Every community or family has traditions. Some are deliberate others develop over time. These are embedded into the community or family. Often those outside looking in get a sense of that tradition, but it seems more to be a reoccurring event rather than something with purpose, nostalgia, or longevity. As Australian many American traditions overlap because of the connection to the Christian Calendar. Yet, some don’t always have the same equivalence. America has thanksgiving and black Friday. Australia has boxing

We are not surprised when enemies attack and kill their enemies. However, betrayal comes as a surprise because it is not enemies that attack you but your friends or family. Many of us know of Julius Caesar, one of the greatest Roman generals. However, his death came not at the hands of his adversaries but from his nephew, Marcus Junius Brutus (imagine calling his name out). The politically motivated assignation came from Brutus and other senators. Historians explain the last

Following chapter 13 which is the longest section of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Mark, we turn now to chapter 14 which is the longest chapter in the gospel of Mark. The rapid pace of movement is back, as we are well aware in the Gospel of Mark. And we turn to a familiar question that has come up time and time again in the Gospel of Mark, “who do you say Jesus is?” The question that Jesus asked

As we have looked at the perplexing chapter of Mark 13 over the past five weeks, I have sought to explain the connection between Mark 11-12 to chapter 13 as Jesus pronounces judgment upon the city of Jerusalem, mainly the temple for their rejection of the Christ. I have highlighted every time that Jesus is addressing two questions given by his four disciples following his pronouncement of the tearing down of the stones of the temple Mark 13:2). The two

As we continue to walk through this perplexing chapter in Mark 13, we have noted that the perplexity comes because of the many difficult passages to understand in this chapter, ‘these things,’ ‘those days,’ ‘tribulation,’ ‘abomination of desolation,’ or ‘let the reader understand.’ We have again another difficult phrase today, ‘this generation.’ However, before we get to the difficult phrase, we need to remember what question Jesus is asking in Mark 13. Many people come to Mark 13 and try

As we continue to look at the most perplexing passages in scripture, we come to another perplexing passage. Before we look at this passage, we need to be reminded of what has gone before. Mainly Jesus’ disciples' questions are found in verse 4, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” Two questions relating to ‘these things’ which is a reference to verse two when Jesus

We are looking at Mark chapter 13, which we have explained is a perplexing passage. Last time we looked at the opening verses which helped explain the context of the disciples’ questions asked in verse four. But also, the placement in the Gospel of Mark. That central to this chapter is the Temple, mainly Jesus’ judgement, found in verse two, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be

Perplexing passages can be found throughout the Bible. Passages that have created differences in opinions throughout the church’s history. To find someone who has a new interpretation of a passage is nothing new. Any time spent on the internet would give you a plethora of perplexing passages. When I speak of perplexing passages, I speak of those that we would understand the passage differently but still fall within the same camp. These perplexing passages create a different understanding of what