Category Archives: Luke

The Only Good Samaritan

Readings: Isaiah 53:1-12; Luke 10:25-37 An expert in Mosaic law tries to test Jesus, wanting to justify himself. He knows the law and articulates it in perfect orthodoxy, yet cannot grasp that deeper Truth which only the Spirit can inscribe on any human heart. Speaking in parable, Jesus’s multi-layered answer turns this lawyer’s question onContinue reading “The Only Good Samaritan”

The kingdom of God has come near to you

Key Readings: Exodus 3:1-9; Luke 10:1-16 The phrase ‘come near’ in verses 9 and 11 of Luke 10 is common across the Biblical text. One well-known early instance is in Exodus 3, when God calls to Moses from the burning bush, warning, “Do not come near here.” Moses must remove his sandals, discarding the dustContinue reading “The kingdom of God has come near to you”

A Stone’s Throw Away

The Bible’s rocks and stones have come up in my previous studies here and there, but there’s still more mystery on which to meditate. A while back, I considered the interplay between iron and rock. Ironwork was considered the work and weapon of the enemies of God (Ex. 20:25, Jdgs 1:19, 1 Kgs 6:7, 2 SamContinue reading “A Stone’s Throw Away”

The Girl is Asleep: Salvation in Luke 8

Until this morning, in my reading of Luke 8:40-56 I’d focused on Jesus’s two miracles in isolation. I’ve written already, for example, about the symbolic meaning of the colours in Jesus’s healing of the woman with the flow of blood. And in the story of Jairus’s daughter, I have previously reflected on striking parallels betweenContinue reading “The Girl is Asleep: Salvation in Luke 8”

Leaving everything behind

There is a lovely tension to explore in Luke 5:27-29, as Jesus meets the tax collector whose name was Levi. After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. Earlier in the sameContinue reading “Leaving everything behind”

His Hands Oustretched

One story I frequently return to when times are tough is the defeat of the Amalekites in Exodus 17. Amalek comes to challenge Israel, and as Joshua fights them with the men of Israel, Moses stands above, on the hill of Rephidim. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed,Continue reading “His Hands Oustretched”

Elisha’s She-Bears: The Power of Mothers and Judgement in the House of God

Can you lead forth a contellation in its season,And guide the Bear with her sons? Job 38:32 As someone keenly interested in the role of the natural world in redemptive history, I am transfixed by the Bible’s few references to bears. With the bear, we meet the fury of wicked rulers, God’s jealousy for theContinue reading “Elisha’s She-Bears: The Power of Mothers and Judgement in the House of God”

The Donkey and the Colt

I’ve started creating short video meditations on Biblical themes, and I now have a YouTube channel. My first video focused on the theme of sparrows, and now here is one on donkeys. Having studied donkeys closely, I have a new appreciation for them. And how interesting that donkeys carry a cross on their back. WhenContinue reading “The Donkey and the Colt”