Lifetime Mission.Mary received a lifetime mission from the Lord God via an angel. BLESSINGS OF THIS MISSION:1) Mary was just an ordinary young country girl. Now she will be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah.2) Being his mother gave the blessing of seeing and hearing Jesus more than anyone.3) She was the only mother to […]
Author: Stephen Ricker
Luke 1:27-28 is today’s BDBD. Pledged to be Married.
In ancient Jewish society, to be pledged to be married was a one-year term of legal marriage without coming together. The husband would create an environment for a family to be raised in during this one year period. During this time, they would spiritually ready their hearts for the responsibility to come. When Jesus came […]
Luke 1:26-27 is today’s BDBD. Virgin Birth.
The virgin birth is important because it means Jesus was born without the natural sin of Adam’s race. Jesus has nothing to do with Adam’s sin. Jesus is called the second Adam. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice because he alone is of the seed of God. His blood alone in the entire human race is […]
Luke 1:21-25 is today’s BDBD. Living the Unexpected
Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, discovered that living the unexpected was unlike what they had understood in the retelling of gallant stories of heroes past. For example, Abraham had no permanent home, humiliatingly had no son, and lived as an alien and a stranger in this world (Genesis 23:4; Hebrews 11:9). David spent most of […]
Luke 1:18-20 is today’s BDBD. Believe the Unexpected.
Miracles are everywhere, and often, if I just notice and believe. Zechariah’s day at and in the Temple was filled with miracles. 1) He was selected out of over a thousand priests to burn incense in the Temple. 2) An angel appeared next to the altar of incense. 3) The angel told him his prayer […]
Luke 1:11-17 is today’s BDBD. Expect the Unexpected.
According to Numbers 4:3, the eligible age to serve as priest was 30 to 50 years old. To serve before the Lord would require that Zechariah be ceremonially clean. With so many priests available and being old, Zechariah could not have taken the time to serve as a priest in the temple. Zechariah could have […]
Luke 1:7-10 is today’s BDBD. No Answer.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes. They served God. Yet, though they prayed for a son, they did not have one, even into old age. Why do bad things happen in righteous people’s lives, especially things that they have little or no control over? One is discipline and training. Another is to prove […]
Luke 1:5-6 is today’s BDBD. In the Time of Herod…
Luke chapters 1 and 2 are about the remnant of God’s people in a dark time in Judea’s history. An elderly priestly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were among the few who held onto faith in the Lord God and the coming Messiah. Oppressive and mighty Rome took control of the partially Hellenized territories, Judea and […]
Luke 1:4 is today’s BDBD. Things You Have Been Taught.
Bible Reading, if it is to be profitable, will not be the pleasant diversion sometimes pictured in the religious ads, a peaceful pastime with which to while away a tired evening. The Bible is a serious book, probably the most serious in the world, and it will not submit to being used for light amusement. […]
Luke 1:1-3 is today’s BDBD. They Were Handed Down.
Luke, the author of this gospel, is a historian who wrote an accurate, orderly, and factual account. Luke was not the first to write what the disciples had been saying concerning Jesus’ ministry. Mark and Matthew’s accounts are believed to have been finished by this time. The introduction found at FreeBibleStudyHelp.com has more information. The […]
Luke 24:46-53 is today’s BDBD. To all Nations.
Mark closes his gospel with Jesus giving the Great Commission and Jesus’s Ascension (Mark 19:15-20). Matthew concludes his gospel with Jesus giving them the Great Commission on a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20). John ends his gospel with Jesus speaking one-to-one to Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. John states in the […]
Luke 24:44-45 is today’s BDBD. Near-Sighted.
Many people are born near-sighted. Near-sightedness is defined as “unable to see distant objects clearly”. However, a near-sighted person can see close objects much better than someone with 20/20 vision. I know, because I was born very near-sighted. Something no one knew till I was eight years old. I vividly remember the day I first […]
Luke 24:36-43 is today’s BDBD. Holy Holes.
Imagine, if you will, a moment when a myriad of emotions spin like a tornado and voluminous thoughts coil the brain like grape vines on a fence. Now, hold that emotion and imagine being in the locked upper room (for fear of the Jews) where reports of the risen Jesus are the doubt, joy, and […]
Luke 24:28-35 is today’s BDBD. Burning Hearts.
Cleopas and another disciple listened carefully to Jesus expound Scripture concerning himself, the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus started at Genesis, the first book in the Bible, written by Moses, to Malachi, the last book of the Prophets and the Old Testament. Jesus conducted a personal exposé of the Old Testament. Jesus finished […]
Luke 24:25-27 is today’s BDBD. Foolish Hearts.
When Cleopas and another disciple of Jesus finished their dismal recount of Jesus’ Passion, Jesus harshly rebuked them. “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” Faith (belief) was not only their problem, but all the disciples’ problem. They did not believe what the prophets spoke […]
Luke 24:16-24 is today’s BDBD. Morning Viewpoint.
Perspective depends on the spectator. The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to the whole depends on one’s mindset. Wake up in a bad mood, and everything seems meaningless and endless drudgery. Wake up after a deep peaceful sleep, and one can appreciate the Lord brushing a kaleidoscope sky with the […]
Luke 24:13-17 is today’s BDBD. Walk Talk.
What does one do when a life plan falls apart? What to do when a person you loved and put your hope in dies? Where does one turn for guidance when the one who died was the provider of guidance to this new and better life plan, a hopeful, bright understanding and approach to life? […]
Luke 24:9-12 is today’s BDBD. Seeing and Understanding.
Is seeing believing? I used to understand it to be so. Is understanding believing? I used to see it that way. Belief can come to life through seeing and understanding. But more often than not, one can see and understand and still not believe, for the mind has a deceiving way of doubting what is […]
Luke 24:1-8. On the Third Day.
The Sabbath (Saturday) was somber and depressing. Preparing spices and perfumes to complete a rushed burial was the only thing accomplished, mixed with quiet private discussions (Luke 23:55-56). No one had an appetite to talk or eat. As Saturday’s early light covered the stars, groups of women who loved Jesus left to pour the perfume […]
Luke 23:55-24:10. Early Sunday Morning.
The Scofield Reference Bible organizes the women’s visits like this: “Three women -Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome- start for the sepulcher, followed by other women bearing spices. The three find the stone rolled away, and Mary Magdalene goes to tell the disciples (Luke 23:55-24:10; John 20:1-2). Mary, the mother of James […]
Luke 23:50-56 is today’s BDBD. Jesus’s burial.
What is a Christian burial? I have been to several funerals, most of which can be considered Christian. Yet, none have been like Jesus’s burial. None of the services have read any of the gospel accounts of Jesus’s burial (Luke 23:50-56; Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; John 19:31-42) for enough sorrow is contained the the death […]
Luke 23:47 is today’s BDBD. Surely this man…
The unnamed career Roman soldier, a Centurion in charge of at least 100 soldiers, was assigned to conduct Jesus’ crucifixion. Centurions were chosen on merit, remarkable for their deliberation, constancy, and strength of mind, more so than daring courage. This Centurion led Jesus from Pilate’s verdict and the hatred of the Jewish religious leaders with […]
Luke 23:46 is today’s BDBD. Last Words, Exact Words.
The last words spoken before the last breath usually reveals much about a person and their life priority, their belief, and their destiny. Jesus’ last words, according the John and Luke, are, “It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (46; John 19:28) Jesus’ priority was to finish the work given him […]
Luke 23:44-46 is today’s BDBD. It’s Curtains for You.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke say that the sun stopped shining from six until nine while Jesus was on the cross. They are using Hebrew time, not modern time. Hebrew time has the first hour at sunrise and the twelfth hour at sunset. So, the sixth hour in Hebrew time is noon in modern time, and […]
Luke 23:42-43 is today’s BDBD. The Place After the Cross.
Jesus hung on the cross between two criminals. Crucifixion was for the worst of the worst. Crucifixion was for those who committed murder, treason, or incited a revolt against Rome. The two men hanging on either side of Jesus committed one of those crimes (41). One condemned criminal ridiculed Jesus. The other defended Jesus. The […]
Luke 23:34a is today’s BDBD. The Hardest Thing To Do.
Consider all that Jesus allowed to happen to him. His friend betrayed him. He was arrested. His disciples and friends abandoned him. The men guarding him beat and mocked him. The existing religious leaders of the religion he started condemned him to death by crucifixion. They brought him to civil leaders, created false charges, and […]
Luke 23:38 is today’s BDBD. What Does That Mean?
The church name for the first Friday after Passover is “Good Friday”, so someone long passed labeled it. It is the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ. Many have stated an opinion on the label. It is just a label to me. Like all long well used labels, it means one thing […]
Luke 23:27-31 is today’s BDBD. Cover us!
Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leaders, like a perfect block is rejected as a cornerstone by architects. The reason was not that he was God’s chosen Messiah. The reasons Jesus was rejected were that he was either not the kind of Messiah they wanted or because they wanted the job. Jesus said so in […]
Luke 23:26 is today’s BDBD. Carry the Cross.
Jesus had been tortured by the temple guards, Herod’s guards, and the Romans before he was forced to carry the cross. He had not slept in more than 24 hours, not during his preaching and teaching in the temple the day before, not while he prayed on the Mount of Olives, and not during the […]
Luke 23:1-25 is today’s BDBD. Heart Weight.
Moments of critical decisions measure the heart. The heart of Israel’s religious establishment was found wanting for they decided to kill the awaited Messiah (1, 21, 23). Now, Pilate and Herod’s hearts were on trial. It appeared Jesus was on trial. In reality, God was weighing their hearts. The judges were being examined. The moment […]
Luke 23:13-24 is today’s BDBD. Unavoidable?
Is something ever impossible to avoid or prevent from happening? I cannot stop the sun from shining or the rain from falling. Nor can I stop another from making a foolish and evil decision, though I can try. However, my question is, can I stop what seems to be an inevitable travesty? Could Pilate have […]
Luke 23:8-12 is today’s BDBD. A Funeral Circus.
Herod in one ring, layering questions on questions while trying to entice a miracle. The chief priests and the teachers of the Mosaic law became a pack of mad dogs jumping through flaming hoops in another ring. Soldiers, like evil clowns playing dress-up-the-joker in a third ring. Silent Jesus, the focus of their dark crafts. […]
Luke 23:5-7 is today’s BDBD. Political Poison.
Pilate deduced Jesus was not a threat to the Romans. “I find no basis for a charge against this man,” he told the accusers. Jesus’ teachings were no threat to the Roman Empire. The fact that many followed a Jewish Rabbi did not violate Roman law. Nor did it indicate that he was inciting a […]
Luke 23:1-4 is today’s BDBD. You Said So.
By our words we will be judged. Words come from the heart. Words are the fruit that reveals if our tree is rotting at the core and roots. If the core is hollow and infested with termites and/or the roots are dying, then our fruit will be sour. No one will pick and eat them. […]
Luke 22:66-71 is today’s BDBD. Jesus Passed the Test.
NOTE: BDBD will be down for a few days during the change of Domain Hosts. Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night and brought first to Annas, the high priest according to the Law given through Moses. The Romans deposed him for political reasons, ensuring he was unable to lead the Sanhedrin (3:2; […]
Luke 22:63-65 is today’s BDBD. Need a New Heart.
The guards were likely the same ones who were present when he was arrested. They were not identified by the gospel writers, but most likely consisted of temple guards. They were given the authority to arrest Jesus, who had not been charged with a crime. Their cruelty to a man who had not been found […]
Luke 22:54-62 is today’s BDBD. One Confesses, One Denies.
Jesus’s trials, conducted by the Jewish leadership, are contrasted with Peter’s denying Jesus three times in all four Gospel accounts (54-62; Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; John 18:12-27). This is clear because they bounce back and forth between the two with dizzying speed. The whole incident, from Jesus’s arrest to the Jewish leader’s verdict and Peter’s […]
Luke 22:47-53 is today’s BDBD. Will.
After prayer, Jesus committed his will to do God’s will for him. After receiving thirty silver coins, Judas committed his will to betray his rabbi and friend for nearly three years (47-48; Matthew 26:47-50; Mark 14:43-45; John 18:2-3). After sleeping, Jesus’ disciples committed their will to stop Jesus from saving the world but only managed […]
Luke 22:41-46 is today’s BDBD. Sleepless Prayer.
Jesus instructed his disciples to pray so they would not fall into temptation. Then Jesus prayed with a similar concept. Jesus referred to his soon-to-happen suffering as a cup to be drunk, meaning the lot that was assigned to him by his Father in heaven. Jesus was assigned to drink the cup of judgment and […]
Luke 22:39-40 is today’s BDBD. Before the Trial.
The Greek word for temptation is “peirasmos,” meaning to be “put to the test” and “to prove”. Temptation in the Bible is someone facing a decision to go against God and his will or to obey God’s will and trust in his love. When tempted, I am on trial. A person’s faith and patience can […]
Luke 22:35-38 is today’s BDBD. That is Enough.
The disciples did not comprehend what Jesus was saying. The problem was not because Jesus was using allegory or parables. The problem was that the disciples were not listening to what he said, they held onto the wrong idea of God’s kingdom, and when they did understand him, they were too proud to accept it […]
Luke 22:33-34 is today’s BDBD. Stymied Will.
Having the will, no matter how intense, to do something and then not completing it, though it was possible to, counts for nothing. Many alcoholics will find themselves having the best and strongest intention to stand confessing before God, stop drinking, and make amends. Yet, a few days later, they are buried at the bottom […]
Luke 22:31-32 is today’s BDBD. The Great Sifter.
Peter, like the rest of the disciples, wanted to be the greatest amongst his peers so he could be served by them. Jesus wanted them to be great, as long as they were great in the way God sees greatness. God sees greatness in a person if they serve others (26-17). Jesus instructed and provided […]
Luke 22:24-30 is today’s BDBD. Servant Kings.
The disciples were with Jesus in the upper room of a house, eating the Passover meal which Jesus had just modified, calling the cup “the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (20) He thus fulfilled the prophecy declared by Jeremiah. “The time is coming when I will make a new […]
Luke 22:20 is today’s BDBD. Blood Covenant.
Jesus shared the unleavened bread with his disciples during the Passover supper, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (19). He thus changed the meaning of the Passover (John 6:35, 41, 47-51). After the Passover supper, Jesus added something new to the Passover, for he was making a […]
Luke 22:14-23 is today’s BDBD. Jesus’s New Passover.
Twilight (sunset) starts the 14th day of the Hebrew month Abib, the first month on the Hebrew calendar, the full moon (Exodus 12:1). This is when the Lord God commanded all Israel and those who believe in and worship the Lord to keep the Passover meal (Exodus 12:6-8, 14; Leviticus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 16:1-2). At twilight […]
Luke 22:7 is today’s BDBD. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Passover was originally commanded while Israel was in slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-16). Exodus 12:6 says concerning the lamb that they were to designate on the 10th day of the month Abib, “Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter […]
Luke 22:7-13 is today’s BDBD. Lest you Yeast.
The Passover feast is a special annual meal consisting of lamb, herbs, and unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) eaten at twilight, the start of the 14th day of Abib (aka Nisan, March or April, Exodus 12:1-28, 43-50, 13:10). No other religious celebration was like it at the time it was commanded to obey by […]
Luke 22:1-6 is today’s BDBD. Adversary.
Satan is at work all the time. He has many who are delighted to help his cause. The chief priests and scribes wanted Jesus dead, for they feared the people (2). The religious establishment was the obvious adversary on the outside. After over three years of intense ministry, Jesus had become a household conversation. The […]
Luke 21:34-38 is today’s BDBD. Careful Hearts.
Three destructive behaviors for Christians are dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life (34). They are a weight on a Christian’s heart, pulling us away from active love of Christ. They take the place of laboring for the kingdom of God and Jesus. They are the rocks, thorns, and thistles in the Parable of the […]
Luke 21:29-33 is today’s BDBD. When You See.
I researched and pondered these five verses throughout the day and many times in the past. I had already written comments for Matthew and Mark on Jesus’ teachings on these five verses in the Olivet Discourse several years ago. The first conclusion I have is that I need more study, prayer, and inspiration from the […]
Luke 21:25-28 is today’s BDBD. Calm the Sea.
What is darkening my sun in midday? Faint not, behold the Son of Man is coming in a cloud. What is turning my moon to bloody tears? Terror not, He comes in power and great glory. What is causing my stars to fall from view? Weep no more, stand up and lift up your head […]
Luke 21:20-24 is today’s BDBD. Signs Foretold Fulfilled.
Jesus is answering the disciples’ question, “And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (7) Jesus’s answer, given as prophecies, was fulfilled in the revolt against Rome in 66 through 70 A.D. Some of the disciples who heard Jesus give these were still alive when they were fulfilled. In obedience, […]
Luke 21:9-11 is today’s BDBD. Fearful Events, Great Signs.
Between warnings of false christs (8) and persecutions (12-14), Jesus gave predictions of severe and fearful events and great signs. Somewhere, there is a nation or region that has been attacking another almost nonstop since Jesus’s time. Revelation 6:4 tells of the fiery red horse of war that will be sent to the world during […]
Luke 21:12-19 is today’s BDBD. Results of Witnessing in Jesus’s Name.
The apostles began to witness in Jesus’s name when he left us. They did not preach prosperity, share fear, or reveal hidden secrets. They proclaimed Jesus’s words and deeds in the same spirit that Jesus witnessed. As Jesus spoke on behalf of his Father through the Holy Spirit, I, with all believers, am called to […]
Luke 21:8-9 is today’s BDBD. Watch Out!
The disciples heard Jesus confirm it. The temple would be destroyed (6). The temple was the center of first-century Jewish life. The disciples knew that the temple would not go without a terrible war, and no temple meant no Israel. With Israel no more, the lifestyle that they knew would either change or be lost […]
Luke 21:5-7 is today’s BDBD. Big Stones, Small Faith.
Jesus had been teaching in the temple all week. He had given many wise teachings and responded to confrontations by the Jewish religious establishment. Matthew records that Jesus pronounced woes against the religious leaders at the end of the last day of teaching. Jesus concluded the woes by stating, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill […]
Luke 21:1-4 is today’s BDBD. Poor Widow’s Offering.
Every person who has decided to follow Jesus will have multiple times when giving an offering (“doron” in Greek) will not be easy. Many ways exist for us to make an offering to God. An offering is not just money. Romans 12:1 states we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. This passage concerns […]
Luke 20:41-47 is today’s BDBD. The Honor Teaches honor.
Jesus had validated the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age to religious bigots, the Sadducees. When he shamed them with the Word of God, their religious opponents, the teachers of the Law, were delighted and praised Jesus (39). However, other than different beliefs, they were the same as the Successors. They […]
Luke 20:37-39 is today’s BDBD. Alive and Well, Thank You.
Jesus gives the priestly Sadducees definitive Biblical proof to support his dissertation that physical death is not the end of human existence, and that there will be a physical resurrection in the age to come. More so, he provides it from the Law, the first five books, the only books that the Sadducees recognized as […]
Luke 20:35-36 is today’s BDBD. The Resurrection to come. #2.
The word “resurrection” in Greek is “anastasis”, meaning literally “standing again.” It is used forty times in the New Testament, and always refers most naturally to a bodily rising from the dead. (Luke 20:36; John 11:24; Acts 4:33, Rev. 20:5) There is certainly no warrant for taking it to mean something else. Jesus walked out […]
Luke 20:27-36a is today’s BDBD. Resurrection to come. #1.
When a person gains interest in Jesus, especially when we accept his rule and love in our lives, the reality of Jesus’ teaching concerning the resurrection of the dead must be considered and ascribed to in one aspect or another. The resurrection addressed in this encounter with the Sadducees is not the Lazarus resurrection type […]
Luke 20:20-26 is today’s BDBD. Give.
Who likes taxes, but the receiver? Receiving others’ hard-earned income through taxes is good only if not used for self-gratification or honor. Giving taxes is good when a general citizenry has honest collection to build and maintain civil infrastructure. However, the human race has never created a society that is perfect in tax collection and […]
Luke 20:17-19 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Tenants. #3.
The people were startled at the conclusion of Jesus’ parable. They did not want to believe that God would allow his son to be killed by selfish and corrupt tenants and that, in response, he would kill the tenants and give the vineyard to someone else. The prophets often used a vineyard to represent Israel. […]
Luke 20:14-16 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Tenants. #2.
Jesus’s “Parable of the Tenants” has the vineyard’s owner sending his son to collect his share of the harvest. The tenants recognize he is the heir and devised a plan to kill him and take the inheritance as their own. Greed and an evil sense of self-importance ruled their decision and the following action. Foolishness […]
Luke 20:9-13 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Tenants. #1.
After the religious elite challenged Jesus’ authority, he began teaching them in parables. One is recorded in all three Synoptic gospels: “The Parable of the Tenants” (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12). They record that Jesus spoke this parable against them (19). The object is a man who planted a vineyard. The subject is the world’s most […]
Luke 20:1-8 is today’s BDBD. authority challenges AUTHORITY.
Men’s and women’s authority tends to lie and subvert to keep it. We will do these and worse while opposing God’s authority. Jesus had overturned the money exchange tables and driven out those who were selling sacrificial animals in the temple area (19:45-48). This challenged the Jewish religious authority and subverted their money flow. Their […]
Luke 19:45-48 is today’s BDBD. Correct Contact Disconnect.
Jesus highly valued familiar contact with God, otherwise known as prayer. Jesus’ communion with God was more than words and emotions. Prayer is primarily spiritual. When the Lord Jesus formed Adam from the dust of the ground, he looked normal (Genesis 2:7a). Yet, Adam was not made in the image of God until the Lord […]
Luke 19:41-44 is today’s BDBD. Hidden Peace.
Jesus shed tears as he fulfilled the Messianic prophecy in the sight of Jerusalem’s citizens by riding a colt into Jerusalem (41). He cried because they had blinders of pride, greed, and false interpretation on their eyes. God had come (44). They could have peace. They rejected it. They believed they could rule themselves. Jerusalem’s […]
Luke 19:35-40 is today’s BDBD. The First Rock Band.
The Sunday before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem, traveling from Jericho and passing through Bethphage and Bethany, two small towns less than two miles east of Jerusalem. (28-29; John 12:1, 12) When he arrived at the Mount of Olives in Bethphage, he stopped at a crossroads where one street […]
Luke 19:28-34 is today’s BDBD. A Donkey’s Errand.
God sometimes gives instructions and wants his people to do something that doesn’t make sense or seems unethical. When Jesus and his disciples left Jericho and trekked the approximately five-hour uphill walk to Jerusalem, two disciples would experience such a directive. When they arrived at the Mount of Olives, Jesus instructed them to go into […]
Luke 19:20-26 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Ten Minas+None
Jesus has the newly appointed King in “The Parable of the Ten Minas” upon his return, taking account of his ten servants’ investments. Each was given the same amount of minas. Each had an equal chance to accomplish his master’s intent (15). The first two he examined have either increased the investment by 100% or […]
Luke 19:12-27 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Ten Minas, Subject or Servant?
Jesus was at the home of Zacchaeus, a very rich chief tax collector, on the midday of his “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem. Jesus had invited himself and his disciples to eat at his home, an invitation that Zacchaeus was eager to oblige (1-4). They were most likely on the house’s flat canopied roof, a common […]
Luke 19:11-13 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Ten Minas, Investing Advice.
Jesus was at the home of Zacchaeus, whose occupation dealt with money, investments, loss, and profit. Thus, Zacchaeus and the Apostle Matthew would have understood “The Parable of the Ten Minas” better than zealots, fishermen, Pharisees, and Levite priests who also heard this parable. Jesus used the best parables for the location he and his […]
Luke 19:11 is today’s BDBD. The Parable of the Ten Minas, Investing Advice.
Jesus had just declared Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector in Jericho, and his household saved and Zacchaeus is a child of Abraham (9). He said that was why he came (10). His statement drew the attention of everyone who heard it, so he used the attention to tell a parable called “The Parable of the […]
Luke 19:1-10 is today’s BDBD. Zacchaeus -salvation came to my house. #4
Daily life journal entry conclusion: Zacchaeus. I told Jesus of Nazareth, whom I am convinced is the promised Messiah, my decision of recompense for my sins, especially cheating others when I collected taxes. I will never forget his response, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. […]
Luke 19:1-10 is today’s BDBD. Zacchaeus -salvation came to my house. #3
Daily life journal entry continued: Zacchaeus. Jesus and I led the way to my home. I had joy that I could not put into words. Jesus had chosen to stay at my house, though many Levite priests, important rabbis, and the synagogue ruler lived in my elite Jericho neighborhood. The synagogue ruler lived next door. […]
Luke 19:1-10 is today’s BDBD. Zacchaeus -salvation came to my house. #2
Daily life journal entry continued: Zacchaeus. Climbing a sycamore-fig tree is not as easy as it looks, especially when the tree flourishes with ripe fruit, a person has short legs, and is wearing a finely crafted suit that only great wealth can buy. I was unaware until this day that too much fragrance annoys the […]
Luke 19:1-10 is today’s BDBD. Zacchaeus -salvation came to my house. #1
Daily life journal entry: Zacchaeus. My parents gave me the Israelite name Zacchaeus, meaning pure, a name I did not live up to until Jesus, the Messiah, invited me to a meal at my house. I grew up an outsider in a Jewish society. They called me “impure brood”, “heathen blood”, “traitor”, and “short root”. […]
Luke 18:35-43 is today’s BDBD. Your Faith Has Healed You. #3
My friend and I, blind men, passed by Herod the Great’s 10-acre, 3-palace garden oasis to the west exit of Jericho. There we waited for Jesus of Nazareth and the exuberant crowd we encountered at the east gate. We had a second chance to receive our sight. We were determined to yell for mercy so […]
