Category Archives: Bible

Enduring Spirit

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Don Merritt

The human spirit can endure in sickness,    but a crushed spirit who can bear? Proverbs 18:14 Studies routinely show that people of faith have a higher recovery rate from serious illnesses than those without faith. I doubt that many Christians would … Continue reading →

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A Pharisee and a Tax Collector

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Don Merritt

Luke sets this parable up in an interesting way, because he mentions no particular scene change, and has Jesus talking to people who are “confident in their own righteousness”; has he turned back to those Pharisees and teachers of the … Continue reading →

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Actions Relating to Friendship

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Don Merritt

V. 9: The slacker (one who doesn’t work) doesn’t produce, and the destroyer destroys what has been produced. The results are the same: there is nothing to show for one’s time and efforts, Therefore, they are said to be “brothers”. … Continue reading →

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A Persistent Widow

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Don Merritt

The scene has not changed from the last passage (Luke 17:20-37), Jesus has just said “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Then He tells this parable to clarify things. It is not a difficult parable … Continue reading →

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More Contrasts

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Don Merritt

Chapter 18 is an interesting one; it seems to have a theme loosely structured by friends and foes. This develops quickly in the first four verses: An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. Fools find … Continue reading →

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The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Don Merritt

Luke 16:19-31 It is very important to remember that this parable follows without any breal whatever the Parable of the Unwise Namager. As a consequence, the context in this passage is the same as in our last parable. Here, Jesus … Continue reading →

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Promoting Restraint

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Don Merritt

These last three verses of chapter 17 promote restraint. They do so in our actions, in our temperament and in our speech. If you stop and think about it, we all know that the people we respect, that we consider … Continue reading →

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Finding Shelter

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Don Merritt

Where can we find shelter? In modern life, people seek shelter and refuge in many places, for instance many seek it in money and possessions.  Others might seek it in a relationship with a loved one, while others might seek … Continue reading →

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Parable of the Dishonest Manager

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Don Merritt

Luke 16:1-18 Jesus continues with the parables, this time the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. A rich guy received accusations that his asset manager was wasting (or dispersing) his assets. He calls the manager in and tells him he is … Continue reading →

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Parental Tranquility

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Don Merritt

These verses can be understood in context by noting the similarity of vv. 21 and 25. Because of this textual feature, we can understand vv. 22-24 as referring to the relationship of parents and children, especially parent pf disappointing children. … Continue reading →

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