I love these Infographics......I belong to a few alumni groups and this is all valid advice.
Via: iContact
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Misidentified Mary
Mary
Magdelene is one of the most misinterpreted individuals in Scripture. She’s
been called a prostitute, and she’s been confused with the woman who shed tears
on Jesus’ feet. I can understand the
confusion…..there were several Marys and through the ages women took a backseat
role where the church was concerned, however, the importance of Mary of
Magdalene in the ministry of Jesus….especially during those last days cannot be
discounted or swept away, but folks sure do get confused regarding who she was.
Here are
some facts to ponder.
Mary’s
entire name denotes her hometown. She
was Mary from Magdelene, and who could blame Jesus for calling her this. There WERE several Mary’s milling about at
the time, right?
Magdalene
was a town many historians term as wealthy.
People living there mainly worked in agriculture, fishing, in shipbuilding
or in trade. The town was located on
the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
The Talmud states that Magdalene was a short distance of three miles
from Tiberias, and the name in Greek means tower and fortress in Aramaic.
Mary Magdalene by Bernardio Luini...notice the alabaster jar that shouldn't be there. |
The Bible relates how Jesus drove seven demons from Mary Magdalene.
Seven! Can you imagine?
Of course
when you and I think of demons we think of lizard like creatures erupting from
someone’s torso as in the Alien
movies, but actually the New Testament presents demon-possession as someone
diseased or victim to an alien and evil power.
The person was not an accomplice of it.
As to the
number of demons there are those that interpret the number seven to mean
completeness…and those that say the number indicates the severity of Mary’s problem,
but the cause is never disclosed.
Whatever
Mary’s ailment she became healed and was not a social derelict. There is no evidence to refute that her
malady was a phyisical illness of which she was healed.
In some
circles Mary has a bad reputation. Some
people hold her on the same level as Mary the Sinner and she has been
identified as the penitent woman who anointed Jesus.
But there
were two anointing were there not? Two anointing performed by two different women. Matthew and Mark both tell the story that
occurred at Bethany where Jesus’ head was anointed at the home of Simon the
Leper by the unidentified woman……Matthew 26: 6-13 and Mark 14: 3-9.
John
discusses Bethany as well stating that Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and
Lazarus anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume….John 12: 1-3.
Luke,
however, told of Jesus dining at the home of the Pharisee when an unidentified
woman who had lived a sinful life wet his feet with her tears and dried them
with her hair. She then poured expensive
perfume on them….Luke 7: 37-38.
There are
theories connecting Mary of Magdalene to these anointing, but they are just
that…..theories.
Going all
the way back to the first Christian century, folks have been falsely
identifying the unknown woman in Luke’s account with Mary Magdalene. Luke only identified her in a list of women
who helped support Jesus and the disciples out of their own money…..Luke 8:2-3.
Mary of Magdalene by Frederick Sandys 1858-60 |
There is nothing in the Biblical text to connect Mary Magdalene with the woman in the preceding story involving the unknown woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Luke actually provides a formal introduction of Mary in 8:2, and it shows no indication she had already been introduced in 7:36-50.
I believe
firmly that the unknown woman referred to as “a sinner” in Luke 7:37 and Mary
with “seven demons” in Luke 8:2 are two entirely different women.
What we do
know for sure John describes Mary of Magdalene as a woman of means who used her
money to support the ministry of Jesus.
After the Galilean ministry she and other women went along with Jesus to Jerusalem during that
last week of His earthly ministry and was there for His crucifixion and His
resurrection.
Mary of
Magdalene never turned away from Jesus as other did in those last hours. She bravely stood at the cross and witnessed
everything. This was a dangerous thing
to do, but she did it. It needs to be
remembered that most of the male followers turned away and deserted Jesus…..but
many of the women were self-appointed watchers and were faithful to the
end.
When Joseph
of Arimathea and Nicodemus made the request for the body of Jesus and buried
him in the tomb it was Mary of Magdalene who watched and observed the
location. After the Sabbath had passed
it was Mary of Magdalene who planned to return to the tomb to properly prepare
Jesus’ body for permanent burial with spices.
It is not by
chance that all of the Synoptic gospels mention that Mary along with some other
women went early to the tomb that Sunday morning. Only John stated that it was still dark and
made no mention of the other women.
When Mary of Magdalene saw the stone had been rolled away she ran to
tell Peter and John.
After the
men visited the tomb and found it empty they were confused, but returned
home. It was then that the two angels
appeared to Mary. Jesus approached and
made His first resurrection appearance to Mary but she mistook Him for the
gardener until He spoke her name.
Mary then
gave the very first confession of faith in the risen Lord when she said “Rabboni”
in Aramaic.
I sincerely
don’t believe it just happened that a woman was the first to do so.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Jewelry Find at Megiddo
Hot off the presses…..or screen
since this is a digital world…..pieces of gold and silver jewelry have been found at Tel
Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. The find actually occurred back in March,
but it has taken this long for folks in the know to take a closer look.
They’ve determined the jewelry
dates back to 1100 B.C.E. It was found
wrapped in fabric and hidden in ceramic vessels in what is described as a
private home dating from the Iron Age.
Researchers believe the jewelry belonged to a Canaanite woman.
Did the owner die? Was she forced to flee suddenly? Why did they hide it?
One of the most exciting pieces
is a gold earring decorated with molded ibexes, or wild goats.
Usually, in a find like this researchers
already have something similar they can compare objects with to place them in
the proper cultural and chronological settings. In the case of the “goat” earrings there is
NO comparison item.
The most amazing thing is the
container where the jewelry was found has been in the hands of archaeologists
since 2010 and has been sitting around waiting for a molecular analysis of its
content.
It is believed some of the
collection could have originated in Egypt due to beads made from the carnelian
stone. The style of the jewelry is consistent with Egyptian designs from the same period. Another hint regarding an Egyptian origin has to do with the large number of gold items. If the
items didn’t originate in Egypt then the designer was at least influenced by
Egyptian styles of the time. There were
instances of trade between the Egyptians and Megiddo during the Bronze and Iron
Age.
Tel Megiddo was an important
Canaanite city-state until the early 10th century B.C.E.
During the Northern Kingdom of
Israel around the 9th and 8th centuries B.C.E. Tel
Megiddo continued to be an important center.
It was easy for the researchers to date the jewelry since layers of archaeological matter exist at the site and are very easily dated.
The jewelry in question was found in a layer
that researchers have identified as 11th century about the time of
an Egyptian withdrawal or when the people who owned the jewelry would have been
influenced by Egyptian culture.
Visit the Tel Megiddo expedition
website here.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Peniel Pillows
See this pillow……it’s one of my
most prized possessions
.No one bought for me….I found it
and purchased it.
Sometimes those little discoveries
are the most precious, aren’t they?
I bought it mainly for the colors…..and
then I got it because of the pineapples.
Another reason why I purchased it
had to do with the story that surrounds the pillow’s creator.
Rushan Smyth began Peniel
Pillows when she needed a gift for a friend. Rushan states at her website, “My dream was
to create pillows that would tell a story from the Bible, thereby becoming a
source of encouragement. I couldn’t even
sew, but through that one simple gesture, the company now known as Peniel
Pillows was born, and I learned something very important. This is not about ‘sewing’…it is about ‘Sowing’!”
The name Peniel comes from Genesis
32:30…..Jacob named the place Peniel (The
Face of God), for he said, “I have seen God face to face and yet my life is
spared. The website continues….“Like Jacob we all wrestle with the care
of this world. Our hope at Peniel
Pillows is that these keepsakes will be constant reminder of God’s promises as
you read the scripture passage individually selected for each unique
pillow. Know God’s word is the key to
life…..We pray that you too will see His face and live.”
Each pillow follows a theme….mine
follows the word hospitality and is
based on the words from Hebrews 13:2….Do
not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have
shown hospitality to angels without knowing it, and Luke 12:35-40….Be dressed ready for service and keep your
lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding
banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door
for him. It will be good for those
servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to
serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose
master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward
daybreak. But understand this: If the owner, of the house had known at what
hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of
Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
The description of my pillow at
the website states: The pineapple, a universal symbol of “Welcome!” Whether a cup of tea, cold water, or just a
listening ear for a hurting friend, “Be dressed and ready for service and keep your
lamp burning”. Open your heart to make someone feel
comfortable in your presence. “Do not
forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained
angels without even knowing it.” You may
never know until eternity, what a difference your gift of hospitality has
made. Another gift is waiting.
All of the pillows come with a
descriptive hangtag referencing the name, scripture passage, and symbolism of
each individual design. A small New Testament is placed inside every
Peniel Pillow which serves as an ideal place for a person inscription.
…and of course each pillow comes
with the little key emblem as well
I’m beginning to think the Lord
wanted to share with me some lessons regarding hospitality, and that was His reason
for putting the pillow in my path that day.
Over the last couple of years I’ve learned a little more about
hospitality… more on the downside than the up…..but that will come later...there's time.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Damaris and the Cartoons
What’s the first
thing that comes to your mind when I say the word “cartoon”?
Depending on your
age you might say…..Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, or Sponge Bob, right?
However, my subject
matter doesn’t refer to those types of cartoons today.
Look at this Raphael
painting below:
Raphael's depiction of Paul teaching at the Areopagus |
THIS painting is
referred to as a cartoon.
Seriously…..a
cartoon.
The dictionary
advises a cartoon is a form of two-dimensional
illustrated visual art. While the
specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically
non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire,
caricature, or humor, or the artistic style of such works. The term actually originated in the Middle
Ages and was used to refer to a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as
a painting, fresco tapestry, or stained glass window.
The above painting is
part of a series referred to as The
Raphael Cartoons he prepared for the Sistine Chapel, and shows Paul giving
his sermon at the Areopagus or “Rock of Ares” which served as the High Court of
Appeals for criminal and civil cases in the city of Athens.
Paul’s sermon is
related in Acts
17: 16-34. He drew inspiration for
his sermon from the alter to the unknown god…..”The God who made the World and
everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples
built by human hands.”
Upon entering Athens Paul had been upset by seeing the
city full of idols. He was taken to the
Areopagus or High Court to explain himself.
What we have in Acts is one of the most full and most dramatic speeches Paul
ever uttered. He must have been very
convincing because many in the crowd were converted.
Now look back at Raphel’s painting again. Notice the
couple in the lower right corner. Yes,
a couple….as in husband and WIFE. Art historians are certain this couple was
added later by Raphael’s pupil, Giulio Romano because the man and woman don’t
seem to fit in with relation to position or scale.
The couple is mentioned in Acts 17:34……Some of the people became followers of Paul
and believed. Among them was Dionysius,
a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Demaris, and a number of others.
The woman's name is important. She's listed with men in a place where men congregated in Athens.
Why was she mentioned?
It's very evident that she was a woman of high status or she wouldn't have been at the Areopagus. In fact, John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, made the connection that Demaris was actually the wife of Dionysius thought Luke doesn't tell us.
Historians today aren't so sure. Authors such as Robert Paul Seesengood, a biographer of Paul, agree there are no hard details to link the two......though in the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter.
What matters is Paul spoke...and people listened and were saved.
The cartoon detail is kind of interesting, too!!!
The woman's name is important. She's listed with men in a place where men congregated in Athens.
Why was she mentioned?
It's very evident that she was a woman of high status or she wouldn't have been at the Areopagus. In fact, John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, made the connection that Demaris was actually the wife of Dionysius thought Luke doesn't tell us.
Historians today aren't so sure. Authors such as Robert Paul Seesengood, a biographer of Paul, agree there are no hard details to link the two......though in the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter.
What matters is Paul spoke...and people listened and were saved.
The cartoon detail is kind of interesting, too!!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Using Technology to Piece the Past Together
This is an interesting article detailing how thousands of fragments of ancient scrolls are spread out across the globe, and how a computer program can virtually "glue" the pieces back together even though the pieces belong to different museums and storage facilities and never physically meet up again.
Too cool.
The researchers are
now applying the … technology to fragments of the Dead
Sea Scrolls, a collection of hundreds of text found along the Dead Sea in
the 1950s, as well as other scrolls.
"It's a more
complicated challenge," Wolf said, referring to the Dead Sea Scrolls. "The
fragments are for the most part much smaller, and many of the texts are very
unique. These texts shed light on the beginnings of Christianity."
Technology…..a curse at times, but such a blessing , too!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Paul's Secretary
My mom was a marathon letter and journal writer. I can still see her seated at our kitchen table each morning writing, writing, writing. Even after Dear Sister gave her a computer, Mother continued to scribble away in her spiral notebooks she always seemed to have on hand. I have to agree with her. There is something about moving a pen across a clean page of paper and making it all your own.
Mother created the most interesting letters regarding what was going on in our lives, pondering current events of the day, or relating some little anecdote from her past.
When I meet up with one of her dear friends they all tell me the same thing - I miss her letters so much. I know how they feel. I LONG for one myself.
Mother didn't just love to write letters. She loved to read them as well. Paul was her favorite letter writer with his letter to the Romans as a particular favorite.
While Mother did all of her letter writing at a kitchen table Paul would have followed the custom of the day and would have sat with his writing perched in his lap or on his knees. Yes, I know there are very famous paintings of Paul sitting at a desk with an oil light, but it just isn't an accurate picture regarding most of the letters.
Mother created the most interesting letters regarding what was going on in our lives, pondering current events of the day, or relating some little anecdote from her past.
When I meet up with one of her dear friends they all tell me the same thing - I miss her letters so much. I know how they feel. I LONG for one myself.
Mother didn't just love to write letters. She loved to read them as well. Paul was her favorite letter writer with his letter to the Romans as a particular favorite.
While Mother did all of her letter writing at a kitchen table Paul would have followed the custom of the day and would have sat with his writing perched in his lap or on his knees. Yes, I know there are very famous paintings of Paul sitting at a desk with an oil light, but it just isn't an accurate picture regarding most of the letters.
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