The Beatitudes are rich with multiple layers of meaning. Here’s a paraphrase I did a while back in an effort to uncover some of the treasures found in them. I hope it makes you think. Better yet, maybe it will make you want to try coming up with your own paraphrase! Blessed are those who recognize their spiritual poverty apartContinue reading “Something To Think About”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Through the Bible in 1 Year
The idea here is simple—I want to write through the Scripture in a year! Our congregation is using the E-100 Bible reading schedule in 2024. It consists of 100 readings from Genesis through Revelation. The idea is that going through these readings will give you the big, overarching story of Scripture. So that’s what IContinue reading “Through the Bible in 1 Year”
Revolution
You say you want a Revolution, Well, you know, We all wanna change the world. You tell me that it’s evolution, Well, you know, We all wanna change the world. John Lennon sang these words in 1968 in the Beatles’ classic, Revolution. Our country (and much of the world) was going through turbulent times—not a lot different than today in manyContinue reading “Revolution”
The Challenging Beatitudes
Matthew’s gospel alternates between six narrative and five teaching sections (5-7,10,13,18,23-25). Each of the teaching sections conclude with a statement to the effect of when Jesus had finished saying/teaching (all) these things (7:28,11:1,13:53, 19:1,26:1). Some think that Matthew laid the teaching of Jesus out in five sections to mirror the five books written by Moses. That mayContinue reading “The Challenging Beatitudes”
Jesus, Mary & Joseph
In the first part of his gospel (1:5-4:13), Luke goes back and forth between John the Baptist and Jesus (Krol). In 1:5-38, he presents us with the prediction of John’s birth in v. 5-25, and in v. 26-38 it’s the prediction of Jesus’ birth. Then there’s birth, circumcision, and naming of John (1:57-80) followed byContinue reading “Jesus, Mary & Joseph”
Two Voices for God
John the Baptist is referred to as “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,’” (3:4). It’s a bit unusual to for someone to be referred to as “a voice.” I suppose if you were a sports announcer, say for the Atlanta Braves, then you might be known asContinue reading “Two Voices for God”
Three boys, a bat, and a birthday (1)
On Sunday nights, I talk with our son and three grandsons (3,5,7) who live in another state. As you might imagine, we have some interesting conversations. The seven-year-old and I exchange bad jokes and good riddles; the five-year-old asks me what I had to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and the three-year-old’s fallback isContinue reading “Three boys, a bat, and a birthday (1)”
Three boys, a bat, and a birthday (2)
With a blanket over my head (since the bat was still zooming around), I went and got my bat gear. Janice stayed under the covers. When I came back into the room, she said she could hear him over by the big window and sure enough there he was—tucked away in the bottom left cornerContinue reading “Three boys, a bat, and a birthday (2)”
I Have a Job for You
Isaiah’s ministry ended somewhere around the time of Hezekiah’s death in 687 BC. Sixty years later, Jeremiah was called to his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign (Jeremiah 627 BC/1:2). It would span the final five kings of Judah and extend into the period of the Babylonian Exile. While his focus was primarily onContinue reading “I Have a Job for You”
Drilling Down in Isaiah 53
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is a challenging text—there’s more involved than most people are aware of. Many people can only see Jesus in the text. While He is unquestionably all over the text, the question is: does the text have reference to anything else, or is it simply a predictive text that had no immediate message forContinue reading “Drilling Down in Isaiah 53”
