Real Bible Studies, Matthew 13, Parables and Prophecies

Parables Matthew relates more lessons from Yeshua, and these are delivered in the form of parables. They all relate to the central conflict of the Gospel, separating true believers from the hangers-on and wannabes. They also highlight Yeshua’s tendency to obscure his message to the crowds who follow him, relaying his true meaning only to … Continue reading Real Bible Studies, Matthew 13, Parables and Prophecies →

Worthy, Rosalind and Barbara

Barbara Kincaid has always looked up to her cousin, Rosalind. When she first arrived in Boston, when Barbara was eight or nine, Rosalind was an exotic presence, a West Coast relative who didn’t seem like anyone Barbara had ever met before. In fact, Rosalind was all anyone in the family could talk about. She was … Continue reading Worthy, Rosalind and Barbara →

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 11

Messengers from John After giving his disciples their marching orders, Yeshua is approached by messengers from John, inquiring if he’s the leader John has been predicting. Rather that state it outright, Yeshua instructs the messengers to report what they’ve seen to John and let him decide. In much of Christian orthodoxy, John is heralded as … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew 11 →

Real Bible Studies: Matthew 9-10

Tax Collectors and Sinners Yeshua returns to Capernaum, where the crowd brings out a paralyzed man. Yeshua is quick to forgive his sins, which raises charges of blasphemy from the scribes. To counter this, Yeshua tells the man to rise, take up his bed and walk, which the individual does, astounding the crowd. Afterward, we’re … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew 9-10 →

Real Bible Studies: Matthew, Healings & Miracles

Matthew 8 Following the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew provides a chapter detailing several healing miracles performed by Yeshua. These mostly take place around Capernaum, which is Yeshua’s main base of operations for this part of the Gospel. Matthew’s concentration on the teachings and healings of Yeshua lend weight to the notion that Yeshua is … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew, Healings & Miracles →

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 →