Tag Archives: divine mercy

Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:21-35

Posted on July 7, 2018 by ehurst

The concept of social stability as a primary feature of shalom goes back centuries in the Ancient Near East, long before Abraham. A primary element in a ruler’s customary duty to keep that peace was to declare debt forgiveness at … Continue reading →

Posted in bible | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Teachings of Jesus — Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon on the Mount 9

Posted on December 2, 2017 by ehurst

Godly Giving 6:1-4 The message here is fairly obvious in most English translations of the New Testament. However, it’s easy to miss some of the flavor and context if you aren’t aware of the background. Matthew chooses the Greek word … Continue reading →

Posted in bible | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sermon on the Mount 9

Sermon on the Mount 8

Posted on November 26, 2017 by ehurst

Justice for Enemies 5:43-48 Jesus isn’t really arguing with the Talmudic traditions here. He’s arguing with common Pharisaical behavior. It’s hard to find anything resembling “hate your enemies” except perhaps in the Qumran Scrolls, where the Qumran community taught something … Continue reading →

Posted in bible | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Sermon on the Mount 8

Dominion of Divine Wisdom

Posted on June 14, 2017 by ehurst

Jesus told His disciples (Matthew 19:3-9) that, under the Covenant, God tolerated a certain amount of hardening in the heart against the divine moral character. The Mosaic Code on divorce was a practical solution in the context. The best souls … Continue reading →

Posted in sanity | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Dominion of Divine Wisdom

Stop Being Nice

Posted on January 4, 2017 by ehurst

Some years ago I walked into the local Sam’s Club warehouse store and was confronted by rolling racks filled with heavy winter parkas. Digging through this display, I found one that fit, a big old puffy down-filled thing and the … Continue reading →

Posted in eldercraft | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stop Being Nice

The Treasury of Souls

Posted on October 15, 2016 by ehurst

I wish I could say this quickly and succinctly, but our cultural miasma won’t let me. In another of the long list of false dichotomies foisted upon us in the West, we have two bogus images perverting what Jesus taught. … Continue reading →

Posted in eldercraft | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Treasury of Souls

HOWTO: Forgiveness

Posted on September 17, 2015 by ehurst

I suppose for some folks it’s just not obvious enough. We are all born in sin. If you try to reason about culpability, you’ll never understand. Rather, you start from the understanding that your human nature is broken — for … Continue reading →

Posted in eldercraft | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HOWTO: Forgiveness

Understanding Divine Mercy

Posted on September 6, 2015 by ehurst

As a whole, Western Christianity gets forgiveness alarmingly wrong. King David committed horrid crimes. We read in 2 Samuel 11-12 of his adultery and murder. On the one hand, he was the king of what was then a very powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in prophecy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Understanding Divine Mercy

Psalm 51

Posted on May 23, 2015 by ehurst

A psalm by David, this refers to events narrated in 2 Samuel 11-12. That story has it all: adultery, murder and scandal. We struggle to understand a biblical morality that is so foreign to Western instincts. Because of our longstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in bible | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Psalm 51

Psalm 41

Posted on March 14, 2015 by ehurst

This psalm sounds exactly like David’s experience when his son Absalom rose to usurp the throne (2 Samuel 15). The poetry here depicts a rather sharp and painful memory still fresh in his mind. The term for “poor” here refers … Continue reading →

Posted in bible | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Psalm 41