Jimmy Doyle

This week’s readings are all from John chapters 16-18. Here is a list of this week's daily readings: Monday: John 16:1-18Tuesday: John 16:19-17:5Wednesday: John 17:6-25Thursday: John 18:1-18Friday: ...

This week’s readings are all from John chapters 16-18. Here is a list of this week's daily readings: Monday: John 16:1-18Tuesday: John 16:19-17:5Wednesday: John 17:6-25Thursday: John 18:1-18Friday: ...

This week’s readings are all from John chapters 16-18. Here is a list of this week's daily readings: Monday: John 16:1-18Tuesday: John 16:19-17:5Wednesday: John 17:6-25Thursday: John 18:1-18Friday: ...

This week’s readings are all from John chapters 16-18. Here is a list of this week's daily readings: Monday: John 16:1-18Tuesday: John 16:19-17:5Wednesday: John 17:6-25Thursday: John 18:1-18Friday: ...

This week’s readings are all from John chapters 16-18. Here is a list of this week's daily readings: Monday: John 16:1-18Tuesday: John 16:19-17:5Wednesday: John 17:6-25Thursday: John 18:1-18Friday: ...

Below are some thoughts from Joseph Fitzmyer on it from his Commentary on Luke. It's lengthy, but it provides a lot of info for approaching Luke's version, especially in relation to how the verb root ...

@shelley-johnson What is your take on it? Note also Matthew's version: From the days of John the Baptizer until now the kingdom of heaven has been-treated-violently [biazetai] and the violent-ones [b...

This week's Year in the Gospels readings come from Luke chapters 12 and 13. Here are the daily readings: Monday: Luke 12:1-21 Tuesday: Luke 12:22-40 Wednesday: Luke 12:41-59 Thursday: Luke 13:1-21 ...

This week’s readings are all from Luke 12-13. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapters of Luke 12-13. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings w...

@8ill8ook I agree.

@travisbruno3 You wrote something else back in May that resonates still and I think is also a part of these parables: I feel like I am often trying to find better words to express this idea, and one ...

@travisbruno3 'Unhindered wholeness...it’s not just within myself, but it should spread to all people.' That's really good.

@amberhocker And the line that sums up the basis of witness: 'Go tell what you have hear and see...'

Yes!

@vltaylor1136 Vickie, yes, these are parallel stories in Mark and Matthew.

Posted by: @siteadmin 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 The Greek for devil is diabolos. It's the same root where we get diabolical, and it means ...

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will ...

Posted by: @travisbruno3 And what does it mean for "a spirit of jealousy to come on a man" ? (Even if "she has not defiled herself") It means he has jealous thoughts.

@travisbruno3: So... can you help me move beyond: "Dang... the Law of Moses was more awful than I thought!" ??? Well, I don't know that I can. I think one way that I personally approach this is thro...

Posted by: @siteadmin “I called my Son out of Egypt.” This quote is from Hosea 11:1. Originally and in context, this was about Israel: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I calle...

@silverfx23 Jaun, we don't know exactly from where the Magi started their journey. It was likely an area of modern-day Iran or northern Iraq. Magi were often associated with the Persian religion of Zo...

@vltaylor1136: Who could see the Star of Bethlehem? It appeared to the wise men but Herod didn’t appear to know about it. The star is not mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, it was an angel that appeared...

Thank you for this, Shelley. I wonder how far most Americans can narrate their own family trees? We are so individualized. It is also fascinating how God has "worked together for good" all of the var...

@travisbruno3: The things that stick out in my memory are the moment where the men died after touching the Ark as it was falling, and something about not being able to directly gaze upon the glory of ...

@travisbruno3: And growing up there was this understanding that sin separates us from God, but Jesus's death and resurrection on the cross bridges that gap/separation, once and for all forever. I th...

@mallary-malwick In the manuscripts of Mark's Gospel there is a significant issue that has been known from at least the 4th century. The ending of Mark has taken various forms (5 in all). The earliest...

@okiebull13 I don't know. I think the idea may be more that it looks like God has rejected Jesus (his suffering, death, rejection by everyone may seem to be also a rejection by God), but Psalm 22, the...

They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”) brought: The Greek word for 'brought' (pherō) can mean 'carry' or 'bring.' In Mark it is often used when peop...

Scourging This is from the article "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ", written by William D. Edwards, MD, Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv, and Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI, and published in the Journal of the ...

15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. Barabbas in Aramaic is Bar Abba, 'Son of the Father...

This week’s readings are all from Mark 15-16. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapter of Mark 15-16. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings wi...

@travisbruno3 Travis, I'm sorry. I edited my previous comment above. It now addresses a bit of your question. And you are asking BIG questions. lol. Acts chapters 2, 4, and 6 make it clear that eating...

@travisbruno3 you asked: How does our sacrament of communion, feeling so ancient and established, come from these verses? What do you mean? If you mean 'how did the memory of this meal become somet...

@travisbruno3, that's so, so good.

@vltaylor1136 Great question and thought! You said: Because Communion is so much a part of our worship we don’t often give it a second thought but how new would have this idea of sharing Jesus body a...

@mark you wrote: The priests are plotting Jesus’ death, and Jesus is not stressed and anxious, but is relaxing at a friends house. Isn't it fascinating, all the different directions the texts of the G...

@shelley-johnson There is so much related to this passage that it is difficult to talk about it with brevity unless we just say: 'There were hard times. There will be hard times. The Son is coming bac...

The Question: When will these things take place? It is important when reading this passage to frame it in the context of what Jesus has previously said and the question that he was asked. When coming ...

@travisbruno3 Here's an example of the size of some of the Herodian stones. That's one stone where she is standing. Attachment : 2015-03-17 05.10.10.jpg Behind her are the arches to the "Tripl...

@travisbruno3 Yes. The lower level/style of stone is what remains of the Herodian retaining wall and the upper levels are the walls to the current Haram Esh-Sharif where the Dome of the Rock stands. T...

@ndelpha Nancy, thank you!! Also, please let us know if there's anything you would like us to discuss on the podcast.

@paulmoore405 I have a sense/hope that love will be deeper in the reality to come than we can know in this present reality, not less.

‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’ This passage is from Deuteronomy 25:5. This is known as levirate (not t...

The question of paying taxes (literally, the kēnson, "census tax") was a dangerous one. Rebellions and uprisings against Rome had happened based upon the implementation, high rates, and extortion pra...

The common denarius in the Roman Empire during this period was the Tiberian denarius. This coin had the image of Tiberias Caesar on one side and the image of a woman on the other, who is often underst...

yeah, they are definitely not asking these questions with the desire to seek knowledge or answers.

Posted by: @silverfx23 when I read this I wonder how much in common with the dad who loves his kids sooo much, but still has to go to the garage or take a walk alone, and then comes back inside and h...

Posted by: @silverfx23 Is it wrong to wonder if what we are seeing is actual emotion here from Jesus? I don't think it's wrong to wonder that at all. I think Jesus clearly did have emotions, ju...

It cannot be expressed enough how dangerous what Jesus did in the Temple was...except that we know it ultimately gets him killed. There is a long tradition among the Hebrew prophets, as well as some c...

@okiebull13 What do you think about this passage?

This flyover of modern Jerusalem, starting at 4:09 (starting looking north) shows the modern Temple Mount or, as it is known today, the Haram esh-Sharif , then shifts to the Church of the Holy Sepulch...

@travisbruno3 So good! If you need to add to your imaginative element of 'seeing' this scene, imagine the moon being full at night (Passover is always during a full moon). It would rise behind the Mou...

Here is a CGI video reproduction of Herod the Great's Temple complex as it may have been during Jesus' day:

Jesus ascends from Jericho to Bethany ("House of Ananas" or "House of the Poor") and Bethpage (g "House of Figs") on the east side of the Mount of Olives and then to Jerusalem and the Temple. The Jour...

Posted by: @mallary-malwick Any idea who Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus was? It’s not very often that one of the people healed is specifically named. Usually it’s “the lame man” or “the blind man”. M...

@okiebull13 Here is a video shared by SatelliteBibleAtlas (seems like the video was actually made by a church group) that shows a bit about the ascent to Jerusalem from Jericho. I don't necessarily ag...

@okiebull13 Jeff, yes, Jerusalem, for that area, is considered a "mountain" area. However, it's more of an ascent from the Jordan Rift to the hill country of Judea. This is a hill country with deep ra...

Once again Jesus has to explain the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God to his disciples. Then, with the healing of Bartimaeus, the chapter ends with the last healing miracle in the Gospel of Mar...

@amberhocker so this first part caught me and I’ve read over and over.. who were “they” that were amazed and “those“ who were afraid? The large crowds just following him? The disciples? Both? Amber...

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was goi...

@travisbruno3 Man, Travis, I think these are really great thoughts and questions. This is part of hermeneutics, the process of understanding how and why we interpret scripture and being aware of how a...

In telling the rich young man to 'go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,' Jesus was not telling him to do something that Jesus himself had not done (and continues to do). When encouraging/cha...

...the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. In the world, we assume that wealth brings happiness. However, the reality may be the opposite. Many New Testament passages have h...

Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. The idea of 'treasure in heaven' was a well-known concept in Judaism. It essentia...

Some contextual thoughts on the passage from today regarding children: Children in the first-century were not idealized or romanticized as they are in today's culture. Children had no status, no posse...

In the first-century, the debate about divorce was an active one within Judaism, and that Jesus was asked the question, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?," places him firmly within that his...

The journey of Jesus in this chapter is from Galilee to Jericho. Click on the image below to see a large version of the map: Attachment : galilee-to-jericho.png

Posted by: @travisbruno3 Something that just stood out to me, is that this young man approaches Jesus much like others in previous chapters who have had great need for healing: running up and falling...

@travisbruno3 That last story about Rav Aḥa reminded me also of this passage in the NT: Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any amon...

@paulmoore405 Maybe it's just the admission that we don't, and that we have to trust in Jesus/God, who is the truly faithful One for Whom all things are possible.

Posted by: @sailing-bum Jesus must have been struggling with how to present the spiritual side of one's life that can be totally separate from physical sickness. There is a question for me about how...

@sailing-bum Mark, you wrote: Was he dealing with a culture who seemed to bind physical infirmities directly with spiritual deficiencies? I am 100% convinced of this. Though there were some Greco-Ro...

Posted by: @vltaylor1136 We love the Lord but we want things our way and it scares us when God presents himself to us or asks us to follow him, where ever that leads. And yet, Peter perseveres to spr...

@mallary-malwick, you wrote: Are there other places in scripture besides this one with the blind man that it takes Jesus a couple of attempts to fully heal someone? This is the only place. It is int...

@travisbruno3 I think that's a good take. Take the pressure and expectation off of ourselves to never be frustrated, to never groan in the struggles of this life. But also encourage us to keep going.

@shelley-johnson You wrote: So twelve baskets of bread harkens back to the twelve tribes--that "first to the Jews" idea Paul talks so much about in Romans? Then seven is a number of wholeness, comple...

Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for a sign from heaven to test him. Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth,...

@shelley-johnson Seems like I'm in good company when I don't really understand (even the obvious things) that Jesus was to show me and tell me. bread has been central ... great faith is sandwiched b...

@vltaylor1136 Vickie You asked: Am I correct to think that Tyre and Sidon were not the hub of Jewish culture? Would this conversation happen within hearing distance of not only Jews but Gentiles as w...

@jcgram Jamie, it's a tough passage. It does end with mercy. But Jesus' initial response to the woman seem harsh, especially in light of her need and request. In the context of Jesus' world, harsh and...

@mallary-malwick Good question. I think there were several significant issues in the early Jesus communities that had to do with both ritual purity and with the issues of purity related to interaction...

In Leviticus there are commandments concerning washing for the sake of ritual purity regarding the tabernacle (and later temple) worship: how the Levites, priests, and other Israelites should be ritua...

@jralphsmith A note on that word "corban." This is from the Hebrew qorban, it literally means "brought near" (qarob in Hebrew is "near"). It was a vowed gift to God made to the priests in the sanctuar...

@travisbruno3 & @okiebull13 The teaching from Matthew below isn't found in Mark, but I wonder if this is part of what the disciples were supposed to understand: “... I tell you, do not worry a...

@okiebull13 It would be difficult to accept and understand who Jesus fully was/is.

Jesus' Locations and Journeys in Mark Here's a map of Jesus' locations and journeys in Mark chapter 7. Jesus begins (based on Mark 6) in Gennesaret on the north side of the Sea of Galilee, travels to...

@marcia He did. He seems to always do that.

@travisbruno3 that might work. 😉

@mallary-malwick Great thought! "You didn't think you could do this? Carry these baskets full of food." lol

@mallary-malwick You asked: Any significance of 12 baskets full left over? That's a great question. It could be that this is simply the number of baskets left. However, it isn't uncommon for biblical ...

@shelley-johnson lol. Not that I know of. I think I got this originally (back before I came back to NewCov in 2009) on Mark Goodacre's NT Gateway site. I printed a copy at NewCov on mutliple 11x17s an...

@shelley-johnson @travisbruno3 It is fascinating to read the parallels side by side, and see visually how they are used/moved, and what is included and left out among the four (mostly the synoptics). ...

@shelley-johnson The missing stories in Luke that are found in Mark begin with this story of the walking on water and go through the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. Here is the list of stories/...

@8ill8ook & @shelley-johnson I think that Mark is brilliant on a literary level. He pulls many things from OT passages, often without even calling them to attention. He's perhaps assuming his audi...

@shelley-johnson Peter walking on the water is not mentioned in Mark or John, and fascinatingly Luke leaves out this story completely. This is one of those rare stories that John shares with the synop...

@8ill8ook Bill we had a kink in our system and your comment today was made on the Thursday post. I'm copying it here: Getting to feel like I’m seeing more in this reading than ever before. But tv sur...

@travisbruno3 @vltaylor1136 The world is a powerful and broken. But "greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

Herod Antipas It can be confusing sometimes reading the Gospels and Acts because there are several people who have the name Herod. The Gospel of Mark really only mentions one, and he is Herod Antipas,...

John the Baptizer The first-century Jewish historian Josephus also describes the imprisonment and death of John the Baptizer, though he gives different reasoning for Herod Antipas' decision. According...

@mbbruno Jimmy, should I get the “extra virgin olive oil”? Maybe that would help. 😉 When Jesus came He believed that John had been “raised”, leading me to question if resurrections were a part of t...