Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“Do not disdain the discipline of the Lord.” —Hebrews 12:5 When many of today’s Christians hear about the discipline of the Lord, they think of getting up early for Mass, being faithful to daily prayer and Bible reading, fasting, and persevering in a commitment to serve the Lord. When the writer of Hebrews thought of discipline, he thought of Christians having their blood shed (Heb 12:4) and being martyred. The people to whom the book of Hebrews was addressed also knew discipline to be public insult and trial, imprisonment, and the confiscation of their possessions by the government (Heb 10:33-34)....

” ‘If I just touch His clothing,’ she thought, ‘I shall get well.’ ” –Mark 5:28 A woman who was hemorrhaging touched Jesus. According to Jewish law, this made Jesus unclean (cf Lv 15:25, 27). Instead, His touch made the woman healed and whole (Mk 5:29ff). Touching Jesus is unlike touching anyone else in the world. Jesus reached out to touch and take the hand of a dead, twelve-year-old girl (Mk 5:41). According to Jewish law, this made Jesus unclean (see Nm 19:11). Instead, Jesus’ touch raised the girl from the dead (Mk 5:42). No one else’s touch can raise...

“The man who had been possessed was pressing to accompany” Jesus. –Mark 5:18 Some people will do anything for Jesus. They have “endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point” (Heb 11:36-37). Other people will throw Jesus out of town just because He had something to do with their losing a few thousand pork chops, pounds of bacon, and hams (Mk 5:17). Most people, even Christians, do not see themselves as extremely in love or in hate with Jesus. They don’t see themselves as martyrs because they often put...

“How blest are the…” —Matthew 5:3 Jesus said that happiness is: 1) deciding to be materially poor, at least in some areas of our lives (see Mt 5:3), 2) sorrowing for our sins (see Mt 5:4), 3) humbling ourselves by taking the lowest places (see Mt 5:5; Lk 14:10), 4) desiring holiness more than pleasure, comfort, or prestige (see Mt 5:6), 5) giving up our rights in order to show others mercy (see Mt 5:7), 6) making the Lord the only Desire of our hearts (Mt 5:8), 7) making peace by shedding our own blood rather than that of our...

“Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1 We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). “All depends on faith, everything is grace” (Rm 4:16). Therefore, faith in the Lord is absolutely necessary. However, this presents a problem because we are lacking in faith (see Mk 4:40). Jesus asks: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:8) We must cry out to the Lord: “I do believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24, RNAB) “Faith is confident assurance” (Heb 11:1). It...