Podcasts about Herod

When Herod the tetrarch hears the miracles of Jesus, Herod believes John has been raised from the dead. The Evangelist recounts the story of how John was martyred, going back to his imprisonment for preaching God's Word against Herod's adultery. Although Herod has authority, everyone around him exercises power over him, from Herodias to Herodias' daughter to the crowds. Although Herod cowardly puts John to death, the Word of God that John preached endures forever. John's death points forward to Christ's death, and Christ's resurrection promises John's resurrection.  Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Assistant Vice President of Admissions at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 14:1-12.  “The Reign of Heaven Stands Near” is a series on Sharper Iron that studies the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims that God has fulfilled His Old Testament promises by sending Jesus to bring the reign of the heavens among us. As the Son of David, Jesus is the gracious King we need, and as the Son of Abraham, Jesus is the blessing to all the families of the earth.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Pastor Appel serves at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, IL. Learn more at flcgodfrey.org. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

On this episode, Paul White talks about Herod and the ordered killing of all infants. Accompanying scripture: Matthew 2:16-18. 

Are you so busy worrying about today's problems that you're missing what God is doing right in front of you?In Mark 8:14-30, the disciples sit in the same boat with Jesus, the One who had just fed thousands with only a few loaves, yet all they can think about is lunch. While Christ warns them about eternal danger, they are consumed with temporary needs. This passage exposes one of Satan's greatest strategies: not convincing people to hate Jesus, but keeping them distracted from Him.In this expository Bible sermon through the Gospel of Mark, we examine Jesus' warning to "Beware of the leaven" and discover how spiritual blindness develops, how false teaching quietly spreads, and how God progressively opens the eyes of His people to see Christ more clearly.In This Message You'll Discover:Why earthly distractions can dull your spiritual visionWhat Jesus meant by "the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod"The three dangerous leavens every Christian must recognize:Religious hypocrisyUnbelief and false teachingPolitical idolatry and worldly compromiseWhy Jesus healed the blind man in two stagesHow the disciples moved from confusion to confessing Jesus as the ChristWhat it means to grow in spiritual discernmentThe future hope of seeing Christ face to faceThis message reminds us that believers often grow in understanding gradually. Like the blind man in Mark 8, we may first see only dimly, but God continues opening our eyes until the day we see Jesus perfectly.Key Bible Passages• Mark 8:14-30• Matthew 16:1-17• Luke 12:1• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8• Galatians 5:7-9• Isaiah 29:13• John 18:36• Philippians 3:20-21• 1 Corinthians 13:12• 1 John 3:2• Revelation 22:4If this sermon encouraged you, please:

Original Post Date: August 3, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 14:1-12  Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. Reflection One of the things that has been a great mystery to me is how difficult it has been for the church to make changes, to go from the Old Testament model to the New Testament. And the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. And even in the church's history when change came about, it was always difficult for the church to make those changes if they demanded that people see things differently. God's grace is essential for us to embrace the new and integrate it with the old. It's always going to be that way. It's never everything's the same. Certain laws and rules are essential, but how we live them, how we understand them changes as we change. Closing Prayer Father, it's clear that the church is going through some radical changes. Ever since Vatican Two, there's been a stress on the union that we've longed to see in the church. And it has separated us into groups of people who seem to be at odds with each other. The kingdom of heaven is something that we must embrace together. And working together with a spirit of openness is essential. That's what I pray for the church today, that we embrace the new, even though it's difficult, and preserve some of the old, even though that may be difficult for some. Bless us through this crisis. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

+ Evangelio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo según san Mateo 14, 1-12 La fama de Jesús llegó a oídos del tetrarca Herodes, y él dijo a sus allegados: «Este es Juan el Bautista; ha resucitado de entre los muertos, y por eso se manifiestan en él poderes milagrosos.» Herodes, en efecto, había hecho arrestar, encadenar y encarcelar a Juan, a causa de Herodías, la mujer de su hermano Felipe, porque Juan le decía: «No te es lícito tenerla.» Herodes quería matarlo, pero tenía miedo del pueblo, que consideraba a Juan un profeta.El día en que Herodes festejaba su cumpleaños, la hija de Herodías bailó en público, y le agradó tanto a Herodes que prometió bajo juramento darle lo que pidiera. Instigada por su madre, ella dijo: «Tráeme aquí sobre una bandeja la cabeza de Juan el Bautista.» El rey se entristeció, pero a causa de su juramento y por los convidados, ordenó que se la dieran y mandó decapitar a Juan en la cárcel. Su cabeza fue llevada sobre una bandeja y entregada a la joven, y esta la presentó a su madre. Los discípulos de Juan recogieron el cadáver, lo sepultaron y después fueron a informar a Jesús.Palabra del Señor.

Mt 14,1-12.En aquel tiempo, la fama de Jesús llegó a oídos del tetrarca Herodes,y él dijo a sus allegados: "Este es Juan el Bautista; ha resucitado de entre los muertos, y por eso se manifiestan en él poderes milagrosos".Herodes, en efecto, había hecho arrestar, encadenar y encarcelar a Juan, a causa de Herodías, la mujer de su hermano Felipe,porque Juan le decía: "No te es lícito tenerla".Herodes quería matarlo, pero tenía miedo del pueblo, que consideraba a Juan un profeta.El día en que Herodes festejaba su cumpleaños, la hija de Herodías bailó en público, y le agradó tanto a Herodesque prometió bajo juramento darle lo que pidiera.Instigada por su madre, ella dijo: "Tráeme aquí sobre una bandeja la cabeza de Juan el Bautista".El rey se entristeció, pero a causa de su juramento y por los convidados, ordenó que se la dierany mandó decapitar a Juan en la cárcel.Su cabeza fue llevada sobre una bandeja y entregada a la joven, y esta la presentó a su madre.Los discípulos de Juan recogieron el cadáver, lo sepultaron y después fueron a informar a Jesús.

“Herodes mandó degollar a Juan. – Los discípulos de Juan fueron a avisarle a Jesús.”Del santo Evangelio según san Mateo: 14, 1-12.Lectura y reflexión: Pbro. Josué Alejandro Sáenz Naranjo.En aquel tiempo, el rey Herodes oyó lo que contaban de Jesús y les dijo a sus cortesanos: «Es Juan el Bautista, que ha resucitado de entre los muertos y por eso actúan en él fuerzas milagrosas».Herodes había apresado a Juan y lo había encadenado en la cárcel por causa de Herodías, la mujer de su hermano Filipo, pues Juan le decía a Herodes que no le estaba permitido tenerla por mujer. Y aunque quería quitarle la vida, le tenía miedo a la gente, porque creían que Juan era un profeta.Pero llegó el cumpleaños de Herodes, y la hija de Herodías bailó delante de todos y le gustó tanto a Herodes, que juró darle lo que le pidiera. Ella, aconsejada por su madre, le dijo: «Dame, sobre esta bandeja, la cabeza de Juan el Bautista».El rey se entristeció, pero a causa de su juramento y por no quedar mal con los invitados, ordenó que se la dieran; y entonces mandó degollar a Juan en la cárcel.Trajeron, pues, la cabeza en una bandeja, se la entregaron a la joven y ella se la llevó a su madre. Después vinieron los discípulos de Juan, recogieron el cuerpo, lo sepultaron, y luego fueron a avisarle a Jesús.Palabra del Señor.Gloria a ti, Señor Jesús.

Homilia Padre Reinaldo Satiro, IVE:Evangelho de Jesus Cristo segundo Mateus 14,1-12Naquele tempo, a fama de Jesus chegou aos ouvidos do governador Herodes.Ele disse a seus servidores: "É João Batista, que ressuscitou dos mortos; e, por isso, os poderes miraculosos atuam nele".De fato, Herodes tinha mandado prender João, amarrá-lo e colocá-lo na prisão, por causa de Herodíades, a mulher de seu irmão Filipe.Pois João tinha dito a Herodes: "Não te é permitido tê-la como esposa".Herodes queria matar João, mas tinha medo do povo, que o considerava como profeta.Por ocasião do aniversário de Herodes, a filha de Herodíades dançou diante de todos, e agradou tanto a Herodesque ele prometeu, com juramento,dar a ela tudo o que pedisse.Instigada pela mãe, ela disse: "Dá-me aqui, num prato, a cabeça de João Batista".O rei ficou triste, mas, por causa do juramento diante dos convidados, ordenou que atendessem o pedido dela.E mandou cortar a cabeça de João, no cárcere.Depois a cabeça foi trazida num prato, entregue à moça e esta a levou para a sua mãe.Os discípulos de João foram buscar o corpo e o enterraram. Depois foram contar tudo a Jesus. Palavra da Salvação.

1 Naquele tempo, a fama de Jesus chegou aos ouvidos do governador Herodes. 2 Ele disse a seus servidores: "É João Batista, que ressuscitou dos mortos; e, por isso, os poderes miraculosos atuam nele". 3 De fato, Herodes tinha mandado prender João, amarrá-lo e colocá-lo na prisão, por causa de Herodíades, a mulher de seu irmão Filipe. 4 Pois João tinha dito a Herodes: "Não te é permitido tê-la como esposa". 5 Herodes queria matar João, mas tinha medo do povo, que o considerava como profeta. 6 Por ocasião do aniversário de Herodes, a filha de Herodíades dançou diante de todos, e agradou tanto a Herodes 7 que ele prometeu, com juramento, dar a ela tudo o que pedisse. 8 Instigada pela mãe, ela disse: "Dá-me aqui, num prato, a cabeça de João Batista". 9 O rei ficou triste, mas, por causa do juramento diante dos convidados, ordenou que atendessem o pedido dela. 10 E mandou cortar a cabeça de João, no cárcere. 11 Depois a cabeça foi trazida num prato, entregue à moça e esta a levou para a sua mãe. 12 Os discípulos de João foram buscar o corpo e o enterraram. Depois foram contar tudo a Jesus.

+ Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 14: 1 – 12: At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had arrested John, bound (him), and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. The Gospel of the Lord

Read OnlineCharity Unto DeathNow Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. Matthew 14:3–5Saint John the Baptist was unwaveringly bold in his preaching, humble in his disposition toward God, and faithful to the truth he proclaimed. These holy virtues, however, did not spare him from the clutches of Herod—a man morally weak, politically fearful, and unrepentant. In the end, Herod not only imprisoned John but, through the manipulation of his unlawful wife and her daughter, had him killed.Who, then, was victorious? From a worldly perspective, it seemed Herod was. John was not only persecuted but martyred. Yet the true victory belonged to John. His triumph was not in escaping suffering but in remaining faithful—faithful to the truth, to charity toward Herod, and to the salvation of Herod's soul. This sacrificial charity moved John to speak boldly, even at the cost of his life.At John's death, Jesus grieved deeply. The loss was real and sorrowful, but not despairing. John's followers also mourned out of love. He had changed many lives and prepared the way for Jesus' ministry. Of him, Jesus said, “No one born of woman is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).Today, separated by 2,000 years, it can be difficult to feel the sorrow of John's loved ones. Yet the sting of that loss was profound because John loved profoundly. Those who are arrogant and self-centered often fade quickly from memory. But when a life radiates holiness, inspires through simplicity, and transforms hearts through truth, that loss is deeply and rightly mourned.The greatest human sorrow ever known was the mutual suffering of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose love was perfect. Their hearts were pierced not only by personal grief, but by the weight of humanity's sin.John's death was not tragic; it was meaningful. He died for the truth, for charity, for the Messiah. He died as a man deeply loved, whose life touched many. He died not in bitterness or confusion, but in courage, compassion, and purpose. His ministry was powerful, but the witness of his grace-filled martyrdom was even more so.Each of us is called to imitate Saint John the Baptist in our own way—with boldness, humility, and fidelity. We are called to love with a charity that becomes sacrificial, even costly. John's life is a model of that sanctity. Can we see ourselves in him?When you examine your life, do you live boldly and confidently in the truth? Or do you give in to fear, which often leads to confusion and apathy? Is your charity strong enough to endure suffering, even unjust persecution, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls—including your own? Reflect today on the strength of your charity. We are all called to a love so deep that it requires supernatural courage and understanding. Consider your life through the powerful lens of Saint John the Baptist's witness. Sacrifice is painful. It was for John, for his followers, and even for Jesus. Are you willing to endure such suffering in fidelity to God's will? Seek the Baptist's intercession today and follow his example, that your charity may touch many lives and leave a lasting impression. Most loving Lord Jesus, Your human heart grieved the suffering and death of John the Baptist, whose mission was to prepare the way for Your public ministry. Yet Your sorrow did not flow from despair, but from love and gratitude for John's life and his selfless witness, born of true charity. Grant me, I pray, that same courage and love that flowed from John's heart, so that my life, like his, may leave a lasting impression on others, give You glory, and sanctify my own soul. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Martyrdom of St John the Baptist, by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source: 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.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal delivers a rich expository sermon on James 5:1–6, one of the most striking prophetic passages in the New Testament epistles. Drawing on the Jewish literary and cultural context of James's original audience — Jewish Christians scattered from Jerusalem by persecution — Tony unpacks why this text is not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but a devastating judgment oracle against those who hoard riches and oppress the vulnerable. Along the way, he explores the eschatological weight of accumulated wealth, the theology of God's omniscient justice, and the stunning comfort available to the suffering believer. The episode closes by returning to James's thesis: that trials of every kind, including economic oppression, can be counted as joy because of who God is and what He has done in Christ. Key Takeaways James is a deeply Jewish book written to a specific audience — Jewish Christians dispersed from Jerusalem by Saul's persecution, not a general audience of wealthy or Gentile believers. The prophetic "Come now" signals a judgment oracle, not a direct address — James is not rebuking wealthy members of his congregation, but pronouncing eschatological judgment on oppressive landowners using a technique common in Amos, Malachi, and Micah. Hoarding wealth is not morally neutral — it is self-condemning — The corroded gold and moth-eaten garments are not just symbols of decay; they serve as legal evidence against those who refused to use their wealth for God's glory and the good of others. Withholding wages from laborers constitutes a form of murder — In the ancient world, depriving workers of their wages could literally cost them their lives. James draws on Old Testament law to frame predatory economic exploitation as a capital sin. God sees and hears the cries of the oppressed — The wages of defrauded workers "cry out" to the Lord of Hosts, echoing the blood of Abel in Genesis 4. God's justice is not passive or delayed out of ignorance — it is certain and coming. Matthew 25 reframes Christian mercy as care for the body of Christ — The sheep-and-goats judgment is not a general humanitarian mandate, but a specific call to care for persecuted brothers and sisters — and to recognize that mistreating them is mistreating Christ Himself. Trials are counted as joy through the doctrine of imputation — Suffering is not stripped of its pain, but it can be moved from the loss ledger to the profit column because God uses adversity as the instrument of sanctification and glorification. Key Concepts The Prophetic Address: Who Is James Actually Talking To? One of the most common misreadings of James 5:1–6 is assuming James is directly rebuking wealthy Christians in his own congregation. Tony Arsenal corrects this by grounding the passage in its literary and historical context. James employs a well-established prophetic technique — seen in Amos, Malachi, and Micah — of addressing an absent party in order to pronounce judgment on them, while simultaneously comforting those who overhear the oracle. His audience is the dispersed, impoverished Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem under Saul's persecution. There were almost certainly no wealthy landowners in the room. The "Come now, you rich" is a judgment declaration directed outward, designed to assure the suffering poor that God has seen their oppressor and will act. Far from being a proof-text for radical poverty, the passage is a pastoral comfort wrapped in prophetic fire. Corroded Gold as Legal Evidence Against the Soul James's claim that gold and silver have "corroded" is deliberately shocking — and theologically precise. Gold, uniquely among metals in the ancient world, does not corrode. By saying it has already corroded, James is not making a metallurgical claim but a moral and eschatological one. The accumulated, hoarded wealth of the oppressor has lost its purpose. It sits idle while workers starve, and in doing so it becomes evidence — a legal witness — against its owner in the court of divine justice. Tony draws a direct line between this image and Jesus's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about treasures stored on earth being subject to moth and rust. Both brothers — Jesus and James — appear to be drawing on the same shared wisdom, likely rooted in the same household and the same mother's instruction. Unused wealth does not just fail to help others; it actively indicts its holder. Counting It All Joy: The Accounting Logic of Sanctification Tony closes the sermon by returning to James 1:2 — the thesis statement of the entire letter — and unpacking the word "count" as an accounting term, directly related to the doctrine of imputation. Just as righteousness is reckoned to the believer in justification, so suffering can be reckoned as joy in sanctification. This is not a call to pretend pain isn't real, or to perform contentment. It is a theological reframing: what belongs in the loss column of the ledger can, by faith, be moved to the profit side — not because the trial was pleasant, but because God is sovereign, good, and working all things toward the believer's conformity to the image of Christ. The oppressor means their wickedness for evil. God means it for glory. The supreme example is the cross itself — the only truly innocent man, suffering the worst evil ever committed, for the redemption of His people. Memorable Quotes The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you — and the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees you — and that should be a great source of comfort. Imputation is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the loss ledger — what should be an expense — and we're able to move it to the profit. Not because it didn't hurt, and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified. Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." It's always a little, uh, strange to sort of jump into the middle of a series, and, um, you know, Wes is one of the most competent preachers that I know personally, so I trust that he has given you a good and satisfying overview. Uh, but I don't feel like I would be doing my responsibility if I didn't at least touch on a few things, uh, related to the, the intro to James that I think is relevant for this particular passage in a way that maybe is not relevant for the rest of the book. So some of this I hope is review, I, I anticipate is review, but I think it's worth, uh, touching on. James, as you know, is the, the half brother of Jesus. He was the leader of the Jerusalem church, and specifically he was sort of the figurehead of the Jewish church as a whole. Um, the Jewish church was the only church for the very early part of the church's growth. There were always, uh, Gentile believers. Even in the Old Testament, there were Gentiles who trusted in the Lord of Israel and the God of Israel. They were often called God-fearers. They rarely converted all the way to Judaism, but they were sort of seen as an attachment to the Jewish people. They didn't participate in all of the blessings of the Jewish people, but they did participate in most. They often had the same kind of protection. They were in a form of covenant with God. Um, they were able to worship and offer sacrifices. The temple itself had a whole portion of the temple dedicated called the Court of Gentiles, specifically for these Jewish worshipers. And as the church spread, primarily through persecution, which we'll touch base on here in a minute, as the church spread out from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth, it took on a, an increasingly Gentile Greek flavor. As more and more primarily initially Greek converts came into the church, and then of course, as it spread to other sort of non-Hellenistic lands, other, other types of people, other nations, other people groups joined the church, the scriptures which-- the New Testament we receive primarily from Paul, at least in terms of the epistles, um, also began to take on a more Gentile flavor. Not because Paul was a Gentile, but because Paul was ministering primarily to Gentiles What we'll see here is that James is a very Jewish book. I'm sure that along the way there's been several kinds of things pointed out to you to show that, but I wanna show a couple things that not only establish James as the author, James the brother of, of Jesus, but also root the, not only the author, but the audience in a distinctly Jewish Christian, uh, context. So you don't have to turn there, I'll read this, but in Acts, uh, 15, which is the, the great Jerusalem Council, uh, we read this. It says, "With the following letter..." So the, the council meets, they make a decision about what k- what parts of the Jewish law were going to be commended to and recommended, uh, and required for the Christian believers, the Gentile Christian believers, and when they're done, they send this letter to all of, all of the churches. And it says, "With the following letter, the brothers, both apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are at, of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings." Now, I don't know about you, but I always sign my emails the same way, right? I've got, like, my work signature that I have to use, that the, the hospital makes me use with all the proper formatting and colors and fonts, but I always have the same signature. Mine is very simple. I just say, "Thanks," right? I just sign it as, "Thanks," above my signature, and I'm sure you all have that sort of characteristic way you sign a s- sign an email, or maybe it's the way you say goodbye at the end of a phone call. My father-in-law always says, "So long," which is a phrase you don't hear very often, so it's very distinct to him. We all have these little tells in our communication that sort of tip off who they're from. If you turn quickly back over to James 1, so just flip the page, uh, to the left here, he starts his letter by saying, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, greetings." It's the only two letters in the New Testament that we have where the author identifies himself, sends to a sort of generalized audience, and then signs it, "Greetings." Now, James, the brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. He was the leader of the Jewish ch- the Jewish Church in general, and he signed the letter coming from the Acts Council as sort of the presiding minister. If, if we were, y- you might call them, like, the moderator of your business meeting, or we would call them the moderator of our presbytery or our session in the Presbyterian context I come from. He was the one who sort of, like, presided over there, and so the letter that went out to the churches was signed in his name and written, drafted by him. So we see this characteristic way that the letter is addressed with this final word, "Greetings," which is not used frequently in the New Testament We also see when we look at the language carefully that the audience of this, uh, of this letter, it's debated and there are good arguments, but i- in my opinion, it's very clear that the audience of this letter is not Jewish Christians in general or, uh, Jews who have not yet converted. There are some people who would say that 'cause they're called the 12 tribes. But instead it is the Jewish Christians who originally dwelled in Jerusalem and were sent out into the countryside after the persecution that was started primarily by Saul. If you look at Acts, Acts 1 which is, uh, the passage where Saul begins to persecute the church or where Saul kinda comes on the scene as the persecutor of the church, there's a couple distinct, um, distinct linguistic markers we should touch base on. Starting in verse one it says, "And p- Saul approved of his execution. And there arose a day-- that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entered the house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison." When we look at this and we compare it to that, uh, again, that first verse of James where he says to the ones who are scattered, we see that there's a pretty strong linguistic parallel that tells us that the people he has in mind for this letter, the people he's addressing, are the same people who were dispersed or scattered out of Jerusalem in the persecution. When he says to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, that word dispersion is not really a translation. It's what we call a transliteration. So it's not like we've taken a word and sort of given it an English word. We've just changed the word, the letters over to English letters. In Greek, the word is diaspora, dispersion, and in, uh, Acts 1, the verb used to, to sort of describe this scattering of them is diaspero. And it is a picture of scattering seed. This is what a farmer would do. So it's not even the normal word we would use when someone is fleeing persecution. It's this idea that God has scattered Christians out into the world, in this case by persecution. He scattered them out into the world to be planted. A lot of this is where we get phrases from Tertullian about the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Now, why does this matter? As I mentioned, we often think in Gentile categories when we're reading the New Testament, and for good reason. One, we're all, all Gentiles, I'm presuming. I, I don't, I don't think-- I think I mentioned this last time, and no one came up and corrected me. I don't think anyone here is ethnically Jewish with ancestry that they're directly aware of, you know, where they trace their lineage directly back. Europe is a, a big amalgamation of just about everything, so most of us probably have a smattering of different ethnicities. But none of us are ethnically Jewish to the idea that we would, uh, identify as such in the same way. And even if we were, we've been raised and grown up in a Gentile context. We live in the West. We have-- We think in different categories. And what's more is most of the New Testament is written primarily to Gentiles by someone who is ministering to Gentiles. So Paul uses a fair amount of, of Hebraisms or things that are related to the Old Testament. Of course, he's explaining the Old Testament, and he makes ample reference to the Old Testament because that is the word of God, and it is profitable for our teaching, our correction, our reproof, and ultimately for our, our sanctification. But he uses metaphors and language in a way that is not common to the Israel context that Jesus and James and Peter and the other apostles were raised in. We don't have time to go there, but there's even some metaphors that Paul uses that are actually used the opposite way in, uh, in the more Hebraic Jewish, uh, epistles we have. One example that comes to mind is, um, Paul looks at the concept of milk, and that's not necessarily a good thing, right? It's not a bad thing, but it's what immature believers use, right? They can't handle the meat of the Bible. They have to be given the milk of the gospel before they can progress to the meat. In the Book of Hebrews, which I don't think was written by Paul, and in other places, Peter uses milk as a way to talk about nourishment, right? We think of the land flowing with milk and honey. Milk was not seen as some sort of substandard food that was only for babies. It was seen as, like, the richest, best thing that you could eat. We all have a linguistic environment that we grow up in. We all have a shared vernacular. You know, if I say something like, "You can't get there from here," everyone knows what that means. Obviously, you can get there from here, but you have to take this circuitous route. We know what that means. I think if we went around the room, we probably would find that there is this shared language. And then if we took individual families, we'd find that even within those families, there's further narrowing down of sort of like inside jokes and words that are used in ways that are not necessarily the same as others So when we read James, or when we read the letters of Peter or the letters of John, we should default to thinking more along the lines of comparing them to the words of Christ in the Gospel, first and foremost, and then to the Old Testament before we start to think about them necessarily comparing them to Ja-- or to Paul or to other kind of first century Hellenistic literature. That's not, of course, to say that Paul and James contradict. I'm sure that we went through a long explanation with much detail when you got to James chapter two, which is, of course, the most famous example. Paul uses the word justification or justify in a legal sense to make or to declare someone to be righteous. It's the verdict that the judge delivers, and it communicates the status. It actually performs what it says. When the judge says, "I find you not guilty," it changes your status from being potentially guilty to being cleared of all charges. Paul uses it slightly differently. He's not using it in the sense of to make someone righteous or to declare them righteous. He's using it to say they've been shown to be righteous. They've been validated. They've been vindicated. And if we get that mixed up, that's the source of all sorts of confusion. So when we come to this passage, and we'll get there, I promise, when we come to this passage, we have to understand some of the metaphors and the language that's being used draws from an existing body of shared cultural language that is foreign to us and is in some ways foreign to the rest of the New Testament, apart from what we see in the Gospels And it's important to remember, and this is why it's so key to land, that the audience of this letter is the persecuted, poor Jewish Christians who probably had a fairly comfortable life, relatively speaking, living in Jerusalem. These are city folks. These are people that live in Jerusalem or farm into the fields immediately around Jerusalem. They were established. They owned land. They probably had family that they had to leave, and now they're scattered out into the country with nothing. They're sent out into the world with no jobs, no family connections, no social welfare. Because they've left the Jewish faith, at least from the perspective of the Jews, they can't even go to their Jewish brothers and sisters and rely on the hospitality that's required in the law of Moses This is so important when we think about how James opens the letter and delivers what I think is his thesis statement. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of every kind." Trials like not knowing where the next meal is gonna come from, not knowing where the next roof over your head is, not being sure you can feed your children. We all face real trials and tribulations in our life. Some of them are related to our faith, and some is just the fallen human condition in the fallen world we live in. But we're talking here about a totally different category of, uh, trial and persecution than most of us hopefully will ever experience That brings us to our actual passage now. James opens up this section with a linguistic marker that signifies this is a change in topic. He says, "Come now," or another way to translate it might be, "Now listen. Listen up." When my son is doing something that, uh, I need him to stop or I need to give him instructions, I hold him by his shoulders and I say, "Look at my eyes. I want your eyes right here. Look at my eyes." That's what Paul is doing. He's stopping and he's interrupting the flow of language. This shows us this is a new topic and a new audience. James is not speaking to rich Christians in his audience. First, 'cause there likely weren't any rich Christians directly in his audience. Remember, these are the, the poor Christians scattered out into the Judean countryside, into Samaria He's using a technique that's really common in the prophets. It's common in Jesus, where he's addressing the people who are not really listening as a way to establish that they will be judged, to hold them accountable, but also to comfort those who are hearing the message. This is a form of prophetic address. We see this in Amos, where he's chastising the Jewish leaders. Uh, in Malachi and Micah, this happens. Malachi is primarily, at least initially, is primarily, uh, a book that is railing against the rich leaders in Jerusalem who had oppressed their own brothers and sisters. The chances that those Jewish cr- uh, Jewish leaders were reading his prophecy or hearing his prophecy is pretty slim. So he was addressing a different group to establish the judgment that he was proclaiming on another party. Jesus does this when he says like, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees." There were probably scribes and Pharisees in the audience there, but he wasn't just talking to the people in front of them. He was pronouncing a judgment oracle, a judgment prophecy on all people who fit that category, and James is doing the same thing here James is not opposing wealth generally. Sometimes James is used as kind of a New Testament example to justify the idea that we should all be poor and wear shabby clothing and walk around barefoot and dirty all the time. Right? This is a key passage that's used, uh, in parts of the church that really emphasize sort of a poverty-based lifestyle. Think of like the wandering monks of the Middle Ages or the, the, um, sort of more radical exclusionists that exist even in our day. I remember when I was in college, I was really enamored with this figure named Shane Claiborne. Some of you have probably heard of him, and I remember I was so impressed because he, he didn't buy new shoes. He just cut new shoes out of duct tape and put them back together. Now, there's some, you know, there's some rugged, uh, rugged get-it-done-ness that, uh, I think us, uh, New Englanders can appreciate, but God does not call us to wear duct tape shoes, at least not universally. I'm not gonna comment on whether he calls Shane Claiborne to do that. I also don't think Shane Claiborne does that anymore. Um, some of us he may call to a lifestyle of poverty in association with a mission field or in association with a specific calling. He does not call us generally to be poor or to not gain wealth What he is opposing here is the refusal to use wealth appropriately for God's glory and the accumulation of wealth just for wealth's sake We'll see that as we unpack the language here a little bit. He establishes that he's not just talking about the earthly hoarding of wealth, as though somehow the very act of accumulating wealth was itself the problem. What he's doing is he's pronouncing an eschatological judgment on those who hoard wealth and use it to oppress others. We see here he says, "Come now, you rich, and weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you." Th- that word weep and howl, those are li-- those are words that are most commonly used in prophetic literature to describe the final cry of anguish. Think about the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Jesus talks about. This is the language he's using. He's talking about the final estate of those who refuse to submit their wealth to God He says, "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be the evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures in the last days." Now, remember what we said. We, we should read this not in light of some general wisdom, although it is general wisdom that if we accumulate wealth, it tends to not actually go well for us if we're not utilizing it in God-honoring ways. But we should read this in light of the most obvious connection, his big brother, Jesus, who taught his people, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." To maybe land this linguistic, uh, this linguistic connection a little more, I don't know, vibrantly, I'm gonna speculate a little bit. So if you don't like it, then you can disregard it. This is not God's Word. This is a speculation. I can just imagine little Jesus, little nine-year-old Jesus, and probably little six or seven-year-old James and the rest of their siblings, and there's quite a few of them. And we have Joseph, uh, who maybe at this time was still living, although probably not. We know he was living until Jesus was later, you know, 12, he was still around, but we don't know exactly when he left the picture. But he was a carpenter, and he was not, probably not overly wealthy. Uh, they had had to pick up and move, you know, cross-country anyways. They-- We don't know exactly where they were from initially, but they went to Bethlehem, and then they returned to Nazareth. They probably didn't have a lot. There were a lot of mouths to feed and only one business. They didn't have a farm. They didn't own livestock that we know of. I can just imagine a time when little J- little James or one of his sisters was frustrated about the fact that they didn't have anything. And I could picture Mary getting down and going, "Do not store up treasures in, in, uh, in heaven or on Earth. It's all gonna waste away." The same way we might tell our children kind of a, a moral kind of story. Sometimes we have this picture, last time I was here I, I spoke on Philippians 2, we have this idea that Jesus was somehow like Superman, that he, he was just pretending to be a normal human most of the time. As it touches his humanity, as, as we think about Jesus as a human, he had a, his own human set of thinking faculties, his own human knowledge. He grew in wisdom and stature is what Luke teaches us. Well, where did he get some of this wisdom? There's a good reasonable argument to be made that some of the pr- more proverbial type sayings that we see in Christ, that they actually come from the wisdom of his mother and father. And a really good reason to believe that is James relies on the same exact, uh, sort of proverbial wisdom to l- land his point. He doesn't create his own metaphor, he goes back to, at the very least we can say he goes back to the words of Christ. That's a very safe position to take. But this is the shared linguistic context that they both grew up in And he says, "You've done this in the last days." Now, the, the phrase last days in the Bible, uh, in the New Testament generally refers to the time period from Christ's resurrection to his return. We, for a lot of reasons, think about it as kind of like that climactic end period in time. Depending on your, your persuasion, maybe this is when the Antichrist comes, or maybe this is before or after, or maybe during the time when the church is raptured. But in either case, we think of that sort of last period in time before Christ finally comes back. But the New Testament writers are really talking about the entire duration, from Christ's resurrection to his return is what they're referring to. But it does have in view this idea that we are in the last times. The, the final judgment is not necessarily strictly something that's out there in the future. We are living in the last days now, and so what we do and what we say and, and how we worship and if we worship is eschatology. It is the theology of the last times He also positions this as though this is a universal thing going on with those who hoard wealth. This is a very shocking image. Um, we have very good ways to preserve things in our modern world, right? We have ways to m- to make, uh, stainless steel that won't rust, or at least won't rust quickly. But most things in the ancient world, even most precious metals, corroded. Um, I remember when I was growing up, there was this project in my hometown. I lived in a, a little town called White Bear Lake in, in, um, Minnesota, although little is relative. It's pretty big compared to most of what we have out here. And I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13 years old, they had this big building project to build this brand-new, beautiful lakeside pavilion in the center of town, and it w- just gleamed in the sun. It was so gorgeous, and it was made of copper, and everybody loved it, and two years later, it was bright green. I think it's still bright green. I think they figured out it wasn't worth repairing, so they, they just, they just make sure it doesn't keep getting worse, and at some point, I'm sure they either have or will tear it down. But the one metal in the ancient world that didn't do this was gold. It's part of why gold is such a durable measurement of wealth is because it doesn't wear out. It doesn't corrode. It's very soft. It's very easy to damage it, which is why we don't build statues out of it, or we don't build, uh, buildings out of it usually, but it didn't corrode. So when James says here, "Not only your silver, which tarnishes and corrodes, but your silver and gold have corroded." Not are corroding, but have corroded. The rich hearer of this is probably, you know, sitting around like Scrooge McDuck with a pile of gold coins thinking, "Ah, it looks pretty good to me." And what James is saying is, "No, no, no. No, it's corroded. It's eating away at your heart. It's lost its value because you refuse to use it, and so it sits in a pile doing nothing for no one, except serving to further your own condemnation." This is such a crazy, shocking situation that the insanity of not using your wealth, period, the insanity of sitting on your wealth in the ancient world is going to serve as a form of evidence justifying the condemnation of these wicked fools And further, the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. There's something about money. I was-- When I was here a couple times before, I preached one of the wealth passages out of Ecclesiastes, and there's something about money that has a unique way of really, really wrecking us. Either we don't have it and we want it, or we have it and we don't wanna lose it, or we have it and we don't spend it wisely. It seems like there's an infinite number of ways to screw it up. And we landed last time that the gospel is good news because with the nearly infinite ways of screwing it up, we're going to screw it up. But the one way that he talks about screwing it up here is hoarding it and sitting on it and not using it Moving on into verses four and five, James moves us now to a more sort of temporal register. He starts out by talking about what wealth is and what it's doing and how it will ultimately affect the entire life and eternity of those in his targeted audience, those he's proclaiming this prophetic, uh, judgment against. But in verse four, he moves back to the behaviors that are being, uh, being engaged in to show the state of these people's souls. He says, "Behold, the wages of the laborers you, who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." James here points at the, at the behaviors that show this hoarding behavior, and he does it for a number of reasons. One, he needs to call out sin. That's part of the role of a Christian, and especially a leader or a minister in the church, is, um, to not only call out sin in the body of, of Christ, but in a, I think a very particular way, and there's all sorts of, uh, all sorts of theological controversies flying on around about Christian nationalism and other associated things. Some of it is just the spirit of the age. Um, post-COVID, there's a, a real strong sense that our government has failed us and we need to replace it with something else. But there is a, a true way, and I, I think some of those things are a little misguided, but there's a true way that the church, particularly her leaders, should be speaking to the culture around us, and yes, even to the government, to proclaim the truth of God into a wicked and godless culture. This might take the form o- of a m- minister who goes to a town hall meeting to speak out against a gambling association that's going to be forming, or a, an elder in the church or a deacon in the church who goes to speak to, uh, to the city hall or to the state legislature about the wickedness of abortion and about what we see it does to women's lives when they are fooled into thinking that this is the right thing for them. Again, the church is not the state, and the state is not the church, and we should be very careful not to cross those lines for all sorts of reasons. But we as a culture, as a Christian culture, in the United States particularly, have lost sight of our responsibility to speak truth in all circumstances to those in power So James is doing that, of course. But even more so, this is a way that he establishes for his direct audience, for the Jewish poor Christians who have been scattered in this diaspora, in this dispersion. He looks at them in a sense and says, "I see you. I see what's happening to you." And as God's representative, as his chosen voice for this message, as his inspired author, God sees you too This goes back again, the first two chapters of James serve as kind of a thesis statement and table of contents for the whole book. We get an idea of what may have been happening, the actual, uh, acts that were being engaged in, in, in chapter two verse six, he says, "You have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" James has in mind here a form of predatory land purchasing, where the rich were sort of sweeping up property. They were sweeping it up, and then they were charging probably exorbitant prices to those who would lease the land to try to eke out a living. Does that sound at all like any of our current context, right? When's the last time any of us have tried to buy a house and found anything reasonable? Well, a large part of that is that there are big companies that are scooping up all the land and buying all the, the developments. Now, I'm not commenting on those particular situations. I don't know those people. I don't know their hearts, and some of those things actually are doing good things for the community. But we're familiar with this idea of someone who will purchase a resource, who will then jack the price up in order to turn a profit on it. I'm not opposed to turning a profit. Y- y- yeah, it takes money to run a business, and you have to, you have to recuperate those funds if your business is going to survive. But there's a, there's a way that that can be done that is a predatory act These rich landowners were getting fat on those that they were victimizing In our, in our modern world, we tend to think of someone who is overweight as unhealthy, for good reason, right? Too much weight, and I say that with someone with a little too much padding around the middle, so no, no judgment on this, but too much weight is not healthy, right? We hear that from our doctors, that there's a healthy weight range and there's an unhealthy weight range. In the ancient world, obesity was not the concern, right? Malnutrition was the concern. And so when you see, uh, a king in the Old Testament who's, who's noted to be fat, that's not always negative. Sometimes it is, but he's noted to be fat or he's noted to be large. Even the word for glory, I'm sure you've heard this before, the word for glory in the Old Testament has to do with being heavy. So this idea of weightiness or, um, being able to eat enough to actually gain weight instead of being thin was seen as a good thing, but not when you use it as a way to victimize other people. A person who gathers wealth honestly and enjoys it, that's, that's Proverbs right there. That's the Book of Ecclesiastes in its sort of positive sense, is that we, when we accumulate wealth and we use it for God's glory, it's perfectly okay for us to also use it for our enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. But when we accumulate wealth and use it as a way to gain power over someone and to abuse them, that is what James is railing against here And ultimately, with the audience that James is writing to, this is a form of murder. This is why he says, "You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter." Because a person who can't feed their family in the Old Testament or in the New Testament era was likely to see them die. There are not a ton of people in modern America that are starving to death on the streets. It's not to say it doesn't happen. It's not to say that there's not things like food insecurity or malnutrition, but there are, there are plenty of places people can go to get their basic food needs met. It was not like that-- It's not like that in most of the world now, and it certainly was not like that in the ancient world. And so a, a landowner who again refuses, we're talking about the Jewish landowners, refuses to obey the Jewish law to leave some leftovers for the poor, and instead gleans all the way to the corner so that they can turn a little bit of extra pro-profit, is not only sinning against the Old Testament law, but is committing murder in the strictest sense by refusing to preserve the life of these poor, uh, Christians who are destitute And again, James is encouraging his readers here that the Lord has not ignored their plight. We can think back to the Book of Habakkuk, where Habakkuk basically lodges a lawsuit against God, saying, "You are not paying attention. You're not doing your thing. You're not being faithful to your covenant." And God says, "Let me show you how faithful to my covenant I am. The Chaldeans are on the way." And Habakkuk is like, "Whoa, wait a second here. That's not what I had in mind." God sees the oppression of the poor. He knows when His people are targeted. He knows when children are abused or when widows are ignored. He knows when the government does something to shut down a church, or when the medical institution refuses to acknowledge your personal rights. He sees those things, and He's not ignorant, and He's not static. He's not sleeping on those things. The purpose here is to comfort the oppressed by showing that God is not ignorant of what has happened to them. Just two quick Old Testament examples that use similar language. In Genesis 4, we read of Cain and his murder of Abel, and in verse eight it says, "Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?' And the Lord said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.'" Numbers, uh, 35 verses 30 says, "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom from him who has fled to the city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land except for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it." There's a rich history in the Old Testament of language of inanimate things, land, blood, wealth, other kinds of things that give testimony to God in some way, and specifically of these inanimate, uh, impersonal things testifying to the sin of the people that dwell around them. Even Christ says, "If these people do not worship me, the rocks will cry out." Now, the rocks are not literally crying out, although it certainly would be within God's power to make the rocks sing. But Christ is not saying in that passage that the rocks are going to form mouths and begin singing Hosanna or whatever song they might have been doing. What he's saying is that the very rocks themselves give testimony to the glory and goodness of God. So even if the people around here fail to do so, the entire rest of creation is doing so, and that is what James is saying here. My dear brothers and sisters scattered in the dispersion who have nothing, and in society's eyes are nothing, some of you are facing persecution. Some of you will be killed for your faith, but God sees because the wealth that is being accumulated on the breaking of your own backs is crying out. The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you We often want justice in the moment. I think we always want justice in the moment, don't we? I think it's a really hard discipline to say, "That person wronged me, but I'm okay letting God sort it out." That is a hard pill to swallow, but it is often the pill that we have to take. It's the medicine that God uses to further our justification, our j- our, uh, excuse me, our sanctification Paul says, you know, "Do not take vengeance. Let the Lord do that." We can trust, and this is where the comfort of this passage comes for us, brothers and sisters, we can trust that when we are wronged, that when someone has done something to us that is a violation of God's law, that that sin will be punished. Now, when we're dealing with other Christians, that sin has already been punished, and so it is not, it is not appropriate for us to hold onto that and to take vengeance. That's what the parable of the unmerciful servant is all about If I as a Christian refuse to forgive my brother and sister when they've wronged me, it's me saying that I'm a better judge of their sin and I'm a better executioner than the Lord is when he punished that sin on the cross. But that sin was not atoned for when we're talking about unbelievers. When we're talking about those who will ultimately end their earthly life and find themselves waking up in flames, that sin has not been atoned for, and so God will have his justice, and we will have our justice. We won't turn there, but in Revelation, we're familiar with the passage, I think it's chapter six, where the martyred saints are under the throne and they say, "How long, O Lord?" Well, God doesn't answer their question, but he gives them new clothes. When Job cries out and he's, he's saying, "I don't understand why this is happening. Why are you targeting me, God? Why, why are you a hunter with your arrows in my liver?" God doesn't tell him why, but he says, essentially, "I'm God and you're just going to have to trust me that this is right." We see a very similar, uh, kind of situation here when we think about when, uh, when Abraham, uh, when God tells Abraham what he's about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Abraham negotiates, apparently negotiates with God, uh, trying to secure the salvation of the city for the sake of the righteous. And we read starting in verse 20 of chapter 18, he says, "The Lord said to, to Abraham," he says, " 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.' " God is always seeing and investigating the sin of people We're, we're teaching my son, August, the children's catechism, which is a, a great resource. Um, and one of the questions is, "Can you see God?" And the answer is, "No, but he always sees me." Now that may feel at first to some people like a little bit of a heavy-handed answer, but knowing that God sees us is not just there to correct our sin. It should do that, right? Even the secret sins we commit in the dark when, when we're not being watched by anyone else, even, even those God sees. But do you know what else He sees? He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees your progress. He sees you, and that should be a great source of comfort Now this passage, especially verse six, can be a little bit hard to apply because although we're the targeted audience, we're not the target of the judgment oracle. So I think what we have to do, we have to, we have to think about this in light of the way that God talks about the judgment of unbelievers in other places in the scripture, and how that helps us to understand kind of what our, what our status is. If you'll take your Bibles and open to Matthew chapter 25, I think the, um, the account here of the goat and sheep judgment, uh, is instructive for us Starting in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King answered them, 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those on the left, 'Depart from me for you for, uh, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also, uh, they also will say, answer saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not minister to you?' Then he will answer them saying, 'Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Now, this passage is sometimes understood as a general command to feed the poor or the sick, or to visit those in prisons, or any of the f- the sort of mercy ministry things that, that, um, are mentioned here. And those are all things that Christians should do, right? We should be engaged in, um, in mercy ministry to the poor, to those who are destitute. We should be mindful and thoughtful of those who have needs around us. What this passage is teaching, though, is not a general command to feed all people, but a specific command to care for your brothers and sisters in Christ when they have a need He doesn't say to the righteous, "You did these to everyone." He says, "Whatever you did to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me." All of the things that are listed here, the, the six mercy ministries that are listed by Christ here, are things that persecuted Christians were suffering at the time, persecuted Jew- Jewish Christians, and that would be common experiences for, for Jewish Christians and for all persecuted Christians. Right? They're hungry. They don't have food. Our diaspora Jewish Christians don't have land to farm, and even if they're able to scrape together enough funding to lease out a farm, they're being, uh, they're being totally overwhelmed by the cost of that. The sort of homeowners association dues of these pyramid schemes that were going on in the first century, they were so exorbitant that it wasn't even subs- subsistence farming. Christians were being thrown in, uh, in prison. They didn't have enough money to replace their clothes when it wore out. They couldn't have access to clean water. We take clean water as such a, such a basic thing, and it's so easy. You just turn on the tap, or you just go to the store and you buy a bottle of $7 water. It wasn't like this in the first century. If you didn't have a well, you didn't have water, unless you had someone who cared enough to share this precious resource with you. And so what Christ is saying to, to his people, both in the immediate audience on the Sermon on the Mount, uh, and in this, the Olivet Discourse here, what he's saying to his people is when someone in the body of Christ does not have what they need, the body of Christ should step up and make sure that that is the case, that they take care of that person. And likewise, he's saying to those who are not a part of the body of Christ, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Now, the intro to this, why it sometimes is called a parable, is the sheep and the goats. We sometimes go way too far into the arena of comparing the behavior of sheeps with the behavior of the people here, right? Sheep are nice, they're affable, they listen to you. In reality, from what I understand, sheep are pretty dumb and can be very stubborn, right? And then we, we read and we go, "Goats are stubborn, they're rebellious, they're not really good for anything." Well, there's a reason people have goats on farms. They, they can be stubborn, right? They can be destructive, but they also serve a purpose. So the point here is not that sheep are good and goats are bad. The point is that sheep are not goats and goats are not sheep. And, uh, another point that comes with this is sheep don't become goats by behaving like goats, and goats don't become sheep by acting like sheep. I have some friends that will tell you they have very affectionate, friendly, lovable goats, right? I'd, I would... If I could get my kids one of those little pygmy goats that everybody loves, I would do that, 'cause they can be very kind, very sweet, and they're very smart. But they're not sheep. And if you read this passage carefully, this fact that those who are taken to the right are, are in fact taken to the right is not because they fed the poor. It's not because they ministered to Christ by feeding the least of these. They did those things because they were part of the kingdom The King says to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The sheep on the right were always going to be the sheep on the right. They were predestined according to the counsel of God's will before all time to live and walk in good works. That's just Ephesians 2 there. That's also just James 2 there. You have faith, I will show you my faith by my works. This is evidence language, loved ones Likewise, the ones who are told to depart into eternal darkness were also predestined not to inherit this kingdom. No kingdom was prepared for them before the foundation of the world. They have no inheritance. They have nothing. They will end up in the state that they are trying to impose on these poor Jewish Christians. They will end up in the state that they may be trying to impose on some of us in this room And for the final verse here in, in chapter five, in verse six here, there's a lot of discussion and debate in the commentaries about who the identity of this righteous one is. It says, "You've condemned and murdered the righteous person, he does not resist you." Now, some commentators will take the fact that this is the singular righteous person, that he has been murdered and h- was condemned, and will take this as a reference to Christ. And that would, would make good sense, right? The Jewish, the wealthy Jewish landowners, the wealthy Jews in Jerusalem who per- who persecuted and cast out, um, the Christians, they were in the same group of people who condemned and murdered Jesus And at least at the time of writing this, and in many ways in our own day, God is not necessarily resisting them. He's allowing them to store up judgment for the coming day of wrath There are others who will take this as sort of the hypothetical singular, right? The righteous one or the righteous person is this, uh, representative hypothetical person that represents all of the persecuted Christians. And so it's more like saying, um, to the, the wealthy landowners who are persecuting Christians, "You have condemned and murdered the Christians, the righteous people, and we do not resist you." Now, at the end of the day, it's, it's always good to have good, sober, well-intentioned, text-based debates about what the Bible means. We can and we should try to convince others, uh, when we think they're wrong about what the scripture means. So that's not what I'm saying here. But in many ways, which of those two perspectives it actually is doesn't change the interpretation of this passage. Like we read in Matthew 25, like we read in Acts 9 when Christ comes and confronts Saul, what you do to God's people, you are doing to Christ himself. What you do to the body, you have done to the head. It's a little bit weird to say that when I stub my toe, I injure my head, but that's true, right? I don't injure my toe as though it's some separate piece. It's not like I'm a Lego man where I can just swap out a hand that gets cracked and put it back on. When I injure my toe, I injure myself. My whole body is injured even though it's specific to a part of my body. When you-- when someone persecutes you, when they, uh, try to extort your wealth, your funds, when they try to harm your body, when they try to take away your children, all things that are happening not just out there in the world, but in our country, even in our own region. When they try to tell you that because you don't wanna play a basketball game, that you can't play sports at all. When a city taxes a portion of a church's property because they don't think it's being used for religious purposes, they are doing that to Jesus Christ himself, and God will not be mocked This should call us both to faithfulness and to encouragement How people treat Christ or how people treat Christ's people, including how we trust, tr- uh, treat Christ's people, shows us what we think about Christ. The people who take care of the church do so because they love God, and they do it out of a regenerated heart that already loves God. And the people who hate the church do it because they hate Christ, and they do it out of their wickedness and out of their wicked heart This brings us back again to the thesis statement of James. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." And then he says later in that, uh, first chapter in verse nine, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass, he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower fails, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Now, you're all coming up to the end of James here. Um, we probably have two, two more sermons, I would guess, and the rest of this chapter is reinforcing this. It's unpacking for the immediate audience and therefore for us, it's unpacking that although the rich have their punishment coming to them, that likewise our consolation, our comfort from Christ is also coming to us. He closes the whole letter out, he returns to his thesis statement to say, "I'm not going to pretend that the trials you're going through are joyful, but you can count it all joy." You can reckon it, you can impute it as joy, my brothers and sisters. You can put it in the joy column instead of the t- the pain column, right? We had discussion about the beautiful word imputation in the announcements and scripture reading in the beginning here Imputation is a, is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the, in the loss ledger, right? We're taking what should be an expense, and we're able to move it to the profit. We're able to move it to the positive side, not because it didn't hurt and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified When we are oppressed and opposed, those who are oppressing and oppose us mean it for evil, just like Joseph's brothers, uh, and Pharaoh, and all sorts of wicked men in, in the Old Testament and in our own world. Pilate, Herod, you mean, you name it in the Bible, this applies. They meant their wicked acts for wicked things, but God, rich in mercy, works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose? That we might be transformed into the image of Christ so that Christ may be glorified and He may be the firstborn among many brothers. When we face trials and suffering of every kind, it leads us to our sanctification and to our ultimate glorification. We do not earn those things. We don't sanctify ourselves any more than we justify ourselves, or that any more than we will glorify ourselves or will raise ourselves from the dead. That is all God's work from start to finish. But God does use these things that He brings us through as a way to bring about that work It's like he bends us over the hammer, over the anvil of trials, and he hammers us until we become a sharp sword in the hand of, in his hand. Or he polishes us with a rough cloth until we become a smooth, beautiful gem, right? Think of any number of refining things that need to be done. It always involves, if the thing was, uh, was a person, it always involves something that would hurt a little bit. It always involves a little bit of damage to wear away the impurities. Our sanctification and our glorification is no different than that. He uses adversity. He uses the wicked actions and intentions of, of evil men and women. He uses those things to glorify us. So although we should never, uh, we should never seek those things, right? You don't have to go and make yourself the soft target to the wicked people. It's okay to keep your head down. There's nothing wrong with that. The Jewish Christians were probably doing their best to keep their heads down most of the time, and that's fine. There's not any words in scripture about being a coward if you don't, if you don't put a target on your back. But your target is gonna get there eventually, and that's not a bad thing. We can welcome that. We can count it as joy because of who God is and what he's done. The supreme act of suffering, the supreme act of, of evil happened to the only innocent person there ever was, and it happened to him for us.  this episode is available below.

Meditación sobre el Evangelio del sábado de la XVII semana del Tiempo Ordinario: la escena en la que Herodes manda decapitar a Juan el Bautista, tras pedírselo la hija de Herodías después de un baile ante todos sus invitados. Herodes es el prototipo de hombre sensual, veleidoso e impuro: banal en su malicia. Nosotros hemos de luchar por ser hombres íntegros, y la castidad es un punto clave.

A spiritual reading of the Baptist's passion - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today's readings.Enter the soul of Herod in this meditation. Can you relate to the way in which he feels pressured to act in a way he doesn't want to act? How so? Have you experienced the freedom that Christ can give you? What is that freedom like?

Matthew 14 gives us two banquets, and two very different kinds of kings.Herod feasts inside a palace, surrounded by wealth, spectacle, and powerful guests. By the end of the night, John the Baptist's head is carried into the room on a platter.Then Jesus gathers the hungry in the wilderness.No palace. No guest list. No VIP section. Just grass, hunger, compassion, and bread placed into the hands of God.In this Mass Prep, we explore what these two feasts reveal about power, Catholic leadership, luxury spiritual experiences, and the uncomfortable question of whether we sometimes look more like Herod at the banquet than Christ among the hungry.Every kingdom eventually sets a table.The question is what it eats.

Adquiere el "LIBRO DE ORACIÓN. Mi día a día con Jesús" en https://sercreyente.com/libros. Con más de 400 páginas, más de 500 oraciones y decenas de ilustraciones. Ve el vídeo en https://youtu.be/_9Z40IqjHj8________________Sábado, 1 de agosto de 2026 (17ª Semana del Tiempo Ordinario)Evangelio del día y reflexión... ¡Deja que la Palabra del Señor transforme tu vida! Texto íntegro del Evangelio y de la Reflexión en https://sercreyente.com/herodes-habia-mandado-prender-a-juan/[Mateo 14, 1-12] En aquel tiempo, oyó el tetrarca Herodes lo que se contaba de Jesús y dijo a sus cortesanos: «Ese es Juan el Bautista, que ha resucitado de entre los muertos, y por eso las fuerzas milagrosas actúan en él». Es que Herodes había mandado prender a Juan y lo había metido en la cárcel encadenado, por motivo de Herodías, mujer de su hermano Filipo; porque Juan le decía que no le era lícito vivir con ella. Quería mandarlo matar, pero tuvo miedo de la gente, que lo tenía por profeta. El día del cumpleaños de Herodes, la hija de Herodías danzó delante de todos y le gustó tanto a Herodes, que juró darle lo que pidiera. Ella, instigada por su madre, le dijo: «Dame ahora mismo en una bandeja la cabeza de Juan el Bautista». El rey lo sintió, pero, por el juramento y los invitados, ordenó que se la dieran, y mandó decapitar a Juan en la cárcel. Trajeron la cabeza en una bandeja, se la entregaron a la joven y ella se la llevó a su madre. Sus discípulos recogieron el cadáver, lo enterraron, y fueron a contárselo a Jesús.________________Descárgate la app de SerCreyente en https://sercreyente.com/app/¿Conoces nuestra Oración Online? Más información en: https://sercreyente.com/oracion¿Quieres recibir cada día el Evangelio en tu whatsapp? Alta en: www.sercreyente.com/whatsappTambién puedes hacer tu donativo en https://sercreyente.com/ayudanos/Contacto: info@sercreyente.com

+ Del Evangelio según San Mateo +En aquel tiempo, el rey Herodes oyó lo que contaban de Jesús, y les dijo a sus cortesanos: "Es Juan el Bautista, que ha resucitado de entre los muertos y por eso actúan en él fuerzas milagrosas".Es que Herodes había apresado a Juan y lo había encadenado en la cárcel por causa de Herodías, la mujer de su hermano Filipo, pues Juan le decía que no le estaba permitido tenerla por mujer. Y aunque quería quitarle la vida, tenía miedo a la gente, porque creían que Juan era un profeta.El día del cumpleaños de Herodes, la hija de Herodías bailó delante de todos, y le gustó tanto a Herodes, que juró darle lo que pidiera. Ella, aconsejada por su madre, le dijo: "Dame, sobre esta bandeja, la cabeza de Juan el Bautista".El rey se entristeció, pero a causa de su juramento y por no quedar mal con los invitados, ordenó que se la dieran; y mandó degollar a Juan en la cárcel. Trajeron, pues, la cabeza en una bandeja, se la entregaron a la joven y ella se la llevó a su madre.Después vinieron los discípulos de Juan, recogieron el cuerpo, lo sepultaron, y luego fueron a avisarle a Jesús. Palabra del Señor.

En aquel tiempo, la fama de Jesús llegó a oídos del tetrarca Herodes, y él dijo a sus allegados: “Este es Juan el Bautista; ha resucitado de entre los muertos, y por eso se manifiestan en él poderes milagrosos”.Herodes, en efecto, había hecho arrestar, encadenar y encarcelar a Juan, a causa de Herodías, la mujer de su hermano Felipe, porque Juan le decía: “No te es lícito tenerla”. Herodes quería matarlo, pero tenía miedo del pueblo, que consideraba a Juan un profeta.El día en que Herodes festejaba su cumpleaños, la hija de Herodías bailó en público, y le agradó tanto a Herodes que prometió bajo juramento darle lo que pidiera. Instigada por su madre, ella dijo: “Tráeme aquí sobre una bandeja la cabeza de Juan el Bautista”. El rey se entristeció, pero a causa de su juramento y por los convidados, ordenó que se la dieran y mandó decapitar a Juan en la cárcel. Su cabeza fue llevada sobre una bandeja y entregada a la joven, y esta la presentó a su madre.Los discípulos de Juan recogieron el cadáver, lo sepultaron y después fueron a informar a Jesús.Mateo 14,1-12

“Herodes tinha mandado prender João, amarrá-lo e colocá-lo na prisão, por causa de Herodíades, a mulher de seu irmão Filipe.”

Delivered by Randy from the Parish of Christ the King in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Jeremiah 26: 11-16.24; Rs psalm 69: 15-16.30-31.33-34; Matthew 14: 1-12.DEATH FOR THE TRUTH The theme for our meditation today is: Death for theTruth. There is at a city gate, a famous statue which is called "The Childon the Mother's Shoulder" stands to give meaning to the city. In the pastthe city was defended by a young man who led the whole people to fight theenemies who wanted to occupy the city. Even though the city was successfullydefended, this young man was killed in the war. His own mother put the son onher shoulder, and while mourning for him she carried him into the city to begiven reverence by everyone and the whole city. The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, cared forHim, and witnessed with her own eyes the son's shameful death, then she putJesus' body on her lap (the la pietafrom Michaelangelo). The Blessed Mother witnessed firsthand the Lamb of God whowas sacrificed for defending the truth from those who were seeking to destroythe truth. Mary's nephew, John the Baptist, was also killed earlier than Jesusby an evil king Herod because this ruler was so threatened by the truth. AfterJesus and John the Baptist, there are men and women throughout generations havebeen willing to sacrifice their lives for defending the truth that comes fromGod. Heroes from our towns and countries are people who have died for thetruth. Then the question is this: does the truth have to becompensated by death? The first answer would be on those who oppose the truth,namely people of bad reputation or people who are known for their evil deeds,who seem to be very strong in this world, and their goal is to eliminate thetruth and all the elements associated with it. One of its main targets is todestroy those who fight for the truth, who defend it and who live by it. And another answer would be more on the spiritualpoint of view. Here, it is irrelevant with violence and bloodshed, maybebecause the enemy or opponent is rather weak. However, the truth remains ourprinciple point of reference in life and must be upheld. Our real challenge isto live out that truth with genuinity, to practice it and to make others livein truth as well. It is here that we should die for our laziness, boredom,indifference, selfishness, forgetfulness and other personal deficiencies thatput us away from the responsibility to live in truth. The truth, in principle, is in accordance with realityor fact. This means that it is against what is not real or lie. Truth is alsodefined according to rules, norms, morals. If you are morally recognized, youhave truth and this is contrary to acts that break the rules or moralstandards. Ultimately, truth for us believers is to do God's will and commands,therefore, everything untrue is following the will which is not from God butfrom someone else. So let us live by the truth that we are obliged to, even todefend it till our death.Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... Almighty God, may our efforts to defend thetruth and to testify it to everyone around us, will be pleasing to You. HailMary, full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...

John 2:13-17Matt's book, The Lightning-Fast Field Guide to the Bible is available NOW! - here's a link that gets TMBH a little kickback: https://amzn.to/4pEYSS9Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcastYou're the reason we can all do this together!Discuss the episode hereMusic by Jeff Foote

John 4 is one of the most beloved stories in the Gospels—but what if it is about far more than a private conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman? In this lesson, we explore John chapter 4 through the symbolic world of the Bible, uncovering how John's Gospel presents Jesus as the divine Bridegroom who has come to reclaim His bride. Throughout the Old Testament, wells are repeatedly the setting for covenant and betrothal. Abraham's servant meets Rebekah at a well. Jacob meets Rachel at a well. Moses meets Zipporah at a well. By intentionally placing Jesus at Jacob's Well, John invites us to recognize a familiar biblical pattern: a bridegroom has arrived. But who is the bride? By the first century, the region once known as the northern kingdom of Israel was called Samaria. Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman becomes a symbolic encounter with the people of Samaria themselves—a people long separated from Judah, yet still sought by God. We also examine Jesus' enigmatic statement that the woman has had "five husbands." Rather than focusing on her personal morality, we connect these words to 2 Kings 17, where five foreign nations were settled in Samaria following the Assyrian conquest. Their gods and religious practices profoundly shaped the identity of the region, providing a remarkable historical backdrop to Jesus' words. Finally, we explore Jesus' statement that the woman is "living with a man who is not your husband." We consider how this points beyond an individual relationship to the political and religious realities of first-century Samaria, including Roman rule and the temple to Caesar Augustus built by Herod the Great in the city of Samaria (Sebaste). Against this backdrop, Jesus calls His people away from earthly allegiances and back into a covenant relationship with God. Join us as we uncover the historical, cultural, and symbolic richness of John 4 and discover how this familiar story proclaims God's enduring desire to restore His covenant people. --------------------------------------------------------------------- www.figtreeministries.org **New Site!! www.figtreeteaching.com (Old Site) Lesson Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-hidden-meaning-of-john-4-a-bride-at-a-well Article: John 4 & the Samaritan Woman at the Well https://www.figtreeministries.org/post/john-4-the-samaritan-woman-at-the-well

Luke 23: 1-25 Jesus is brought before Pilate, then sent to Herod, and finally handed over to be crucified as the crowd demands Barabbas' release instead. A powerful look at injustice, political maneuvering, and Christ's silent submission to the Father's will.

This sermon explores the theological significance of Christ's incarnation as the ultimate act of divine humility. By contrasting the self-exaltation of earthly rulers like Caesar and Herod with Jesus' voluntary descent from glory to a manger, the text highlights God's power to humble the proud and exalt the meek. The preacher emphasizes that acknowledging human limitations and dependence on grace is essential for true spiritual health. Drawing from Philippians 2 and Daniel 4, the message argues that Christ's humility serves as the model for believers to exhibit self-sacrificing love toward others. Ultimately, the sermon calls the congregation to respond to this grace by practicing mutual care, prayer, and genuine concern within the community of faith.

Bible Reading: Job 33:14-33 1. The numerous times God has called 2. When God is silent 3. God's final call The sermon urges sinners to respond immediately to God's persistent calls for salvation rather than delaying or hardening their hearts. It contrasts various human responses, from indifference to the 'almost persuaded' attitude of King Agrippa and Felix, with the urgent need for genuine repentance. The preacher emphasizes that while God speaks repeatedly through His Word and the Spirit, there is a solemn time when He may cease striving with a rebellious soul, as illustrated by Herod's silence before Christ. Using examples like the rich fool in Luke 12, the message warns against procrastination and highlights the finality of divine judgment for those who reject grace. Ultimately, it serves as a desperate plea to heed God's voice today, acknowledging that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and to accept Christ while mercy is offered.

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Twelve and Verse Two

20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him.Tunc accessit ad eum mater filiorum Zebedaei cum filiis suis, adorans et petens aliquid ab eo. 21 Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.Qui dixit ei : Quid vis? Ait illi : Dic ut sedeant hi duo filii mei, unus ad dexteram tuam, et unus ad sinistram in regno tuo. 22 And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can.Respondens autem Jesus, dixit : Nescitis quid petatis. Potestis bibere calicem, quem ego bibiturus sum? Dicunt ei : Possumus. 23 He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.Ait illis : Calicem quidem meum bibetis : sedere autem ad dexteram meam vel sinistram non est meum dare vobis, sed quibus paratum est a Patre meo.St James, called the Greater, preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria and Spain. On his return to Jerusalem, Herod condemned him to death; he was beheaded A.D. 42. His body was conveyed to Compostella in Spain, and is venerated by many pilgrims.

Read OnlineDrinking Christ's ChaliceThe mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” Matthew 20:20–22Among the Twelve Apostles, two were named James: James the Greater, son of Zebedee, and James the Lesser, son of Alpheus. James the Greater, whom we honor today, was likely called “greater” due to his prominence in the Gospel narrative. He was the brother of John the Evangelist, and tradition holds that their mother was Salome, possibly the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary—making James and John cousins of Jesus.In today's Gospel, the mother of James and John expresses her natural affection and ambition for her sons by approaching Jesus with a bold request: that they might sit, one at His right and the other at His left, in His Kingdom. While her petition reveals faith in Jesus and love for her sons, it also highlights a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ's kingship. Earthly rulers may reign with power, honor, and prestige, but the Kingdom of God is not built on worldly glory; it is built on humble, self-giving love.Jesus responds with a gentle yet penetrating question: “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” The “chalice” refers to His suffering—His Passion and Death. It is filled not with comfort or honor, but with humiliation and sacrifice. James and John respond with confident simplicity: “We can.” Their answer, though likely offered without full understanding, reveals a spark of heroic love and loyalty that would, in time, be tested and fulfilled.Jesus affirms, “My chalice you will indeed drink.” Saint James would become the first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom, as recorded in Acts 12:2, when he was beheaded by the sword under Herod Agrippa. Herod sought to strike at the newly developing Church and to appease the Jews who opposed Jesus and His followers.James truly shared in the Passion of Christ, offering his life in union with his Master. His martyrdom was followed by the arrest of Peter, likewise intended to please those persecuting the Church. Yet while Peter was miraculously freed by an angel, James was not. Why?Like James and Peter, each of us has a unique mission in life. Some, like Peter, are raised to prominence and leadership. Others, like James, are called to a more hidden and radical sacrifice. Both vocations are precious in the eyes of God. James' early martyrdom was not a failure but a fulfillment—a witness to the glory of drinking deeply from the chalice of Christ.As we honor Saint James, reflect today on his zeal, faith, and desire to be an active member of Christ's Kingdom. Though he misunderstood what that entailed at first, he remained faithful until the end. Reflect on your own desire for status or recognition. Do you seek honor among others, whether in the Church or society? If so, turn to Saint James, who ultimately embraced the true mission of discipleship. We, too, must drink Christ's chalice of selfless and sacrificial love, willingly laying down our lives in countless ways. Resolve to embrace whatever mission God entrusts to you. If He opens the door to leadership and prominence, walk through it humbly. If He leads you through the door of sacrifice and holy suffering, do not hesitate. God has a unique and glorious mission for each of us—different from one another, yet equally glorious when accepted with love and fidelity.My sacrificial Lord, You freely and completely offered Your life on the Cross and invite me to follow in Your footsteps. Saint James responded with courage, drinking the chalice You gave him, even to the shedding of his blood. Reveal to me, Lord, the mission You have entrusted to my life, and grant me the strength to embrace it with all my heart. May I, like Saint James, share in the glory of Your Kingdom through a life of faithful love and sacrifice. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: St James the Apostle, by Peter Paul RubensSource: 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.

Join our contributors Dr. Sharon Fennema, Rev. Liz Kearny, and Rev. Anne Dunlap as they talk (and cry) about the famous story of Jesus feeding over 5,000 people. The story follows after the series of parables imagining the kingdom of heaven together in community in chapter 13. And here, we encounter Jesus after having heard the news that John the Baptist had been murdered by Herod. With this violence on his heart, Jesus takes himself to a deserted place, where the community joins him after hearing the news themselves. What do we do when we are grieving and hungry? Transcript available here: https://bit.ly/TWARepisodes

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Twelve and Verse One

John 17:12b. “I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” The Psalmist wrote: 109:4. “In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer. Thus they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love.” Psalms 109:8 “Let his days be few; let another take his office.” Ps. 109:4 was fulfilled as Jesus was in prayer and verse 8 was fulfilled in Judas' betrayal and death. Judas was not kept in the name of love, even though he had heard all that Jesus taught. The name the Father gave to Jesus to manifest, the name of love, was not manifested to Judas. Judas didn't believe and receive Jesus' words. He heard them, but they were stolen by the devil. This Scripture was also fulfilled. Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Judas perished because Jesus didn't reveal the Father to him, and the Father didn't reveal the Son to him. Judas, like the Pharisees, Scribes, Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Jews and the Romans were sons of perdition, sons of destruction, all serving God's purposes so that we might know the love of God and be saved. Here's how the Holy Spirit explained these things to the disciples after Jesus' resurrection. Acts 4:24-28 “And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, [now we see the Scriptures fulfilled in Judas not being guarded and kept in His name] ‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.” What do we say to these things? What can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? Nothing! He loves us. It is His name. We are kept in His name if we walk in love. This verse gives us a sober warning. God will work out His will and purposes in every person ever created in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Jesus fulfilled the Scripture. As He lives and loves in us, He is also fulfilling Scripture. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Herod watched the dance, enjoyed the attention, and made a reckless promise: “I will give you anything you want.”That one commitment would lead to a deadly consequence.In this message, Dr. Gian examines the corruption surrounding Herod, Herodias, and her daughter, and reveals what can happen when lust, pride, pleasure, and public approval become more important than character and obedience to God.One dance. One promise. One deadly mistake.Watch now and learn why uncontrolled desires can lead people into decisions they can never take back.#DrGian 

While Jesus' ministry of preaching and teaching in Israel continues, John remains in Herod's prison. From that cell, John sends two of His disciples to ask Jesus if He really is the Coming Christ. Jesus' response uses Old Testament promises to answer, “Yes! I am the Christ!” As John's disciples return to John with the answer, Jesus tells the crowds the importance of John's ministry. As the forerunner of the Christ, John is the Elijah promised by the prophet Malachi.  Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in La Grange, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 11:1-15.  To learn more about Mount Calvary Lutheran, visit mtcalvary-lcms.org. “The Reign of Heaven Stands Near” is a series on Sharper Iron that studies the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims that God has fulfilled His Old Testament promises by sending Jesus to bring the reign of the heavens among us. As the Son of David, Jesus is the gracious King we need, and as the Son of Abraham, Jesus is the blessing to all the families of the earth.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Pastor Appel serves at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, IL. Learn more at flcgodfrey.org. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In previous lessons, Jesus both cast our demons, healed the sick and raised the dead.In the passage before, Luke 9:1-17, the Lord gives this, His authority to His disciples to do the same things with an emphasis of proclaiming the kingdom of God.This mission journey had an effect on Herod who became aware of Jesus, but was perplexed about Him. When the disciples returned, Jesus took them with Him and when people saw them, they followed Him. Here is then recorded the only miracle found written in all four Gospels as Dr. Mitchell will share. It is the feeding of the 5 thousand men besides women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The Lord provided a balanced meal which the disciples then gave the people. Let's join Dr. Mitchell in Luke 9:1 with the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast.

Chapter 12 of the Book of Acts wraps up with Herod dying, Saul and Barnabus completing their mission in Jerusalem and heading back to Antioch.  Luke divides Acts into two parts and Chapter 12 is the end of the first portion.  The good news of Jesus Christ dying and being raised from the dead as the ultimate sacrifice for sin has been proclaimed in Jerusalem and beyond, primarily through the leadership of Peter.  The second portion of Acts will highlight Paul's missionary endeavors. As we recap the first 12 chapters to see how God has worked through His people, we see that the Word of God has increased and multiplied in 4 ways - the spoken word, the written word, the silent word, and the Living Word.  It's as vital and vibrant today as it was for the early church.  How can we as individuals and corporately continue to see God's word increase and multiply?   Acts 12:20-25 Elder Greg McGinnis   Visit our website at www.fremontpres.org Email us at podcast@fremontpres.org

1. His Imprisonment 2. His Death 3. The Significance This sermon examines the martyrdom of John the Baptist in Mark 6 to illustrate the cost of faithful witness and the foreshadowing of Christ's death. The preacher contrasts John's courageous confrontation of King Herod with Herod's cowardly surrender to peer pressure and pride. By analyzing the parallels between John's execution and Jesus' crucifixion, the message emphasizes that suffering for righteousness is an expected part of Christian life. The text serves as a warning against the fear of man while offering hope in the ultimate vindication of God's servants through the resurrection. Finally, the sermon calls believers to proclaim the gospel faithfully, trusting in Christ's victory over sin and death.

I. The Situation: Peter's Imprisoned II. The Result: Peter's Freed III. The Situation: Herod's Praised IV. The Result: Herod's Judged

Reading Acts 12:20-25 where Herod gives a speech and is hailed as a god, but because he does not give glory to God, the Lord strikes him dead and he's eaten by worms. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Welcome back to our ongoing study through the Book of Hebrews, the book of "Better Things". In this Bible Study, Dave Bigler from Iron Sheep Ministries guides us through Hebrews chapter nine, diving deep into the structural blueprint and profound theological purpose of the earthly sanctuary—contrasting the old tabernacle and temples with the ultimate, heavenly sanctuary. Focusing on our key verse, Hebrews 9.24, we explore how the ancient sacrificial system established under the Mosaic Covenant was never meant to be permanent, but was a beautiful, meticulous copy built to point us directly to the finished work of Jesus Christ. To help visualize this powerful connection, this study provides an overview of the tabernacle's layout, from the bronze altar of sacrifice in the outer courtyard to the golden implements within the Holy Place. We examine how every physical element—including the single entrance, the golden lampstand, the showbread, and the altar of incense—finds its absolute fulfillment and spiritual reality in the Savior. We also address the intriguing wording in Hebrews 9.4 regarding the altar of incense, tracing the architectural progression from Moses's tabernacle to the grand temples of Solomon and Herod. Follow along with our detailed study notes at Iron Sheep Ministries to deepen your reverence for the perfect bridge Christ built to bring us into the very presence of God.TEACHING NOTES:https://docs.google.com/document/d/19WCysbtqo9T4-cViUtgPz4XP7bvyegqTFc8D9IpZnMA/edit?usp=sharingABOUT IRON SHEEP MINISTRIESIron Sheep Ministries is dedicated to helping you dig deeper into God's Word. To learn more about our mission and what God has put on our hearts, visit our website: https://ironsheep.org. JOING THE EMAIL LISThttp://eepurl.com/g-2zADQUESTIONSHave questions about today's study? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at info@ironsheep.org. PARTNER WITH USIf this teaching blessed you, please consider partnering with us through prayer or financial support to help us continue sharing the Gospel.

Reading Acts 12:1-11 where James the brother of John is murdered and Peter is arrested by Herod, but he is later miraculously freed by an angel. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Jeff Watts teaching on Luke 23:6-16.

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal.Jesus has such a powerful way of showing us who we are in the Father's eyes. His disciples are perfect examples of this truth. Where Mark wrote of John and his brother as the “Sons of Thunder”—which has to be the most woefully under-utilized rock band name of all time—because of their fiery tempers (Mark 3.17), John saw himself in Christ as beloved (John 13.23; 19.26; 20.2; 21.7; 21.20; 21.24). The same is true for Matthew. Mark and Luke tell the story of Matthew's calling, but they intentionally refer to him as Levi (that designation is important). But for Matthew writing his gospel, remembering the day Jesus found him despised and disdained by his countrymen, sitting in a tax collector's booth, Matthew shares the name which Jesus used to redefine his life. The former tax collector tells us, “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me'" (Matthew 9.9a).At the heart of this story is man who the world called anything but “Matthew.” The Hebrew name Matthew means, “Gift of the Lord,” which was the last thing his neighbors saw. He was called a tax collector. He was called a sinner. He was an embarrassment, a sellout. He worked for Herod the Tetrarch, subservient to the Roman Empire. He was, to the Pharisees and the people around him, irredeemably unclean. But to Jesus, he was Matthew. Stop and read that again. To Jesus, Matthew was a gift from God, a purposeful creation made in the hands of the Master (Psalm 139.14-18).Friend, maybe you feel like that despised tax collector today. Maybe your soul is sporting a black eye from the blows of a broken society. You feel frozen by your sin in the eyes of those around you. But Jesus, the Son of God, sees you as a gift of God. He sees you where you are and calls you by name to follow Him. Jesus loves you. He passed by your way to reveal God's love for you, and for those around you. Beloved, today, hear Jesus' personal call to discipleship and walk in His way.

Toxic traits can be close to home.

New series?; Dead Sea Scrolls; Sheepskin?; Copies of Jeremiah; "Religion"; "Essenes"; What the author is trying to impart; Paul's Damascus event; Last episode - Scillitan Martyrs - trial by Roman proconsul Saturninus; Christianity today; Exercising authority; Abimelech vs Melchizedek; Use tax?; Words - symbols of ideas; Authenticity of Dead Sea Scrolls; What did Jesus mean?; Deceitful meats; Sitting in darkness; Star parties?; Loving God and neighbor as yourself; Which "god" do you love?; Gal 5:1; The light of Christ; Divine revelation; "Yoke of bondage"; Government of Rome; Emperor = patronus of all in the empire; Father of the people; "Merchandise"?; Your obligation to the State"; Private Religion; Kicked out of Temple?; Christ's government; Making the word of God to none effect; "Corban" of Herod; Welfare snares and traps; Wages of unrighteousness - result of covetous practices; Agreeing with the "world"; Deut 17:16; Repentance; Forcing contributions from people; Caring through charity; Doing what Jesus said; God's kingdom of righteousness; Misinterpreting Moses; Pharaoh's reaction to Moses; "Social Security"; Things YOU did wrong; Distorting your view of history; Bondage of Egypt; Mark 7:11; Human resources; Non-free states; Are you following Christ?; Cursing your children?; 2 Peter 2:14; Ps 69:22; Rom 11:9; Prov 23:3; Moving to the state of righteousness; Bread of Rome vs Bread of Christ; Covetous practices; How the Early Church worked and can work today; Understanding Christianity; Christ's Holy Government appointed to apostles; Lady Godiva; Tithes vs Taxes; Why we gather; Learning forgiveness; Join the Living Network.

The Nazi Holocaust of the Jews stands as one of the most horrifying events in human history, a time when Satanic hatred was organized, mechanized and carried out through a political system that marked, isolated, transported and murdered the Jewish people by the millions. The world looked upon the smoke of Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Dachau and the other killing centers and said “never again,” but the Bible says something very different. The Bible says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be,” and the same hatred that rose up under Pharaoh, Haman, Herod and Hitler will rise again under Antichrist. The Holocaust was not the end of antisemitic persecution; it was a warning shot of what fallen man and Satanic government are capable of doing when God removes restraint. And it's fixing to come again.“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, if the Holocaust was one of the darkest valleys of human history, then the coming great Tribulation will be the darkest valley of all time. Hitler's Reich targeted the Jews in Europe; Antichrist's Beast system will target the Jews on a global scale. Hitler used trains, camps, numbers, propaganda and death decrees; Antichrist will use worship, technology, economics, global government and the mark of the Beast. This is why the Bible calls that coming period “the time of Jacob's trouble.” It is not called the time of the Church's trouble, because the Church is not Jacob. Jacob is Israel. Jeremiah says, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:7 (KJB). That verse matches perfectly with the words of Jesus in Matthew 24. The Jewish people will once again become the target of the Devil's final rage, and the nations of the world will once again turn against Israel. The Holocaust showed us what one demonized empire could do to the Jews; the time of Jacob's trouble will show what a demonized world under Antichrist will do when Satan knows his time is short. The same spirit that built the death camps is the same spirit that here in 2026 chants for Israel's destruction, funds terror, fires missiles and prepares the nations for the final satanic campaign against the Jews. The uniforms change, the slogans change, the technology changes, but the hatred remains the same. There is no new thing under the sun. The difference is that the Holocaust ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany, but the great Tribulation ends with the visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ at the Second Advent. Hitler was stopped by armies; Antichrist will be destroyed by the Lord Himself. The Holocaust left survivors to testify; the time of Jacob's trouble will leave a purified remnant of Israel who will look upon Him whom they have pierced and finally receive their Messiah. That is why Christians should care about the Holocaust, and that is why Christians should pay attention to the war with Iran. The headlines are moving in the same direction prophecy has always pointed: Israel surrounded, the nations raging, false peace rising, and Jacob's trouble waiting just beyond the horizon. Today we look at the Nazi Holocaust to see the Spirit of Prophecy carrying us headlong into the headlines!

Welcome to the Christmas series! Herod, boiling in a jealous rage, commits the same act as Pharaoh did long ago. In a chaotic and fiery frenzy, children are taken from their homes and killed, all because of the pride of one man. Sign up for special devotionals at StoriesoftheMessiah.com. As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel. They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history. For more Bible stories download the Pray.com app.  To learn more about Rabbi Schneider visit https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 23:5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 23:14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 23:15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 23:22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 23:25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Welcome to the Christmas series! The magi arrive at the palace of King Herod, looking for the King of the Jews. Herod welcomes them with false-humility, smiling through his gritted teeth. Something isn't right. Sign up for special devotionals at StoriesoftheMessiah.com. As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel. They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history. For more Bible stories download the Pray.com app.  To learn more about Rabbi Schneider visit https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read OnlineAfter entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:1–2After making a quick trip across the Sea of Galilee to deliver two men from demonic possession, Jesus and the disciples return to Jesus' “own town,” likely Capernaum, the fishing village and hometown of Peter, Andrew, James and John, and probably Matthew, whom Jesus had not yet called to be an Apostle.Though the Gospels say little about Jesus' ordinary daily life in Capernaum, it is clear that this small town served as a center for His Galilean ministry, becoming the crossroads where ordinary human lives intersected with extraordinary divine grace. Few in Capernaum could have realized that their village would become the center for the unfolding of God's promise of salvation, from which the teachings of the Messiah would go forth to the world.Though Jesus' act of forgiving the paralytic's sins in today's Gospel, followed by his miraculous healing, holds great significance, equally important is the setting in which these actions took place. Capernaum, in many ways, represents our hometowns, homes, daily lives, occupations, communities, and families. The Son of God's entrance into our world did not take place in a visibly magnificent way; it was humble, hidden, and ordinary. Beginning in Bethlehem, Jesus' birth took place within a dwelling for animals, and He was laid in a feeding trough. Shortly afterward, He narrowly escaped death from Herod, becoming a refugee in Egypt as an infant. Later, Jesus was raised in Nazareth—a small town viewed as insignificant by the wider Judean and Galilean communities. He learned carpentry from Joseph, made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the Jewish feasts, and lived like any other child and young man.Even after Jesus began His public ministry, He continued to live a humble and simple life. He was a wandering preacher, traveling on foot through many towns and villages with a band of disciples. He relied on providence for food and shelter, owned little Himself, and related compassionately with people of every status and background.To the ordinary eye, Jesus was an ordinary man. To the eyes of the Father, He was the Divine Son, cloaked in humility, whose true glory remained hidden from many eyes.Jesus' humble, simple, and ordinary life was significant. The Father could have sent His Son into royal splendor and worldly power, establishing Him as an earthly king admired by all. Yet, He chose humility because by embracing the ordinariness of daily life, Jesus sanctified human existence, transforming everyday tasks and encounters into pathways toward union with Him. When we engage in ordinary things in union with Jesus' life—with His virtue, diligence, dedication, care, and generosity—our daily activities become infused with extraordinary grace.By becoming the crossroads where ordinary human lives intersect with extraordinary divine grace, we are invited to see every ordinary part of our lives in the same way the people of Capernaum encountered Jesus' extraordinary grace. Jesus is waiting for us around every corner, in every conversation, duty, and activity. Like in Capernaum, He remains cloaked in humility, often veiled from immediate recognition. With faith, we must discern Him in the ordinary, recognize His humble presence, love Him, and follow Him.Reflect today on the people of Capernaum and see yourself among them. How would you have reacted to someone who seemed so ordinary yet taught, forgave, and healed with such grace? That same Lord is present all around us in our daily lives, no matter how ordinary they might appear. Look for Him, invite Him into your “town,” and allow Him to sanctify your daily work, drawing you out of the ordinary into the extraordinary life of grace.My hidden Lord, You are present within me and all around me, yet often I fail to perceive Your humble presence in the ordinary circumstances of my daily life. Grant me the eyes of faith to recognize You, a heart eager to love You, and the strength to follow You faithfully, so that all I do may be infused with Your grace and dedicated to Your eternal glory. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Christ Healing the Lame Man, by Jacopo BassanoSource: 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.