According to Matthew (26.39) and Mark (14.35), after entering Gethsemane with his disciples, Jesus “threw himself on the ground and prayed” (emphasis mine).
The Greek verb πίπτω/piptō (past tense = ἔπεσεν) means to fall as a result of terror, astonishment or grief.** Contextually, it’s a physical fall—from an upright posture to a prostrate position. Unlike the ESV, NIV, or MSG, which state that Jesus “fell on his face,” the NRSV emphasizes the intensity and intentionality of Jesus’ action. Jesus didn’t just trip over an olive tree root. He intentionally threw himself down...
MTV once hosted a series called Epic Rap Battles of History. I don’t suggest watching it, as it’s highly offensive.
The gist is this: two historical, cultural, or political figures face off against each other in a rap duel, and one is crowned the victor.
For me, the end of Job is akin to an epic rap battle...
In the Bible, the parent/child relationship is one of the most pervasive metaphors used for how God relates to his people.
Like a parent, God sets limits. He puts boundaries in place for our own protection. He makes his expectations known. He voices his instructions.
Like a parent, when God speaks, he expects to be obeyed...
In child development and developmental psychology, mirroring is the process by which a caregiver reflects back to a child their worth, value, and specialness. It’s a validating process. It recognizes a child’s emotions and feelings, and in so doing, validates their being and personhood. The overwhelming experience of joy, love, and affection present in the parent's gaze is beamed directly into the infant's or child’s eyes. Essentially, this gaze conveys, “you’re worthy just because of who you are.”
Mirroring plays a significant role in the development of self-worth, self-esteem, and self-concept. Children need to be admired, they need to feel their mother and father’s excitement and joy. When a child fails to receive mirroring, s/he “struggles to establish a sufficiently cohesive and enduring self.”*
We recently discussed this concept in the early childhood development class I teach...
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel (Israel’s great judge and prophet) confronts Saul (Israel’s first king), for his disobedience to the Lord. In verse 3, God explicitly tells Saul to attack the Amalekites (a tribal people, descended from Amalek, who resided south of Judah), and utterly destroy them, leaving no man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel or donkey.
Saul disobeys...
