Mary’s trip to see her relative, Elizabeth, is one of those episodes that’s unique to Luke’s gospel. In this early section of his gospel, Luke is showing Theophilus how God broke into the world to set up the kingdom of Jesus. Rather than tapping into existing power structures like the Roman Empire or the Jewish aristocracy,Continue reading “Mary Takes a Trip”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Embracing Your Interruptions
A young man and woman were in love and wanted to get married. The young man asked her father for his blessing. The man told him, “Before I can give you my blessing, you have to pass the test.” The young man asked, “What is the test?” The man replied, “Come to our farm onContinue reading “Embracing Your Interruptions”
Scattered
The word “scattered” is used only four times in the book of Acts, but its significance is much greater than that number would suggest. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, “scattered” had a well-established meaning. It went back to the days of Babel when the people rebelled against God’s purpose for them to spreadContinue reading “Scattered”
It Seemed Good to Me
When Luke was writing the introduction to his gospel, he noted two groups of people: The first group would be the apostles, and the other would be a second generation of disciples who came after them. Luke would be part of that group. So, he began his treatise to Theophilus by acknowledging the original communicatorsContinue reading “It Seemed Good to Me”
Meditating on God’s Word
One of my favorite borrowed sayings goes something like this: “Our goal isn’t to get through the Scripture as much as it is for the Scripture to get through us.” I like that because I know from personal experience how easy it is to get distracted as you work your way through Scripture. You’re busyContinue reading “Meditating on God’s Word”
Gloriously More
When Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine were engaged in 1796, he gave her a ring composed of two tear shaped stones—a diamond and a blue sapphire set in opposite directions on a slim gold band. Each stone weighs slightly less than a carat. The ring is relatively modest considering the people involved but reflects the factContinue reading “Gloriously More”
After Dinner Conversation
Did you know that all foods share at least one common ingredient? No matter what kind of food you’re eating, it contains a social ingredient which means it always tastes better in the company of others. Food is something God gave us not just to nourish our bodies, but to nourish our relationships. Get people together toContinue reading “After Dinner Conversation”
First Things First
When we were living in Alabama, I went out one morning to play disc golf on a course at our local sportsplex. Due to the heat and humidity, I was out there early—about 6:45 in the morning. I applied sunscreen, put an extra shirt in my cart, got my rosin bag, range finder, a pearContinue reading “First Things First”
Saying Goodbye To Your Pigs
The man from Decapolis was anything but free before he met Jesus. He lived in the tombs among the dead, because for all intents and purposes—that’s what he was. But it wasn’t always that way for him. He once had a life. He was someone’s son, grandson, probably a brother, nephew, and cousin. Maybe heContinue reading “Saying Goodbye To Your Pigs”
Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)
In terms of development, Luke favors geography more than chronology (Krol). After alternating between the early lives of John and Jesus in the first three chapters, he takes us to Galilee (4-9), Samaria (10-19), and Jerusalem (20-24) in telling us the story of Jesus. Chronology isn’t ignored (see 7:21, 9:51), but neither does he strictlyContinue reading “Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 