Psalm: 140 Meditation: LukeThis is the only Gospel where some of these events are mentioned. Due to the multiple beatings that he received; Jesus was unable to carry the weight of his cross. In other Gospels give us details about Simon and his family, but in Luke, Jesus laments for the daughters of Jerusalem. He …
Tag: Jerusalem
Wednesday, May 18
Psalm: 148 Meditation Romans: This passage can be used as a cudgel with which to beat people down. Among the myriad gifts with which God has endowed us is common sense. In Paul’s day, the Roman authorities would brook no voiced nor active resistance (such as demonstrations) and would retaliate against such infractions severely. That …
Sunday, May 1
Psalms: 86, 149 Meditation Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar is a study of someone who just does not learn. The king invaded and captured Jerusalem, something no self-respecting Jew could fathom. He was being used by God to discipline Judah which had strayed into idolatry. As God’s agent Nebuchadnezzar’s victory was assured; problem is he believed he had …
Wednesday, March 23
Psalms: 87, 97 Meditation Jeremiah: The LORD has done what no one had ever believed possible: He has overseen the destruction of Jerusalem because of the sin of His people. Why do we believe He will not do the same to us? Jeremiah weeps both for the city itself as well as its people as …
Wednesday, March 9
Psalm: 118 Meditation John: Once when Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover, He was healing and teaching the crowds. Along came a “real” teacher of the Law and approached Jesus by night to be taught by this unschooled “teacher” from Nazareth. The message Nicodemus received was hardly what he expected. In essence, Jesus told …
Monday, October 25
Psalm: 55 Meditation Luke: “When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem.” (v. 51) This can only mean Jesus was determined to face, for good or for ill, what God had planned for Him to do. In Mark 8:31-34, Jesus had just told His …
Monday, October 11
Psalms: 113, 121 Meditation Acts: Paul is now back in Jerusalem – the place where Agabus had prophesied that Paul be taken captive by the Jews and that they would hand him over to the Gentiles (the Romans, in this case). Paul could read a crowd. He was being examined by both Pharisees and Sadducees. …
Tuesday, October 5
Psalms: 138, 141 Meditation Acts: This reading easily splits into to two: vs. 1-7 and then 8-14. Verses 1-7 give a somewhat detailed account of Paul’s departure from Ephesus to Ptolemais to Philip the deacon’s house where Paul receives a prophesy. Vs. 8-14 discus that event. Agabus, a prophet, was there at Philip’s with a …
Friday, September 17
Psalms:130,131, 133 Meditation Acts: Barnabas and Paul have returned to Jerusalem just in time for the Church’s first Council. They spoke of all the wonders God had performed among the Gentiles; this served as a confirmation of their calling to go to the Gentiles. Still, Jewish Christians had intimated that Church membership depended upon the …
Wednesday, December 6
Epiphany Psalm 97 Meditation: Matthew –Israel had been expecting a mighty warrior to ride into Jerusalem one day and kick all of the Romans and non-Jewish people out of the city. Apparently, they had forgotten that Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would not be noticeable until he established justice on earth. “…a smoldering wick …
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