covenant in Jesus: God has kept the good wine until now.By “now,” John means the church age — from the first coming of Christ until his second. We live now in the era of the new covenant; membership for God's people is not by birth, but new birth; not by family, but faith; and so the new covenant rituals, baptism and the Lord's Table, are based on faith, not family. The church is not a group of people born into Christian families; the church is a born-again people.What about the significance of wine here? The wine of the new covenant has multiple meanings. First is the Old Testament imagery: wine is associated with joy and celebrations, feasts and weddings. God's Messiah will come to rescue his people and bring them into joy, gladness, celebration, song.And yet, what else does wine represent (especially in these jars of purification)? It's red, like blood. And if you drink too much of it, it makes you stagger. Which is why a cup of wine can represent blessing or curse, depending on the context and use.The wine of this new covenant is rich with meaning. On the one hand, it's the joy and celebration of God's people finally united to him and near to him, living with him in final bliss. And on the other hand, the cup also represents the curse we deserve, which Jesus drinks to the bottom as he sheds his blood for us. At the cross, Jesus drinks the cup of our sin, that we might drink his cup of joy.(You might ask, whether this use of wine in John 2 has practical significance for us today, in whether we choose to partake, or not, in alcohol. It's a good question, but not the main point here. Let me save that for the article in the church email this Friday.)The point in the Old Testament prophecies and the point here is the glory of Jesus. He brings such blessing and joy and celebration, that wine, among other pointers, signifies the riches and abundance of his goodness and glory for his people.So, Jesus is the good Son, and he provides the good wine of a new-covenant relationship with God in him. And finally . . .3. Jesus Embodies the Good Groom (verse 9)Verse 9 mentions the bridegroom: “the master of the feast called the bridegroom.” This is the man whose wedding it was — and he was responsible for the feast. And when it is discovered that the wine has run out, he's the one on the hook. This is his oversight, his failure. So, by turning the well water into wine, Jesus is getting the bridegroom off the hook, and in doing so he's showing that he himself is a superior bridegroom.In the next chapter, just a few hundred words away, in John 3:29, John the Baptist will talk about Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as the bridegroom's friend. John says,I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. 29 The one who has the bride [the people, the church] is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.(Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus portrays himself as the bridegroom in Matthew 9:15; 25:1, 5, 6, 10; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35.)So, what's the bridegroom image mean, related to Jesus? He came, as the divine Son of God, to care for his people, the church, like a good husband. To save all who believe in him from their sins. And to love and lead and protect and provide for his bride, the church. To be our ever-strong, ever-providing, ever-reliable, ever-loving husband. Not just individually, but especially together as the church.This good Son, who provides the good wine, embodies the good groom. In Jesus, God himself has taken on our flesh and blood, that he might give his flesh for us, and shed his blood for us — which brings us to the Table, and with it, the invitation I mentioned at the beginning.Take the Next StepOkay, I'm not asking anyone to raise a hand or walk to the front, but I am asking you: Are you seeing any glory? Is this Jesus moving on your soul, in any compelling way? Is he opening your eyes? Is he stirring in your soul? If he is, I want to encourage you to welcome his work. Receive him. Embrace him. A miracle is in progress. Let it happen; don't try to stop it.What's next? You could start with a very simple conversation with someone you came with, or with Jonathan or me. We'll be here at the front after the service if you want to speak with a pastor.And for any here who would say that you believe, but have not yet been baptized, to identify publicly with Jesus, we have a baptism on March 2.And for the kids among us, say, ages 8-12, including teenagers too. Maybe you've grown up in the church, and you believe in Jesus, and it can be tough to know when to take the step to move toward baptism. We want to help with that this spring. Pastor Mike Schumann and I will be doing a two-week baptism class for kids during Sunday School on April 6 and 13. Sign up online.For the rest, who have believed in Jesus, and been baptized in his name, we come to this Table to drink his cup of blessing. Jesus drank the cup of our curse and shed his own blood, that through faith in him, we might have the good Son as our all-supplying bridegroom.
John 4:43-54English Standard Version43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.Jesus Heals an Official's Son46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Sunday, we examine the third of four miracles grouped together in the first section of Mark. Each of these miracles reveals another dimension of Jesus' authority and mission. The first showed Jesus' authority over evil spirits. The second illustrated His authority over sickness & the effects of the fall. In Mark 1:40-45, we will see Jesus' authority to make clean what is unclean. As Jesus moves through Galilee, preaching and casting out spirits (1:39), Mark singles out one miracle for emphasis, the cleansing of a leper. While this miracle is indeed a physical healing similar to Peter's mother-in-law, the word "heal" is not used in this passage at all. Instead, both the leper and Jesus repeatedly refer to "being clean." The leper approaches Jesus and says that Jesus can make him clean if He so wills. Jesus touches him and says, "I am willing. Be clean." While this is certainly a healing in every sense of the word, the emphasis is on the cleansing of the leper's uncleanness. Leviticus 13:45-46 tells us that leprosy not only was a debilitating and deadly disease, but it required the afflicted person to live an isolated, lonely, and humiliating life. Not only this, but the leper would never be allowed into any synagogue or the temple courts to worship God as He commanded. The defilement of the disease separated the leper from the community of faith, his family, the worship of God, and from life in Israel. Because of this, leprosy has often been seen as a fitting picture of sin, which also defiles and separates us from God. As we examine this miraculous cleansing, we see that Jesus has authority not only to heal and roll back the effects of the fall, but Jesus can remove the defilement of sin as well. Jesus can make the unclean clean. That in itself is most instructive as we root ourselves in the gospel of Christ, but the passage doesn't end there. In a curious turn of events, Jesus tells the leper not to tell anyone of his healing and to go to the priest and be declared clean according to the ceremonial law. Mark chronicles the disobedience of this cleansed man who immediately tells everyone. Because of this, Jesus' ministry is hindered and he is no longer able to enter the towns to preach in the synagogue. Sunday, we will talk about what this means and how it applies in our own lives. I. The Faith To Be Made Clean (v. 40) II. The Compassion & Power To Make Clean (v. 41-42) III. The Cost of Disobedience (v. 43-45) Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta
Matthew 22:37-38 NIV“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. Key #1 - Fans Cheer, Followers CommitLuke 9:23 NLTThen he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Key #2 - Fans Observe, Followers ObeyLuke 5:17 NKJVNow it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Luke 5:26 NKJVEveryone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”John 14:15 NIV“If you love me, keep my commands.” Key #3 - Fans Watch, Followers WorkMatthew 9:35-38 NLTJesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”James 2:17 NIVIn the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Key #4 - Fans Walk Away, Followers Finish StrongJohn 5:2-5 NLTInside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.
Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus answered and said
A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany St. Matthew 13:1-43 by William Klock Seeds. Matthew 13—most of it at least—is all about seeds. Well, sort of. It's about the kingdom of God. But Jesus told the people about the kingdom using the imagery of seeds, because it was something familiar to them. Obviously, they lived in an agrarian society, but more than that, the God of Israel had been using this imagery of seeds going all the way back to the Prophets and even back to Abraham. Remember his promise all the way back at the beginning: he promised to bless the nations through Abraham's seed. In other words, to set the world to rights through Abraham's descendants, through his family. This image carries on through the prophets. The seed grew and became a tree—or in other places it became a vine—but it failed to bear fruit. The Lord warned that he would come to prune the dead wood—or even to cut the whole tree down. And yet there was reason to hope. The Lord keeps his promises. Even if the tree were to be cut down, the seed would remain—and it would put forth a new shoot. No matter how bad things might get, there was always reason to hope in the Lord. And so, as Chapter 13 begins, St. Matthew tells us that Jesus sat in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, just off from shore, to preach to a crowd on the beach. “He had much to say to them, and he said it all in parables,” writes Matthew in verse 3. And so Jesus begins: “Look!,” he said, “Once there was a sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell beside the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky soil, where it didn't have much earth. It sprang up at once because it didn't have depth of soil. But when the sun was high it got scorched, and it withered because it didn't have any root. Other seed fell in among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. And other seed fell in good soil, and produced a crop, some a hundred times over, some sixty, and some thirty times over. If you've got ears, listen!” The people had seen the Messiah things that Jesus was doing throughout Galilee. Blind eyes and deaf ears opened, lepers cleansed and the dead raised. Demons ran at his command. In Jesus, God was on the move. It was obvious. The long winter was coming to an end. Everywhere Jesus went the ground thawed and flowers began to spring up. At the same time, it wasn't what they expected. They knew the prophecies. They knew the word of the Lord. They knew his promises and they knew he was faithful. And so they knew he would come to their rescue. Like a sower sowing his seed, the Lord would one day sow Israel in her own land. And so when Jesus began to tell a story of a sower going out to sow, they listened. But it wasn't quite the story they were expecting. The story Jesus told was a story of failure after failure after failure before—eventually—success! Jesus was telling the story of Israel. Over and over God had spoken. Over and over he had sent his emissaries: priests, judges, kings, and prophets to speak his word and to set things to rights. But the people wouldn't listen. But now something was changing. Jesus had their attention. “If you've got ears, listen!” Jesus says. In other words, “I get it. This isn't what you expected. It's hard to understand. But things are different this time. Really! Stick with me. Keep watching. Keep listening. And you'll figure it out. You'll see that God is faithful.” Eventually they would understand—at least some of them would—but for now thy were just confused. So were the disciples. So, Matthew says, they “came to him. ‘Why are you speaking to them in parables?” they asked. So Jesus answered: “You have been given the gift of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. But they haven't. Anyone who already has something will be given more, and they will have plenty. But anyone who has nothing—even what they have will be taken away! That's why I speak to them in parables, so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand or take it in.” Well, that doesn't seem very helpful, does it? Every once in a while I hear someone claim that there are secret codes hidden in the Bible. So far I have yet to discover that any of these secret codes is actually there. The idea itself runs against the purpose of scripture. God speaks because he wants us to hear him and to know him. If scripture is hard to understand, that's on us, not on him. But if that's true, why would Jesus speak in riddles. That's how the disciples saw it. And they knew: in Jesus the most important thing that had ever happened was happening. Everyone needed to know about it. So why not just say it plainly? The thing is that it was the same for them as it is for us. Jesus was speaking plainly. Everyone knew that when he told a story about a sower planting seed, he was talking about the Lord sowing his promises for Israel. They knew their story. They knew the prophets. The problem wasn't with Jesus. The problem was with the people who thought they had it all figured out already. The problem was with the people who thought the Messiah should come, for example, to take up a sword and establish his kingdom the way other kings established theirs. And because they thought they had it all figured out, they weren't hearing what Jesus was plainly and simply saying. So Jesus says to the disciples (verse 14): “Isaiah's prophecy is coming true in them [in the people].” And he quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10. This was the Lord's commissioning and sending of Isaiah. He was to go and say to the people, “You will listen but won't understand, you will look but not see. This people's heart has gone flabby and fat, their ears are muffled and dull, their eyes are darkened and shut; in order that they won't see with their eyes or hear with their ears, or know in their heart, or turn back again for me to restore them.” Imagine being called as a prophet and the first message you're to declare is that no one will understand you. What the Lord had promised to Isaiah was now being fulfilled in Jesus. Like Isaiah, he would speak plainly, but the muffled ears of the people would be unable to hear. Jesus goes on and says to his disciples: “But there's great news for your eyes: they can see! And for your ears: they can hear! I'm telling you the truth: many prophets and holy people longed to see what you see and didn't see it, and to hear what you hear and didn't hear it.” Now, the disciples knew their Bible. They knew that in that same passage of Isaiah—in verse 13—they knew that was when the Lord spoke of judging the tree that was Israel. All that would be left was a stump, and yet, says the Lord, “That stump is the holy seed.” It was a prophecy of judgement followed by restoration. So this is what would be in their heads as Jesus explains the parable to them. “This is what the sower story is all about,” Jesus went on. “When someone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart. This corresponds to what was sown beside the path. What was sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with delight, but doesn't have any root of their own. Someone like that only lasts a short time; as soon as there's any trouble or persecution because of the word, they trip up at once. The one sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but the world's worries and the seduction of wealth choke the word and it doesn't bear fruit. But the one sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. Someone like that will bear fruit: one will produce a hundred times over, another sixty, and another thirty times over.” So God's kingdom is coming. That's the point of Jesus' parable. But his point is also that it's not coming the way people expected. Most people expected the kingdom to come in a blaze of glory. The Lord would return to his people and defeat their enemies. He would set everything to rights. He would bring justice and peace and righteousness, beginning in Jerusalem and then extend his righteous rule throughout the earth. But Jesus' parable says that, no, that's not how God's kingdom will come. In fact, instead of coming with a blaze of glory, it's instead going to be like seed sown on the ground. It's going to start quietly, many won't listen at first, but it will slowly and surely grow. Because this is how the Lord works. The story is as much about the history of Israel as it is about the people of First Century Judah or people today. This is how the Lord works and there's a good reason for it. The world is not as it should be. We long for the Lord to set it to rights. But for him to come back in a blaze of glory to deal justly with the world's sin problem would mean that every last one of us would stand condemned. This is why, along with his promises to set the world to rights, the Lord also spoke through the Prophets to say that he is patient and merciful and because of that, his judgement will be delayed so that (1) he can provide a means of salvation for us and so that (2) people will have time to hear this good news and believe. The word—the seed—has to be sown and it needs time to germinate and grow. This is what the people of Jesus' day needed to understand. Not only did they need this gospel seed in order to know God's mercy in the face of coming judgement, but so did the nations. They thought the Lord would come, congratulate them for their faithfulness, set them on top of the heap, and then rain down fire and brimstone on the gentile nations, but the truth of the matter was, that they needed to be set right just as much as the gentiles did and it would be through the Lord's faithfulness to his people on display in the Messiah, that a new people would be born, that judgment would come on unfaithful Israel—and all of this before the eyes of the watching gentiles who would stand in awe of the God of Israel and be drawn to him in faith. The Lord will set Israel and the world to rights, not only by judging sin, but even more so through his grace and mercy to those who believe. This is how God would make good on his promises. Now, as I've been pondering this parable, one caution came to mind. The parable was Jesus' way of telling the story of Israel. God had sown the seed of his word over and over and people—or most of them—didn't listen. The seed didn't take root. And Jesus' point is that in him, this time, God was doing something new. In him, the seed, the word had become flesh. This time, through Jesus, the Lord would do something he'd never done before: he would pour out his Spirit. And because of Jesus and the Spirit, the seed would finally grow and flourish—thirty, sixty, a hundred times over. Brothers and Sisters, Jesus and the Spirit have changed everything. So I think we need to be at least a little cautious in how we think of this parable, because what we usually do when we hear about the seed on the path or the steed on the rocky soil, or the seed choked by thorns, what we usually do is say something like, “Don't be that kind of soil. Don't let the birds take away the seeds. Don't let the thorns choke it out. Be the good soil. Let the seed grow and put down deep roots.” And there is something to be said for that. People do let the cares of the world choke out gospel seed planted in them. Some people are rocky soil and the seed looks like it's going to grow and then it withers and dies. But here's the point—and never forget—that because of Jesus and because of the Spirit, everything is different. They make the soil fertile and that's why God's word, ever since, has done what it has done. That's why the church exists. That's why this good news about the God of Israel has gone out and conquered the nations. Because Jesus and the Spirit have made the soil fertile. Without them the gospel seed will never take root and grow. That's something else to remember in our ministry and evangelism. We are stewards. We're called to plant the seed. But it is Jesus and the Spirit who cause it to grow. That doesn't mean we should just be passive hearers of the word. Do the work. Get rid of the rocks in the soil. Pull the weeds that might choke it out. But there's a promise here that if we will faithfully steep ourselves in God's gospel word, Jesus and the Spirit will cause it to take root and grow. And if we will proclaim it, Jesus and the Spirit will grow the kingdom. Now, Matthew continues, Jesus put another parable to them. Verse 24: “The kingdom of heaven is like this. Once upon a time a man sowed good seed in his field. While the workers were asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds in among the wheat, and went away. When the crop came up and produced wheat, then the weeds appeared as well. So the farmer's servants came to him. “Master,” they said, “didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?” “This is the work of an enemy,” he replied. “So,” the servants said to him, “do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No,” he replied. “If you do that you'll probably pull up the wheat as well while you're collecting the weeds. Let them both grow together until the harvest. Then, when it's time for the harvest, I will give the reapers this instruction: First gather the weeds and tie them up in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Again, it's in our nature to want God to act right now. We're tired of the pain and the tears. We're tired of sin and death. Why does God allow evil to continue? In the next breath, Jesus tells the disciples that “the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It's the smallest of all the seeds, btu when it grows it turns into the biggest of the shrubs. It becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky can then come and nest in its branches.” But, of course, the tree doesn't grow all at once. That takes many, many years. And then he talks about a different kind of “seed”: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid inside three measures of flour, until the whole thing was leavened.” Just the other day I saw a video in which a woman went on an angry rant about how her first attempt at bread went horribly wrong. She turned her bread pan upside down and the loaf fell out and hit the floor with a loud “thud”. She picked it up and banged it on the counter: “Clunk, clunk!” “I followed the recipe exactly!” she yelled. “Why didn't it work?” And then in the comments she revealed that, yes, she'd mixed all the ingredients correctly, but she never let the dough rise. She said she didn't have time for that. And sometimes we feel like we don't have time—or we shouldn't have to wait for God's word to do its work. I have to remind myself all the time as a pastor to be patient. God's word doesn't grow people (or the kingdom) overnight. You probably—or you should—have to remind yourselves that God's word doesn't grow pastors overnight either. It takes time. That's why the Lord uses this imagery of God's word as seed all through scripture. But this also means we need to be patient and to wait for the Lord to do his thing. The disciples weren't sure they understood this and they asked Jesus what the parable of the wheat and the weeds meant and Jesus said, “The one who sows the seed is the son of man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are the angels. So when the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, that's what it will be like at the close of the age. The son of man will send out his angels, and they will collect together out of his kingdom everything that causes offense, and everyone who acts wickedly. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, listen!” God's word will do its work. The kingdom will grow. The enemy will sow weeds in its midst, but nothing can stop God's word from bringing the life he sent it out to bring. As surely as the mustard seed will grow into a giant tree. As surely as the little lump of dough will rise and fill the bowl, God's kingdom will do the same. If you ever doubt that, just remember what Jesus says here: “The one who sows the seed is the son of man”—is Jesus himself. Jesus (and the Spirit) will grow the kingdom and nothing the devil can do will stop that. And we can trust that one day God's justice will confront our old enemies, sin and death, and put an end to them forever. I think that what Jesus had in mind here was the judgement soon to come on Judah, Jerusalem, and the temple but as that judgement showed God's faithfulness to his promises, it also points forward to that time at the end of history, that time when the seed has grown into the great tree, when the leaven has worked its way through the whole loaf, when the gospel has gone out and the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, we can trust that God will deal with the wicked and with sin and death once and for all and the righteous will shine like the sun. That's an image of resurrection that Jesus takes from the Prophet Daniel. When something doesn't seem right or when it doesn't seem like it's going to work, the experts love to say “trust the process”. And, Brothers and Sisters, that's exactly what Jesus is asking us to do. He's planted the seed himself. He's shed his own blood to water the soil. He's given God's Spirit to make the soil of human hearts fertile. And he's done none of that in vain. His gospel seed will surely grow and if it seems like it's taking too long, remember that it's all for the sake of his grace and mercy—grace and mercy you and I already know, but grace and mercy that the rest of the world still needs to know for themselves. Grace and mercy that, like the death and resurrection of Jesus, reveal the God who is worthy of glory, honour, and praise. Let's pray: Heavenly Father, keep your household the Church continually in your true religion; that those who lean only on the hope of your heavenly grace may always be defended by your mighty power, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Amen. Mark 1, beginning in verse 14. Now, after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. ‘ Passing alongside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I make you become fishers
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ' "Physician, heal yourself." What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.' " And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha,
But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10 begins with Jesus sending out the “seventy”.“Afterthese things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by twobefore His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go(v.1). Jesus calls and commissions them and gives them specific instructions. He tellsthem it will be difficult work (v 2), with danger (v. 3), with distractions(vv. 4-9), and with many discouragements as they are rejected (vv. 10-16). Today, like the seventy, we are called and sent as Christ'sambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). It is important that we be busyambassadors, taking the message of the Gospel to lost souls. Luke tells us thatthe seventy went before Him to every place“where He Himself was about to go”(v. 1). Today, we have the promise that Jesus goes with us everywhere that Hesends us.“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew28:20). In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the story of the “Good Samaritan”after He was asked by the lawyer,“Who is my neighbor”. From this storywe also learn that it is essential for us to be merciful Samaritans, seeking tohelp exploited and hurting people who need God's mercy. We should be a “neighbor”to the person closest to us that has a need. If there is one thing that has jumped out at me so far aswe have been going through the Gospel of Luke, it is even though Jesusministered to the multitudes, He always took time to notice the individualclosest to Him that had a need. And even in Luke 8, He was willing to leave themultitudes and to “crossover” to the other side of the Sea of Galilee tominister to one demon possess man at Gadara. We are both ambassadors and neighbors! But before we canrepresent Christ as we should, or imitate Him in our caring ministry, we mustspend time with Him and learn from Him. We must "take time to beholy." As we look at this incident that took place in Bethany, we see andlearn that the greatest priority in our life is to be a “worshipper”! Back in Luke 9:51, it appears that Jesus has completed Hisfirst three years of ministry in the region of Galilee, and we are told:“Nowit came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that Hesteadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem”. Just a short distance outside Jerusalem isthe village of Bethany where three of Jesus' friends lived, Martha, Mary, and theirbrother Lazarus. When Martha heard Jesus coming through her village on His wayto Jerusalem, Martha stopped Him and invited Him and His disciples to come inher house for a meal. And this is where we are introduced to her sister Mary. Thereare many women called Mary in the Gospels and this Mary is better known andidentified as Mary of Bethany. Mary of Bethany is seen three times in theGospel record, and on each occasion, she is in the same place: at the feet ofJesus. Here in this passage, she sat at His feet and listened to His Word (Luke10:39). Later on another occasion, in John 11:32, she fell at His feet andshared her grief because her brother Lazarus had died and Jesus wasn't there toheal him. Then in John 12:3, Mary and came to His feet and poured out herworship:“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointedthe feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filledwith the fragrance of the oil.” On this occasion in Luke 10, it appears that Martha was aserver and Mary was a worshipper. But as we look at this passage, we shouldlearn that we don't need to make the choice of one or the other. We should bedoing both. The danger is that we can get so busy serving that we forget toworship! We should be ambassadors, neighbors, and worshippers allthe time! God bless!
In response to Jesus' teachings, the people of Nazareth question where He gets His power to do miracles and because they know His family and where He is from they refuse to believe in Him. Then John is beheaded and Jesus retreats to find some time alone, only to be followed by a crowd of people. He heals their sick and eventually at the end of the day He feeds some 15 to 20 thousand people. They are ready to make Him king but He sends them home and spends some time alone. The disciples are in a boat on the sea of Galilee and a storm threatens their lives so Jesus comes walking on the water to save them. Peter in his exuberance calls for Jesus to have him come to meet Him on the water. Peter begins but seeing the waves begins to sink and drown. Jesus hears his cry for help and grabs him and they safely climb into the boat. The wind stops and they exclaim "You really are the Son of God!" The pdf for this episode is located at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.
Jesus had been teaching, healing and doing miracles throughout Galilee. So, when Jesus entered Jerusalem the people were asking if he was the promised one of God to come. But come to do what?Copyright, Dave Andrus 2025
Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Mark 6:14-29 - King Herod heard about Jesus, for His fame had become widespread, and people were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in Him." Others were saying, "He is Elijah"; still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets." But when Herod learned of it, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up." Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. His own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Debunking the deceptive immigration talking points being employed by Catholic Bishops https://www.complicitclergy.com/2025/02/04/debunking-the-deceptive-immigration-talking-points-being-employed-by-catholic-bishops/ 3) U.S. Border Czar points out Francis' hypocrisy in criticizing Trump's deportation plan https://www.knightsrepublic.com/single-post/u-s-border-czar-points-out-francis-hypocrisy-in-criticizing-trump-s-deportation-plan 4) The breathtaking hypocrisy of the USCCB https://www.complicitclergy.com/2025/02/07/the-breathtaking-hypocrisy-of-the-usccb/
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
Gospel Mark 6:14-29 King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him." Others were saying, "He is Elijah"; still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets." But when Herod learned of it, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up." Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. His own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Reflection John the Baptist was considered to be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He was the cousin of Jesus, and they spent many hours together. But there was something fundamentally different about them. John the Baptist was very much part of what the Old Testament stood for, and that was obedience to rules and laws. Jesus, concerned about those things, was different. He was a man who was always speaking about grace, forgiveness, understanding. It's clear that the voice of John the Baptist was silenced when Jesus voice spoke on this planet. It's a beautiful image of a transition, of one voice ceasing to be the voice of God and God incarnate, becoming the new voice. Closing Prayer Father, it's not difficult for a situation to come up where we are always obligated simply to whatever the law requires. But we know, along with that kind of justice, there is also this mysterious thing called mercy. Fill us with the capacity to know how to deal with these situations. Yes, the law is important, but a spirit of love and understanding and compassion is also equally important. And we need to do both. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,and people were saying,"John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;That is why mighty powers are at work in him."Others were saying, "He is Elijah";still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."But when Herod learned of it, he said,"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prisonon account of Herodias,the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.John had said to Herod,"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."Herodias harbored a grudge against himand wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,and kept him in custody.When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,yet he liked to listen to him.Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,and the leading men of Galilee.His own daughter came in and performed a dancethat delighted Herod and his guests.The king said to the girl,"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."He even swore many things to her,"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,even to half of my kingdom."She went out and said to her mother,"What shall I ask for?"Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,"I want you to give me at once on a platterthe head of John the Baptist."The king was deeply distressed,but because of his oaths and the guestshe did not wish to break his word to her.So he promptly dispatched an executionerwith orders to bring back his head.He went off and beheaded him in the prison.He brought in the head on a platterand gave it to the girl.The girl in turn gave it to her mother.When his disciples heard about it,they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com Website: www.aegisdefensesolutions.com Insta: My media channels all go to Garth Heckman Text me 30 second interviews of you asking people “whats it take to be a man” Hey today I have a new promo… it is Omni fitness. Check them out at omnifitness.com I have purchased squat racks, dumbbells, leg presses, jammer handles, squat boxes, ply'o boxes, cable systems… bars, handles, bumper plates and more… they are tough as nails, easy to deal with, all are rated for commercial use… and I have beat the living crap out of them and they still rock… and I don't lift light boys and girls… these bars have seen over a 1000 pounds on them. So check them out at omnifitness.com and tell them Garth sent you… and I get nothing out of this, they are just good people! Torn… I have torn my quad, my hamstring, my bicep, my infaspiratus, my supraspinatus, my medius, my labrum, my achilles tendon, my bicep tendon and a few other things… you gotta love powerlifting… but it ain't nothing compared to what Jesus tore! Twice in Mark's gospel the word “torn,” with a dramatic and active sense is used. The first is as Jesus rises from the waters of baptism Mark 1 9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” and the second is Mark 15:37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The first Tear presents the in-coming of the kingdom of heaven an announcing if you will that the Holy Spirit is now on Christ and ready to be used in the world in and through him. As you may know he then goes out and has a brutal 40 day fast and is tempted by satan in the desert… but overcomes it by having the Holy Spirit on him… and the second the tearing away of the religious barrier between God and mankind. The veil was not to be passed unless once a year and by a priest who had to perform first a sacrifice for himself and then a sacrifice for the people. And in fact they tied a rope around his leg and he wore a bell… why? Because if the didn't hear the bell he probably died because he went behind the veil without having performed a sacrifice for himself. And he would die immediately and they would have to pull him out by the rope tied around his feet. But what does this really mean to us today? It means we now have access to God the father, we can talk to him we can expect to hear from him, we now have free reign or free access into his presence. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior don't waste any time… go to him the tearing has taken place, the barriers have been destroyed and you now have access to his spirit inside you and to the Father in heaven… why waste a good tear? I think of it like this… it was torn for us to be reborn!
Mark 1:1,9 ESV 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God… 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Luke 2:22-40 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Luke 2:22-40 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Luke 2:22-40 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted -and you yourself a sword will pierce- so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Jesus is teaching beside the Sea of Galilee when the crush of the crowds prompts him to climb aboard St. Peter's boat and request the soon-to-be-apostle to shove off from shore. Little does Peter know that this is only Our Lord's first request. We'll spend our episode exploring the ins and outs of fishing on the Sea of Galilee and we'll get our hands dirty in the original Greek so as to immerse ourselves into the full emotion of the exchange. Finally, we'll round out our discussion by diving into the Old Testament context for Peter's commissioning as a “fisher of men.” (Mass Reading for Feb 9, 2025) /// Join Katie's Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi: https://kptz.io/rome Registration is closing this March!
Join us today as we look at Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up. A small backwater town in Galilee, yet a hotbed of insurrection and people looking for the Messiah. https://longhollow.com/theforgottenjesuspodcastshownotes