Latest Commentaries

Luke narrates the second confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees on the issue of authority over the Sabbath. The Pharisees set a trap for Jesus relating to the healing of a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath.

Luke narrates the first of two confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees. Who is in charge of the Sabbath: Jesus or the Pharisees?

Folly’s strategies are meant to deceive and confuse, but the differences in messaging show that folly is the way to death and only wisdom is the path of life.

Solomon is setting the stakes for the two life paths we can follow—wisdom or wickedness. Life or death. At the hinge of his presentation, he returns to one of the cornerstones of the path of wisdom: the fear of God.

There are two ways to respond to the correction and teaching of Wisdom. The first is to scoff and the second is to accept and apply. Which reaction we choose reveals which path we have chosen.

Wisdom calls out to the naïve and the fools, inviting them to the table she has prepared.

Solomon describes Lady Wisdom’s efforts to construct a sturdy dwelling and invites us all to dwell there with her.

Job’s Visitors: Three of Job’s friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—come to visit him in his suffering, hoping to comfort him. They do not even recognize Job when they first see him, due to the boils all over his body. Each man tears his clothing and throws dust, weeping and mourning their friend’s condition. They sit with him for a week silently waiting for him to speak. They see Job is in severe pain.

Job Perseveres through Physical Pain: Satan afflicts Job’s body with boils from his head to his feet. Job sits in ashes scratching his sores with broken pottery. His wife asks him why he won’t blame God and succumb to his illness by dying. Job rebukes her as speaking foolishly, and accepts the good and the difficulties God allows into his life.

Satan Alters His Accusation: Satan asks God for permission to harm Job’s body, saying that the suffering of physical pain will cause Job to turn from God. God allows this, forbidding Satan from killing Job. 

God Rebukes Satan: Satan appears before God’s throne again. God speaks of Job’s continued righteousness, despite the loss of his children and wealth due to Satan’s actions. This proves that Job trusts in God, and is not swayed by circumstance.

In response to the Pharisees’ question, Jesus shares two more parables about the incompatibility between the new patterns of legalism as taught by the Pharisees, and the old and better way of life that He fulfills and has come to offer.

The Pharisees confront Jesus about why His disciples do not fast and pray (like they and the disciples of John the Baptizer do). Jesus answers them by parable, explaining that it is not appropriate for the attendants of the Bridegroom to fast when he is with them. That is the time for celebrating. But once he leaves, then will come the days for fasting.

Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), a despised tax collector, to follow Him. Levi does. Later Jesus is reclining at a table in Levi’s home with other tax collectors and sinners when the Pharisees ask Jesus’s disciples why their master associates with vile people. Jesus responds to them with a parable about how physicians spend their time with those who are sick rather than those who are healthy.

Jesus publicly and dramatically heals a paralytic. Before Jesus heals this man, He tells him that his sins are forgiven, which causes some of the scribes and Pharisees in the crowd to silently accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their hearts. Jesus calls out their blasphemous unbelief and demonstrates that He is Who He claims to be by healing the paralytic, telling him to get up and go home. Accordingly, the crowds are amazed and begin glorifying God.

Luke makes the observation that it was Jesus’s practice to often slip away to the wilderness so He could spend time by Himself with God, praying.

A leper comes to Jesus, asking to be made clean. Jesus touches and miraculously heals the leper instantly. Jesus commands the man to tell no one and to show himself to the priest to make an offering for his cleansing.

Jesus begins to recruit His disciples. As Jesus walks along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He sees two sets of brothers who are fishermen: Simon and Andrew, and James and John. After He finishes His teaching, Jesus tells Simon to cast off from shore and let down his nets to fish. Simon obeys and they catch two boats full of fish. Simon recognizes that Jesus is the Christ and He tells him that from now on Simon will be catching men instead. After returning to shore, the four men leave everything and follow Jesus.

Lemuel’s mother implores her son to seek, recognize, and be worthy of partnering with an excellent wife.

The virtue of the excellent wife impacts her husband. She is clothed in honor and speaks with the wisdom central to the overall message of Proverbs.