Character in Context

The son of a social media friend committed suicide back in February and while talking about it, I realized how shamefully the believing community fails to serve those who are suicidal, clinically depressed, and mentally ill. Part of the problem is a terrible misunderstanding of what the word Pharmakeia meant in the ancient world and the tendency for modern people to look at a word and judge the an...

This is a real controversial topic within some fringe Torah groups and I was asked to address it from a Biblical/historical perspective. Last week, I talked about male and female-identified religion and the dangers—and this is a big draw for some men. So, we’re going to look at what the Bible does and does not say about it. Is it ever spoken of in a positive way? What is the fruit? What restrictio...

Hey all! The Dire Straits is upon us—that three-week period before the 9th of Av when like all heck breaks lose spiritually. We’re starting out the next few weeks with a break before diving into Mark 13 and 14, and I am going to cover three (at least) topics that people have been requesting I discuss. This week I want to talk about those pesky people who used to be believers before denying Yeshua/...

Lest all the scribes get credit for the wisdom and honesty of the one (remember, the ones attached to the Sanhedrin have decided to get rid of him at this point), Yeshua takes the group of them to task for, among other things, oppressing the vulnerable and namely, widows. And what is the tragedy of the “Widow’s Mite” that is so often missed?

Lest we make the mistake of thinking that all scribes are against Yeshua/Jesus, we have a wonderful encounter here and *gasp* an honest question for a change. After Yeshua answers, no one dares approach Him again—and after He brings up His own controversy about the Son of David in Psalm 110, the leadership has no choice but to follow Him or kill Him.

After being bested in their challenge to Yeshua’s/Jesus’s authority, the Sanhedrin delegation sends in the Pharisees and the Herodians, who have been plotting together since Mark 3:6 as to how to destroy Him. Then, the Sadducees, who have gone unmentioned up to this point, take a stab at tripping Him up. Exactly how does that work out for them?

When read in context, this comes off as nothing short of a terrifying political thriller. And as such, we should not be shocked to learn that this is the moment when Yeshua/Jesus purposefully signs His own death warrant—not at His mock trial but here with a terrible accusation, made in parable form against the Jerusalem power-brokers.

In the first of five (or four or six depending on which scholar you agree with) controversy dialogues on the Temple Mount before Passover, Yeshua/Jesus deftly captures the chief priests, scribes and elders in their own trap. They demand to know what right He had to shut down Temple commerce the previous day, and He demands that they take a stand on whether or not John was a prophet—putting them in...

The kingship of David appears to be in direct violation of the Mosaic Law—or is it? As Ruth is traditionally studied in celebration of Shavuot/Pentecost, I want to tackle this important question.

This is a very commonly misinterpreted section of Scripture when we don’t see the “Markan sandwich” which tells us to interpret the overturning of tables through the cursing of the fig tree and vice versa. We will be covering a lot of Biblical fig tree references with respect to the coming of the Messiah and the coming of judgment. We will also be analyzing Yeshua’s/Jesus’s actions in light of lat...

When looked at as a “Triumph”, military victor’s parade, Yeshua’s/Jesus’s entry leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, He is absolutely snubbed by the very people who would have been required to greet a conquering general or a king with full honors. As such, this is a fitting beginning for the coming condemnation of Jerusalem and the Temple over the course of the following two chapters.

As a preview of chapters 11 and 12, where Yeshua/Jesus condemns and increasingly replaces the Temple as the overlap between Heaven and Earth, we’ll be reviewing some of the “greater than” claims about Yeshua in the Bible and talking about the implications of Malachi, Isaiah and 4QFlor, which discusses the important concept of mikdash adam, the living Temple of the Qumran community.

This is our last “in the way” narrative because next week, Yeshua/Jesus and His disciples enter Jerusalem. As such, this is the most climactic and revealing of Mark’s use of Isaiah 42:16 in highlighting the kind of blindness that was currently upon an Israel looking for a bloodthirsty Messiah instead of a Messiah determined to save not only Israel but also her enemies.

Although the disciples were guilty of shooing away the disabled and children, rich and powerful men make it right up to Yeshua/Jesus without any problems, highlighting their still very worldly mindsets. This young man asks a question that weighs heavily on the minds of many, “What can I do to merit a place in the world to come?” What does this conversation reveal about him, about Yeshua, and about...

Ever hear about “any cause” divorce? Jewish men in the first-century were committing a terrible crime against the wives of their youth and had come to see it as a right—as though marriage existed solely for their benefit and could be ended at their whim. She burns a meal? You can divorce her. Find someone prettier? You can divorce her. As they believed a man could not be guilty of adultery against...

In honor of the Passover this week, I am going to leapfrog over the next two accounts in Mark to tackle the third Passion Prediction in light of the first two, which we have already covered. It is important to explore them as a unit in order to learn how Yeshua was revealing, step by step, the fate that awaited Him in Jerusalem.

The disciples aren’t too thrilled with someone honing in on what they mistakenly believe to be “their territory.” What Yeshua/Jesus has to say to them for getting in the way of another person’s good works should cause us all to pause and reflect on our own priorities and issues.

This week we look at the second Passion Prediction and the disciples’ misplaced sense of ambition. What Yeshua/Jesus tells them about what kind of humility He expects from them would have been revolting in the extreme for any ancient man.

This is an incredibly heart-wrenching account of a father and son locked in an ongoing and deadly battle with a malicious demon—a battle they have been losing. When they go to the disciples for help, they are no help at all! What is the lesson here and what about the controversy over “this kind can’t go out except through prayer and fasting?”

Yeshua/Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a mountain for different sort of proclamation—but this time the proclamation comes from the ultimate source. And what does this say about Yeshua’s mission and who we are ultimately called to listen to?

Just because I Enoch isn’t Scripture or written by Enoch doesn’t mean it isn’t a vital window into the first century beliefs about Genesis 6 and the introduction of evil practices into the world. What did Mt Hermon mean to first-century Jews and why did Yeshua/Jesus make sure that the big announcement about His identity happened in Caesarea Philippi, on the southern slope of this infamous mountain...

As far north as Yeshua/Jesus will ever travel again during His natural lifetime, it’s time for the secrets to be revealed and His mission laid out. Peter doesn’t like it and gets called Satan for his concerns. But is there more here than meets the eye? It’s our first Messianic reality check and no one liked it.

This is a good example of what is called an acted-out parable. The two-stage healing of blindness is the only episode in the Gospels where someone isn’t healed right away. What is this meant to tell us about our own spiritual state and why is it important to understand before the disciples head to Caesarea Philippi?

Things are heating up and Yeshua/Jesus tries to teach the disciples an important lesson—but they miss it entirely because they have their mind on temporal concerns. What exactly is the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of the Herodians and what does it mean in our own lives?

In a miraculous and frustrating turn of events, the Pharisees from the district of Dalmanutha demand a sign from Heaven shortly after Yeshua/Jesus feeds a mixed multitude, leaving four thousand satisfied. But can the Pharisees be satisfied?