Tag Archives: hope

The Third Wave is Beaten Back

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Don Merritt

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart … Continue reading →

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The Second Wave

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 22:23-33 The stage has been set for the second wave of the Jewish leaders’ plot to unfold. The second assault team, this time made up of a platoon of Sadducees, makes their advance on Jesus. The Sadducees were a … Continue reading →

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The Jewish Leaders Unleash Their Plot

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 22:15-22 The Jewish leaders, after being made to look foolish in public have withdrawn from the scene to plot. They really want Jesus dead, but they still fear their own people will react against them if they simply grab … Continue reading →

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This is the Season

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Don Merritt

I think that people might get the wrong idea about me when I talk about the Christmas Season; no, I don’t hate it!  Yes, it can get too commercial and too frantic.  Yes, it can be a distraction from more … Continue reading →

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A Royal Invitation

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 22:1-14 This is the third of the three parables that Jesus delivers to the Jewish religious elite in the scene that began in 21:23… In this parable, unlike the previous two, Jesus begins with ”The Kingdom of heaven is … Continue reading →

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Parable of the Tenants

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 21:33-46 The second parable that Jesus told the religious leaders is the Parable of the Tenants; we are still in the scene that began in 21:23, which we discussed in Rising Tensions. If you missed that part, for best … Continue reading →

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Speaking in Parables Again

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Don Merritt

After their first skirmish, Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders three parables that combine to form a serious indictment of their continual, chronic and habitual refusal to hear God’s truth. If you have not read the previous section I would … Continue reading →

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Simple Things

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Don Merritt

Maybe I’m just getting old, but it seems to me that life is getting way too complicated these days.  I can remember an earlier time when people got along in life just fine without electronics, instant information and constant contact. … Continue reading →

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Sunday Reflection

Posted on December 1, 2024 by Don Merritt
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True Love

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Don Merritt

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that  whoever believes in him shall  not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 This verse may well be the best known of all the New … Continue reading →

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