Lee Harmon's Blog, page 11

Matthew 24:34, The Liberal’s Bible

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

//What does this verse mean to you? Should it be read literally–as a promise that Jesus would arrive in power within the lives of those he spoke to–or should we interpret the word “generation” to mean something other than the obvious?

I have a friend on a forum I frequent that often accuses me of hating the Bible. To him, much of what I say about the Bible is a loose interpretation–what he calls a liberal...

Mark 1:1 The Messianic Secret

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

//Mark’s Gospel is known for many peculiarities, and one of them is this matter of the Messianic Secret. Mark begins his gospel with this verse, introducing Jesus. Then, throughout the story of Jesus, he portrays the disciples as dim-witted, unable to grasp that their master is the Messiah. The Son of God.

Everybody else knows Jesus is the Son of God. Demons knew. Evil spirits would shout, “You are the Son of God.” The madman of Gadar...

Mark 3:32-33, The House Church

And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”

//The early Church met in homes, before the emerging Church structure, size, and political acceptance began to make dedicated church buildings practical. So here we find Jesus and his followers sitting together in a home (3:19). Mark 3:20 indicates that it was a “multitude” who met that day, so many that t...

Acts 14:14, Paul the Apostle

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out…

//I just read in Richard Gist’s new book that there are twenty two places in the New Testament where Paul is referred to as an apostle. Two of those places are in the book of Acts, written by Paul’s friend Luke.

I found one of the two. It’s today’s verse. Can somebody find the other one for me?

The other twenty verses? They’re all written by Paul, claiming the honor for himself...

The Weight of a Feather: and Other Stories

by Judy Croome

★★★★★

I’ve been a sucker for short stories ever since I discovered Edgar Allen Poe as a young teenager, so when Judy Croome offered to share a collection of her stories, I couldn’t resist. It isn’t really an appropriate choice for my blog, but it was an enjoyable break, definitely worth sharing in a casual review.

Leslie (my blog partner) asked me as I was reading what the book was about. I said it was about life, and that seemed to satisfy her. But the question remained with me:...

Matthew 3:2, Was Jesus a Disciple of John the Baptist?

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

//Many scholars suggest that before Jesus went out on his own he was a follower of John the Baptist. While there are many reasons for this conjecture, the most obvious is the way that Jesus adopted the language of John. Today’s verse was spoken by John, and then repeated by Jesus:

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven...

Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense

by Francis Spufford

★★★★★

British Christianity just isn’t the same as our American brand. It’s funnier, raunchier, and more real … that is, if Spufford, a self-proclaimed Christian, is a legitimate example.

We’re not likely to hear Spufford’s take on Christianity from the pulpit, but I wish we could. I really do. This book is a must-read. This is Christ and Christianity down off its pedestal, down in the mud and the blood. This is Jesus the way he really lived and died. It is Christians today, w...

John 13:4-5, The Suffering Servant

So [Jesus] got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

//This image of Jesus, kneeling, washing the dusty feet of his disciples, has haunted me a bit today. The Gospel of Luke tells us that at the last supper an argument arose between the disciples about who would be the greatest. John’s Gospel does not mention this...

Deuteronomy 18:21, How To Know When God Is Speaking

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?”

//Here’s a practical concern. If someone claims to speak for God, how do we know whether or not to pay attention? Suppose a man of God tells you the world will end tomorrow? Do you put things in order, lock yourself in your closet and wait?

The answer given may be a little more practical than you wish. The verse continues:

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come tr...

Book Excerpt: The River of Life

Some Christians today imagine the Kingdom of Heaven as a place that exists up above the clouds, but it is not. Only in the gospel of Matthew will you see this phrase used. Out of respect for the name of God this one Bible writer merely substituted the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” for “Kingdom of God.” But in every reference in the Bible, the Kingdom of God exists not up in the sky, but down here on earth. It refers to the age of God’s rule on earth—an age promised by the prophets of old, that w...