Matthew 21: 23-17 (ESV) : The Authority of Jesus Challenged In the chapters of Matthew read for last week, Jesus directs much of his teaching towards the Pharisees, the elders and priests of the synagogue. Their flaws are many, the greatest of which is refusing to see Jesus for who he actually is and thereby … More Reflection of the Week

Reflection of the Week (Matthew 17, ESV)  “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking … More Reflections

Reflection of the Week (Matthew 14, ESV) Matthew 14 begins with the grotesque and thankfully short story of the beheading of John the Baptizer and is quickly followed by the account of Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand. In between, however, a telling sentence bridges the two experiences: “Now when Jesus heard this [that … More Reflections

Reflection of the Week (Matthew 8, ESV) When Jesus rebukes the storm and brings the raging sea of Galilee to a “great calm,” the disciples who are with him in the boat “marvel” and ask, “’What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey him?’” (v27). Such inexplicable authority leaves them … More Reflections