Devotions in the Deep End

There are four accounts across the gospels about a woman anointing Jesus with perfume. There is some debate about them all telling of the same event, or if there were in fact two instances. I'll show my own hand on that conclusion in this episode. Then, we'll take around three episodes to explore all four accounts. There's so much to take in across them all!

This is the last part of the Olivet Discourse - and it's a tough passage to consider! The Sheep and Goats speak of the day of judgement that we'll all face, and Jesus is calling us to consider "That Day" deeply...and be ready!

This is better known as the parable of the Ten Virgins, but maidens is an equally useful description! This is part of the Olivet Discourse, and feeds further into the idea of being ready for "That Day."

This short episode appears in the Olivet Discourse so it's being briefly covered, with the acknowledgement that some of this came up in earlier episodes. One part of the teaching has not thus far, so this serves as a chance to look at that particular section.

This is the 4th instalment of the Olivet Discourse - the part where Jesus speaks specifically about the end of the age.

This is the third episode in our exploration of the Olivet Discourse. In this one, we're looking at a key phrase (which the title implies) that appears first in the book of Daniel. Jesus offers a small piece of insight into what is considered one of the hardest texts in the Old Testament to interpret, and this episode will interact with some of the history that came about after Daniel's vision, an...

This is the second episode in my exploration of the Olivet Discourse. This focuses on the journey of gospel proclamation that disciples participate in, as well as the persecution that will come with it.

We are going to take a handful of episodes to explore what is known as the Olivet Discourse. This is the introductory part of that journey!

This episode explores a pretty powerful and fitting end to the way Jesus has interacted with the religious leaders around him, offering a very big exclamation mark on all that has been recently covered. I have sought to offer a balance of thought and hope you're able to see this here. Some modern writers seek to point out the face value story of a widow's faith in a way that appears to ignore the...

This is the third and final instalment of the 'Seven Woes' in Matthew 23. It's a pretty telling piece of scripture to explore, but across all of the episodes in this trilogy, we are called to deep reflection about ourselves. The un-churched, non-religious world is not the target of Jesus' words here - the people of God are!

The second of three episodes which explore the 7 Woes of Matthew Chapter 23

As the title suggests, we're taking a look at the 7 Woes - this is the first of three episodes exploring this section of scripture.

Jesus is beginning to offer a very complete commentary on the way he considers the faith of the Scribes and Pharisees around him to be - and it's not a pleasant one as you might expect! In this episode, we explore the positives and negatives outlined by Jesus in these 12 verses, and we have a bit of an inventory of questions at the end which call us to consider ourselves deeply - the last thing we...

A shorter episode to get the new season started! This looks at a special piece of Bible commentary from Jesus himself, one that calls us to consider the deeper meanings of "Messiah," and one that sets a chain reaction on how Psalm 110 is interacted with throughout the whole New Testament!

A teacher of the Mosaic Law seeks out Jesus to learn what the greatest commandment is, and out of a perceived 613 options, Jesus offers two.

This episode explores an intriguing question presented to Jesus, and the masterful way he engages with it. While the initial question is a strange one, it makes way for an even greater truth to emerge for us today - one that is a key part of our faith.

In the middle of the Passion Week, Jesus finds himself being challenged by some rather random folk with questions that they think will stop him in his tracks. This episode deals with the first one - a question about tax which is a little more loaded than we might first imagine...

This is another challenging parable told by Jesus during the Passion Week. And while others have dealt with the religious leaders of the time, this one speaks to the wider audience...including of course, US!

We are still exploring a series of tougher parables that are being told during the Passion Week. The priests and elders are still in Jesus' sights at this time, but the conclusion in this episode will lead to some serious questions for our faith expression today.

With the "Passion Week" in full swing, the parables that Jesus is speaking out are becoming less subtle each time! This is the first of a handful of strongly spoken ones, with an unambiguous point to the audience at hand. But they also call us to reflect on our modern faith expression too - it's safe to say that all of us are one parabolic son or the other!

A short interaction between Jesus and the priests following the cleansing of the Temple - this is the opening discussion before a handful of parables are presented to them

This episode explores some of the symbolism behind the so called 'Cursing of the Fig Tree.' Was it a case of Jesus being 'hangry?' Or, was there something deeper going on?

This episode explores the famous story of Jesus cleansing the Jerusalem Temple

The second piece centered on Jesus' Triumphant Entry. A great passage for reflection around the Holy week, but also a natural forward movement in the narrative any time you are listening to this series.

This is the first of three shorter reflections on the event known to us as the "Triumphant Entry." This particular episode involves a short look at some key Old Testament prophecies and how these are being fulfilled through Jesus, with Matthew's attention to Zechariah 9 being the centrepiece of this section of the journey.