This story is one of the most significant stories in the Scripture. A lawyer asked Jesus a question to test him, “Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus told him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” These Commandments are what the Transfiguration is all about. There was Jesus, Elijah and Moses. What did they all have in common? Much! They were talking to Jesus about their Exodus. Each one was involved in a type of exodus experience. Elijah was caught up in whirlwind and the flaming chariot. Moses led the Exodus of the children of Israel out of the slavery in Egypt. Now Jesus was to have His Exodus being resurrected from the grave. Read more
Year A Third Sunday after Pentecost
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Jun 19, 2014
With literal thinking, people may see their pastors as prophets because they said they are. This is “because the Bible tells us so.” From Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” In spiritual understanding, none of this makes sense. Read more
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on May 02, 2013
Seventh Sunday of Easter. Rationally, this prayer is the Mother Lode. It is filled with golden nuggets. It would take a theologian a life time to mine the nuggets and still they would not have come near the finish. It is really loaded. Spiritually it raises some real questions. Who wrote it? Jesus never wrote anything. Read more
Year C Sixth Sunday in Lent Bottom Line Meditations
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Mar 11, 2013
Sixth Sunday in Lent: Worldly thinking only knows the physical. Godly thinking knows both and can choose which is best for them. Which would you choose in each case? The Season of Lent is an opportunity to strengthen our spiritual abilities to look within ourselves. These exercises can help us discover the different meaning looking at the same scripture from the spiritual side can make. Thinking worldly, deliverance is protection from physical attack. Godly, deliverance is protection from spiritual attack. Read more
Year C Fifth Sunday in Lent Bottom Line Meditations
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Mar 04, 2013
Fifth Sunday in Lent: Worldly thinking only knows the physical. Godly thinking knows both can choose which is best for them. Which would you choose in each case? The Season of Lent is an opportunity to strengthen our spiritual abilities to look within ourselves. These exercises can help us discover the different meaning looking at the same scripture from the spiritual side can make. Thinking worldly, the path is physical. Godly, the path is spiritual grace. Which would you choose? Read more
Pentecost XVIII Mark 9:38-50
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Sep 20, 2012
Mark 9:38-50. Spiritual Salt is Good. “Have salt among yourselves, and be at Peace with each other." There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for salt. This parable is the difference between one dimensional thinking, what we think salt tastes like rationally, and two dimensionally, how we spiritually use salt to preserve things. Read more
Pentecost XVII Mark 9:30-37
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Sep 13, 2012
Mark 9:30-37. “They argued with one another over who was the greatest.” The question to ask is, why every time Jesus told the disciples of His impending death, they argued who would be the greatest? That is, who is going to lead this band after He goes? Read more
Pentecost XVI Mark 8:27-38
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Sep 06, 2012
Mark 8:27-38. "Who do you say that I am?" There is a very fine line between how you think "up and in" or "down and out". What you think about this parable is irrelevant. How you think, either abiding or not abiding, is what is relevant. Read more
Pentecost XV Mark 7:24-37
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Aug 30, 2012
Mark 7:24-37. “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." This scripture gives the commentators trouble. Why would the loving and graceful Jesus be so curt, rude, and judgmental toward an innocent person in distress because of her daughter’s affliction? Worldly rational thinking will make the woman and Jesus as the center of the lesson. They think Jesus insulted her to see if she really believed. Godly spiritual understanding will go past what is written to understand what is not written. It is to look past these two to take a look at the Disciples. Who are these guys? Read more
Pentecost XI John 6:24-35
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Aug 02, 2012
This scripture is a good example of the difference between rational and spiritual understanding. The rational could not understand how Jesus could be the Bread of life. For them, "bread" meant the "manna" that God gave during the Exodus. How could a person be bread? Jesus makes the compare and contrast difference. Read more
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