Does Close Reading Always Pay Off?

I’ve always loved reading. My parents got me hooked on books at a very young age to help with a lazy eye. I must have been about three or four. Because I was born in the summer, I was one of the youngest kids in my grade. Once I began reading, I didn’t stop. I devoured books like candy, except I never got sick from reading too much!

Was Thomas the Only Doubter?

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “Doubting Thomas.” This term describes a skeptic who won’t believe something until they have direct physical evidence or a personal experience. This expression is curious. It’s not only unjustified; it’s also inaccurate because Thomas wasn’t the only disciple who doubted that Jesus had risen until he had “proof.”

This Is What I Noticed in Luke 22

I noticed a few things while reading Luke 22 today. Although it’s not isolated to Luke, I thought about the disciples preparing the Passover meal. I thought that women usually prepared the meals, but Jesus asked Peter and John:

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

Luke 22:8 (NIV)

Curiously, women usually did prepare the meals, but because Passover was a household observance (Exodus 12:3-11), families could prepare and eat the meal together. Typically, the Passover meal involved more than cooking; it required obtaining and preparing the lamb, arranging the setting, and coordinating the meal.

Another point of note is the man carrying the water jar:

He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

Luke 22:10-11 (NIV)

Women usually carried the water. This is evident from the stories of Isaac and Rebekah as well as the woman at the well. However, in this case, a man carried it. A man carrying the water instead of a woman suggests (to me) that people were already living out the “One in Christ” premise that there’s no Jew or Gentile, etc. Everyone is free to serve the Lord and each other.

Once the Passover meal began, Jesus said a curious thing about it:

What Did Ezra Do in Jehohanan’s Room?

Ever since I learned what fasting really means and how it fits into our lives as Christians, I’ve kept my eyes open for Scripture that talks about it. I have two primary reasons for this. First, to check my understanding. I know I make mistakes, and I’ve been so adamant about fasting that I want to ensure I haven’t made any. The other reason is that I want to see how people are mangling fasting’s interpretation and application.

While reading Ezra today, I ran into a verse that must have slipped under my “fasting radar.”