Author Archives: jonmkiwi

If Mark 4 is a familiar chapter for you, you should be doing a double take at my title above; or saying, poor old bloke, his memory is starting to go. I’m clearly getting the Parable of the Sower, which ends with verse 20, mixed up with the saying about the lamp, which begins atContinue reading “The seed isn’t hidden except to be revealed”

καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Βλέπετε τί ἀκούετε. ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν καὶ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Mark 4.24 SBL Greek New Testament Heard a really great talk on vv21-23 this morning, particularly focusing on the connection between bringing the lamp of the word into the room, and seeing things that were hidden in order to beContinue reading “See what you Hear”

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernelContinue reading “Sharpen your picture – and your Scythe”

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” “Do not work for foodContinue reading “It’s the real thing”

Εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ… John 4:10 excerpt, SBL Greek Testament Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar. He tells her to give Him a drink, which clearly surprises her; as John says, Jews don’t make use of (συγχρῶνται) Samaritans. And then Jesus replies, with the words above: “IfContinue reading “Not your average Chrissie Pressie…”

Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Matt 8:21-23, NIV It never ceases to amaze me how much we are all affected by theContinue reading “Follow me…”

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:18-20,Continue reading “Written in heaven”

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When theContinue reading “The Widow of Nain”

Δεῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν· ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν. Matt 11:28-30 This passage (“Come to me, all you whoContinue reading “Learn from Me”

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; inContinue reading “Just how new is new?”