The rabbinic tradition said, “God still does two works on the Sabbath: He creates and He judges.” And, the Psalm clearly said the Lord never rests but is always watching over and caring for God’s creation. Jesus was on solid theological ground, so what made the religious rulers so beyond enraged they were prepared to commit murder?
Secret of the Manna, Exodus 16
the entire nation of hungry, bedraggled people, whose life skills include making mud bricks, had turned on against their leader, Moses. They hinted that Moses had been either foolhardy and rash and was in the process of killing them by accident, or worse, he had—perversely—been been intending all along to kill them by the slow and gruesome death of starvation.
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Minor Prophets: Amos, Basket of Summer Fruit
The first layer of meaning is straightforward. Ripe fruit, when it is plucked from the tree, is cut off. For the harvester, the ripened fruit is a lovely blessing, but for the fruit itself, to be harvested means its time on the tree will come to an end.
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Gospel of John: Sabbath Collision
Such splitting of hairs had lost sight of God’s purpose for the Sabbath, and had, with heavy irony, made the Sabbath an onerous burden for the people.
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Gospel of John: Pool of Bethesda
Jesus spoke with intensity, one word, layered with meaning. For it implied getting up from a sickbed, but it also intimated arising from slumber, or perhaps even stupor. Finally, it was a demand to literally get to his feet.
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Gospel of John: From Faith to Faith
Relief may feel like satisfaction for a while. But true satisfaction, the deep and lasting kind, can only come through faith in Jesus, personally relating to Jesus and responding to him in faith, living it out because you believe.
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Gospel of John: A Nobleman’s Son
The noble official was covered in the dust of his travels, his robes powdered a dull grey, his feet nearly monochrome with dirt. Streaks of sweat lined his face, and the hair across his forehead was matted. Real tears streamed from his eyes and nose, flying in drops as he dropped to his knees, clasped his hands before Jesus, and wrung them.
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The Song of the Sea, Exodus 15
God’s people standing stunned on the opposite shore of the Red Sea, as they watched God cause the waves to come crashing in on the mighty armies of Egypt. It only makes sense that they broke out into song.
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Minor Prophets: Amos, Royal Smack Down
When God has called us to something, we cannot do anything else, and we cannot do anything less.
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Gospel of John: Food
John made it clear it was the woman who testified about Jesus, and the whole town was her harvest, not the disciples.’ Oh yes, they would reap the harvest. But she was the sower Now Jesus would rejoice with this woman as her entire town came out to meet Him.
