Rumination Journal

Hey, Friends. Here is another effort, the first of a series. Please read below. Stories are all around. They give us knowledge and they fire our imagination. Stories are amazing. They tell us about places near or far and make them seem so real to us that we experience the sights, sounds, and smells. Stories are powerful. They shape what we believe and how we behave. Stories make us what we are. Some of the most powerful stories are those about Jesus, who said and did amazing things. These stories teach about love and forgiveness, about sacrifice and redemption, and about faith and commitment. These stories bring hope. And although they are over two thousand years old, these stories are just as powerful today. These pages tell just some of the stories of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John. Each story includes references to the Scripture passages on which the story is based. And many stories include notes, reference...

Jesus continued to answer the disciples' questions about the destruction of the temple, the signs of His coming, and the end of the age. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, and you see standing in the holy place—where it should not be—the ‘abomination of desolation,’ as described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), you will know that Jerusalem’s desolation is near. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. And let no one in the field return for their cloak. Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from their house. For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. “How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against these people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the...

Jesus and His disciples arrived at the Mount of Olives. And Jesus sat down opposite the temple. His disciples had not stopped thinking about what Jesus had said about the temple—that the time would come when one stone would not be left upon another. And so, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to Jesus privately. “Teacher, they asked, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ They will deceive many. But do not follow them.” “You will hear of wars, rumors of wars, and rebellions. But do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven. All these are the beginning...

Jesus left the temple and was walking away. And as He walked, His disciples came up to Him to point out the temple’s buildings. They remarked how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts. In response, Jesus said, “Do you see these great buildings? Truly I tell you, the time will come when not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” See Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6 -

Jesus sat in the temple courts across from the treasury—the place where people brought their offerings. And Jesus watched the people put money into the treasury. Many rich people put their large gifts into the treasury. Then Jesus saw one poor widow who came and put into the treasury two Greek lepta—two small copper coins worth one Roman codrant, or one Roman penny. Seeing this, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put into the treasury more than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, has given all she had to live on.” See Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4 Notes: “two lepta”: a lepton was a Jewish coin made of bronze or copper and worth about 1/128 of a denarius. So, the woman’s two lepta was equal to 1/64 of a labor’s daily wage, or one Roman kodrantēs (codrant), one Roman penny. -

 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who are sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Listen: your house is left to you desolate! And I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” See Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:34-35 Notes: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.”: from Psalm 118:26. Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving and is a regular part of Jewish and Christian liturgies. It seems that this psalm was well known to the people who were gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry. -

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you allow in those who wish to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel the land and sea to win a single convert, and when they become one, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears an oath by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears an oath by the gold of the temple, they are bound by their oath.’ You blind fools! Which is more important: the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on the altar, they are bound by their oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So then, whoever swears an oath by the altar swears by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears an oath by ...