Christian Art | Jesus And His Disciples | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Luke 9: 18-22 – Week 25 Ordinary Time, Friday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
18 ¶ And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Today’s Gospel verses invite us once more to consider the true identity of Jesus. This scene is filled both with a sense of preconceptions and expectations, and with the over-riding knowledge of the new, which is the truth of Jesus. Additionally, we are asked by Jesus to declare the truth of our knowledge of who Jesus is. We are invited by Jesus to confess our Christian faith.
Jesus asks his disciples to consider the speculations in the land concerning his true identity. The disciples know that some people are saying that Jesus must be John the Baptist risen again, or Elijah, or another of the prophets. This would be because this would then help to account to the people for the signs and miracles Jesus performed. This would be conventional knowledge, of a sort, even as it would entail a fundamental misrecognition, a falling short of true knowledge.
The disciples, however, have lived with Jesus. Their knowledge is different from that of the crowd. The disciples have intimately learned the truth about Jesus. This is why Peter is able to answer Jesus’ question, by replying that Jesus is the Christ of God, the Anointed One.
This is truth. Jesus, though, tells his disciples to maintain the hiddenness of Jesus’ full purpose. This is because the cross must be fulfilled. It is identical with Jesus’ true identity that he must suffer the Passion and die upon the cross to be reborn. Jesus draws his disciples toward full and complete knowledge of his being on Earth.
Concluding Prayer | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Lord God,
you hold out the light of your Word
to those who do not know you.
Strengthen in our hearts the faith you have given us,
so that no trials may quench the fire
your Spirit has kindled within us.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Audio Bible | Endnotes
Take Nothing For Your Journey | The Story Of Abraham
The story of Abraham is a powerful example of trusting in God’s provision, even when it means leaving behind everything that is familiar and comfortable.
In Genesis 12:1-4, God calls Abram (later renamed Abraham) to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to a land that God would show him. This was a daunting call, as Abram was being asked to leave behind everything he knew and journey to an unknown land. However, Abram responded in faith, trusting that God had a plan and a purpose for his life.
The author of Hebrews reflects on Abraham’s faith in Hebrews 11:8-10, saying: ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.’
Despite not knowing where he was going, Abraham trusted in God’s provision and continued to follow Him. God blessed Abraham’s faithfulness, promising to make him a great nation and to bless all the families of the earth through him (Genesis 12:2-3).
However, Abraham’s journey was not without its challenges. In Genesis 12:10-20, we read about how Abraham and his wife Sarah journeyed to Egypt during a time of famine. Abraham was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him and take Sarah as their own, so he asked her to pretend to be his sister instead of his wife. This deception led to Pharaoh taking Sarah into his household, but God intervened to protect her and eventually returned her to Abraham.
Despite his mistakes and missteps, Abraham’s faith in God remained strong. He continued to trust in God’s provision, even when it meant leaving behind everything he knew and loved. And in the end, God’s faithfulness to Abraham was evident, as He fulfilled His promises and blessed Abraham and his descendants in countless ways.
In our own lives, we may be called to take a journey of faith like Abraham. It may involve leaving behind our comfort zone or taking a step into the unknown. But as we trust in God’s provision and follow Him, we can be confident that He will guide us and bless us, just as He did with Abraham.
Psalm 128 is in some ways a didactic poem, instructing listeners on the path to a blessed life. The psalm provides an illustration of tangible and intangible rewards that accrue from a life oriented towards God. The psalm expresses truths about the relationship between divine reverence, moral living, and the blessings that flow from such a life [ … ]
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
Today’s Gospel verses continue Jesus’ stinging critique of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Jesus condemns the Pharisees’ conduct, threatening them with punishment – ‘Woe unto you!’ – if they do not repent and mend their ways. Having over the centuries acquired a degree of power in Jerusalem, the Pharisees now abuse that power. Greedy for honour and recognition as they are, their show of great virtue is merely that, a show, while in essence they live in gross discordance with the truth of God [ … ]
