Category Archives: The Gospel of Matthew
If it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you – Matt 12:28
Do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven – Luke 10:20 I received a phone call from a friend of mine, asking for help. His friend was unable to go to his own home because it was haunted by a dark spiritual power. Both of them […]
Read MoreThe Veil Torn, the Earthquake, and the Resurrection of the Dead – Matthew 27:51-54
A dramatic account, but does it make sense? In Matthew 27, an orderly account of the process of Jesus’ arrest, interrogation, and crucifixion is proceeding along nicely, when all of a sudden there is a dramatic change. It is a change in style, and in content. No sooner does it begin, it is finished! But […]
Read MoreThe Kingdom of Heaven is like Yeast
Yeast: Bad… or good? Often in the Bible, yeast is a metaphor for things that are bad. So why did Jesus say that the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast (Matthew 13:33)? Listen in, and find out!
Be ye Baptized
Be Baptized Every One Of You Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are […]
Read MoreJesus! Why so Violent???
Did it really have to be so violent? A good friend of mine asked me this question, and on reflection, it’s a question that others most probably ask, too: “Would he still have been a saviour if he had died peacefully in bed? Why did Jesus’ death need to be so violent?”
Read MoreMatthew 18:34-35 – Honour, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, and the People of God
Did Jesus just say, “… his lord handed him over to be tortured … likewise my heavenly father will do this to every one of you unless you forgive”? In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells a story. The punch line sounds like he is saying that God is going to torture people who don’t forgive each […]
Read MoreA journey through Handel’s “Messiah” – George Frederic Handel (1695-1759)
Messiah, G. F. Handel Welcome to my happy place: Handel’s “Messiah”. There is lots I could say about this. I could talk about the art, the theology, the subtle interpretive cues that make this a sort of “Gospel according to Handel”… But I won’t. I’ll just stand aside and put this here for you to […]
On Earth as it is in Heaven
To What shall I Compare the Kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is coming to the street subculture of Ipswich. How can I describe it? How can I document it? Just thinking about it brings Jesus’ refrain to mind, “to what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?”, and his declaration to Nicodemus, “very […]
Read MoreThe Angels at Christmas time: What’s with that?
Why is there so much about angels in the Nativity narratives of the Bible? The Biblical account is a narrative. It is constructed in the form of a story. So if the whole story of God is being told through the history of God’s dealings with creation, who is the story for? Who is the […]
Read MoreJesus and the Wineskins: What does it mean?
Nobody seems to understand what the wineskins are about! A friend asked me what Jesus was talking about when he mentioned sewing patches onto garments, and putting wine into wineskins. I didn’t know the answer, and a quick overview of the commentaries revealed that nobody else does either. Most theories produce problematic answers Whereas there […]
Church Leadership: Could Jesus be right?
What is leadership in the kingdom of God? The question of leadership in church life is a hot one. The Roman Catholic view, which consists of a single hierarchy of authority governing all aspects of church life, culminating in a single figure in the Pope, is profoundly different from the cell-church/home-church model consisting of as […]
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- Seeking the Kingdom
- If it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you – Matt 12:28
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Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ – Jesus
What are you doing, helping people like that? A friend recently heard what I’m up to on the streets of Ipswich and was flabbergasted. Not that she thinks I’m doing anything wrong, to the contrary she dubbed me “Saint Kevin”, about which I have profoundly mixed feelings, but I can add it to the list […]
- June 26, 2014
- / Category Commentary, Matthew 9, Mission to the Marginalised, Reflection on Ministry, Sin, Sinner, The Human Connection
- / Posted By Kevin Bennett
- / 3 Comments.
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