Acts of Mercy (Matthew 25:34-40)
Acts of Mercy (Matthew 25:34-40)
This passage emphasizes the importance of caring for others and serving them as a way of serving God aswell as Jesus served us. It teaches that our actions towards others reflect our relationship with God, and that we will be judged based on how we have treated the least among us. The passage...
Ruth
The biblical book of Ruth is a narrative account that tells the story of Ruth (רוּת [rûṯ]), a Moabite woman, who marries a Hebrew man named Mahlon. Ruth and Mahlon's family leave their hometown of Bethlehem and settle in Moab, but tragedy strikes when Mahlon and his brother die, leaving Ruth and...
The First Disciples of Jesus (Mark 1:14-20)
Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God which is based on repentance and faith. The story, at this point, focuses on Jesus calling his first disciples, Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John, to follow him and become "fishers of men."
Preaching and Baptism of John the Baptist (Mark 1:4-8)
John the Baptist is described as a prophet who prepares the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. His depiction as ascetic and excentric person is a reminisence of a prophetic archetype of Eliah. John preaches a baptism of repentance and forgiveness, calling people to confess their sins and turn...
The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1-3)
This passage is the opening of the Gospel of Mark, and it introduces the narrative about John the Baptist that follows. Even though it is short, it offers significant theological themes. The first is Jesus' identity. Mark identifies Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah) and the Son of God, unveiling...
Joshua
The biblical book of Joshua describes the conquest and settlement of the land of Canaan by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites. The book is divided into two main parts: the conquest of the land and the distribution of the land among...
Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
In this passage, the practice of levirate marriage is described. This custom instructs that if a man dies without having any children, his brother is expected to marry his widow in order to provide an heir for the deceased brother. The passage displays that if a man dies without children, his...
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8:27-30)
In the passage, Jesus and his disciples are in the region of Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus asks them, "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples respond, saying that some people think he is John the Baptist, others think he is Elijah, and still others think he is one of the prophets. Then Jesus...