Verses in Context
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In discussing the moral of this parable, Luke emphasizes two key lessons that everyone should take to heart: to pray continually and not to give up. These two points reveal Jesus’ deep understanding of the human heart. He knew that people often turn away from God when their desires remain unfulfilled over a long period. […]
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In many places throughout the Scriptures, Jesus encourages us to ask and receive. Motivated by numerous mediators who stand between us and God, we are thoroughly trained to constantly ask—again and again. James reinforces this by saying, “You did not receive because you did not ask (James 4:2).” Some believers, after asking for a long […]
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While Jesus is calling all mankind who are burdened and weary to follow Him, He has also told us to deny ourselves and also to carry our cross. Many follow Jesus, not knowing where Jesus is leading them. They are pleased to just follow Jesus, and reluctant to reach out to God. Thomas said to […]
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It is often the aspiration of a father to elevate his children beyond his own standing. Even parents lacking formal education do not wish for their children to remain illiterate, so they make great efforts to enrol them in reputable schools to ensure their literacy. Similarly, educated individuals consistently strive to provide their children with […]
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In Scripture, Jesus encourages His followers to draw nearer to His Father. He graciously extends His Sonship to all, so that we may address the Almighty God as our Abba, our Father. God sent His Son to be our elder brother, sharing with us all that He knows about His Father and His glorious Kingdom. […]
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The statement, “The last will be the first”, appears to be incongruous with societal norms when viewed from the perspective of renowned scholars. In today’s fiercely competitive world, striving to be the foremost in all endeavours has become ingrained in the minds of many. To understand the meaning of last becoming first, it is essential […]
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Believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we became God’s legitimate children and heirs to inherit His Kingdom. The devil does not tolerate our freedom in Christ Jesus and always tries to bind us again with the cords of sin. After luring us to sin, he gives us a feeling of guilt […]
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Jesus is keen on keeping our relationship with Him as personal and He is eager to reward us personally. If we expose His intimate relation to earn riches and fame, then Jesus warns us that we have already been ‘rewarded’ with riches and fame. If we keep it personal between ourselves and Him, He is assuring us a reward from our heavenly Father.
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When we read the above verse without synchronising our minds with the mind of Jesus, we start encouraging believers to earn money by whatever means (even unrighteous ways) to cater to the needs of the Church and its projects.
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No one can harm us because the God who loves us, loves the people who intend to harm us too and no one can stand against His love. We may fail in showing love to our enemies but God is able to love our enemies to the extent of transforming their darkest lives into a light shining for the Truth.
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Storing our treasures in heaven does not mean that we have to store all the mortal things of this earth in heaven, rather it means that when we shift our focus to the things of heaven, our rewards will start to accumulate in heaven. And if our rewards continue to accrue in heaven, our hearts will cling to our Lord Jesus to inherit His belongings.
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Let our love be without hypocrisy. If we hate evil, our love will be complete but unfortunately we love evil.
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Who does not want joy in this world? Irrespective of their faith, people will take a chance to grab any joy offered in this manner.
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On the basis of the above verse, we are trained to walk on eggshells when confronting our fellow brethren of their mistakes. While we want to do the right thing and correct our brethren, we are plagued with guilt because of the above verse. If we do adhere to our inclination and confront the offender, he might quote the above verse and say ‘Are you not aware of Jesus’ teaching Do not judge others?’
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This commandment has not only been manipulated by parents but also by the pharisees in misleading young people.
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According to this world, victory and prosperity are dovetailed notions. Whereas, for the followers of Christ, victory and prosperity do not conform to each other. Not being able to discern the difference between victory and prosperity, leads many believers to become prey to the concept of suffering and end up losing their victorious life.
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While reading this verse in isolation, some understand this verse as the presence of God is possibly drawn only if two or more people gather in a place. With this misconception, people use this verse to invite God’s presence while they come together. The whole endeavor for coming together in His presence may go in vain as it exposes the lack of knowledge of the word of God in them.
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The present freedom is a provision of grace that has to be received by faith. This freedom is available exclusively when people realise the gravity of their situation when they were slaves to sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead them in penitence and self examination. Self righteousness does not allow people to cherish this freedom in fullness.
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The disciples were always with Jesus, yet they were unable to feed the crowd. They were traveling with Jesus, yet were unable to calm the storm. Above all, they were right next to Jesus listening to Him explaining what will happen to Him and the redemption plan of God, yet they were unable to grasp any of it.
The Jordan Valley 