Author Archives: jonmkiwi

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11.43-44, NIV I wrote a post some timeContinue reading “Let your words be few(er)”

I was struck by something in Isaiah 53 (the so-called ‘suffering servant’ passage) this week, during an unexpected stay in hospital. Cutting a long story short, I heard a testimony of complete healing from a life-shaping genetic disorder, in which the person healed was standing on 1 Peter 2.24, specifically ‘by His stripes you haveContinue reading “Mended”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“‘These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.They worship me in vain;their teachings are merely human rules.’You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mark 7:6-8, NIV IfContinue reading “You, the hypocrites”

One thing I find myself doing a great deal is attempting to read scripture in a way that removes 2000 years of religious pomposity from the equation. Maybe Paul did speak like a Catholic encyclical; but then again, maybe he was just hoping to be understood. The fact that he wrote such terribly long sentencesContinue reading “Run it through the de-pomposifier”

Μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε (Do not fear, only believe.) Mark 6:36b, SBL Greek Testament No, this one isn’t another one about climate change. Rather, it is a good opportunity to explore a factor that crops up in some of Jesus’ interactions with people needing healing; namely the need to take control of the environment. RememberContinue reading “Environmental Control”

This could be the shortest post ever. In my reading this morning I noticed one of the most egregious examples of religious massaging of the text I have seen. John 10:10b says ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἵνα ζωὴν ἔχωσιν καὶ περισσὸν ἔχωσιν. The NIV says I have come that they may have life, and have it toContinue reading “Abundance”

καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς συνοχὴ ἐθνῶν ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ἤχους θαλάσσης καὶ σάλου Luke 21:25b, SBL Greek Testament Just a note to comfort those who feel that to acknowledge even the possibility of climate change would be tantamount to denying the Lord. Relax, He talked about it. In Luke’s version of the “Synoptic Apocalypse”, we readContinue reading “Jesus foretells climate change”

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” Mark 6.4, NIV The first six verses of Mark 6 tell a story that sounds a lot like Nazareth suffered from ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. In Australia this relates to anyone who isContinue reading “Tall Prophet Syndrome”

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Matthew 13.52, NIV Whenever I have passed this saying in the street (as it were), IContinue reading “You are throwing out WHAT?”