1st century Christianity in the 21st century
– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parable of Plentiful Harvest
Matthew spoke of the Lord’s work as He journeyed, taking the gospel from village to village. The apostle recorded:
…when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
Continue reading “There is a Great Harvest, but Few Labourers”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parables of the Bridegroom and Patches and Wineskins
The disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees asked Jesus:
Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink? (Luke 5:33)
Continue reading “The Parables of the Bridegroom, Patches and Wineskins : Jesus’ Teaching on the New Covenant”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parables of the Physician
Immediately after Jesus called Levi to follow Him, this new disciple hosted a feast at his home. Matthew 9:10 tells us that many tax collectors and sinners came and sat downn at his table. Even at this early stage in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees and scribes were keeping tabs on what Jesus was doing. Mark 2:16 reveals they saw Him eating with this motley crew at Matthew’s house. And so, they asked His disciples why He ate with such people.
Continue reading “Jesus, The Great Physician: Bringing Restoration to the Spiritually Ailing”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parables of the Wise Man who Built His House on the Rock
For about 15 years in the 1990s and early 2000s, General Motors used Bob Segar’s song, “Like A Rock” in their truck ads. Of course, they wanted to convey the idea that their trucks are strong and reliable. I’ve never owned one, so I don’t know if the image is appropriate or not. But two millennia ago, Jesus used the stability of a rock to speak about the faithfulness of a child of God.
Continue reading “The Wise Man Built His House On The Rock”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parables of the Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing & A Tree Known by its Fruit
Jesus said the way to heqaven is narrow, and then Immediately spoke of some who will hinder those who seek to walk the heavenly way. He identifies them as false prophets (Matthew 7:15), and used two images to speak about them. The first speaks of their methods (Matthew 7:15) and the second speaking of their mannner of life (Matthew 7:16-20).
Continue reading “Watch Out! Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing & Trees Known By Their Fruit”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parable of the Lamp of the Body
Last week, we looked at Jesus’ use of salt and light in the sermon on the mount to describe the influence a Christian should have on the world. Our focus this week is a chapter later, but in the same sermon. The Lord said:
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)
Continue reading “The Lamp of the Body: Insights for Spiritual Life”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parables of Salt and Light
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus used two simple images to speak about His people, identifying us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Continue reading “Salt And Light: Powerful Images Of The Christian’s Role”In Mark 4:2, Jesus taught the multitude many things using parables. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record many parables spoken by Jesus. The gospel of John, though different in design from the synoptic gospels, also records some of Jesus’ parabolic teachings. There are likely more parables in the four gospels than you realize. I’m sure there are certainly parables that come to mind immediately. However, as we explore this series, you may be surprised to see how often Jesus spoke to the people in parables. I was!
Continue reading “Jesus’ Use of Parables: Powerful Lessons from the Great Teacher”This past week, I received the following inquiry, “When would you say a person’s soul is created? When does life begin?”
It is an immensely important question. At what point are we a living being? When does human life begin? We must have a clear and definitive answer to this question, especially as our society continues to freely and frequently terminate pregnancies. From 2010 and 2019 (the last year for which we have statistics), Canada reported just shy of 1 million abortions.1 From 2009 to 2018 (the last year for which data is available), our neighbours to the South have reported just over 6.7 million abortions.2
Continue reading “When Does Life Begin? A Scientific and Biblical Perspective”Some folks watch the Super Bowl for the game, while others tune in for the commercials. Doritos has a history of clever and entertaining Super Bowl ads, and their spot for Super Bowl 50 did not disappoint (watch it here). That said, not everyone liked it. For instance, the folks at NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws) spent their evening commending and condemning Super Bowl ads. Here is a screenshot of their tweet about the Doritos spot:
How sad, indeed, how completely inhuman to be angered by someone “humanizing” unborn babies. What is the fetus if it is not human? Merriam-Webster defines the word “fetus” as:
Continue reading “Abortion: The Ignored Genocide of Our Time”