[…] A House for Jesus Recently, Alice and I visited the house in which I was born—yeah, at home under the care of midwives, grandmothers Nora and Olie, thirty minutes before the doctor arrived in his buggy—according to family lore. Some of the original house still stands, but it is now a winery. The owners dismantled part of the house and used the lumber to refashion the building. Interesting. The house in which I lived with my parents and two younger brothers for the first five years, across the road from the birth house, is gone. There’s not even a monument to mark the place, as I told some friends (meant humorously); the house is completely gone. St. Mark wrote, “And then having come out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.” (1:29) The other writers (Matt. 8:14; Luke 4:38) simply called this Simon’s house, but Mark, likely writing under the tutelage of Peter, said that it was also Andrew’s house. That’s all that is recorded about this house; however, there is circumstantial information that may support an additional description. First, the house was large enough to house two brothers, a mother-in-law, a wife, and other guests. Second, it seems that Jesus was a frequent guest at the house. Third, the reason for being at this house was probably to take the Sabbath meal, which, according to tradition, came immediately after the synagogue service; therefore, the house would need to be large enough to accommodate at least nine people on this occasion. Still, this was the house of working men—fishermen. It was likely in what would be described today as a “working-class neighborhood.” To Jesus, though, this seemed irrelevant. He was with friends and disciples in the house. So Jesus’ presence was not predicated on surroundings; he’ll be present in any house in which he’s welcome. Directory […]
[…] The Essence of Prayer The current new thing is AI, Artificial Intelligence. Several companies are developing their own versions of these massive computer programs. The millions of computer processors required to run these programs consume vast amounts of electrical resources. To acquire some of that electrical energy, one company plans to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor, which partially melted down in 1979, leading to the nation’s most serious commercial nuclear accident in history to date. However, the availability of these AI programs means that people must now learn to use them. Commercially available AI programs require inputs, commonly known as “prompts.” An industry has emerged to teach users how to frame these “prompts” correctly for the AI programs to generate accurate responses or “output.” Using an incorrectly worded “prompt” can produce useless information. St. Mark noted that after Jesus’ lesson in the synagogue and confrontation with the unclean spirit, he and four others went to Simon’s house, seemingly to partake in the traditional Sabbath meal. “But the mother-in-law of Simon was lying down with a fever, and they spoke to him concerning her.” (1:30) St. Luke, the physician and historian, noted that she was lying with a “great fever.” (Luke 4:38) Neither Peter’s wife’s name nor the name of his mother-in-law is recorded, but “they spoke to him concerning her.” While no one recorded exactly what they said about her, they surely described her condition as accurately as possible. To use current terminology, they framed an accurate “prompt.” Just as companies teach people to frame effective “prompts” for AI programs, there are also individuals teaching Christians how to pray. On one occasion, a disciple said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1) In Mark’s account, they “spoke” to Jesus regarding Peter’s mother-in-law. It seems that these disciples emphasized the purpose of Christian prayer: to speak to the Lord about a need. Directory […]
[…] A Helping Hand When my two brothers and I would stay with Grandma and Grandpa Minton, our maternal grandparents, on their farm in southern Illinois during the summer, Grandma would often make sassafras tea. We would pull up or dig up some young, tender sassafras tree, wash the root, cut it into small pieces, and Grandma would boil the root to make the tea. She called the tea a spring tonic, which would thin the blood, which, I suppose, was supposed to prepare the body for the summer heat, a mild example of popular home remedies. I still enjoy occasional sassafras tea. In St. Mark’s Gospel, he wrote about Simon’s mother-in-law, who was racked by a great fever. One writer notes that fevers were prevalent around Capernaum in Galilee. The Talmud prescribed a remedy for dealing with fevers: an iron knife was tied by a braid of hair to a thorn bush, on three successive days prescribed scriptures were read, a certain magical formula was pronounced, and thus the cure was supposed to be achieved. Mark, however, said, “And going in, he raised her up, having taken her hand, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” (1:31) St. Luke added more details: Jesus went in, stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left. (4:39) Combining Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, the scene unfolds thus: First, of course, they told Jesus about her need. Second, Jesus went to her, a comforting thought that he is present were there is a need. Third, Jesus prayed, rebuked the fever, and it left. There was no need for a magic formula, even a Christian one—fasting, genuflection, or baptism. Third, Jesus took her hand. The word used here suggests a gentle touch, not a jerking motion—a picture of the Lord’s tenderness. Fourth, she began to serve them. Fevers usually leave the body weak and in need of a period of convalescence. The Lord’s work brought deliverance. Fifth, Simon’s mother-in-law began to serve them; she resumed her household activities. This simple, unadorned account still speaks to believers. Directory […]
[…] Doing the Right Thing in the Right Way It is important to do the right thing in the right way—to offer assistance when requested; give sound advice when requested; be truthful constructively; uphold justice in a way that creates good; give out of love; or discipline out of love. In St. Mark’s account of Jesus teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, he wrote that Jesus and the disciples went to Simon’s house, where Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and then they likely ate the Sabbath meal. “But when evening came, when the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were ill and those possessed by demons.” (1:32) It was a good thing to bring those needing help to Jesus; however, Mark states that this was done correctly: “when evening came, when the sun had set.” For the people in Mark’s account, it was forbidden to carry any burden through the town on the Sabbath day. (cf. Jeremiah 17:24) The Sabbath ran from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. Without clocks or watches, the Sabbath ended when the sun set or, by custom, when three stars appeared in the sky. Earlier, Mark said that the account of Jesus healing the man in the synagogue spread throughout the region. (1:28) Apparently, this report spread rapidly, for by evening, respecting the Sabbath law, people brought—Mark’s word was “carried”—their ill family and friends to him. They did the right thing in the right way, which is always important. Directory […]
[…] Not Asleep in a Chair I read recently about a student who was excited for his new semester. He arranged his dorm room, purchased the finest books, got the latest computer and software, secured a desk, and got the most comfortable chair—and then he sat down in the chair and went to sleep. One point of that little story is that preparation without follow-through is disjointed. In St. Mark’s account of Jesus’ lesson in the synagogue, his travel to Simon’s house, and the healing of the people at the door were preparatory, Jesus did not seek out the man who was healed in the synagogue or the people at the door. He did not build his reputation on these events. “And exceedingly early, at night, while it was still dark, arising, he went out to a deserted place and there he was praying.” (Mark 1:35) He did not “sit in his chair and go to sleep,” so to speak, but instead followed up by submitting all his actions to the Father in prayer. It is likely that arising early to pray was a normal practice for him. He is often found praying early and in a quiet or secluded place. The emphasis in Mark’s account is not on the time or place of prayer, but on praying itself. Only the Father heard Jesus’ prayer, which is as it should be, but circumstances indicate that he had much to present to the Father: the danger of popularity, the selection of helpers, the coming itinerary, the nature of his ministry, and the confrontation with the enemy. The most important word in this account—it is a single word—is “he was praying.” Still an important word. Directory […]
[…] Seeking the Lord I was in a large parking lot, and a couple was walking up and down the aisles, searching earnestly for their car. Alice was looking for her cell phone, but it was nowhere to be found. Ah, the sure trick: she used my phone to call her phone. She didn’t hear its ring. Then she remembered having left it in the car. She went to the car, and it was in the console, ringing melodiously. St. Mark wrote that after the previous Sabbath’s events—the lesson, the healing in the synagogue, and helping the crowd outside the door in Simon’s house—Jesus rose very early in the morning and went to find a quiet place to pray. Likely, sometime later, those in Simon’s house awoke to find that Jesus was not present. “And Simon and those with him searched intensely for him.” (1:36) Mark took the word for search, “dioko,” and added an intensifying prefix, “kata,” getting “katadioko,” which translates to “search intensely.” Most textual scholars think that Simon, a.k.a. Peter, taught Mark the story of Jesus. So he would clearly remember waking up in the morning and finding Jesus gone, after a most remarkable Sabbath. Simon and the others with him remembered the intensive search for Jesus. In St. Luke’s parallel account, he only said the people sought him; his word does not indicate the same intensity as Mark’s word. (Luke 4:42) Why the intensity of the search for Jesus? Some undoubtedly sought him out of love. Some probably sought him out of fear that he might have deserted them. According to St. Luke, some sought him because of what he could do for them. The couple in the parking lot found their car; Alice found her phone; and those who searched diligently found Jesus. The Prophet Jeremiah, writing to people about seeking Yahweh, said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) True for Israel, true in Capernaum, and still true today. . Directory […]
[…] Everyone Seeks You There was a phrase in my mind recently. Not an earth-shaking phrase, but one of those fragments that often “sticks in the mind,” commonly called an “earworm.” So I went looking for the source. I knew it was in something I had recently read. I went through several books and magazines, and then I found it: “Democracy never lasts long. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide”—a statement by John Adams, the second President of the United States. Once I found the statement and the source, it was as if my brain took a deep breath and relaxed. It is likely that Simon told his young protégé, Mark, about Jesus teaching in the synagogue, healing the man with an evil spirit, and healing many who came to his door at the close of the Sabbath. When those in the house awoke the next morning, Jesus was not there, so they went searching for him, “and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone seeks you.’” (1:37) In St. Luke’s account, there was a multitude of people seeking Jesus, and when they found him, they held on to him and would not let him go. (Luke 4:42) There was likely relief at their successful quest. Everyone, according to Mark, sought Jesus. Some sought him out of love, some out of curiosity, some as a source of blessing, and others were dragged along by the crowd in the quest. An important point is contained in the word “found,” which focuses on the satisfaction of the quest. A common report from those who “find” Jesus is one of fulfillment or satisfaction. It is still true: “Everyone seeks you.” Directory […]
[…] Impulsion to Act It is a common experience to have the motivation to act pressing upon the mind, somewhat like the moment of delivery pressing upon a pregnant mother. Alice and I waited for the arrival of our first son; though in 1966 mothers didn’t know the gender of the baby, Alice didn’t need an ultrasound; she knew that she would deliver a son. It was a cold February morning when she said it was time; the moment had arrived. Jesus was born to a carpenter, Joseph, and his wife, Mary, in Nazareth, a small village in the hills of Galilee. There’s not much information about Jesus’ childhood. Matthew and Luke mention his birth, the visit of the Magi, and the family’s nighttime flight to Egypt. St. Luke mentions the family’s visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. (Luke 2:41-52) St. Luke said, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (2:51-52) Those thirty years in Nazareth are sometimes referred to as the “silent years.” Jesus likely learned the trade skills of his father and worked as a contractor for the Nazarenes. It is also likely that Joseph, Mary, and the priests taught Jesus the Scriptures. The lack of any mention of his father may indicate that, during those years following the event in Jerusalem, Joseph died. Jesus, as the oldest son, would take the lead in caring for his mother, sisters, and brothers. St. Mark said, “And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.” (Mark 1:9) Laying aside questions about why Jesus submitted to a sinner’s baptism, the word “it came to pass” could also correctly be rendered “it happened.” It is likely that Jesus sensed the inner compulsion that it was time to begin the Father’s plan for his redemptive mission. So he walked the 80 or 90 miles from Nazareth to be baptized by John and initiate his ministry. When one senses that inner urgency, it’s appropriate to listen carefully for the Father’s voice. Directory […]
[…] Agreement Between Hands and Mouth A missionary told a story about speaking to an audience when one of the men left in the middle of his sermon and took one of the speaker’s assistants out of the room. The man returned a few minutes later and appeared to listen attentively. After the service, the missionary asked his assistant what the man wanted. The assistant said the man wanted to know if the missionary practiced what he preached. When the assistant assured the man that the missionary lived a committed life, the man returned to listen. St. Mark said that many people from Judea and Jerusalem walked into the wilderness to hear a preacher, not one of the well-clothed, appropriately perfumed scribes in the city with well-trimmed beards. “And John was clothed in hairs of a camel and a belt of leather around his waist, and eating locust and wild honey.” (1:6) There are many curious items in this short sentence—the camel-hair garment, the leather belt, and the diet, but one point is that this speaker was carrying a message that he was demonstrating in his own life. In the city were leaders who were meticulous about their dress, their daily schedules, and their ceremonial washing, but whose interior was clogged by finding ways to justify their own behavior and overturn the essence of the message they proclaimed. Perhaps one of the most attractive things about this wilderness preacher was that his life and message were congruent. Hmm, that lesson is still true for today. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.” (Psalm 19:14) Directory […]
[…] Making a Change Bruce Barton (1886-1967), writer and politician, the author of “The Man Nobody Knows: A Discovery of the Real Jesus,” says that, as a cub reporter, one of his first assignments was to follow and expose Billy Sunday (1862-1935), a baseball player turned Christian turned famous evangelist in the 1910s through the 30s. However, in every city Billy Sunday left, people talked about a major change: people paid their bills, family life improved, and the moral atmosphere changed. Barton’s article, commissioned to be a derogatory exposé, became a tribute to the power of Sunday’s Christian message. St. Mark wrote, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and they were baptized in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” (1:4-5) There’s no Barton-like report about the change in moral life in Judea, but the willingness of people to travel to the Judean wilderness to hear John’s message and to be baptized as they confessed their sins demonstrates the desire for a better life, a desire that still fills the human heart. Directory […]
[…] A House for Jesus Recently, Alice and I visited the house in which I was born—yeah, at home under the care of midwives, grandmothers Nora and Olie, thirty minutes before the doctor arrived in his buggy—according to family lore. Some of the original house still stands, but it is now a winery. The owners dismantled part of the house and used the lumber to refashion the building. Interesting. The house in which I lived with my parents and two younger brothers for the first five years, across the road from the birth house, is gone. There’s not even a monument to mark the place, as I told some friends (meant humorously); the house is completely gone. St. Mark wrote, “And then having come out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.” (1:29) The other writers (Matt. 8:14; Luke 4:38) simply called this Simon’s house, but Mark, likely writing under the tutelage of Peter, said that it was also Andrew’s house. That’s all that is recorded about this house; however, there is circumstantial information that may support an additional description. First, the house was large enough to house two brothers, a mother-in-law, a wife, and other guests. Second, it seems that Jesus was a frequent guest at the house. Third, the reason for being at this house was probably to take the Sabbath meal, which, according to tradition, came immediately after the synagogue service; therefore, the house would need to be large enough to accommodate at least nine people on this occasion. Still, this was the house of working men—fishermen. It was likely in what would be described today as a “working-class neighborhood.” To Jesus, though, this seemed irrelevant. He was with friends and disciples in the house. So Jesus’ presence was not predicated on surroundings; he’ll be present in any house in which he’s welcome. Directory […]
[…] The Essence of Prayer The current new thing is AI, Artificial Intelligence. Several companies are developing their own versions of these massive computer programs. The millions of computer processors required to run these programs consume vast amounts of electrical resources. To acquire some of that electrical energy, one company plans to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor, which partially melted down in 1979, leading to the nation’s most serious commercial nuclear accident in history to date. However, the availability of these AI programs means that people must now learn to use them. Commercially available AI programs require inputs, commonly known as “prompts.” An industry has emerged to teach users how to frame these “prompts” correctly for the AI programs to generate accurate responses or “output.” Using an incorrectly worded “prompt” can produce useless information. St. Mark noted that after Jesus’ lesson in the synagogue and confrontation with the unclean spirit, he and four others went to Simon’s house, seemingly to partake in the traditional Sabbath meal. “But the mother-in-law of Simon was lying down with a fever, and they spoke to him concerning her.” (1:30) St. Luke, the physician and historian, noted that she was lying with a “great fever.” (Luke 4:38) Neither Peter’s wife’s name nor the name of his mother-in-law is recorded, but “they spoke to him concerning her.” While no one recorded exactly what they said about her, they surely described her condition as accurately as possible. To use current terminology, they framed an accurate “prompt.” Just as companies teach people to frame effective “prompts” for AI programs, there are also individuals teaching Christians how to pray. On one occasion, a disciple said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1) In Mark’s account, they “spoke” to Jesus regarding Peter’s mother-in-law. It seems that these disciples emphasized the purpose of Christian prayer: to speak to the Lord about a need. Directory […]
[…] A Helping Hand When my two brothers and I would stay with Grandma and Grandpa Minton, our maternal grandparents, on their farm in southern Illinois during the summer, Grandma would often make sassafras tea. We would pull up or dig up some young, tender sassafras tree, wash the root, cut it into small pieces, and Grandma would boil the root to make the tea. She called the tea a spring tonic, which would thin the blood, which, I suppose, was supposed to prepare the body for the summer heat, a mild example of popular home remedies. I still enjoy occasional sassafras tea. In St. Mark’s Gospel, he wrote about Simon’s mother-in-law, who was racked by a great fever. One writer notes that fevers were prevalent around Capernaum in Galilee. The Talmud prescribed a remedy for dealing with fevers: an iron knife was tied by a braid of hair to a thorn bush, on three successive days prescribed scriptures were read, a certain magical formula was pronounced, and thus the cure was supposed to be achieved. Mark, however, said, “And going in, he raised her up, having taken her hand, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” (1:31) St. Luke added more details: Jesus went in, stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left. (4:39) Combining Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, the scene unfolds thus: First, of course, they told Jesus about her need. Second, Jesus went to her, a comforting thought that he is present were there is a need. Third, Jesus prayed, rebuked the fever, and it left. There was no need for a magic formula, even a Christian one—fasting, genuflection, or baptism. Third, Jesus took her hand. The word used here suggests a gentle touch, not a jerking motion—a picture of the Lord’s tenderness. Fourth, she began to serve them. Fevers usually leave the body weak and in need of a period of convalescence. The Lord’s work brought deliverance. Fifth, Simon’s mother-in-law began to serve them; she resumed her household activities. This simple, unadorned account still speaks to believers. Directory […]
[…] Doing the Right Thing in the Right Way It is important to do the right thing in the right way—to offer assistance when requested; give sound advice when requested; be truthful constructively; uphold justice in a way that creates good; give out of love; or discipline out of love. In St. Mark’s account of Jesus teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, he wrote that Jesus and the disciples went to Simon’s house, where Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and then they likely ate the Sabbath meal. “But when evening came, when the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were ill and those possessed by demons.” (1:32) It was a good thing to bring those needing help to Jesus; however, Mark states that this was done correctly: “when evening came, when the sun had set.” For the people in Mark’s account, it was forbidden to carry any burden through the town on the Sabbath day. (cf. Jeremiah 17:24) The Sabbath ran from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. Without clocks or watches, the Sabbath ended when the sun set or, by custom, when three stars appeared in the sky. Earlier, Mark said that the account of Jesus healing the man in the synagogue spread throughout the region. (1:28) Apparently, this report spread rapidly, for by evening, respecting the Sabbath law, people brought—Mark’s word was “carried”—their ill family and friends to him. They did the right thing in the right way, which is always important. Directory […]
[…] Not Asleep in a Chair I read recently about a student who was excited for his new semester. He arranged his dorm room, purchased the finest books, got the latest computer and software, secured a desk, and got the most comfortable chair—and then he sat down in the chair and went to sleep. One point of that little story is that preparation without follow-through is disjointed. In St. Mark’s account of Jesus’ lesson in the synagogue, his travel to Simon’s house, and the healing of the people at the door were preparatory, Jesus did not seek out the man who was healed in the synagogue or the people at the door. He did not build his reputation on these events. “And exceedingly early, at night, while it was still dark, arising, he went out to a deserted place and there he was praying.” (Mark 1:35) He did not “sit in his chair and go to sleep,” so to speak, but instead followed up by submitting all his actions to the Father in prayer. It is likely that arising early to pray was a normal practice for him. He is often found praying early and in a quiet or secluded place. The emphasis in Mark’s account is not on the time or place of prayer, but on praying itself. Only the Father heard Jesus’ prayer, which is as it should be, but circumstances indicate that he had much to present to the Father: the danger of popularity, the selection of helpers, the coming itinerary, the nature of his ministry, and the confrontation with the enemy. The most important word in this account—it is a single word—is “he was praying.” Still an important word. Directory […]
[…] Seeking the Lord I was in a large parking lot, and a couple was walking up and down the aisles, searching earnestly for their car. Alice was looking for her cell phone, but it was nowhere to be found. Ah, the sure trick: she used my phone to call her phone. She didn’t hear its ring. Then she remembered having left it in the car. She went to the car, and it was in the console, ringing melodiously. St. Mark wrote that after the previous Sabbath’s events—the lesson, the healing in the synagogue, and helping the crowd outside the door in Simon’s house—Jesus rose very early in the morning and went to find a quiet place to pray. Likely, sometime later, those in Simon’s house awoke to find that Jesus was not present. “And Simon and those with him searched intensely for him.” (1:36) Mark took the word for search, “dioko,” and added an intensifying prefix, “kata,” getting “katadioko,” which translates to “search intensely.” Most textual scholars think that Simon, a.k.a. Peter, taught Mark the story of Jesus. So he would clearly remember waking up in the morning and finding Jesus gone, after a most remarkable Sabbath. Simon and the others with him remembered the intensive search for Jesus. In St. Luke’s parallel account, he only said the people sought him; his word does not indicate the same intensity as Mark’s word. (Luke 4:42) Why the intensity of the search for Jesus? Some undoubtedly sought him out of love. Some probably sought him out of fear that he might have deserted them. According to St. Luke, some sought him because of what he could do for them. The couple in the parking lot found their car; Alice found her phone; and those who searched diligently found Jesus. The Prophet Jeremiah, writing to people about seeking Yahweh, said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) True for Israel, true in Capernaum, and still true today. . Directory […]
[…] Everyone Seeks You There was a phrase in my mind recently. Not an earth-shaking phrase, but one of those fragments that often “sticks in the mind,” commonly called an “earworm.” So I went looking for the source. I knew it was in something I had recently read. I went through several books and magazines, and then I found it: “Democracy never lasts long. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide”—a statement by John Adams, the second President of the United States. Once I found the statement and the source, it was as if my brain took a deep breath and relaxed. It is likely that Simon told his young protégé, Mark, about Jesus teaching in the synagogue, healing the man with an evil spirit, and healing many who came to his door at the close of the Sabbath. When those in the house awoke the next morning, Jesus was not there, so they went searching for him, “and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone seeks you.’” (1:37) In St. Luke’s account, there was a multitude of people seeking Jesus, and when they found him, they held on to him and would not let him go. (Luke 4:42) There was likely relief at their successful quest. Everyone, according to Mark, sought Jesus. Some sought him out of love, some out of curiosity, some as a source of blessing, and others were dragged along by the crowd in the quest. An important point is contained in the word “found,” which focuses on the satisfaction of the quest. A common report from those who “find” Jesus is one of fulfillment or satisfaction. It is still true: “Everyone seeks you.” Directory […]
[…] Impulsion to Act It is a common experience to have the motivation to act pressing upon the mind, somewhat like the moment of delivery pressing upon a pregnant mother. Alice and I waited for the arrival of our first son; though in 1966 mothers didn’t know the gender of the baby, Alice didn’t need an ultrasound; she knew that she would deliver a son. It was a cold February morning when she said it was time; the moment had arrived. Jesus was born to a carpenter, Joseph, and his wife, Mary, in Nazareth, a small village in the hills of Galilee. There’s not much information about Jesus’ childhood. Matthew and Luke mention his birth, the visit of the Magi, and the family’s nighttime flight to Egypt. St. Luke mentions the family’s visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. (Luke 2:41-52) St. Luke said, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (2:51-52) Those thirty years in Nazareth are sometimes referred to as the “silent years.” Jesus likely learned the trade skills of his father and worked as a contractor for the Nazarenes. It is also likely that Joseph, Mary, and the priests taught Jesus the Scriptures. The lack of any mention of his father may indicate that, during those years following the event in Jerusalem, Joseph died. Jesus, as the oldest son, would take the lead in caring for his mother, sisters, and brothers. St. Mark said, “And it came to pass in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.” (Mark 1:9) Laying aside questions about why Jesus submitted to a sinner’s baptism, the word “it came to pass” could also correctly be rendered “it happened.” It is likely that Jesus sensed the inner compulsion that it was time to begin the Father’s plan for his redemptive mission. So he walked the 80 or 90 miles from Nazareth to be baptized by John and initiate his ministry. When one senses that inner urgency, it’s appropriate to listen carefully for the Father’s voice. Directory […]
[…] Agreement Between Hands and Mouth A missionary told a story about speaking to an audience when one of the men left in the middle of his sermon and took one of the speaker’s assistants out of the room. The man returned a few minutes later and appeared to listen attentively. After the service, the missionary asked his assistant what the man wanted. The assistant said the man wanted to know if the missionary practiced what he preached. When the assistant assured the man that the missionary lived a committed life, the man returned to listen. St. Mark said that many people from Judea and Jerusalem walked into the wilderness to hear a preacher, not one of the well-clothed, appropriately perfumed scribes in the city with well-trimmed beards. “And John was clothed in hairs of a camel and a belt of leather around his waist, and eating locust and wild honey.” (1:6) There are many curious items in this short sentence—the camel-hair garment, the leather belt, and the diet, but one point is that this speaker was carrying a message that he was demonstrating in his own life. In the city were leaders who were meticulous about their dress, their daily schedules, and their ceremonial washing, but whose interior was clogged by finding ways to justify their own behavior and overturn the essence of the message they proclaimed. Perhaps one of the most attractive things about this wilderness preacher was that his life and message were congruent. Hmm, that lesson is still true for today. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.” (Psalm 19:14) Directory […]
[…] Making a Change Bruce Barton (1886-1967), writer and politician, the author of “The Man Nobody Knows: A Discovery of the Real Jesus,” says that, as a cub reporter, one of his first assignments was to follow and expose Billy Sunday (1862-1935), a baseball player turned Christian turned famous evangelist in the 1910s through the 30s. However, in every city Billy Sunday left, people talked about a major change: people paid their bills, family life improved, and the moral atmosphere changed. Barton’s article, commissioned to be a derogatory exposé, became a tribute to the power of Sunday’s Christian message. St. Mark wrote, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and they were baptized in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” (1:4-5) There’s no Barton-like report about the change in moral life in Judea, but the willingness of people to travel to the Judean wilderness to hear John’s message and to be baptized as they confessed their sins demonstrates the desire for a better life, a desire that still fills the human heart. Directory […]