-
The Beautiful Wisdom
One of the reasons I like the Common English Bible is they translated the Deuterocanonical Books. While I am not a regular student of these books, I love having easy access to them, and in such a readable translation. Sirach is Proverbs all over again, with so much that is very familiar. This is great material for praying, meditation, and…
-
Do We Quit Too Soon?
18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” so Joash took them. Elisha then said to Israel’s king, “Hit the ground with them!” Joash hit the ground three times and stopped. 19 The man of God became angry with him. He said, “If only you had struck five or six times, you would have finished the Arameans off. As it is,…
-
How to Get Jesus to Say, “Good Answer!”
Mark 7 has Jesus exploding all over the religious leaders’ views of what is “in” and what is “out.” What is “proper” and what is “improper.” Then, it’s lived out in the story of Syrophoenician woman. She has come to beg Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus has never hesitated to cast out demons. Here, he…
-
The Lazy Prophet
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready, take my staff, and go! If you encounter anyone, don’t stop to greet them. If anyone greets you, don’t reply. Put my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the boy’s mother said, “I swear by your life and by the LORD’s life, I won’t leave you!” So Elisha got up and followed…
-
Clean and Unclean
15 The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” (Acts 10:15, CEB) One of the greatest challenges for the American Church in our day is to rise above the political rhetoric, quit drawing political lines in the sand, and hear the voice of God in our midst once again. It’s not a matter of…
-
Horeb, the Mountain of God
In my study of Elijah I am inevitably drawn to Moses as well. Both of these men encountered God in powerful ways at Horeb. I think that is the tie between them and why they are the ones who visit Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. For all of my adult life I have been fascinated from time to time…
-
Oh, Just Let Me DIE!
That sums up Elijah’s response when Jezebel threatened his life. He had defeated the prophets of Baal, called down fire from heaven, then prayed for rain. Now, he’s in the wilderness worn out and wishing he could die. The word of the Lord came to him several times in the form of a question: The LORD’s word came to him…
-
Short Attention Span Theater
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” 32 They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place. 33 Many…
-
Speaking Truth to Power May Cost You Your Head
The utopian thought we have with the “Occupy” movement (and other things) is the beautiful thought of “speaking truth to power.” It is so bold. Unless, of course, it’s not. Too often that phrase just really means, “I’m looking for a photo op.” Speaking truth to power costs. Ask Gandhi. Ask Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask Abraham Lincoln. (And Lincoln…
-
Two Possible Responses to Jesus
In Mark 6 there are a couple of responses to Jesus. In vv. 1-6 the people familiar with Jesus didn’t think much of who he had become. They launched into stories of “I remember little Jesus when he was following his daddy around with a hammer…” In vv. 7-12 there is a different response. 7 He called for the Twelve…
Category: Common English Bible
