For the one who answers only to the will of God, written in Scripture, the words people speak and the judgments they make are immaterial. More than that, in Matthew, the one who hears the commandment with a pure heart carries it out like a Roman soldier, willing to say—or not say—or do whatever it…
Category: The Bible as Literature
The Worthless Shepherd
“Thus says the Lord my God, “Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich!’ They got me at a magnificent discount! (Zechariah 11:13) It must have been Giving Tuesday, or was…
Give Them Something to Eat
In Matthew 14, Jesus commands his disciples to feed the people with the bread of his Father’s instruction, the five loaves of life-giving bread, representing the fives books of Moses. Sharing that bread is the “chief” and only duty of Peter—the “chief” of the apostles—and it is the “chief” responsibility of the “chief” priests and…
Empty Tears
Much is made of the importance of Peter’s tears because for those who can’t face their own sins, much is riding on them. But that’s not how the story works. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 26:69-75. Episode 407 Matthew 26:69-75; Music: SCP-x7x (6th Floor) by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6737-scp-x7x-6th-floor-License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Ideological Impurity
The easiest way to relieve your conscience is to console yourself that you are on the right side of history, the right side of the law, the right side of justice, and the right side of the moral argument. Then, all you need do is condemn people on the wrong side. Rare is the teacher…
On the Record
In human affairs, it is always important to document our statements. Was something promised? Make sure to find the original email. Did something problematic come up in a discussion thread? Save the chat log. Did someone go on the record during a meeting? If there is no recording, be sure to take notes because hereafter,…
It Might Be a Duck
Just as an argument’s value can be assessed by examining its premise, in Scripture (and in life) an individual character’s action or statement can be understood by identifying its reference. By reference, we mean, literally, the thing you refer to as the basis of your authority to speak and take action. When Jesus teaches in…
Put Away the Sword
A committed person is hard to find in 2021. Well, let me rephrase. All of us—every last one of us—are committed to ourselves, and we organize the time allotted to us as such. Few of us, less than a few, are committed to something that does not directly benefit us or someone for whom we…
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Trapped by the Reformation and endless reactions against it, it’s difficult for contemporary Christians to escape ongoing and silly theological debates about grace and salvation. Everyone cheapens the Master’s grace by treating it either as a free pass or as some mystical force that controls their lightsaber. The only way to understand grace is the…
Failed Watchmen
We scratch our heads when the Bible repeats a boring statement over and over again, but what should puzzle us is the odd moment when the Bible seems to take shortcuts like the rest of us. Why, after enumerating the words of Jesus twice, does Matthew summarize the third prayer to the Father by saying,…