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May 13, 2020

May 13, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

The First Disciples – Matthew 4:18-22 Like his cousin John , Jesus too had need of followers, or “disciples”. These were not “hangers-on” but leaders-in-the-making. Jesus knew that unlikely as they were they would nonetheless change the world. But, they certainly didn’t appear to be world changers. Indeed, the first four were two pairs of […]

May 6, 2020

May 6, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

Jesus’ Ministry Begins – Matthew 4:12-25 John the Baptist’s imprisonment precipitated Jesus’ “withdrawal” from Nazareth to Capernaum in the Galilee. The regional’s was known as “The Galilee of the Gentiles”, looks down upon by the citizens of Judea, but critical to international trade as it was on the trade route between Egypt and Damascus (called […]

May 4, 2020

May 4, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Blog

Perhaps some of you have logged on to biblediscoverytv.com lately and joined a prayer time hosted by Rod Hembree. I’ve been cohosting twice a week. The point is to pray for those suffering the direct or indirect impact of the Covid 19 pandemic. As always, prayer meetings, whether in a church, a home, […]

April 29,2020

April 29, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

Jesus Tested in the Wilderness – Matthew 4:1-11 Immediately after the Father had singled Jesus out as his “son”, Jesus was “led by the Spirit” into the wilderness for forty days of testing. This is often referred to as the “temptation” but the Greek suggests “testing”. Whereas “temptation” bears the nuance of being tempted to […]

April 27, 2020

April 27, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Blog

As we continue to reevaluate our lives, our values under deep assessment, it’s tempting to yield to “end of the world” thoughts. Not only is the world shut down but so is life as we’ve known it. Many of us feel lost without the former parameters of social, physical, emotional, and spiritual markers that […]

April 22, 2020

April 22, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

Jesus’ Baptism Matthew 3:13-17 The big question here is “Why?”. Why would the sinless Son of God intentionally submit to John’s baptism of repentance? Some commentators suggest it betrayed a dawning awareness on Jesus’ part that he was special. Others say he did so because he was anticipating a “word from Heaven”. Still others suggest […]

April 20, 2020

April 20, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Blog

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is an unwelcome adventure but adventure none-the-less. The Oxford dictionary calls an adventure “a daring enterprise; a hazardous activity”, which this crisis certainly is. No doubt it’s “hazardous”, but there are also many elements of “enterprise”. There are several burgeoning medical breakthroughs in potential vaccines, repurposing of proven anti-retrovirals; and […]

April 15, 2020

April 15, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12 (Part 2) For sure his lifestyle was similar to theirs (referring to desert holy men). And his message had parallel aspects as well. These Essenes saw themselves as “end-time” heralds of a coming war between “the Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light”. The end was near. Their […]

April 13, 2020

April 13, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Blog

We’ve just come through the Passover/Easter week even while in the grip of Covid-19. This has been a Holy Week like none other-ever. Imagine online Easter services and Passover by Zoom! No need to imagine. It happened. The underlying life lesson in this anomaly is how much we need each other. Whether sacred services, […]

April 8, 2020

April 8, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

John the Baptist – Matthew 3:1-12 (Part 1) Jesus’ cousin John (the “Baptist” as he became known) was just a few months older and unlike Jesus had spent most of his young adult life in the desert. In fact he had become a bit of a “wild man” in the sense that his clothing, diet, […]

April 1, 2020

April 1, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Casual Commentary

Egypt to Nazareth Matthew 2:19-23 Joseph, like his patriarchal namesake, was a “dreamer”. Here in these four verses of scripture we read of a third, then a fourth directive dream. Joseph receives from the Lord. The third instructs him to go back to Israel. The fourth moves him and his young family on to the […]

March 30, 2020

March 30, 2020 | Jim Cantelon | Blog

You’re reading this in self isolation and I’m writing in similar circumstances. We’re all in lockdown. Who knew? Well, not to be trite, but the Lord knew. Indeed, he knows. Covid-19 is no surprise to him. And we know that his omniscience informs his sovereignty- he is Lord of every situation. I think […]

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