Podcasts about Sidon

Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.(English Standard Version)

21 And Jesus went from thence, and retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.Et egressus inde Jesus secessit in partes Tyri et Sidonis. 22 And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grieviously troubled by the devil.Et ecce mulier chananaea a finibus illis egressa clamavit, dicens ei : Miserere mei, Domine fili David : filia mea male a daemonio vexatur. 23 Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us:Qui non respondit ei verbum. Et accedentes discipuli ejus rogabant eum dicentes : Dimitte eam : quia clamat post nos. 24 And he answering, said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.Ipse autem respondens ait : Non sum missus nisi ad oves, quae perierunt domus Israel. 25 But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me.At illa venit, et adoravit eum, dicens : Domine, adjuva me. 26 Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs.Qui respondens ait : Non est bonum sumere panem filiorum, et mittere canibus. 27 But she said: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.At illa dixit : Etiam Domine : nam et catelli edunt de micis quae cadunt de mensa dominorum suorum. 28 Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was cured from that hour.Tunc respondens Jesus, ait illi : O mulier, magna est fides tua : fiat tibi sicut vis. Et sanata est filia ejus ex illa hora.

This lecture explores the profound teachings of Jesus as presented in Matthew 11:20-30, focusing on Jesus' denouncement of unrepentant towns and his invitation to those who are weary. The session begins with a reading that sets the stage for Jesus' criticism of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, towns that witnessed numerous miracles yet failed to turn to God. The lecturer, Ian, introduces this context by recounting a story from the life of Matt Canlis, who, while meeting with a skeptic from a small Scottish village, illustrated the significance of geographical proximity to miraculous events and the accountability that comes with it.Ian emphasizes that these towns had unprecedented access to Jesus and his teachings, making their rejection of his message particularly poignant. By juxtaposing these Galilean villages with notorious cities like Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, Jesus underlines a critical biblical principle: with great knowledge comes great responsibility. The discussion invites listeners to reflect on their own context, especially in a nation like the United States, where access to the words and teachings of Jesus is unparalleled.The lecture transitions to a prayer from Jesus expressing gratitude for God revealing truths to the “childlike” while hiding them from the “wise.” This prayer shifts the tone from condemnation to affirmation, illustrating God's preference for humility and receptivity over intellectual pride. Ian draws parallels with historical and scriptural references, noting the consequences of a hardened heart towards God. The lecture stresses that genuine worship and relationship with God go beyond outward appearances and rituals; their essence lies in the condition of the heart.The focus then moves toward the invitation Jesus extends to the weary and heavy-laden. Ian elaborates on the concept of taking on Jesus' yoke, explaining its implications both as a metaphor for learning from him and as an invitation into a deeper relational dynamic with the God who provides rest. He articulates that this rest is not merely physical relief but an overarching peace that comes from trust in God's provision.Ian contrasts Jesus' yoke with the burdens of cultural expectations and personal struggles, urging participants to consider what yokes they might be carrying that leave them exhausted. He discusses the dual nature of Jesus as both humble and powerful, capable of bearing burdens while inviting believers into a partnership that offers rest and learning. The imagery of yoking together, especially a younger ox with an older one, illustrates the nature of this relationship—Jesus as the stronger partner who supports the believer in navigating life's challenges.As the lecture progresses, Ian invites listeners to engage with their own weariness, suggesting that coming to Jesus provides not just relief but guidance in learning to live in alignment with God's will. The session culminates with an invitation for prayer, allowing those feeling burdened an opportunity to seek support in the community and to step into the rest that Jesus promises.Ultimately, Ian emphasizes the importance of remaining receptive to God's voice and guidance, challenging listeners to approach their faith with the eagerness of a child ready to learn. The invitation to “come to me” is framed not just as a call to relief but as an entrance into a transformative relationship with Jesus, reinforcing the belief that he offers a fitting yoke that leads to true rest for the soul.

Acts 27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. The Storm at Sea 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” 27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.[d] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. 33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. The Shipwreck 39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-1dba0921dabb2b4f9960c5ca4ff8e679{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-1dba0921dabb2b4f9960c5ca4ff8e679 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-1dba0921dabb2b4f9960c5ca4ff8e679 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 15Luke 6:12-36 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – February 15 Luke 6:12-36 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0215db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 6 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve 12 It happened in those days that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God. 13 When it was day, he summoned his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles: 14 Simon, whom he also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, also Simon, who was called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Jesus Heals Many 17 He went down with them and stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a large number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, as well as from the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. 18 Those who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19 The whole crowd kept trying to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all. Blessings and Woes 20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor,     because yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now,     because you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now,     because you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you whenever people hate you, and whenever they exclude and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because of this: Your reward is great in heaven! The fact is, their fathers constantly did the same things to the prophets.” 24 But woe to you who are rich,     because you are receiving your comfort now. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now,     because you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,     because you will be mourning and weeping. 26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you,     because that is how their fathers constantly treated the         false prophets. Love Your Enemies 27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too. If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes away your things, do not demand them back. 31 “Treat others just as you would want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same thing. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the unthankful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Power UpMatthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour., King James VersionIn this episode, we come together to seek the Lord concerning several pressing issues we are facing in the world today. We are lifting up our children, our parents, and our loved ones who are battling sickness. We are also praying for our leaders and for God's wisdom, protection, and direction to be released upon the earth. Thank you for being a faithful supporter of this podcast. Thank you for your prayers, your shares, and for joining your faith with my faith as we believe God to move mightily. There is power when we agree, and we are grateful that you stand with us as we seek the Lord together. If you have a prayer request, you may text **843-790-4229** or submit it by email to **seeingwithoutseeing2020@gmail.com**. Please place **“Prayer Request”** in the subject line. That same email address may also be used on the **Zelle** platform. For more information about sowing through **PayPal**, please email us with the word **“Seed'** in the subject line. If you desire to sow a seed via **Cash App**, it is available at **$seeingwithoutseeing**. Thank you once again for your continued support. Please share this episode and believe God with us as we seek His presence and His will.

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 It's rare that we see the emotional side of Jesus in the Scriptures, but in this miracle, he does something interesting. He groans. And to groan is something that is like a longing, a desire, a so deep a desire that it makes us sound. And the interesting thing about that is that even the way he heals the man by spitting and touching his tongue, there's a reference to the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is breath and spittle is a concrete image of the Spirit. So we see in this story is a beautiful way in which God infuses us with spirit. That's his longing. And we know that in the teaching of the church, the Holy Spirit is the aspect of God in the world today, in your heart that also groans always to move in the direction of life, transformation, salvation, freedom to live as were called, to live. Closing Prayer Father, we have you as a father, as a brother, your son, and as this mystery, the Holy Spirit. We are told throughout the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit groans for our evolution, for our transformation, for our becoming who you call us to be. Help us to feel that energy of you longing in this presence of the spirit, to bring us to a place of wholeness and health. That it's not up to us to do this work. It's up to us to believe you can do this work and to enter into your desires, your will. Knowing and trusting everything going on around us is exactly as it should be. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary TimeMark 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.

Mitten im Karneval schaut der Podcast "Blick in die Bibel" an diesem Freitag tiefer hinter Schunkelrhythmen und Frohsinn. Georg Hinz erklärt, dass viele Karnevalslieder mehr sind als bloßer Spaß: Sie erinnern daran, das Leben jetzt zu leben, Gemeinschaft zu pflegen und auch Platz für Melancholie zu lassen.Im heutigen Bibeltext aus dem Markusevangelium heilt Jesus einen taubstummen Mann und führt ihn wieder in die Gemeinschaft. Georg Hinz deutet diese Heilung als Einladung, sich zu öffnen – für Gott, für andere Menschen und für das Leben selbst. Jesu Nähe und Zuwendung zeigen: Es geht nicht um Show, sondern um Würde und Beziehung. Eine Folge, die Karneval, Glauben und Alltag überraschend nah zusammenbringt und neue Perspektiven eröffnet.Aus dem MarkusevangeliumIn jener Zeit verließ Jesus das Gebiet von Tyrus und kam über Sidon an den See von Galiläa, mitten in das Gebiet der Dekápolis. Da brachten sie zu ihm einen, der taub war und stammelte, und baten ihn, er möge ihm die Hand auflegen.Er nahm ihn beiseite, von der Menge weg, legte ihm die Finger in die Ohren und berührte dann die Zunge des Mannes mit Speichel; danach blickte er zum Himmel auf, seufzte und sagte zu ihm: Éffata!, das heißt: Öffne dich! Sogleich öffneten sich seine Ohren, seine Zunge wurde von ihrer Fessel befreit und er konnte richtig reden.Jesus verbot ihnen, jemandem davon zu erzählen. Doch je mehr er es ihnen verbot, desto mehr verkündeten sie es. Sie staunten über alle Maßen und sagten: Er hat alles gut gemacht; er macht, dass die Tauben hören und die Stummen sprechen. (Mk 7,31-37)(© Ständige Kommission für die Herausgabe der gemeinsamen liturgischen Bücher im deutschen Sprachgebiet)

COMMENTAIRE DE L'EVANGILE DU JOUR Marc 7, 31-37En ce temps-là, Jésus quitta le territoire de Tyr ; passant par Sidon, il prit la direction de la mer de Galilée et alla en plein territoire de la Décapole. Des gens lui amènent un sourd qui avait aussi de la difficulté à parler, et supplient Jésus de poser la main sur lui. Jésus l'emmena à l'écart, loin de la foule, lui mit les doigts dans les oreilles, et, avec sa salive, lui toucha la langue. Puis, les yeux levés au ciel, il soupira et lui dit : « Effata ! », c'est-à-dire : « Ouvre-toi ! » Ses oreilles s'ouvrirent ; sa langue se délia, et il parlait correctement. Alors Jésus leur ordonna de n'en rien dire à personne ; mais plus il leur donnait cet ordre, plus ceux-ci le proclamaient. Extrêmement frappés, ils disaient : « Il a bien fait toutes choses : il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets. »

Read OnlineJesus 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. Mark 7:31–32Throughout Jesus' public ministry, His actions, while purely charitable, were often deliberate and provocative. His words and deeds testified to the true meaning of the Mosaic Law by exposing the damaging legalism of many Pharisees, whose misinterpretations deeply influenced God's Chosen People. For example, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (cf. Mark 3:1–6) and cured a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years (cf. John 5:1–18). In both cases, Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath rest as interpreted by the Pharisaic traditions. By challenging these restrictive and erroneous interpretations, Jesus demonstrated that the Sabbath is a day for mercy, healing, and honoring God, not a burdensome observance of human traditions. Jesus boldly lived the Mosaic Law as it was intended, while challenging the erroneous practices and beliefs He encountered. Another act of deliberate and charitable provocation was Jesus' ministry among the Gentiles. At that time, observant Jews often avoided direct interactions with Gentiles, considering them ritually unclean and outside the covenant community of Israel. Yet Jesus traveled into Gentile regions such as Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis. In today's Gospel, Jesus traveled from Tyre to Sidon and then to the Decapolis, where He healed a deaf and mute man. Being predominantly Gentile regions, they were marked by pagan worship, Hellenistic culture, and lifestyles often incompatible with Jewish religious practices. It is likely that Jesus' companions—the Twelve—were surprised and uneasy during these visits, but that was precisely the point. Their journey to these territories was itself a lesson Jesus intended to teach. By engaging with Gentiles, Jesus revealed that God's salvation is not limited to Israel but extends to all nations, fulfilling the promise made to Abraham: “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:3). In doing so, Jesus began preparing His disciples to shed nationalistic biases and embrace the universal scope of God's covenant of salvation.The healing of the deaf and mute man carries profound significance. First, by performing the miracle in predominantly Gentile territory, Jesus directed its meaning beyond the Jews to all peoples of every nation. The message is clear: By healing the man's deafness, Jesus teaches that all must hear the saving message of the Gospel. By healing his speech impediment, Jesus further teaches that all who hear the Gospel are called to proclaim it.Though the manner of this healing—putting “his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue”—is rich with symbolism, it also reveals Jesus' personal and compassionate approach. For a deaf and mute man, spoken words alone would not have conveyed what Jesus was about to do. By using touch and visible gestures, Jesus communicated with the man in a way he could understand, engaging him personally and tenderly. This reflects the boundless compassion of Jesus, Who meets each of us where we are.Reflect today on the lesson the Twelve learned as they traveled with Jesus through Gentile and pagan regions. As followers of Christ, we must learn not only from His words but also from His actions. The Creed, the Sacraments, and the moral teachings of the Church are not meant for Catholics alone but for all people. At times, sharing the Gospel might require charitable provocation within the social circles in which we live and work. We must strive to do so in ways that people can understand, setting aside artificial or inconsequential traditions that obstruct the message. True compassion leads us to every person, making us instruments of their salvation, knowing that the message we bring is for all, so that “all the families of the earth” may find blessing in God through you.My compassionate and provocative Lord, You confidently and lovingly challenged the burdensome and restrictive traditions that had overshadowed the true spirit of the Mosaic Law, pointing Your disciples—and us—to the universal scope of Your saving mission. Grant me the courage and wisdom to be an instrument of Your Gospel to everyone I meet. Help me to love them where they are, with the tenderness and compassion You show, so that they, too, may be drawn into the joy of Your eternal Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: unknown, (Markusmaler und Gehilfe), Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Matthew 11:20-24: 20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Zeus will Gaia von der Last der Menschen befreien. Um die Menschheit zu dezimieren, plant er einen großen Krieg. Paris wird zum trojanischen Prinzen. Oinone sitzt weinend am Fluss. Der Wald wird abgeholzt. Das Übel nimmt seinen Lauf und Kassandra kann es nicht verhindern. Personen: Zeus, Gaia, Momos, Helena, Paris (Alexander / Alexandros), Menelaos, Hermione, Tyndareus, Oinone, Priamos, Hekabe, Agelaos, Hektor, Deiphobos, Kassandra, Apollon, Aphrodite, Hera, Athene, Thetis, Peleus, Aeneas, Anchises, Eros, Iris, Agamemnon, Krateus, Kolluthos, Hermes, Chariten, Horen. Orte: Troja (Ilion), Sparta, Mykene, Berg Ida, Kreta, Sidon, Eurotas, Hellespont Sonstiges: Trojanischer Krieg, Epischer Zyklus, Kypria, Leichenspiele, Urteil des Paris, Schwur der Freier, Raub der Helena, trojanische Flotte, Orakel, Prophezeiung, Apollons Fluch, Zankapfel, Steady-Extra: Hymnus an Aphrodite LINKS https://linktr.ee/daschaosundseinekinder STAMMBÄUME u. SCHAUBILDER https://steady.page/de/chaoskinder/posts/9476fd9d-75cd-475b-88b1-d320569b23f0?utm_source=chatgpt.com LITERATUR https://steadyhq.com/de/chaoskinder/posts/b59d1093-cdff-4158-8dca-bc0ac992d47c MUSIK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfnRMIFHHrE FR „Le Chaos et ses enfants“ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lechaosetsesenfants?utm_source=chatgpt.com MASTODON @daschaosundseinekinder https://mastodon.social/@daschaosundseinekinder INSTAGRAM @chaos.kinder https://www.instagram.com/chaos.kinder/?utm_source=chatgpt.com MAIL chaoskinderkontakt@gmail.com STEADY https://steadyhq.com/de/chaoskinder/about PAYPAL https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VB2QKC88H9NYJ CHAOS-SHOP https://chaoskind.myshopify.com/

Voici l'Évangile du vendredi 13 février 2026 :« Il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets » (Mc 7, 31-37)En ce temps-là, Jésus quitta le territoire de Tyr ; passant par Sidon, il prit la direction de la mer de Galilée et alla en plein territoire de la Décapole. Des gens lui amènent un sourd qui avait aussi de la difficulté à parler, et supplient Jésus de poser la main sur lui. Jésus l'emmena à l'écart, loin de la foule, lui mit les doigts dans les oreilles, et, avec sa salive, lui toucha la langue. Puis, les yeux levés au ciel, il soupira et lui dit : « Effata ! », c'est-à-dire : « Ouvre-toi ! » Ses oreilles s'ouvrirent ; sa langue se délia, et il parlait correctement. Alors Jésus leur ordonna de n'en rien dire à personne ; mais plus il leur donnait cet ordre, plus ceux-ci le proclamaient. Extrêmement frappés, ils disaient : « Il a bien fait toutes choses : il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets. »– Acclamons la Parole de Dieu. Cet enregistrement est proposé bénévolement pour répandre la Parole de Dieu

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."

Audio Transcript Yeah, Full house this morning. There we go. So, yeah, it’s good to meet in God’s house and to sing praises to the Lord. So today we are going to continue our sermon series in the book of Luke. And so if you have a Bible, you can go ahead and open up there. And if you don’t have a Bible, there should be some blue Bibles in the chairs that you can go ahead and grab. And so we are in Luke chapter six. And we’re going to be reading verses 12 through 19. And so this passage is focusing on the calling of the 12 disciples and the events that follow right after their calling. And so I’m going to read this passage and then I’ll pray and we’ll get started. So here’s what the word of the Lord has for us this morning. Luke 6:12. In these days he went out to the mountain to pray. And all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named Apostles Simon, whom he named Peter and Andrew his brother, and James and John and Philip and Bartholomew and. And Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. So that’s God’s word for us. Please pray with me. God, thank you that you speak to us through, through your holy word that you have preserved so that we might hear from you. Now I pray God that you would indeed speak, and God you would help me to speak your word and that you would give us hearts and ears to receive what you are saying this morning. It’s in Jesus name we ask these things. Amen. All right. So up until this point in Luke’s eyewitness account of Jesus life, Jesus has done a lot in the region of Galilee and in Judea. And in the very beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, followed by a supernatural phenomenon with the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove and the voice of the Father declaring, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Jesus was then led into the wilderness for 40 days, where he was tested and tempted by Satan and where he overcame the devil through God’s word. Jesus taught in the synagogues throughout the surrounding area of Galilee, teaching that the scriptures were now being fulfilled in him. Jesus declared that he is the Son of man, who has authority to forgive sins. The Bridegroom of God, the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus had casted out demons, proving his authority over spiritual realms of darkness. Jesus had healed many people of a variety of sicknesses and malformities, including fever, disease, leprosy, paralytics, withered hand and and much, much more. Jesus had called forth specific individuals to begin following him that nobody would expect, including outcasts and fishermen and a tax collector. And with all of these things Jesus had done and continued to do, he was doing the will of his Father. But now a shift in Jesus ministry strategy was about to happen. So no longer was Jesus going to continue his mission in solidarity. And although Jesus certainly could have done this, that’s not what God planned to happen. Instead, Jesus would now choose 12among those who had been following him since the baptism of John, and they would become his personal disciples. And so understand, like this is no small thing for the ministry of the Son of God this moment here in our passage, as we know that these 12 disciples would go on after Jesus to establish God’s church for the edification of the saints and for the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. So the establishment of God’s kingdom for generations would come, beginning with these 12 disciples. Through these 12, by the power of God, lives would change and the world would change. So how does Jesus make this very big decision? Looking at verse 12 in our text, it says in these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. So before choosing the 12 disciples, we learn that Jesus removes himself from all distractions by going to a mountain in Galilee and he goes there alone to pray to God the Father. And Jesus did this actually early, early on in his ministry that Luke mentions. And he’s doing this at the days when the Pharisees hate for Jesus was only increasing more and more as we learned about from last week’s sermon. And as Luke had mentioned, Jesus had done this in the past. What is unique here in this passage is that this is the only time Luke records Jesus takes all night to pray in isolation. Like the only other time Jesus comes close to doing this is in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. And so there’s two Reasons why I think God’s Word gives us this information and why Jesus prays all night. The first reason is to show us the humanity of Christ. Jesus is fully God and fully man. And therefore during his time on earth, there are times when Jesus knowledge or power were willingly limited in order for him to be fully human. And so to put it another way, Jesus subjected himself to the Father’s will by choosing not to exercise the full limit of his divinity during his life and ministry on earth. So Jesus never stopped being God, but also he was man. And Jesus dependency upon prayer with his heavenly Father shows us the humility of Christ as he had to depend on his Father at times to reveal to him what the Father’s will was. And since this is such a large decision happening here, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer seeking the Father’s will. The second reason I think Jesus did this is to teach us about the vital importance of prayer. So when faced with a large decision that Jesus knew was part of God’s will for his life, he didn’t say like, I’ll pray about it and then like walk away and like forget to pray about it or just kind of briefly mention it to God in prayer and then just kind of go further about his day. Like actually Jesus, like knowing that he was going to choose the 12among this crowd of disciples, like took, made the disciplinary action to step away from the busyness of ministry to be alone with God and to pray not for five minutes, not for 15 minutes, and not for an hour, but all night long until the text tells us like the sun rose the next day. Like, let that sink in. This is vitally important what Jesus is doing and taking this time to pray. And if the Son of God felt that prayer was this vitally important for his ministry, then how much more vitally important is prayer for God’s people and determining God’s will for our lives? Jesus is the perfect example of what it means to be a Christian and what it means to walk by faith in the living God who hears and answers prayer. And so we as God’s people, we must do the same and carve out devoted time to pray to God individually as a family and corporately if we want to carry out God’s will for our lives. And so if your prayer life is lacking, then let the example of Jesus encourage you to make time for prayer this week. Make some like, attainable goals on how you can devote more time to prayer this week so that God’s will may be done in your life. For God delights in hearing and answering the prayers of his saints. And if the perfect Son of God depended on His Father to lead and direct him while on this earth through the power of prayer, how much more do we need to depend on our heavenly Father through prayer? That being said, moving to verse 13, it says, and when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named apostles. So the sun rises after Jesus long night of prayer, and Jesus knows who he is going to choose as his 12 student. 12 students. The meeting that Jesus had with his heavenly Father in prayer made it clear who would be chosen and what he would teach them that morning. It’s important to note that the only reason the disciples are made like one of the 12 is, is because Jesus graciously chose them to become his apostles. Like, this isn’t something that they signed up for, but rather something Jesus called them forth to do and chose them to do. And with that line, like John the Baptist understood this as well. John the Baptist said this about his own ministry. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven. It is by the grace of God and his choosing that these men are made into 12 disciples for the purposes that God set long ago. And the word apostle that is here in our text that Luke points out, it literally means to send. And so this is signifying the mission that was given to these men, to these disciples from Jesus. So in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, Jesus choosing of the 12 apostles involves giving them authority to be sent out to preach, to cast out demons, and to heal every disease and affliction, which is exactly what Jesus is about to do in the next few verses. And so the 12 apostles were God’s chosen disciples in whom he gave authority to carry out his great mission. Jesus was instituting a new office of apostleship for the early church, who would serve as his official representatives. And the way he would teach his apostles is by spending time with them. 24, 7. Because of this, these 12 disciples would get to know their teacher and their Lord on a much more personal level from this point on, which is such a privilege for each of these 12 disciples. And then in our text, verses 14 through 16 gives us a list of these apostles names. And so A list of 12 disciples is also given in Matthew, Mark, and Acts. And in each of these lists, Simon Peter is always listed as first. And then Judas Iscariot is always listed as last. This is because Simon, who was renamed Peter, which literally means rock, is whom Jesus said, on this rock, I will Build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus chose Peter to be the leader in whom he would begin to build his church after his resurrection. And Jesus words are actually fulfilled later in the Book of Acts we read on the day of Pentecost, Peter preaches a sermon of repentance to all who gather to hear him in Jerusalem. And about 3,000 people profess faith in Jesus that day and are baptized. And so hence, Jesus uses Peter to begin to build his church. So overall, there’s not actually a ton of information known about each of these apostles based on what God gives us in His Word. We know that, like, four of these guys were just simple fishermen and they were called to follow Jesus. And this was Peter and Peter’s brother Andrew, and then two other men named James and John, who Jesus called the Sons of Thunder. We know that John was called the disciple of whom Jesus loved, and that John wrote the Gospel of John and as well as three epistles and the Book of Revelation. And then we know that John was exiled to the island of Patmos at the end of his life. We know that Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector who wrote the Gospel of Matthew, which we just spent some time learning about him a few weeks ago. We know Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael, and he was described by Jesus in the Book of John as an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. We know Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he saw him again, which, honestly is kind of a bummer thing to be remembered as. But I’m pretty sure as we get to heaven, we’ll learn like, there’s some other great things that Thomas did in faith. We know that Simon was a zealot, in which the zealots was like a zealous religious group who are committed to the fall of Rome. And then we know about Judas Iscariot, who was the money keeper for the apostles and who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And after betraying Jesus, Judas hung himself in the field of blood and was later replaced by a man named Matthias, who became the 12th apostle in his place. And as for the rest of the disciples in this list, like, the Bible actually doesn’t give us a ton of information about them. And from what we know, these apostles, like, they did not come from noble or wealthy families. They weren’t priests or scholars. They weren’t even like, really educated. They were like untrained, ordinary people like you and me. And so don’t miss this with this list that is provided here. By Luke, these guys were just ordinary men. And yet they were called and chosen by an extraordinary God. And because they were chosen by an extraordinary God, by Jesus, their names will stand as pillars in heaven for all of eternity. Which is wild to think about. Just listen to what Revelation 12:14 says concerning the new Jerusalem that represents the city of God in the new heavens and new earth. It says this, and the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. So these apostles, they may have been just ordinary guys before Jesus called them to himself, but because they were called by an extraordinary God, their names will be remembered as pillars in heaven forever. And the Bible doesn’t tell us much about the apostles, but that’s because it’s not about who the apostles are, it’s about the extraordinary God the apostles were called by and who followed for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. That’s what matters here in this passage. And because Jesus chose these 12 disciples who gave up their lives for the sake of the Gospel, according to church tradition, today there is a foundation that the household of God’s church stands upon and will forever stand upon, namely, because Christ is its cornerstone. And so we, Red Village Church, we are in debt to the way that God used these 12 disciples. And that is something incredible to think about. God chooses ordinary people like you and like me for extraordinary purposes that make ripples into eternity. And we would do good to never forget that. Moving on to verses 17 through 19, our text says, and he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them. So after Jesus chooses his 12 disciples, he now comes off of the mountain that he was on in prayer with these 12 at his side, to what Luke said, a level place. Now, this description of a level place, it’s important because it seems to be signifying that this is a different place from the Sermon on the Mount, where Matthew clearly says Jesus went up on the mountain, and then he began preaching the Sermon on the Mount after he had ascended the mountain. And so the sermon, this sermon right here, it differs from the Sermon on the Mount in that it doesn’t focus on the Jewish law, but instead its focus is on love and fruit that a disciple’s life should have. And so although this like sermon is very similar and it’s actually using the same information that Jesus uses on the Sermon on the Mount, it’s actually only half as long as the Sermon on the Mount. And because of this, this sermon is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, in which many scholars agree was a similar sermon to the Sermon on the Mount, but it was given a different. It was given at a different time, likely before the Sermon on the Mount. So before Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Plain, Luke tells us a great crowd of Jesus, other disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. They all gather to Jesus for these three reasons that Luke gives us. To hear Jesus preach, to be healed of their diseases and to be freed of unclean demonic spirit. So it’s important to note that Jesus fame, like it’s now spreading beyond just the region of Galilee and Judea in which Jesus has been up to this point. And so now, like Luke says, great multitudes, which is most likely in the thousands, are now coming from the sea coast of the cities on the Mediterranean, which means these were Gentile cities. And so Gentiles are now coming in to gather around Jesus to hear him teach and to be healed and to be freed by demonic spirits by Jesus. So we know that this is the reason why Jesus came is to redeem and to save not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles from every tribe and language and tongue on the earth. And as people came from near and far, their diseases were healed. And the demons that oppressed those who were troubled were cast out and cured. And those who came wondering like, could this be the long awaited Messiah that we have been waiting for? Truly they heard and they seen that this is the Christ. Verse 19 tells us that as people began to be healed and cured, others in the crowd who had not been healed simply made it their mission to just touch Jesus. Because Luke says divine power was radiating out from Jesus that healed them all. Now this is like an incredible scene that Luke is portraying for us. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of people pressing in just to simply touch Jesus. For just by touching him, lifelong illnesses, chronic pain, infirmities, and agonized demon possessed people who have been dealing with this for who knows how long are instantly healed when they touch Jesus. Like that is incredible. All because the Son of God, the Christ, was standing on level ground on planet earth and from him was radiating this life restoring power to whom all were healed. That came to him like, what a sight this must have been. This, this had to been incredible to witness, especially for the 12 disciples that are now called to join in with Jesus ministry. Like this had to be mind blowing. And the word for power here that Luke gives is actually the Greek word dunamis, which is where we get the English word for dynamite. And so this is the same power that Luke describes Jesus having in Luke 4:14, where Luke says, and Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee. So this power that Jesus has coming from him is directly related to the Holy Spirit who we see brings life and restoration both to creation and to all of mankind throughout the Bible. And this is the Holy Spirit’s life changing power being poured out from Jesus to everybody who is coming to him and to everybody who is touching him. And so this picture is certainly painting for us. A picture of the nations coming to Jesus in great physical and spiritual need. And Jesus is at the center, allowing all to come to him and to be healed as they believe and touch the Son of God, who is the supply and source of the Holy Spirit’s power, which knows no bounds. And it’s important to think about this scene in relation to the 12 disciples who were just chosen. Like up to this point, they’ve listened to Jesus teach, they’ve watched him heal and cast out demons. But this, this is on a completely different level. Directly after being chosen to be Jesus apostles and given authority to do the same work as Jesus, this scene unfolds. And so this is the work that Jesus is doing and will continue to do with all of his 12 disciples at his side. People will be drawn to Jesus in both physical and spiritual need, both Jews and Gentiles. And Jesus will continue to restore and change lives through the power of the Holy Spirit living in his disciples. This is what Jesus Kingdom looks like. And he invites his 12 disciples to join in on this work. For it is only the beginning and that ends our passage. And so from this I have three applications for you that I want to give you from this passage of Scripture that I think speak loudest. And so the first application I have for you, if you have put your faith in Christ, remember you are chosen by Christ for the purposes of his kingdom as his disciple. In the same way that Jesus chose the 12, he has chosen you that all may be drawn to Christ. Ephesians 1:4:5 says this. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption to Himself as the sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. That being said, there is purpose in the will of God as He calls his people from death to. So if you are a Christian here this morning, meaning that you have made Jesus like the Lord of your life, then just like the 12 disciples, remember that God has purpose for your life. As his disciple, he wants to use you to draw others to himself by sharing the gospel and by living as Christ’s ambassador, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who God is. And that is really encouraging to know that if you are in Christ, God created you for good works to do today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day and the next day that will ripple into eternity. When I was in college at a fall retreat for a collegiate ministry that I was a part of, it was in New Mexico. This was a collegiate ministry called the Christian Challenge. And the director there was named David Engelhardt. And so David led us out from this little Bible camp in the mountains of New Mexico. And he had all these students, including myself, gather around a little pond that was about 50 yards wide. And what David taught me that day and the rest of the students, I will never forget. With everyone gathered around this pond, he picked up a rock and then he just threw it into the pond and told all of us just to be silent and to watch. And so David does this. The rock goes. Splashes into this pond. And then ripples are sent out from this rock that go out all the way to the edges of this pond and. And then bounce off of different things in the pond until they all begin to go completely still. And so, in silence, everyone, including myself, watches these ripples go out. And after the ripples disappeared, David said this. Serving Christ is a lot like ripples in a pond. You, by faith, make a splash in obedience to Christ. And ripples are sent all across the pond, but the rock is at the bottom of the pond. And often the rock does not see the ripples that are going on up above. But God, he sees all that his hand is doing with these ripples. And so what he is saying is, God has purpose in every splash, every good work, every step of faith, every Gospel conversation, every Sunday service that we gather. God says he is working. And even if we can’t see it, God is building his kingdom through his chosen disciples, and that is through you. If you have put your faith in Jesus, he has chosen to use you to make ripples that will last for eternity. An extraordinary God calls ordinary people like you, like me, to follow him so that they might live with extraordinary purpose for the glory of God. So first application is, do not forget this. My second application from this passage is very simple, and that is to seek to make disciples of Christ Jesus. Master plan of evangelizing the world started with investing more time into just 12 disciples. And then Jesus spent even more time in just three of those disciples who were Peter, James and John. And so Jesus intentionally invited these disciples to not only join his ministry, but to also get a glimpse into his personal walk with God. And we are called to do the exact same thing. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave the great commission for his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded his people. And so if you’re here and you believe in Jesus as the Lord of your life, then you are his disciple. And you too are called to make other disciples through baptism and teaching other followers of Jesus to observe all that Jesus has commanded in the Bible. So if you’re a believer, my question to you is, who are you discipling right now? Who are you helping to follow Christ? Discipleship can look like a lot of different things. It can look like serving in kids ministry to help teach kids about the Bible and how they can know God. It can look like having a daily time of family worship with your kids and teaching them about the Bible and how to walk with God. It can look like inviting people to church so they can hear God’s Word preached and then grow in their faith through community with other believers. It can look like meeting together with a believer who is new to the faith or with someone who is considering the claims of Christ and to study the Bible with them and teach them about Jesus. It can look like leading a small group Bible study that is teaching others God’s Word and how to put it into action. Or it can look like inviting a college student to your home for a meal to see how you are following Christ while encouraging them to do the same. Which is what I personally am praying that God will do with Adoptive Student Day today. And so, regardless of how we do discipleship, what’s important is that we do seek to do it no matter what it will. No matter what it will require you to be intentional and to invite another person into your life and into the church so that they too may become a disciple who follows Jesus and who keeps his commands and if you’re not sure where to start, then I encourage you to do what Jesus does here in our passage of scripture. Carve out some intentional time to pray to God that God would give you someone to disciple and to show you who that person is. And if you do this, then God will guide you in the right direction and he will equip you with what you need to help others grow in Christ. This is the work that God is doing and what he’s called us to do. And it’s not about who you are and how good you are at teaching or helping others. It’s about just seeking to be faithful and God using you to build up and raise up other disciples. My third and last application from this passage is point all people to the life restoring power found in Christ alone. Our passage ends with human need, both little and great being met in the person of Jesus. So Jesus is the only one with the power to change a person’s life from spiritual death to spiritual life. Only in Jesus can the Holy Spirit change a dead heart to beat for God and to live the extraordinary life that God calls us to live by faith. Jesus lived the life that we could not and died on a cross in our place. And then three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead and is victorious over sin and death. And today, Jesus is alive. That’s why we gather here and that’s why we continue to worship God. It’s because Jesus lives. And if you repent today and believe that Jesus truly is the Lord over all the earth who rose again from the dead, then scripture says you too will receive the resurrection power by the Holy Spirit who will come to live inside of you and who guarantees that you will be with God in heaven for eternity. Which is incredible. This is the gospel, the good news given to mankind. And so no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, the power of God can change your life today. And I believe that wholeheartedly, because I am a walking example of that. God has changed my life from death to life through faith in Him. And so, in summary, point all people to the life restoring power that is found in Christ alone. May we never grow weary in doing that and in seeing that our Savior is the one who has life life restoring power so that all who believe may find new life and joy in him for eternity. That being said, please pray with me, God. We believe that Jesus truly is alive. And we believe, God, that you can use us as you use these 12 disciples to bring about life for others, to bring about Godliness, to bring about godly fruit that is good and righteous and holy. And Lord, that you call us to make other disciples. And so I pray, help us to be faithful in trusting Lord in your choosing and being faithful, to step out works of faith and to be intentional with others so that others may grow in Christ and be able to know and love you and walk with you and God, that the Gospel by your grace, may go to the ends of the earth, that you would use our small little church to fulfill your great commission. And God, that we would never grow weary in pointing people to the all powerful Christ who is alive and who gives new life to all who believe in him. And I pray God be with us as we continue our service today. And it’s in Jesus name we all pray. Amen. The post Chosen Disciples – Luke 6: 12-19 appeared first on Red Village Church.

“Do Not Miss the Christ” Matthew 11:7-24 February 1, 2026 Pastor Tony Felich    Sermon Application [file]   ----more---- Matthew 11: 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? [8] What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. [9] What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [10] This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' [11] Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. [12] From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. [13] For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, [14] and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. [15] He who has ears to hear, let him hear. [16] “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, [17] “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' [18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.' [19] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” [20] Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. [21] “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [23] And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. [24] But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”   It's possible to be near Christ, hear truth, see evidence, and still miss Him.           • Jesus defends his faithful servant (7-10)            • Jesus exposes the unbelief of skeptics (11-19)            • Jesus warns the unrepentant (20-24)

Friday, 30 January 2026   When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Matthew 16:13   “And Jesus, having come to the allotments – Caesarea, the Phillipi, He entreated His disciples, saying, ‘Whom they say, the men, Me to be, the Son of Man?'” (CG).   In the previous verse, the disciples finally clued in to what Jesus was trying to teach them. His words about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees were speaking of their evil doctrine. Matthew now continues the narrative of their time after arriving on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, saying, “And Jesus, having come to the allotments – Caesarea, the Phillipi.”   A new word, Kaisareia, Caesarea, is introduced. It is derived from Kaisar, Caesar, a Latin word referring to the title of the Roman Emperor. Caesarea refers to two places in the area of Israel. The first is this location, Caesarea Philippi. Of this location, Albert Barnes says –   “There were two cities in Judea called Caesarea. One was situated on the borders of the Mediterranean (See the notes at Acts 8:40), and the other was the one mentioned here. This city was greatly enlarged and ornamented by Philip the tetrarch, son of Herod, and called Caesarea in honor of the Roman emperor, Tiberius Caesar. To distinguish it from the other Caesarea the name of Philip was added to it, and it was called Caesarea Philippi, or Caesarea of Philippi. It was situated in the boundaries of the tribe of Naphtali, at the foot of Mount Hermon.”   Having come to this general area, “He entreated His disciples, saying, ‘Whom they say, the men, Me to be, the Son of Man?'” Translations consider His words in one of two ways. One is “Whom do men say that I am? The Son of Man?”, or “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”   The latter is correct. Jesus has referred to Himself as the Son of Man nine times already, making this the tenth. Peter's answer will also show that He is not asking if people say He is the Son of Man. Rather, He is asking what He, the Son of Man, is called by others. He is preparing them for a great pronouncement by asking this probing question first.   Life application: Jesus came to His own country in Matthew 13:53-58. He was rejected by them. In Matthew 14:1-12, the account of the beheading of John the Baptist was given. That was followed by the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21.   Jesus then walked on the sea, as is recorded in Matthew 14:22-33. From there, they came to the area of Gennesaret, at which time He fully saved all who simply touched Him. In Matthew 15:1-20, it then noted the traditions of the Jews which Jesus condemned, explaining that what comes out of a man is what defiles, not what enters into him.   That was then followed by His journey to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon, where the faith of the Canaanite woman was noted, and her daughter was saved. After that, Jesus went around the Sea of Galilee to the eastern side of it. There, He healed many and eventually fed four thousand. After feeding them, they crossed the Galilee, coming to the region of Magdala.   While there, He was accosted by the Pharisees and Sadducees who looked for a sign from heaven. He told them no sign would be given but the sign of Jonah. Once that was complete, they once again crossed the Sea of Galilee to the eastern side, being instructed on the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Now in the account, they have remained on this eastern side and gone north to the area of Caesarea Philippi.   This crisscrossing of the land and the Sea of Galilee all has a purpose. Jesus' movements are being used as a walking instructional tool in what God is doing in redemptive history. It is good to stop and reconsider where He has gone and where He is at any given time. By considering these things, we can follow what God is doing in reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus.   Each area visited, each topographical marker that is mentioned, and each thing Jesus does is being woven into a marvelous tapestry for us to ponder and learn from. Keep paying attention to the details, both from a micro and macro viewpoint. God is telling us a story of humanity's long trek back to Him, and it is all centered on Jesus.   Lord God, it would make no sense for You to send Your Son into the world unless there was something to be gained from it. His life of trials and burdens, culminating in His cross and resurrection, tells us that there is a great plan that has been put in place to bring Your people to a place we cannot even imagine at this time. We are grateful to be on this journey because of Jesus! Thank You for the sure hope we possess. Amen.

Kingdom Perspective Many in the American church have embraced a view of Christianity that is neither biblical nor historical. Through movies, TV, and false teachers, believers have been conditioned to accept a defeated, marginalized faith—expecting to be walked over by the world rather than advancing victoriously.But church history tells a different story. Throughout the centuries, we see a recurring pattern: in certain times and regions, Christians stopped being the church, and darkness invaded those areas. Yet time and again, a generation of believers would rise up, flip the light switch back on, and usher in the blessing of God.Reformation. Revival. Awakening. Cultural transformation. This is the historical norm, not the retreat theology we've been sold.This isn't the Christianity of Scripture or history. It's a counterfeit that has produced exactly what Jesus warned about: saltless salt, good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot.The Matthew 11 Wake-Up Call:Jesus drops a bombshell in Matthew 11: the least believer under the New Covenant possesses greater authority than the greatest Old Testament prophet. From John the Baptist forward, the Kingdom of God advances violently—taken by force through passionate, pressing believers, not passive spectators."The Law and the Prophets were until John." Everything in the Old Testament pointed to this moment. If someone truly believes the Old Testament, they will receive Christ—because it all testified of Him. Now the Kingdom must be preached, the gospel must be believed, and we must press in with holy violence.Jesus immediately condemns the cities where most of His miracles occurred. His indictment is devastating: if pagan cities like Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom had witnessed what these privileged cities saw, they would have repented and still be standing today. The problem wasn't lack of power or proof—it was hard hearts refusing to respond despite overwhelming evidence.The Question That Haunts America:

Gospel Mark 3:7-12 Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known. Reflection It was more difficult for people to understand the heart of the teaching of Jesus, that he was really presenting himself as the son of man, a human being filled with divinity. And when they wanted to make him God, that was blocking the whole notion of what he's come to reveal. He's not telling us that we can be gods. Nor is he saying all that God needs to do is come here and heal and fix everybody. No, the work is us being filled with divinity and then doing what Jesus did. That's the heart of the message to become an instrument of healing through us, not from us. Closing Prayer God's plan is not that we become perfect. That we lose our humanity. Our humanity is a key ingredient, our sinfulness, are our shortcomings are key ingredients in keeping us in the place that God longs for us to be as an instrument of his power, working through us, and not that we become the source of the power. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In jener Zeit zog sich Jesus mit seinen Jüngern an den See zurück. Viele Menschen aus Galiläa aber folgten ihm nach. Auch aus Judäa, aus Jerusalem und Idumäa, aus dem Gebiet jenseits des Jordan und aus der Gegend von Tyrus und Sidon kamen Scharen von Menschen zu ihm, als sie hörten, was er tat. Da sagte er zu seinen Jüngern, sie sollten ein Boot für ihn bereithalten, damit er von der Menge nicht erdrückt werde. Denn er heilte viele, sodass alle, die ein Leiden hatten, sich an ihn herandrängten, um ihn zu berühren. Wenn die von unreinen Geistern Besessenen ihn sahen, fielen sie vor ihm nieder und schrien: Du bist der Sohn Gottes! Er aber gebot ihnen, dass sie ihn nicht bekannt machen sollten.(© Ständige Kommission für die Herausgabe der gemeinsamen liturgischen Bücher im deutschen Sprachgebiet)

Read OnlineJesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. Mark 3:7–8Jesus was amassing quite a following, with people flocking to Him from territories that include modern-day Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Among them were traditional Hebraic Jews, Greek-speaking Jews, Syro-Phoenician Gentiles, and Edomites. This diverse crowd reveals how Jesus' ministry transcended cultural, religious, and national boundaries, foreshadowing the universal call of the Gospel. While some were drawn to Him through authentic faith, others came out of curiosity, eager to witness His miracles.Just prior to today's Gospel, the Pharisees and Herodians began to plot Jesus' death because they saw Him as a threat. In response, Jesus “withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.” His timing was perfect; the hour of His Passion had not yet come. This withdrawal was not an act of fear but a deliberate step forward in preparing for the next phase of His mission. There was still much to accomplish—gathering followers, performing works of mercy, and preparing the Twelve for their mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God.While Jesus acted in accordance with divine wisdom, those who flocked to Him could only see the immediate. They were captivated by His teachings and miraculous works but often misunderstood the full scope of His mission. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–3). For Jesus, this “time” in His public ministry was a time to build up His earthly flock, teaching them, inspiring faith, and forming them for their mission.As we consider the many and diverse people who flocked to Jesus at this time in His ministry, it's important to see ourselves in them. Those who came to Him could have never imagined all that would follow. While some might have foreseen the possibility of His death due to the hostility of religious and political leaders, few, if any, could have predicted that Jesus' Passion and Death were something He would freely welcome and embrace. At that time, they could never have understood that Jesus had to suffer and die for the salvation of souls. Moreover, everything that followed His death would have been foreign to them: His Resurrection, establishment of the Church, Ascension, bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and future coming as the Universal King.We all go through countless experiences, some good, some bad. When we encounter something good, we often want to hold onto it, yet those experiences often fade with time. When we encounter something bad, we long for that situation to be removed or resolved, yet it sometimes stays longer than we hoped. Jesus' life clearly teaches us that “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” As we journey through life, we ought not dismiss the difficult times and try to cling to the good ones. We must enter and live each moment as it comes and goes, seeking to use everything as God intends it, preparing us for the glory that awaits us if we remain faithful until the end.Reflect today on the seasons of your life, both the joys and the trials. How is God calling you to trust in His timing and use each moment to grow in faith and love? Consider whether you view your challenges as obstacles or as opportunities to deepen your trust in God's perfect plan. Embrace the good and the difficult, growing in grace and virtue as you do, and your life will unfold in beautiful ways, giving glory to God. In doing so, you will reflect the trust and fidelity of Jesus Himself, whose perfect obedience to the Father brought about the salvation of the world.Lord of perfect timing and wisdom, Your divine plan unfolded flawlessly throughout Your earthly life. At every moment, You lived in perfect accord with the Father's will, embracing both joy and sorrow for the sake of salvation. Help me to trust in Your providence during every season of my life, the good and the difficult, confident that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit in all things. Strengthen my faith, and teach me to surrender fully to Your will. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via picrylSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

10:1 After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 10:4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 10:5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 10:6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 10:7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. 10:8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10:10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 10:11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10:12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 10:13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 10:14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

17 And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,Et descendens cum illis, stetit in loco campestri, et turba discipulorum ejus, et multitudo copiosa plebis ab omni Judaea, et Jerusalem, et maritima, et Tyri, et Sidonis, 18 Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.qui venerant ut audirent eum, et sanarentur a languoribus suis. Et qui vexabantur a spiritibus immundis, curabantur. 19 And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.Et omnis turba quaerebat eum tangere : quia virtus de illo exibat, et sanabat omnes. 20 And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.Et ipse elevatis oculis in discipulis suis, dicebat : Beati pauperes, quia vestrum est regnum Dei. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.Beati qui nunc esuritis, quia saturabimini. Beati qui nunc fletis, quia ridebitis. 22 Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.Beati eritis cum vos oderint homines, et cum separaverint vos, et exprobraverint, et ejicerint nomen vestrum tamquam malum propter Filium hominis. 23 Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers to the prophets.Gaudete in illa die, et exsultate : ecce enim merces vestra multa est in caelo : secundum haec enim faciebant prophetis patres eorum.St Fabian, Supreme Pontiff, suffered martyrdom in the persecution of Decius, A.D. 250.St Sebastian, an officer of the imperial cohort, was pierced with arrows in the persecution of Diocletian; but he recovered, and the emperor condemned him to be flogged to death A.D. 284.

Jehu was God's weapon of judgment upon Ahab and Jezebel. He carried out his mission with intensity and zeal. Although God has not called the church to violence, we should, nevertheless, imitate Jehu's zeal in our mission to love. 1 Kings 16:30-33 Ahab did more to provoke God to anger than all the kings of Israel who came before him. He introduced and sponsored the worship of Canaanite gods, including Baal and Asherah. His wife, Jezebel of Sidon, was a religious zealot who relentlessly persecuted the prophets of Yahweh, including Elijah (1 Kgs. 19:2). 1 Kings 21:5-7 When righteous Naboth refused to sell his vineyard to Ahab, Jezebel took matters into her own hands. After she had Naboth executed, Ahab took possession of his neighbor's plot. 1 Kings 19:15-17; 21:19-29 God ordained that Jehu become king instead of Ahab. This Jehu would be God's weapon of vengeance upon Ahab's house. 2 Kings 9:4-13 After a young prophet anointed the military commander, Jehu, king, his officers immediately supported his bid for the throne. 2 Kings 9:30-31 Jehu first confronted and the reigning king Joram, Ahab's son. Then he came for Jezebel. Next, he arranged for the death of all Ahab's seventy sons. 2 Kings 10:18-19 Last of all, Jehu killed as many worshipers of Baal as he could and turned the temple into a latrine. John 3:16-17 Jesus is the true and better Jehu. However, God did not send him to condemn the world, but to save it. Revelation 19:11-16 Nevertheless, when Jesus comes again, he will come in judgment, making Jehu's zeal look small in comparison. Pastor Sean uses the Bible version NRSVUEThe post Forgotten Kings: Jehu first appeared on Living Hope.

Saturday, 17 January 2026   And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. Matthew 15:39   Note: You can listen to today's commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)   You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).   “And having dismissed the crowds, He in-stepped into the boat, and He came to the borders of Magdala” (CG).   In the previous verse, it was noted that there were four thousand men, besides women and children, who comprised the multitudes Jesus fed. With that portion of the narrative complete, and to close out the chapter, Matthew next notes, “And having dismissed the crowds, He in-stepped into the boat.”   They have been on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. With this cycle of attending to a Gentile woman in the allotments of Tyre and Sidon noted, followed by a time in the Gentile-led eastern regions near the Decapolis completed, He got into a boat, “and He came to the borders of Magdala.”   This is a location not named this way anywhere else in Scripture. Some manuscripts note the location as Magadan, meaning Megiddo, but that is incorrect based on Matthew 16:5, which notes they are still in the region of the lake. Rather, the town Magdala in Hebrew is Migdal-el, Tower of God, a city of Naphtali recorded in Joshua 19:38.   This is also known as Al-Majdal (Mejdel) on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, north of Tiberias. Mark 8:10 notes that when they got in the boat, they came to the allotments of Dalmanutha. Saying it this way, there is no contradiction to be found. Just as Jesus went to the “allotments” of Tyre and Sidon, meaning the surrounding areas, in Matthew 15:21, so they went to Magdala in the allotments, meaning the surrounding areas, of Dalmanutha.   Life application: Chapter 15 of Matthew gives a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. The verses, though literally occurring at the time of Jesus, point to truths after the completion of Jesus' ministry. The New Covenant is now what God is doing in the world. Israel as a whole, however, rejected that.   Though they no longer observe the Law of Moses, they remain bound to it. During this dispensation, they are spiritually led by rabbis, both in their writings in the Talmud as well as in their cultural and religious life.   These are reflected by the scribes and Pharisees who came from Jerusalem (verse 1) to challenge Jesus. Paul explains in Galatians 4:21-31 that the earthly Jerusalem reflects them and their teaching. The main point for now says –   “But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Galatians 4:23-26   In verses 2-9, Jesus explains the state of Israel at this time, living by the laws of men rather than by the law of God. After the introduction of the New Covenant, the law of God is not the Law of Moses. Rather, that is fulfilled.   At this time, religious Israel draws near to the Lord with their lips, but their hearts, because of their rejection of Jesus, are far away from Him.   In verse 11, Jesus stated that what goes into the mouth does not defile. Rather, what comes out of it does. Though that was a truth concerning the traditions of these elders, it is a truth that is spiritually seen in Israel to this day. They refuse to proclaim Jesus.   This is their defilement. But what does Paul say concerning this? In Romans 10, he says –   “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13   The only thing that can cleanse a person from sin is Jesus. Anything else, meaning any other proclamation, defiles that person. As such, Jesus says in verse 14 to let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind, and both will fall into a pit.   In verse 15, Jesus reexplained to dull Peter (later, the Apostle to the Jews) the matter of the heart and what it is that causes defilement. While Israel remains in their state of defilement because of their oral proclamations, something else takes place. This is seen in verse 21, where Jesus “went out from there,” meaning from the Jewish people to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile area.   Tyre (Hebrew: Tsor) signifies Rock. While Israel abandoned their Rock, the Gentiles received Him. That this is speaking of Christ is seen, for example, in Deuteronomy 32:32, where it says, “For their rock is not like our Rock.” There are those who are confident in their rock (tsur), and yet their rock is not the Lord who is the Rock (tsur).   Sidon (Hebrew: Tsidon) signifies Fishery. It is a place for catching fish. Everyone is like a fish. When Jesus said to Simon and Andrew that they would be fishers of men, He meant that men are like fish to be caught.   While in this area (verse 22), a Canaanite woman came to Jesus and begged for compassion for her demon-possessed daughter. Canaan signifies Humbled, Humiliated, or even Subdued. She pictures those of faith who have humbled themselves before the word of Christ.   The issue is the daughter. In Scripture, a son or a daughter is representative of the state of something. A “son of death,” for example, is a person deserving of death. That is his state. A daughter, in this case, is the state of a group of people, such as “daughter of Jerusalem,” “daughter of Tarshish,” etc. What is the state of the Daughter of the Humbled who are also Gentiles?   Jesus said in verse 24 that He had come “if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost' – House Israel.” Despite there being a New Covenant, with whom was that covenant made? The answer is found in both Jeremiah and Hebrews –   “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Jeremiah 31:31   The early church did not understand that the word was to go to the Gentiles. That is a major subject found in Acts. It is representative of the disciples' comments found previously in verse 23 when they told Jesus to dismiss her.   It literally took an act of God to get them to see that the New Covenant included Gentiles, first with the Ethiopian eunuch and then the house of Cornelius. Jesus' calling, though, to redeem the House of Judah and Israel, is inclusive of the Gentiles of faith, as seen in this account. It is something prophesied in Isaiah 49:6, but which is revealed in typology here.   The woman was told that it wasn't “good to take the children's bread and cast to the puppies.” In the Bible, dogs represent Gentiles. That is seen in the Caleb series of sermons. Caleb, kalev, is from kelev, dog. It is also seen in the account of Gideon and his men, who lapped like dogs, a typological picture dealing with the Gentiles.   The woman didn't argue Jesus' point. Instead, she noted that “even the puppies – he eats from the crumbs, the ‘falling from their master's table.” Jesus thus remarked concerning her great faith, something evidenced in the Gentile world. At that time, it noted the child was cured. Salvation, in fact, is also directed to the Gentiles. They are brought into the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12).   From there, verse 29 said of Jesus that “He went near the Sea of the Galilee, and having ascended to the mountain, He sat there.” The Galilee has previously been explained as “the Liberty.” It is a picture of freedom from sin. As sin stems from a violation of law, it ultimately signifies freedom from law.   A mountain in the Bible represents a lot of something gathered. In typology, it is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people. Though it is only stated in Mark, the last area noted was the Decapolis, a Gentile controlled area.   Thus, this is typologically referring to a large but centralized group (meaning under Jesus) of Gentile people. The Canaanite woman already established that, but this is an extension of the thought, explaining the result of the dispensation of the Gentiles. In other words, “What will happen in the world once it is established that Gentiles are to be included in the New Covenant?”   In verses 30 and 31, multitudes came to Jesus for healing, so many that they were strewn about Him. It is reflective of the broken Gentile world coming to Christ for healing and salvation. As many came, He healed them so that “they glorified the God of Israel.”   As noted at that time, the term is unique in the New Testament. It suggested the presence of Gentiles on the mountain, but it typologically asserts this fact. Paul's ministry literally shouts out the parallel to this thought in Matthew –   “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:11, 12   Was the God of Israel glorified through this? The answer is found in Romans –   “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: ‘For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.'” Romans 15:8, 9   And...   “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15:18, 19   In verses 32-38, the feeding of the four thousand is recorded. Jesus said they had been with Him three days. In Scripture, three “stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. ... Hence the number three points us to what is real, essential, perfect, substantial, complete, and Divine.” Bullinger   The time these people have been with Jesus speaks of a divine fullness, something reflected in Romans 11:25, “that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” It goes right back to the state of Israel, noted in Matthew 15:14, where the blind are leading the blind.   While Israel is blinded, the blind of the Gentiles (Matthew 15:31) are brought to sight. The miracle of the bread (think of Jesus, the Bread of Life) and fish (a word which signifies “increase” in Hebrew) speaks of the immense harvest. There were seven loaves, the number of spiritual perfection, and a few tiddlers. However, they were enough to feed the multitude of four thousand. The number is a product of four and tens.   Four is the number of material creation, the world number. It speaks of the entirety of the world hearing the gospel, just as Jesus said it would. Ten is the number where nothing is wanting, and the whole cycle is complete. The entire world of the Gentiles will be evangelized before the end comes.   To demonstrate the immense harvest that will be realized in the church age, the baskets of fragments were collected, totaling seven large baskets. Notice the difference from the feeding of the five thousand –   “And they ate all, and they gorged, and they lifted the superabounding pieces – twelve handbaskets full. 21And those eating, they were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”   “And they ate all, and they gorged, and the superabounding of the fragments they lifted – seven hampers full. 38And those eating, they were four thousand men, besides women and children.”   Whereas a remnant of the twelve tribes of Israel represented by the twelve small handbaskets (Greek: kophinos) was collected, there will be an immense harvest of the seven churches (as defined in Revelation 2 & 3), represented by the seven large hampers (Greek: spuris).   The chapter ended with a location only mentioned here in Scripture, saying of Jesus, “And having dismissed the crowds, He in-stepped into the boat, and He came to the borders of Magdala.”   The town Magdala in Hebrew is Migdal-el, Tower of God, a city of Naphtali recorded in Joshua 19:38. Migdal El is contrasted to the tower of man, meaning Babel and all that accompanies her. Thus, this is implicitly a picture of the ending of the church age, where believers are delivered from the Babylon of the end times recorded in Revelation.   To understand why these conclusions have been made, one should refer to the descriptions of these locations found in the Old Testament sermons given by the Superior Word. Each location, number, or other reference has been drawn from the information already recorded there. Thus, the typology is not new. It has already been seen and has been reused without change, confirming that this analysis of Matthew 15 is sound.   Lord God, Your word is beyond amazing. It is a lifeline for the soul caught in despair. It is a treasure for the seeker of riches. It is a guide for the path of our lives. And Lord, it is so much more. It is so glorious to enter into its pages and find rest for our souls in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thank You for this precious word. Amen. Matthew 15   15 Then they came to Jesus from Jerusalem, scribes and Pharisees, saying, 2“Through what – Your disciples, they sidestep the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they may eat bread.”   3And answering, He said, to them, “Through what – also you, you sidestep the ‘God's commandment' through your tradition? 4For God, He enjoined, saying, ‘You honor your father and your mother,' and the ‘disparaging father or mother,' death – he expires!' 5And you, you say, ‘Whoever, he should say to father or mother, “Gift – whatever if from me you should benefit.”' 6And no, not he should honor his father or his mother. And you invalidated God's commandment through your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Well, Isaiah, he prophesied concerning you, saying,   8‘He neared Me, this people – the mouth, And the lips – he honors Me, And their heart, it distances far from Me. 9And vainly they revere Me,  Teaching instructions – men's injunctions.'”   10And having summoned the crowd, He said to them, “You hear and comprehend! 11Not the ‘entering into the mouth' it profanes the man, but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,' this, it profanes the man.”   12Then His disciples, having come near, they said to Him, “You have known that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled!” 13And having answered, He said, “Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father, it will be uprooted. 14You leave them! They are blind, blind-conductors. And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall into a pit.”   15And Peter, having answered, he said to Him, “You expound to us this parable.”   16And Jesus, He said, “And yet, you, you are unintelligent! 17Not yet you grasp that all, the ‘entering into the mouth,' into the stomach it contains, and into the john it ejects? 18And those proceeding from the mouth, it comes from the heart, and those, it commonizes the man. 19For from the heart, they come: evil meanderings, murders, adulteries, harlotries, thefts, false-witnessings, blasphemies. 20These, they are, the ‘defiling the man,' but to eat with unwashed hands, not it defiles the man.”   21And having departed thence, Jesus, He withdrew to the allotments – Tyre and Sidon. 22And you behold! A Canaanite woman from those same borders, having come, she cried to Him, saying, “You compassionate me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter, she is demon possessed-badly.”   23And He answered not a word.   And having approached, His disciples, they entreated Him, saying, “You dismiss her! For she cries after us.”   24And answering, He said, “Not, I was sent, if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost' – House Israel.”   25And having come, she worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, You rush-relieve me!”   26And answering, He said, “It is not good to take the children's bread and cast to the puppies.”   27And she said, “Yes, Lord. And even the puppies – he eats from the crumbs, the ‘falling from their master's table.'”   28Then, Jesus answering, He said to her, “O! Woman, your faith is great! It become to you as you determine.” And she's cured, her daughter, from that hour.   29And having departed thence, Jesus, He went near the Sea of the Galilee, and having ascended to the mountain, He sat there. 30And they came to Him, great crowds, having with them lame, cripples, blind, mutes, and others – many, and they strewed them near Jesus' feet, and He healed them. 31So too, the crowds marveled, seeing mutes speaking, cripples healthy, lame walking, and blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.   32And Jesus, having summoned His disciples, He said, “I gut-wrench upon the crowd because already three days they bivouac with Me, and naught they have that they may eat. And I wish not to dismiss them unfed, not lest they should collapse in the way.”   33And the disciples, they say to Him, “Whence to us in solitude – loaves so many as to gorge a crowd so vast?”   34And He says to them, Jesus, “How many loaves do you have?”   And they said, “Seven, and a few tiddlers.”   35And He ordered the crowds to sit upon the ground. 36And having taken the seven loaves and the fish, and having thanked, He broke, and He gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the crowd. 37And they ate, all, and they gorged, and the superabounding of the fragments they lifted – seven hampers full. 38And those eating, they were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And having dismissed the crowds, He in-stepped into the boat, and He came to the borders of Magdala.

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 15 and Ezra For BibleInTen.com - By DH, 17th January 2026 Welcome back to Bible in Ten!     Today, we have another bonus episode as our daily commentary from the Superior Word closes out Matthew Chapter 15. Matthew's Gospel contains 28 chapters, and remarkably, it mirrors the first 28 books of the Old Testament as arranged in the Christian Bible. So in this episode, having concluded our walk through Matthew 15, we'll now look at its fascinating counterpart: Book 15 of the Old Testament-Ezra. Please do check the last episode to see how Chapter 15 of Matthew gives a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. The verses, though literally occurring at the time of Jesus, point to truths after the completion of Jesus' ministry. Authority from Jerusalem  Matthew 15 opens with scribes and Pharisees coming from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. Jerusalem represents authority still bound to Sinai. Ezra came from Babylon to Jerusalem as a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses. That was necessary then. But Matthew 15 shows what happens after the Law has been fulfilled. The authority remains -  but the life is gone. Paul explains this tension in Galatians: “Jerusalem which now is… is in bondage with her children.” The challenge to Jesus does not come from pagans -   but from Law-bound religion. 2. Tradition Replacing God's Word  In verses 2 through 9,  Jesus exposes the condition of Israel. They honor God with lips, but their hearts are far away. Ezra saw the same problem. Israel had returned from exile. The Temple was rebuilt. But the heart problem remained. Ezra tore his garments and confessed: “After all that has come upon us… should we again break Your commandments?” External obedience never cured internal rebellion. Matthew 15 shows that the problem has hardened. 3. Where Defilement Truly Comes From  Jesus says: “What goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of it.” This is more than food. It is proclamation. Israel refuses to confess Jesus. Paul later explains: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart… you will be saved.” Defilement is not ritual failure. It is rejecting the Rock. Ezra spoke of a land defiled by peoples and practices. Jesus reveals the deeper truth - defilement flows from the heart outward. 4. Blind Leaders and Separation  Jesus then says something severe: “Let them alone.” Blind leaders. Blind followers. Ezra enforced physical separation. Jesus declares spiritual separation. Same judgment. Different stage of history. The Law has reached its limit. 5. A Turn Toward the Gentiles  Verse 21 is pivotal. Jesus goes out from there to Tyre and Sidon. Ezra's restoration preserved Israel. Jesus now expands the promise. Tyre means Rock. Sidon means Fishery and fish relates to increase. Israel abandoned their Rock. The nations who receive Him will increase. A Canaanite woman approaches - humbled, persistent, faithful. Ezra allowed Gentiles who separated from uncleanness to join Israel. Jesus reveals the heart of that principle. Faith, not bloodline, is the door. 6. Bread, Crumbs, and Faith Jesus speaks of children's bread. The woman doesn't argue. She trusts. “Even the crumbs are enough.” This is not rebellion against Israel. It is trust in Israel's Messiah. Ezra guarded the holy vessels carefully. Jesus shows that grace is not diminished by sharing. Faith gathers what Law could only preserve. 7. The Mountain and the Multitudes  Jesus ascends a mountain near the Sea of Galilee - Liberty. A great gathering forms. Ezra gathered Israel to restore covenant order. Jesus gathers the nations under Himself. Broken people come. They are healed. And Matthew records something unique: “They glorified the God of Israel.” The Gentiles now do what Israel was called to do. Paul later says: “That the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” 8. Bread, Fulness, and Preservation  The feeding of the four thousand follows. Three days. Divine fullness. Seven loaves. Spiritual completeness. Four thousand - the world number. Ezra preserved what was holy by careful accounting. Jesus preserves what is holy by abundance. Seven large baskets remain. Nothing is lost. The fullness of the Gentiles comes in while Israel remains partially blinded. 9. Toward the Tower of God The chapter ends with a quiet note. Jesus goes to Magdala - Migdal-El, the Tower of God. Not Babel. Not the tower of man. Ezra ended with restored order. Matthew 15 points toward final deliverance. Ezra shows us what faithfulness under the Law looked like. Matthew 15 shows us what happens when grace takes the field. The Rock rejected by Israel becomes the foundation of the nations. CONCLUSION Ezra supports the typological interpretation of Matthew 15 because it provides the historical “control text” that shows Matthew follows an existing biblical pattern.    The reason Ezra confirms the typological reading of Matthew 15 is that Ezra provides the final Old Covenant pattern.   Matthew typologically provides the New Covenant pattern. In Ezra, Israel is restored to the land, the Law is fully reinstated, scribal authority is established, separation is enforced, and a remnant is preserved - yet the heart problem remains unresolved. Matthew 15 follows that same sequence in order: authority from Jerusalem, Law elevated through tradition, defilement exposed, separation declared, a preserved remnant, and then a movement beyond Israel to the Gentiles. The difference is that what Ezra preserves under the Law, Jesus resolves through Himself. Because Matthew follows Ezra's structure rather than inventing a new one, the typology is not imaginative - it is controlled, historical, and intentional. Matthew 15 is not merely a series of confrontations, healings, and feedings, nor is it simply a lesson about religious hypocrisy or personal faith, as it is often reduced to in casual teaching. Rather, it is also a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. What Ezra records historically - Israel restored under the Law, preserved through separation, yet still bound by the limitations of Sinai - Jesus reveals prophetically. Matthew 15 walks through that same reality step by step: Jerusalem-based authority bound to tradition, a people near in speech but distant in heart, blindness leading blindness, separation declared, and then a decisive movement outward to the nations. Ezra preserves a remnant under the Law. Jesus gathers a people by grace. Ezra safeguards holiness through consolidation and exclusion. Jesus reveals holiness through mercy, healing, and abundance. Seen together, these chapters show that Matthew 15 is not simply about what happened on a particular day in Galilee, but about what God has been doing in redemptive history from the close of the Old Covenant to the fullness of the New. It is the Law reaching its limit and Christ stepping into that space - not to abolish what came before, but to fulfill it. Matthew 15, read through Ezra, becomes a sweeping retelling of Israel's restoration, its partial blindness, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and the preservation of God's people - all centered on the person of Jesus Christ, the true Rock, the Bread of Life, and the Lord of the harvest. Lord God, we thank You for Your word - holy, faithful, and true. We confess that it is easy to handle Scripture carelessly, to bend it toward our own ideas, or to use it as a tool rather than receive it as a gift. Guard our hearts from pride. Guard us from turning truth into tradition and obedience into self-righteousness. Teach us to read Your word with reverence, to see Christ where You have revealed Him, and to submit ourselves to what You have spoken. May Your grace reach deeper than our habits, deeper than our defenses, and deeper than our fears. And may our lives reflect not just knowledge of Your law, but the transforming mercy found in Jesus Christ our Lord. To Your glory alone. Amen.   Before we close this episode, we want to share something very simple and very personal. The following song was made up and sung by our Gracie when she could barely speak. She created the words herself and sang it from her heart. It's hard to understand in places, and it's certainly not theologically precise - but that's actually part of why it feels so fitting here. In Matthew 15, Jesus reminds us that what truly matters is not polished words, tradition, or perfect expression, but the heart. This little song isn't about getting everything right; it's about love, trust, and a heart turned toward Jesus. So we'll let it stand just as it is - imperfect, sincere, and honest - a small reminder that faith begins in the heart even before it can be explained. >>>> Grace sings “I love you Jesus” >>>> 

Wednesday, 7 January 2026   Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Matthew 15:29   “And having departed thence, Jesus, He went near the Sea of the Galilee, and having ascended to the mountain, He sat there” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted the Canaanite woman's faith and granted her desire, healing her daughter. It next says, “And having departed thence.”   They were in the allotments of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21). With this short excursion complete, they return to the area of the Galilee, where Matthew records, “Jesus, He went near the Sea of the Galilee.”   As a reminder, the Galilee is a somewhat circular area in Israel which borders the sea, hence this name. However, the sea has a couple of other designations as well: Kinneret, the Sea of Kinnereth (Chinnereth), Lake Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias.   As for the name, the Galilee, as has been seen before, it is derived from the verb galal, meaning to roll or encircle. Hence, it signifies Rolling, Circle, or Circuit. The verb galal is also the basis for Gilgal, which bears a similar meaning. However, to roll something away gives the sense of being liberated. Thus, the meaning extends to Liberty.   Despite saying Jesus went from Tyre and Sidon to near the Sea of the Galilee, Mark more specifically identifies this trek to be inclusive of going through “the midst of the region of Decapolis.” That is on the eastern side of the sea, so it was a large area He traversed before finally getting to where He is now.   With His return to this area, Matthew records, “and having ascended to the mountain, He sat there.” This will set the stage for another great gathering of people and another noted miracle to take place.   Life application: Despite seeming random, Jesus' movements in and through the land of Israel are purposeful. His movements are like a walking picture of other events. When we stand back and look at the places He goes and the things He does, pictures of other things in God's process of redemption can be seen.   This is known as typology. One thing is being used as a type or picture for something else. The Old Testament is filled with typology. Each story is included for a reason, including every detail.   It is important not to jump to conclusions with typology, though. The pictures God reveals have many nuances that must be carefully considered. When they are, rather amazing parallels to what occurs elsewhere in God's plans can be elicited from the text.   When they are mishandled, erroneous conclusions result. When this occurs, it can actually mar the theology of others, leading them to believe something inaccurate about what God is doing. So be careful as you read and consider the word.   Do your best not to insert what you want the text to say. Rather, let the text provide the information without bias or presuppositions. This is not easy, but it is an important step in understanding these hidden truths tucked away in this precious word.   Heavenly Father, Your word has so many levels of information in it that we cannot process them all. It is wonderful that different people, with different abilities, likes, and understandings, have access to Your word. Each can build on the work of others as we work to understand the marvelous things You have secreted away in it. Thank You for this precious word. Amen.  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Genesis 9-11; Luke 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we journey through scripture together, drawing closer to the heart of God. In today's episode, host Hunter invites us into the fourth day of the new year's reading plan, reminding us that the pages of the Bible point us to the living Word—Jesus, who brings life and abundance. We dive into Genesis chapters 9 through 11, exploring God's covenant with Noah, the beginnings of nations after the flood, and the story of the Tower of Babel. Our reading continues in Luke 4, where Jesus, filled with the Spirit, faces temptation in the wilderness and launches His ministry with a message of hope for everyone—inside and outside the expected boundaries. As Hunter reflects on these scriptures, we are challenged to open our hearts wider, recognizing that God's love and grace reach beyond the borders we set. Today is an invitation to see God's favor poured out on the unexpected, to pray for all people, and to participate in the healing, freedom, and joy that Jesus proclaims. Let's step forward together, grounded in the assurance that we are deeply loved—no doubt about it. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He's outside the bounds and borders of where we expect him to be. He is present with those that we think are disqualified from his care, his healing and his love. They're from places like Zarephath in Sidon, or from the land of Syria, gentile lands, borderlands among people that are our enemies, people that we think are enemies of God, people we think are headed for destruction. And yet here's Jesus preaching His first sermon in a church service and proclaiming that God is with them too. That God's favor, His healing, his mercy, his grace is with those people too. This made no sense to his listeners. It offended their religious sensibilities to the core. So much so that Luke tells us that they tried to kill him afterwards. But Jesus will not be stopped. He will not be silenced, and his message will continue to be proclaimed. Jesus comes to show us that God is not a tribal deity. No, he is the God of all tribes. He is the God of all the earth. And his love for the world and its people is reaching into places that our religious minds and our offended minds say are outside the bounds of God's grace. So let's beware of drawing borders around God's love and his grace. Let's look carefully at how Jesus begins His ministry here in his very first sermon. And let us understand well what the Spirit of God is saying to his people. The good News is for the poor. Captives are released, the blind are seeing, the oppressed are set free. And the time of the Lord's favor has come. And Jesus says that that favor has come to everyone, inside and outside of whatever borders we have constructed. And that is good news for all of us. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will participate with him in seeing and proclaiming and experiencing the favor and love of God in my own life and in the lives of all people. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.   TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to 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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

From the opening chapters of Scripture, the narrative of humanity is marked by the presence of a tree. At the heart of Eden stood two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life offered the promise of ongoing life, while the other was strictly off limits, carrying the warning that eating its fruit would bring death. When the first humans chose to take what God had forbidden, they inherited not blessing but a cursebanishment from paradise and the inheritance of death. Since that fateful day in Eden, we have lived beneath the shadow of that curse outside of Eden, our lives marked by its consequences. Throughout this series,The Tree, we have traced Gods answer to the problem introduced in Eden. We have seen a promised Seed spoken of in the garden (Gen. 3:15), a promise preserved through judgment in the days of Noah (Gen. 69), narrowed through Abrahams only son (Gen. 22), carried forward through broken families and deeply flawed people, guarded through exile and deliverance, and entrusted to kings who both reflected Gods purposes and failed to live up to them. Again and again, the message has been unmistakable: Gods promise advances not because His people are faithful, but because He is. And then, in the fullness of time, the promise took on flesh (Gal. 4:4-7). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). God did not merely speak againHe stepped into the story Himself (Heb. 1:1-2).Yet Luke 4 marks a decisive moment. Jesus is no longer simply the child of promise or the quiet presence of Immanuel. In Luke 4, Jesus stands up, opens the Scriptures, and for the first time publicly declares who He is and why He has come. It is no mystery that we humans are a mess. Scripture does not flatter us, and history confirms the diagnosis. We are fallen creatures living under the curse of sin. We are born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), enslaved to desires we cannot master (Rom. 6:16), inclined to distort what God has called good (Rom. 1:2125), and we live beneath the shadow of deathboth physical and spiritual (Rom. 5:12). Though humanity still bears the image of God (Gen. 1:2627), that image is no longer reflected as it once was. Our thinking is darkened, our lives disordered, and our relationships fractured. We were made for communion with God, yet we live far from Him. This brokenness did not occur in a vacuum. Scripture is equally clear that there is an enemy in the storyreal, personal, and malicious. Satan is the great antagonist of redemptive history, a murderer from the beginning who traffics in lies and delights in death. Jesus said of him,He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him for he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). Yet even in judgment, God spoke hope. To the serpent and the woman He declared that a descendant would comeOne who would be wounded, yet in being wounded would crush the serpents head (Gen. 3:15). Death would strike, but it would not have the final word. From that moment forward, the Scriptures move with expectation. God promised His people a Deliverersomeone greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15; Heb. 3:16), someone greater than David who would reign with justice and peace forever (2 Sam. 7:1216; Ezek. 37:2428), someone who would not merely rule but redeem. Through the prophets, God revealed that peace would come through suffering, that the One who would heal the world would first bear the curse Himself. Isaiah saw it clearly:But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings and by His wounds we are healed(Isa. 53:5). This is why the announcement of Jesus birth was not sentimental but staggering. When angels appeared to shepherds living in darkness, they did not proclaim a teacher or a moral example, but a Savior:For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord(Luke 2:11). As the apostle Paul later wrote,For all the promises of God are Yes in Christ(2 Cor. 1:20; BSB). Jesus is not one promise among manyHe is the fulfillment of them all. It is against this backdrop that Luke 4 unfolds. Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, enters the synagogue, and is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He reads words every faithful Jew knew well: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:1819; Isa. 61:12). After reading, Jesus sat down and declared,Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing(Luke 4:21). We are then told that the immediate response of those in the synagogue that day was that of admiration: And all the people were speaking well of Him, and admiring the gracious words which were coming from His lips; and yet they were saying, Is this not Josephs son? (v. 22). Now listen (or read) what Jesus said next: And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. But He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land; and yet 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 with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. (vv. 23-27) Jesus mentioned two different people who had no biological connection to Abraham nor were they Jewish. A prophet called to speak on behalf of God by the name of Elijah went to Zarephath under the direction of Yahweh, to a town full of Gentiles during a time that a famine also affected Israel, and yet Elijah went to a Gentile widow who God miraculously fed and protected during that famine (see 1 Kings 17:824). Listen, the point Jesus was making is this: The widow of Zarephath was a Gentile outsiderpoor, desperate, and forgottenyet she received the mercy Israel assumed belonged to them alone. A second example Jesus gave was that of Naaman the Syrian who served as a commander of the enemies of Israel. Jesus said, And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian (v. 27). Listen to what we are told concerning Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy (v. 1). And yet, God healed him! How was Naaman healed? He was only healed after he humbled himself in obedience to the word of God delivered by Elisha the prophet (see 2 Kings 5:1-14). What was Jesus main point? He was showing that the promise of a Deliverer and redemption was never exclusive to Israel, but it was intended for all nations. When Jesus read from Isaiah and proclaimed, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21), He wasnt simply interpreting the passageHe was revealing Himself as its fulfillment. In that moment, Jesus was announcing His mission, His authority, and the inclusive nature of His kingdom. He declared Himself as the promised Delivererthe greater Adam, the greater Abraham, the true Israeland made clear that through Him, blessing would extend to every nation, not just one people. In Luke 4:2527, Jesus reminds His hometown that God sent Elijah to a Gentile widow in Zarephath and healed Naaman the Syrianan enemy commandermaking clear that Gods mercy is received through Jesus by faith to all who will receive it, not where privilege assumes it. There are four facets of Jesus ministry that is described in these verses: Jesus Came as Good News to the Poor for All People Jesus clarifies the kind of poverty He has in view when He says,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Matt. 5:3). This poverty is not merely economic. Scripture and experience alike tell us that not all who are materially poor long for God. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before Himthose who know they have nothing to offer God but their need. Jesus is good news to such people precisely because it is only through Jesus that one can have God. Those who believe themselves rich in righteousness will feel no need for a Savior, but those who know they are empty will discover that Christ is everything. Jesus Came to Set Captives Free Out from the Nations Scripture declares,For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23). Every human being is born enslaved to sinany violation of Gods holy standard. Human experience confirms what Scripture teaches:The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?(Jer. 17:9). Apart from Christ, every one of us stands under judgment (Rev. 20:1115). This is why Jesus came. As John the Baptist proclaimed,Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!(John 1:29). When Jesus read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, His hearers assumed He was announcing political liberation and national restoration. What they did not understand was that their deepest captivity was not Roman oppression but spiritual bondage. Jesus came to proclaim liberty to captives whose chains were forged by sin. Jesus Came to Give Sight to the Blind Who Make Up All Humanity While Jesus healed physical blindness throughout His ministry, His greater work was opening spiritually blind eyes. This blindness is not learnedit is native to us. Scripture teaches,The hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts while they live, and afterward they go to the dead(Eccl. 9:3). Like a blind man standing in bright sunlight, the human heart may sense that something is there yet remain unable to see it. The apostle Paul explains this condition plainly:But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned(1 Cor. 2:14). Only Jesus can open blind hearts to see the truth and beauty of God. Jesus Came to Bring Salvation and Redemption as Far as the Curse is Found Isaiah 61 was understood as a promise of a new agean age in which broken people and a broken creation would be restored, an age without tyranny, injustice, suffering, or death (Isa. 11:69; 65:1725). When Jesus read that passage, He claimed to be the One who would inaugurate that renewal. His miracleshealing the sick, restoring the lame, opening blind eyes, and raising the deadwere not merely acts of compassion; they were signs pointing to a greater restoration still to come (Matt. 11:45). Jesus redemption is both spiritual and physical. Though believers continue to struggle with sin and weakness in this life, there is coming a day when resurrection will make us whole:For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality(1 Cor. 15:53), whenwhat is mortal will be swallowed up by life(2 Cor. 5:4). How far reaching is the salvation and redemption Jesus was born to bring? Oh, let the anthem of Isaac Watts great hymn ring true in your heart: No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found How far Christian? As far as the curse is found! Far as, far as the curse is found This is the gospel Jesus declared in Nazareth. It is comprehensive, gracious, and costly. It confronts sin, heals blindness, breaks chains, and promises restoration. And yet Luke tells us that this announcement did not lead to repentanceit led to rejection (Luke 4:2830). What Jesus proclaimed as good news, His hometown soon heard as an offense. They wanted a Messiah of their own making, not one who exposed their sin and need of a redeemer! They wanted deliverance on their terms, not salvation on Gods terms. And when Jesus made clear that Gods grace could not be claimed or secured by their religious deeds alone, admiration turned to rejection. Luke 4 reminds us that the greatest danger is not rejecting Jesus outright but rejecting Him after we think we know Him. The Promised One stood before them, opened the Scriptures, and declared fulfillmentand they refused Him. And that leaves us with the same question this passage presses upon every hearer: Will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He refuses to be the Savior we want Him to be? He is still good news to the poor, freedom for the captive, sight for the blind, and restoration for the brokenbut only for those willing to receive Him on His terms. The people rejected Jesus because He did not fit their mold of what the Messiah should be. He was not the Savior they wanted, even though He was exactly the Savior they needed. Jesus fulfilled Gods promises, but He refused to conform to human expectations. And Luke 4 presses the same question upon us today: will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He will not become the Messiah we want Him to be?

From the opening chapters of Scripture, the narrative of humanity is marked by the presence of a tree. At the heart of Eden stood two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life offered the promise of ongoing life, while the other was strictly off limits, carrying the warning that eating its fruit would bring death. When the first humans chose to take what God had forbidden, they inherited not blessing but a cursebanishment from paradise and the inheritance of death. Since that fateful day in Eden, we have lived beneath the shadow of that curse outside of Eden, our lives marked by its consequences. Throughout this series,The Tree, we have traced Gods answer to the problem introduced in Eden. We have seen a promised Seed spoken of in the garden (Gen. 3:15), a promise preserved through judgment in the days of Noah (Gen. 69), narrowed through Abrahams only son (Gen. 22), carried forward through broken families and deeply flawed people, guarded through exile and deliverance, and entrusted to kings who both reflected Gods purposes and failed to live up to them. Again and again, the message has been unmistakable: Gods promise advances not because His people are faithful, but because He is. And then, in the fullness of time, the promise took on flesh (Gal. 4:4-7). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). God did not merely speak againHe stepped into the story Himself (Heb. 1:1-2).Yet Luke 4 marks a decisive moment. Jesus is no longer simply the child of promise or the quiet presence of Immanuel. In Luke 4, Jesus stands up, opens the Scriptures, and for the first time publicly declares who He is and why He has come. It is no mystery that we humans are a mess. Scripture does not flatter us, and history confirms the diagnosis. We are fallen creatures living under the curse of sin. We are born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), enslaved to desires we cannot master (Rom. 6:16), inclined to distort what God has called good (Rom. 1:2125), and we live beneath the shadow of deathboth physical and spiritual (Rom. 5:12). Though humanity still bears the image of God (Gen. 1:2627), that image is no longer reflected as it once was. Our thinking is darkened, our lives disordered, and our relationships fractured. We were made for communion with God, yet we live far from Him. This brokenness did not occur in a vacuum. Scripture is equally clear that there is an enemy in the storyreal, personal, and malicious. Satan is the great antagonist of redemptive history, a murderer from the beginning who traffics in lies and delights in death. Jesus said of him,He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him for he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). Yet even in judgment, God spoke hope. To the serpent and the woman He declared that a descendant would comeOne who would be wounded, yet in being wounded would crush the serpents head (Gen. 3:15). Death would strike, but it would not have the final word. From that moment forward, the Scriptures move with expectation. God promised His people a Deliverersomeone greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15; Heb. 3:16), someone greater than David who would reign with justice and peace forever (2 Sam. 7:1216; Ezek. 37:2428), someone who would not merely rule but redeem. Through the prophets, God revealed that peace would come through suffering, that the One who would heal the world would first bear the curse Himself. Isaiah saw it clearly:But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings and by His wounds we are healed(Isa. 53:5). This is why the announcement of Jesus birth was not sentimental but staggering. When angels appeared to shepherds living in darkness, they did not proclaim a teacher or a moral example, but a Savior:For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord(Luke 2:11). As the apostle Paul later wrote,For all the promises of God are Yes in Christ(2 Cor. 1:20; BSB). Jesus is not one promise among manyHe is the fulfillment of them all. It is against this backdrop that Luke 4 unfolds. Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, enters the synagogue, and is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He reads words every faithful Jew knew well: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:1819; Isa. 61:12). After reading, Jesus sat down and declared,Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing(Luke 4:21). We are then told that the immediate response of those in the synagogue that day was that of admiration: And all the people were speaking well of Him, and admiring the gracious words which were coming from His lips; and yet they were saying, Is this not Josephs son? (v. 22). Now listen (or read) what Jesus said next: And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me: Physician, heal yourself! All the miracles that we heard were done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. But He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a severe famine came over all the land; and yet 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 with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. (vv. 23-27) Jesus mentioned two different people who had no biological connection to Abraham nor were they Jewish. A prophet called to speak on behalf of God by the name of Elijah went to Zarephath under the direction of Yahweh, to a town full of Gentiles during a time that a famine also affected Israel, and yet Elijah went to a Gentile widow who God miraculously fed and protected during that famine (see 1 Kings 17:824). Listen, the point Jesus was making is this: The widow of Zarephath was a Gentile outsiderpoor, desperate, and forgottenyet she received the mercy Israel assumed belonged to them alone. A second example Jesus gave was that of Naaman the Syrian who served as a commander of the enemies of Israel. Jesus said, And there were many with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian (v. 27). Listen to what we are told concerning Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy (v. 1). And yet, God healed him! How was Naaman healed? He was only healed after he humbled himself in obedience to the word of God delivered by Elisha the prophet (see 2 Kings 5:1-14). What was Jesus main point? He was showing that the promise of a Deliverer and redemption was never exclusive to Israel, but it was intended for all nations. When Jesus read from Isaiah and proclaimed, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21), He wasnt simply interpreting the passageHe was revealing Himself as its fulfillment. In that moment, Jesus was announcing His mission, His authority, and the inclusive nature of His kingdom. He declared Himself as the promised Delivererthe greater Adam, the greater Abraham, the true Israeland made clear that through Him, blessing would extend to every nation, not just one people. In Luke 4:2527, Jesus reminds His hometown that God sent Elijah to a Gentile widow in Zarephath and healed Naaman the Syrianan enemy commandermaking clear that Gods mercy is received through Jesus by faith to all who will receive it, not where privilege assumes it. There are four facets of Jesus ministry that is described in these verses: Jesus Came as Good News to the Poor for All People Jesus clarifies the kind of poverty He has in view when He says,Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Matt. 5:3). This poverty is not merely economic. Scripture and experience alike tell us that not all who are materially poor long for God. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before Himthose who know they have nothing to offer God but their need. Jesus is good news to such people precisely because it is only through Jesus that one can have God. Those who believe themselves rich in righteousness will feel no need for a Savior, but those who know they are empty will discover that Christ is everything. Jesus Came to Set Captives Free Out from the Nations Scripture declares,For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Rom. 3:23). Every human being is born enslaved to sinany violation of Gods holy standard. Human experience confirms what Scripture teaches:The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?(Jer. 17:9). Apart from Christ, every one of us stands under judgment (Rev. 20:1115). This is why Jesus came. As John the Baptist proclaimed,Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!(John 1:29). When Jesus read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, His hearers assumed He was announcing political liberation and national restoration. What they did not understand was that their deepest captivity was not Roman oppression but spiritual bondage. Jesus came to proclaim liberty to captives whose chains were forged by sin. Jesus Came to Give Sight to the Blind Who Make Up All Humanity While Jesus healed physical blindness throughout His ministry, His greater work was opening spiritually blind eyes. This blindness is not learnedit is native to us. Scripture teaches,The hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts while they live, and afterward they go to the dead(Eccl. 9:3). Like a blind man standing in bright sunlight, the human heart may sense that something is there yet remain unable to see it. The apostle Paul explains this condition plainly:But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned(1 Cor. 2:14). Only Jesus can open blind hearts to see the truth and beauty of God. Jesus Came to Bring Salvation and Redemption as Far as the Curse is Found Isaiah 61 was understood as a promise of a new agean age in which broken people and a broken creation would be restored, an age without tyranny, injustice, suffering, or death (Isa. 11:69; 65:1725). When Jesus read that passage, He claimed to be the One who would inaugurate that renewal. His miracleshealing the sick, restoring the lame, opening blind eyes, and raising the deadwere not merely acts of compassion; they were signs pointing to a greater restoration still to come (Matt. 11:45). Jesus redemption is both spiritual and physical. Though believers continue to struggle with sin and weakness in this life, there is coming a day when resurrection will make us whole:For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality(1 Cor. 15:53), whenwhat is mortal will be swallowed up by life(2 Cor. 5:4). How far reaching is the salvation and redemption Jesus was born to bring? Oh, let the anthem of Isaac Watts great hymn ring true in your heart: No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found How far Christian? As far as the curse is found! Far as, far as the curse is found This is the gospel Jesus declared in Nazareth. It is comprehensive, gracious, and costly. It confronts sin, heals blindness, breaks chains, and promises restoration. And yet Luke tells us that this announcement did not lead to repentanceit led to rejection (Luke 4:2830). What Jesus proclaimed as good news, His hometown soon heard as an offense. They wanted a Messiah of their own making, not one who exposed their sin and need of a redeemer! They wanted deliverance on their terms, not salvation on Gods terms. And when Jesus made clear that Gods grace could not be claimed or secured by their religious deeds alone, admiration turned to rejection. Luke 4 reminds us that the greatest danger is not rejecting Jesus outright but rejecting Him after we think we know Him. The Promised One stood before them, opened the Scriptures, and declared fulfillmentand they refused Him. And that leaves us with the same question this passage presses upon every hearer: Will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He refuses to be the Savior we want Him to be? He is still good news to the poor, freedom for the captive, sight for the blind, and restoration for the brokenbut only for those willing to receive Him on His terms. The people rejected Jesus because He did not fit their mold of what the Messiah should be. He was not the Savior they wanted, even though He was exactly the Savior they needed. Jesus fulfilled Gods promises, but He refused to conform to human expectations. And Luke 4 presses the same question upon us today: will we receive Jesus as He truly is, or will we reject Him because He will not become the Messiah we want Him to be?

Thursday, 1 January 2026   But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” Matthew 15:23   “And He answered not a word. And having approached, His disciples, they entreated Him, saying, ‘You dismiss her! For she cries after us'” (CG).   In the previous verse, the woman of Canaan came to Jesus while He was in the region of Tyre and Sidon, begging Him to have mercy on her, seeking help for her demon-possessed daughter. Matthew continues the narrative, saying, “And He answered not a word.”   There are various thoughts on the cold shoulder, which is presented here. Some think that Jesus knew all along what would occur, and He was testing her, allowing the situation to unfold before doing what He knew He would do all along. Ellicott thinks that “the prevailing power of prayer working on the sympathy of Christ” is what eventually will motivate Him.   But at this point, He is candid about why He does not respond to her. That will be seen in the next verse. Jesus was on a mission. It was purposeful, targeted, and required His full attention. Hence, at this time, He did not answer her as she croaked out for her daughter. Matthew continues, saying, “And having approached, His disciples, they entreated Him.”   A new word is seen here, erótaó, to interrogate. HELPS Word Studies says, “make an earnest request, especially by someone on ‘special footing,' i.e. in ‘preferred position.'” A good word to define this is entreat. The disciples are in such a preferred position, and they want to know why He is allowing this to continue.   One can see them, saying to Him (the verb is imperfect), “Why are you allowing her to annoy us. Why don't you just tell her to leave!” It was an interrogation of sorts as to His motives for doing nothing, one way or another. In their ongoing words, Matthew notes they were “saying, ‘You dismiss her! For she croaks after us.'”   Stating the obvious doesn't help anything here. Jesus knows she is there, and yet He is neither dismissing her nor assisting her. Therefore, their petition must be more for their own benefit than to convince Him. They are trying to figure out why He is not acting.   Life application: Put yourself in such a position. If you have been given instructions to do something, and yet an issue arises that does not fit within the parameters of your instructions, but you also don't want to ignore the issue, what would you do?   It is probable that most people would not act. Not acting is not a violation of the mission unless it was made explicit from the outset. To cover every such condition would mean an infinitely long list. Hence, such things are normally not even addressed.   Think of any movie or play where such an event arises. A person has to do something. A secondary issue enters the scene that is not a part of the mission, but which has taken hold of the main actor. It introduces a tension into the narrative as both issues are dealt with. The main directive is followed while the secondary issue is allowed to play out, even though nothing is actively done about it by the main character.   This type of thing happens in real life all the time. An example might be a missionary who goes to a foreign land. His mission is to evangelize the people, making converts. He is not being paid for other things. While there, he meets a lady whom he is big time interested in. However, she is not a Christian, having not accepted the gospel.   What will he do? He cannot act toward her to develop a relationship because that would be contrary to the faith. However, he doesn't want her to go away either. And so he does nothing. Regardless of the outcome (but for the sake of the love story, we'll say she eventually accepts Jesus and they get married), the tension has developed.   This is as common as bullets in an ammo factory, and it is just why so many stories, plays, and movies are developed with this theme. It is a part of the human condition. In the end, when the rules are adhered to and yet the outcome is positive, we always get the best feeling when the story is over. Why? Because to do wrong, despite often being our default setting, is never the preferred option.   Therefore, to allow events to play out to a resolution (hopefully a happy one like our missionary example) is what stirs our human emotions the most. Think about this and consider it as this short story, relayed by Matthew, unfolds before us.   “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16   Lord God, thank You for the humanity of our Messiah, Jesus. In seeing how He responded to the world around us, we have the perfect example of how to conduct our own affairs. May we learn to hold fast to Your word at all times while allowing surrounding events to play out in a way that will be favorable to our hopes and desires. Amen.

Wednesday, 31 December 2025   And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” Matthew 15:22   “And you behold! A Canaanite woman from those same borders, having come, she croaked to Him, saying, ‘You compassionate me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter, she is demon-possessed badly'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus left the land of the Gennesaret and departed to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon. With Him there, Matthew next records, “And you behold! A Canaanite woman.”   This is the only time that the word Chananaios, Canaanite, is seen in the New Testament. That is derived from Chanaan, Canaan, found twice in Acts. This was the early name of the land of Israel, having been named after Canaan, the grandson of Noah through Ham.   The meaning of the name Canaan (Hebrew kna'an) is debated. It is variously translated as Land of Purple, Low, Merchant, etc. The likely meaning is Low, Abased, Humble, Humiliated, something along these lines. This is based on the account of Genesis 9, where Canaan is first mentioned.   In Mark, it says of this same woman that she “was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth.” There is no contradiction in this. Syro-Phonecia is the area, and the term “Greek” is being applied as we might when we say of a person from Germany, “He is a European.” One is a wider explanation of a more precise designation. Albert Barnes provides the historical understanding –   “In ancient times, the whole land, including Tyre and Sidon, was in the possession of the Canaanites, and called Canaan. The Phoenicians were descended from the Canaanites. The country, including Tyre and Sidon, was called Phoenicia, or Syro-Phoenicia. That country was taken by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and those cities, in the time of Christ, were Greek cities. This woman was therefore a Gentile, living under the Greek government, and probably speaking the Greek language. She was by birth a Syro-Phoenician, born in that country, and descended, therefore, from the ancient Canaanites. All these names might, with propriety, be given to her.”   Of this woman of Canaan, it next says, “from those same borders.” The meaning is based on the previous verse, that it is the “allotments – Tyre and Sidon.” Understanding this, Matthew continues, saying, “having come, she croaked to Him, saying, ‘You compassionate me, Lord, Son of David!'”   Nothing is said about how she knew of Jesus, but it is apparent that His fame had extended far and wide. In both Mark and Luke, by this time in the narrative, it was already acknowledged that people from Tyre and Sidon had come to see Jesus (Mark 3:8 and Luke 6:17). Thus, Jewish residents of that area had already gone to see Jesus, returned, and spoken of the things they saw.   Now, knowing He was in the area and understanding that He was the promised Messiah, indicated by the words “Son of David,” this Canaanite woman begs for compassion to be extended even to her, a Gentile.   But more, she is of the cursed line of Canaan. This is based on Noah's cursing of Canaan for what Ham did to him in Genesis 9. The last thing a person of such lineage might expect from the Jewish Messiah would be compassion. And yet, she faithfully came forward in hopeful expectation that He might listen to her plea, which was, “My daughter, she is demon-possessed badly.”   This woman, having heard of Jesus' capabilities, has placed the situation concerning her demon-possessed daughter in the hands of Jesus, hoping He will respond and cure her. Her faith is on prominent display, even if the level of it is not yet revealed.   Life application: In commentaries on this verse, both Cambridge and Vincent's Word Studies say something similar –   “...out of the same coasts] Literally, those coasts. Jesus did not himself pass beyond the borders of Galilee, but this instance of mercy extended to a Gentile points to the wide diffusion of the Gospel beyond the Jewish race.” Cambridge   “Lit., as Rev., from those borders; i.e., she crossed from Phoenicia into Galilee.”   They cannot accept that Jesus traveled outside of Galilee. This, despite two different words having been used to describe His going there. The first was in verse 21, where Jesus is said to have traveled to the “allotments – Tyre and Sidon.” The second, in verse 22, says “from those same borders,” meaning she was born, raised, and lived in the same area where Jesus had traveled to.   These scholars got it stuck in their heads that Jesus never left the area of Galilee based on what it says when He charged His disciples not to go in the way of the Gentiles and by His words that will say that He was sent to minister only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Because of this, their faulty deduction is that “Jesus never left the Galilee.”   Both of those statements were addressed in the comments of verse 15:21. It explicitly says Jesus traveled to this area. But once we have a presupposition stuck in our head, cognitive dissonance takes over, and we will do anything to justify falling in line with what we want the text to say.   What do you believe about the timing of the rapture? Have you got that in your head because of what you were taught? If so, the chances are that you will argue that point regardless of what the Bible actually says. That is unwise. We must be willing to acknowledge that we could be wrong.   Be sure to keep all things in their proper context. This is of paramount importance. From there, be willing to accept that what you think is true might be wrong. After that, do your study and don't violate the “context” issue if you find you might have been wrong. This is what most people do when faced with the reality that things aren't matching up with what they thought.   Context is king. So keep everything in its proper context. From there, stick to it at all times. Your doctrine will improve as long as you stick to what is said, regardless of what you think you know.   Lord God, none of us wants to be proven wrong. And none of us wants to betray the teachings that we received from a beloved pastor or teacher by contradicting what they taught us. And so, we put up a defense against change. Help us not to do this. May we be willing to go where Your word teaches, regardless of whether we find we were wrong. Help us to have this attitude at all times. Amen.

Tuesday, 30 December 2025   Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Matthew 15:21   “And having departed thence, Jesus, He withdrew to the allotments – Tyre and Sidon” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus finished His explanation of the things that defile a man. Eating with unwashed hands was not among those things. Next, Matthew records, “And having departed thence.”   The last record of where they were was in the land of Gennesaret. That was noted in Matthew 14:34. The account doesn't say why they left, but some scholars assume it was to avoid the anger of the Pharisees whom He had shamed. Regardless of the reason, it next says, “Jesus, He withdrew to the allotments – Tyre and Sidon.”   This is not the first time that these two cities are mentioned, but it is the first time that it notes Jesus having gone to them. The first time, it was in reference to His works, which evidenced His being the Messiah –   “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21, 22   As for the terminology, it says that He went to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon. Thus, He may not have gone to these cities, but to the surrounding area. However, it would be inappropriate to assume that He didn't go there based on His words to the disciples about not going in the way of the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) or His words concerning being sent only to the House of Israel, which will be stated in verse 24 of this chapter.   The reason for this is that, despite being Gentile cities, there was probably a sizeable Jewish presence there. Going to a Jewish home in a Gentile area would not violate either statement. He would remain in the “way of the Jews,” and He would be ministering to the House of Israel.   Of this visit, the Pulpit Commentary says –   “If, as Chrysostom suggests, Jesus, by going to these partly Gentile districts, wished to give a practical commentary on the abrogation of the distinction between clean and unclean (breaking down the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile), this lesson was given equally well by the acceptance and commendation of the Gentile woman's faith, even though Christ himself was outside of pagan territory.”   This is, as noted in a previous commentary, not an appropriate sentiment. It is true that Jesus fulfilled the law and set aside all dietary laws in its fulfillment. It is also true that the wall of partition is brought down in Christ. However, it is an unacceptable leap to assume that Jesus was there to “give a practical commentary on the abrogation of the distinction between clean and unclean.”   That is putting the cart before the horse. Only in the completed work of Christ is that realized. The introduction of the Gentile woman will be the same lesson to Israel as that stated by Him in Luke 4:23-27. God does not favor Jews over Gentiles, and His mercy towards Gentiles was evidenced concerning this in the past.   His point is the same there as it was with the centurion already noted in Matthew 8. God is looking for faith in people. He would rather have a faith-filled Gentile than an entire nation of Jews lacking faith. True as this is, it has nothing to do with Jesus hinting that the ceremonial parts of the law had been abrogated by Him.   If that was what He intended, and the people of Israel would have known this very well, they would have taken Him out and stoned Him. Even after the resurrection, the Jews still didn't get this. They insisted on maintaining the dietary laws scrupulously. Peter had to be explicitly told that this was not appropriate in Acts 10 before he was told to go to the house of Cornelius.   Life application: It must be trumpeted loudly that the dispensational model is a necessary part of what God is doing in order for us to rightly divide Scripture. Until it was fully laid out and explained, commentaries throughout the centuries were wholly incorrect in explaining what Jesus did and what the effects of His work meant for the people of the world.   Even to this day, churches that do not understand or properly teach dispensationalism have all kinds of aberrant doctrines they must contend with. Actual contradictions in their doctrine and theology arise because of mishandling this important precept.    It affects the doctrines of salvation, end times matters, law observance, and so much more. Be sure to study and remember the principal tenets of the dispensational model. In doing so, you will avoid many pitfalls that some of even the greatest teachers of Scripture have failed to get right.   Lord God, help us to rightly divide Your word, the word of truth. It is without error or contradiction. But when we misunderstand the context, we will have both creep up in our doctrine. Help us to get things right. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 18:25-29. And the people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household." Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. — Judges 18:25-29 The Danites finally get what they wanted—a city, a priest, and a name. From the outside, it looks like triumph. But it's all built on theft and deceit. They conquered Laish not through faith, but through force. God never told them to take this land. They took it because it was easy. They called it "God's will," but it was just willpower. That's how sin disguises itself: it borrows the language of faith to bless the work of the flesh. The Danites built a city on the illusion of success. But anything built on disobedience will eventually collapse. We have all done this: We push instead of pray. We manipulate instead of trusting. We use strength, strategy, and spin to get what we want—and then call it God's blessing. But real victory never comes by force. It comes by faith. Faith waits when force demands. Faith obeys when ambition rushes. Faith surrenders when pride insists. The tribe of Dan won a city—but lost its way. Don't lose your way, do things God's way. ASK THIS: Where have you been pushing by force instead of walking by faith? Have you ever mistaken human success for God's blessing? What would it look like to stop striving and start trusting? How can you rebuild what's been done your way, God's way? DO THIS: Pause before your next decision—ask, "Am I forcing this, or is God leading it?" Read Psalm 127:1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." PRAY THIS: Lord, keep me from building by force what You've called me to build by faith. I don't want hollow victories or false success—only what's done in Your strength and truth. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Wait On You."

PREVIEW; In this interview, historian James Tabor discusses his research into the historical identity of Jesus's biological father, as explored in his book The Lost Mary. He examines the ancient name Pantera, which appears in early texts and has been linked to both the family of Joseph and a specific Roman soldier stationed in Germany. By analyzing a nineteenth-century archaeological discovery of a tombstone belonging to a soldier from the Sidon region, Tabor investigates whether this individual could be the man mentioned in ancient traditions. While traditional scholarship identifies Josephas the father, Tabor uses archaeological evidence and linguistic clues to consider alternative possibilities. His work seeks to reconstruct the life of Mary by synthesizing fragmentary historical records and physical artifacts. This investigation highlights the complexities of tracing ancestral lineages through the intersection of biblical tradition and Roman military history. MORE TOMORROW, CHRISTMAS DAY. 1687

The tribe of Asher was populous, and their land allotment in the Levant bordered Sidon and Tyre. Their descendants included the Vandals, and they spread to many lands, including the Eurasian steppes, Wales, Sweden, and North Africa.  Many of them ultimately became Arian Christians, and amazingly God has the ability to identify who are His, and where they all went! Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved

This Sunday we'll be reading Matthew 15:21-28.This is a distressing section of Scripture. We are confronted with a Jesus who seems strange to us; uncharacteristically distant and even apparently rude. He and his disciples have left Israel and are 50 miles north in the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, which is modern day Lebanon. While there, a local woman calls out for Jesus' help on behalf of her demonized daughter. Jesus doesn't answer her, but remains silent.Jesus' response and statements about and to this woman are perplexing – they have been since he spoke them, I guess. What lessons can we learn about faith – faith that's not easy, exercised in a world that is not easy on us either. In what ways can she inspire us when we feel frustrated by God's silence or by circumstances that seem to be against us?We will be hearing a very interesting take on this passage tomorrow from a guest speaker. I'm very excited to hear what it said!Click here for a pdf version of the teaching slideshow.

Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.  11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,  11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?  11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:  11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.  11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?  11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.  11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.  11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.  11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.  11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.  11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,  11:17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.  11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.  11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.  11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:  11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.  11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.  11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.  11:26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.  11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.  11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Shared via Bible KJV( https://play.google.com/store/... )

Ezekiel - Grief over Tyre, Tyre's King Overthrown, Judgment of Sidon, Israel Regathered.Hebrews - Jesus, the Example; A Father's Discipline, Contrast of Sinai and Zion, The Unshaken Kingdom.

The final chapter of Joel's prophecy always intrigues us.  It's opening verse is plain – “For behold in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem.  I will …”  The fortunes of God's nation of Israel have been dramatically restored in the last 100 years.  How long, we ask ourselves, before “the LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth quake” [v.16]Very pertinent questions arise from God's words in v,12,13, “I will sit to judge the surrounding nations … for their evil is great.”   The next verse says, “multitudes” are involved – and yesterday's chapter indicated a particular “northerner” is involved who is destroyed after “he has done great things.” [2 v.20]In today's chapter the question is asked, “What are you to me O Tyre and Sidon?” [3 v,4] Today this is the nation of Lebanon, “the region of Philistia” is also involved, which is now known as ‘the Gaza strip.'   The answer of the question is clear – they are counted as nothing in God's eyes.A wider challenge is made; “Proclaim this among the nations: consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up … let the weak say, ‘I am a warrior.'” [v.9,10] All this has happened – is that happening complete?   Verse 16 & 17 indicate a final climax when “The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake.  But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. So you shall know that I am the LORD your God …”  The world at that time will know – but those who diligently read God's word should “know” now!What a blessing such knowledge will prove to be when the LORD “roars” and the nations are in great alarm.  Those who “know” will have a special ‘peace of mind' – and they should have it now – they need to have it now.   Look at the point Paul makes, that we also read today as he completed his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, “Now may the God of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” [v.16]  Are you feeling receptive to that peace?  You should be.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“Might be back on the ropes,Might be down in the ring,Oh, Death, you're a fighter,But you've lost all your sting.So the more that you hit meThe more you can't win.You can knock me down, drag me out,But ring the bell for one more round.I'll get up again, ‘cause this is not the end.”~“This Is Not The End” by The Grey Havens “God never fumbles the ball. If he turns it over to the other side for a few downs, it's because he knows a better way to win.”~John Piper, pastor and author “What would it mean for Christians to give up that little piece of the American Dream that says, ‘You are limitless?' Everything is not possible. The mighty kingdom of God is not yet here. What if ‘rich' did not have to mean ‘wealthy', and ‘whole' did not have to mean ‘healed?' What if being the people of ‘the gospel' meant that we are simply people with good news? God is here. We are loved. It is enough.”~Kate Bower in Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved “This is the most precious answer God can give us: wait. It makes us cling to him rather than to an outcome. God knows what I need; I do not. He sees the future; I cannot. His perspective is eternal; mine is not. He will give me what is best for me when it is best for me.”~Vaneetha Rendall Risner in The Scars That Have Shaped Me SERMON PASSAGEActs 12:1-24 (ESV) 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

Theme: Restoration, Repentance, and Prophecy — God's Zeal for Zion and His Sovereign Plan Pastor Matthew continued the study in Zechariah chapters 8–9, emphasizing God's zealous love for Jerusalem, His plan to restore His people, and the prophetic revelation of Jesus' triumphal entry hundreds of years before it happened. The message blended historical restoration, end-time prophecy, and personal spiritual application about obedience, repentance, and loving truth. The Context of Zechariah's Message Zechariah ministered to the returning exiles who were rebuilding the temple and city after Babylonian captivity. His message: Repent and rebuild, learning from the failures of their fathers who disobeyed God. “The reason Jerusalem was run over and the walls were down was because their fathers decided not to obey God.” Pastor warned that disobedience in one generation damages the next, but also offered hope: “The Lord will restore everything the cankerworm has eaten… You can start over today because His mercies are new every morning.” God's Zealous Love and Protective Jealousy (Zechariah 8:1–3) God declares: “I am zealous for Zion with great zeal.” Pastor explained the difference between sinful jealousy (possessive, fearful) and God's holy jealousy (protective, loving). He illustrated this with a story of a discerning wife's protective instinct — likening God's jealousy to the kind that protects, not controls. Application: God's jealousy is a shield of love, not suspicion. He guards His people as a husband guards his bride. God's Promise of Restoration and Peace Zechariah's vision shows old men and women in the streets and children playing again — symbols of renewed peace. Pastor noted that this prophecy has a dual fulfillment: Immediate — Israel's physical return and rebuilding under Nehemiah and Zechariah. Future — The millennial kingdom, when Christ reigns and Jerusalem is finally at peace. “There's coming a day when Jerusalem will never be moved again. They'll suffer, but they're there to stay.” The Nations and Israel — God's Sovereign Control Pastor described how world events align with biblical prophecy: nations turning against Israel, yet unable to uproot her. He cautioned that the stage is being set for the end-times conflict when “all nations come against Jerusalem.” “They're not leaving. Russia's not pushing them out. Muslims aren't. America won't compromise them out. They belong to God.” He reminded the congregation that God owns every nation: “Israel belongs to God. So does Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, America, and China. The earth is the Lord's.” Key Point: The rise and fall of nations are under divine authority; human plans collapse, but God's purposes stand forever (Psalm 2). God's Call to Integrity and Truth (Zechariah 8:16–17) The Lord calls His people to: Speak truth to neighbors. Give just judgment. Avoid evil and deceit. Pastor explained that while we are no longer “under the law,” the Ten Commandments remain, summed up in Jesus' two greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself.” He warned against loving lies and gossip, urging believers to love truth even when it hurts: “Love truth when it punches you in the face. It's your protector.” The Value of Correction and Loving Truth Pastor reminded that truth both encourages and rebukes: “One day truth pats you on the back, saying, ‘Keep going.' The next day it slaps you on the shoulder and says, ‘Stop being foolish.' We need both.” Truth guards against deception — echoing Paul's warning that in the last days, God will send strong delusion to those who reject truth (2 Thess. 2:11–12). Application: “Don't just love truth when it makes you feel good — love it when it corrects you. That's what keeps you safe.” Restoration of Joy and the Future Kingdom (Zechariah 8:19–23) God promised that Israel's fasts of mourning would become feasts of joy. People from many nations would say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” Pastor noted this points to both: Israel's national revival, and The global acknowledgment of God's presence among His people. He reminded the church that God reveals Himself to all nations and that no one is beyond His reach, citing: “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11) God's Sovereignty in Judgment and Mercy (Zechariah 9) Pastor transitioned into Zechariah 9, noting it shifts from restoration to prophecy and divine judgment. The Lord declares He will judge the surrounding nations (Tyre, Sidon, Gaza, Ashkelon, Philistia), showing He alone controls history. “Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. If He tells you to store up, do it. If not, don't worry — just obey Him.” Prophecy of the Messiah — The Triumphal Entry (Zechariah 9:9–10) One of Scripture's clearest messianic prophecies: “Behold, your King is coming to you… lowly and riding on a donkey.” Pastor showed how this prophecy was fulfilled exactly in Luke 19:28–40, 500 years later, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt. He explained Jesus' deity through this miracle: He knew where the donkey was before the disciples arrived. The unbroken colt didn't resist because its Creator was riding it. “You don't buck the one who made you.” Key Revelation: Even creation recognizes the Creator. When the Pharisees told Jesus to silence His followers, He replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Closing Reflections — God's Ownership and Faithfulness Everything in creation belongs to God and returns to Him. All life flows from Him — human, animal, or natural — and He sustains it all. Pastor closed personally, thanking the congregation for prayers during his recovery from hip pain, testifying how God used the trial to draw him closer: “If you'll just talk to God and open your life to Him, He'll use it. He knows how to do things right.” He reflected on Jacob's limp and said, like the patriarch, “God weakened my strength in the way” to prepare him for the next phase of ministry. Core Message God's jealousy is protective — His love guards His people. Love truth, even when it hurts. Israel's restoration and Christ's reign are certain. God's Word is precise — prophecy always fulfills perfectly. Every trial, every delay, every pain can be used by God for transformation.  

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23. Our text today is Judges 10:6. The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. — Judges 10:6 For forty-five years under two Judges, Tola and Jair, Israel lived in peace. No drama. Just stability and faithfulness. But then came the slow creep of boredom. Instead of treasuring this quiet time, they ran after the thrills of idols—seven different gods from seven different nations. A sudden departure from God. It was certainly a restless search for "something more." More passion, more excitement, more control. But as we have learned repeatedly in Judges, empty idols never deliver. They always take more than they give. But we aren't that much different. When life feels stable, our hearts get restless. We scroll for the next dopamine hit, chase the next upgrade, crave the next thrill. Faithfulness begins to feel boring. And so, like Israel, we start reaching for idols—money, comfort, pleasure, approval, or success—hoping they'll spark what feels missing. But once we taste, the thrill fades fast. The upgrade is quickly outdated. The pleasure leaves us emptier than before. It's like running on a treadmill; we burn lots of energy but go nowhere. The problem isn't adventure or seeking adventure. The problem is where we seek it. The best adventure isn't found in chasing the next high—it's found in pursuing the living God. Running after God is the ultimate adventure. Following his call is the ultimate thrill. So don't pursue fake thrills, quick fixes, and short-lived highs. Trade in the hit for the Most High God. ASK THIS: Where do I chase quick thrills instead of God's steady presence? What's the "idol" I turn to when life feels boring? How has thrill-seeking left me emptier instead of fuller? What would it look like to see following God as the ultimate adventure? DO THIS: Today, replace one "dopamine scroll" (phone, purchase, escape) with a moment of pursuit—pray, read Scripture, or worship. Trade the hit for the real adventure. PRAY THIS: Lord, forgive me for chasing thrills apart from You. Teach me to see You as the true adventure of my life, the only pursuit that satisfies. Amen. PLAY THIS: "My King Forever."

Mark 7:24-30 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss Jesus's interaction with the Syrophoenician woman. Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23192The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

How many of us would feed a hungry stranger with the last crust of bread left in the house?The prophet Elijah received a prophecy that the land would suffer a years-long drought, and this message from God had come to pass. The Lord sent him to a ravine east of the Jordan River, where He sent ravens with bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and Elijah could drink from a brook, but eventually, the brook ran dry because there was no rain in the land.The Lord commanded Elijah, “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”When the prophet came upon the widow, she told him she had just enough flour and oil left for a last meal for herself and her son, and she expected they would die of starvation after this final meal.Elijah instructed her not to be afraid and asked her to make a small loaf of bread for him, then to do the same for herself and her son.1 Kings 17:15–16 says, “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” Because of the kindness she paid to the Lord's servant, the unnamed widow was blessed with enough to continue sharing with Elijah, and enough for her family to eat until the rains returned.Let's pray.God, you are our steadfast provider. When we have an opportunity to give to those in need, remind us that you bless us with enough to share. Help us to give unselfishly from the abundance you provide for us. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

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

Read OnlineJesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” Luke 10:13Have you ever sat in sackcloth and ashes? In the Gospel passage above, Jesus gives clear indication that doing so is a holy sign of responding to His preaching. He states that the pagan towns of Tyre and Sidon would have certainly sat in sackcloth and ashes if they would have been privileged to witness the mighty deeds done in the Jewish towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida.“Sackcloth and ashes” were a common sign used to indicate interior repentance and sorrow for sin. There are many times throughout the Old Testament when this happened. Recall, for example, that when Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, everyone from the king down to the common citizen responded by expressing their repentance in this way (Jonah 3:5–7). Sackcloth was a rough and uncomfortable material usually made out of black goats hair, symbolizing the rejection of the false consolation of sin. Ashes symbolized desolation and destruction resulting from purifying fire. Of course, all of us do sit in ashes every Ash Wednesday as an external manifestation of our desire to repent. And though putting on actual sackcloth for clothing today may not be our literal practice, it is good to see the spiritual fruitfulness of these actions and to consider ways in which these actions can still be performed in our day and age. How might you sit in sackcloth and ashes today? What practical action can you take to publicly manifest your desire to turn from sin and toward the Gospel?First of all, to properly answer this question, it's important to recognize the fact that turning from sin should not only be a personal and interior act, it must also be exterior and manifest for others to see. Sin not only does harm to us individually, but it also damages others in varying degrees. Therefore, if your sin has done clear harm to others, it's important to realize that you not only need to repent to God but that you must also repent in such a way that others see your repentance and sorrow.So how might you repent in sackcloth and ashes today? There are many ways to do this. The essential quality present in such an act will be that it is clear to others that you are sorry for your sin and that you are attempting to change. If the sin you have committed toward another is grave, then your interior repentance must match the seriousness of your sin, and the exterior manifestation of that repentance must also measure up. Reflect, today, upon some practical ways in which God is calling you to publicly manifest your “sitting in sackcloth and ashes” as a sign of your sorrow toward those against whom you have sinned. For example, if your sin is that of anger and you have regularly harmed another by that sin, then don't only repent to God, look also for external ways to manifest your sorrow to them. Perhaps do some form of manifest service for them. Or engage in a public act of penance, such as fasting, as a way of showing them you are sorry. Manifest charitable good works, service, prayer, public penance and the like are all ways that you can spiritually and practically sit “in sackcloth and ashes” today. My merciful Lord, You call me to daily repent of my sin and to do so through the manifest signs of sitting “in sackcloth and ashes.” Give me the grace of true sorrow for my sins and help me to sincerely repent as I trust in Your mercy. As I do, please also guide me so that I may humble myself and express my sorrow in manifest ways toward those against whom I have sinned. May this humble act bring healing and unity in You. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Day of Judgement by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.