Tag: literature

Real Bible Studies, Matthew 14, The Death of John

The entirety of Matthew 14 corresponds with Mark 6:14-56. As with other sections borrowed from Mark, Matthew makes notable changes to the story, which tailors the meaning to his audience, and these changes hint at the message Matthew wishes to convey to his readers. Mark 6 begins with the story of Yeshua’s rejection at Nazareth … Continue reading Real Bible Studies, Matthew 14, The Death of John →

Real Bible Studies: Matthew 12

Picking Grain on the Sabbath As the chapter opens, Yeshua is under scrutiny from the Pharisees for allowing his disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath. Yeshua doesn’t apologize, but rather turns it back onto his opponents by reminding them of an incident involving David and stating Temple officials also violate the Sabbath. For the … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew 12 →

Real Bible Studies: Matthew, Baptism and Temptation

After the drama of Yeshua’s birth and his family’s escape to Egypt, Matthew skips ahead to the baptism by John, when Yeshua was an adult. Here, we get another prophecy, foretelling John’s ministry. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew, Baptism and Temptation →

Dead Parrots and Shows About Nothing 

Python, Seinfeld, and Absurdity People think of absurdity as someone acting irrationally, or strange things happening to an otherwise normal person, but often the heart of absurdity comes from people rationalizing behavior which defies explanation. My stock portfolio just tanked; now's the perfect time to buy more! Whenever our instincts conflict with our intellects, we're … Continue reading Dead Parrots and Shows About Nothing  →

Ophelia and Hamlet

Note: This article has been updated and expanded in my essay collection Words Words Words, available in print from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Modern stage interpretations of Hamlet place a great deal of emphasis on the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia, more so, perhaps, than Shakespeare himself intended. Some go so far as to place … Continue reading Ophelia and Hamlet →

Real Bible Studies: Sodom and Gomorrah

So far in Genesis, we've been following the adventures of Biblical patriarch Abraham, but now it's time to return to his ne'er do well nephew Lot. When last we looked in on Lot, he'd just been captured by one of the four powers who fought against a coalition of five nations led by the King … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Sodom and Gomorrah →

Real Bible Studies: Leviticus

If the Ten Commandments were the basis for "the law" as defined by the ancient Israelites, then Leviticus is the nuts and bolts description of how to carry out the law. Like most law books, it's a very tedious book to read, spelling out, sometimes in minute detail, what each infraction is, and what sort … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Leviticus →

Oscar Wilde

I can't recall exactly when I first discovered Oscar Wilde's preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I cannot think of a single piece of writing that's had more of an impact on my development as a writer. I have yet to find a more concise set of principles on art in general, and … Continue reading Oscar Wilde →