Dr Paul Allen

English: Ripe Meyer lemons, Citrus × meyeri. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Oftentimes problems with the fruit on a tree are not because of problems with the fruit on the tree. Below the soil’s surface, there is usually a sickness present. Things like fungus, poor nutrient content in the soil, insufficient watering, and pests can plague the roots and subsequently damage the tree. So goes the root, so goes the fruit. Neglect the root, neglect the fruit. Imagine an orchardist who addressed sickly trees by only addressing the fruit. He approaches the sickly lemon tree , puts up his ladder, and inspects the lemons. Some of the lemons are flaccid, some shrunken, and others cracked open and rotten. Then, imagine, that he breaks out a syringe with store-bought lemon juice and injects the emaciated lemons to fill them out a bit. To repair the sickly, split lemons, he breaks out some band-aids and closes up those holes. Finally, he notices some fruitless branches. So, he breaks out hi...

Oil painting of a young John Calvin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 18:18–20 “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” ( v. 18 ). In our day, respect for church authority has all but vanished. Many professing Christians think their “private lives” are no business of the church. Excommunication from a local body is hardly ever taken seriously since it rarely prevents someone from joining the church next door with no questions asked. Several phenomena explain this sad reality. The church’s fragmentation makes it easy to move from one denomination to another. Many church leaders exalt numerical growth and will not ask hard questions of the people in the pews for fear of learning a fact that would bar someone from membership. Furthermore, individualism and the way our culture falsely divides our private and personal lives makes it hard to honor the authority of Christ ’s church. Yet our “...

English: Stained glass panel in the nave of St. John's Anglican Church, Ashfield, New South Wales (NSW). This window depicts Jesus Christ welcoming children and teaching "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). The inscription on this memorial window reads "To the Glory of God and in Commemoration of all the Baptisms in this Church † Erected John the Baptist Day 1932". (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 18:1–4 “Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said…‘Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ’” ( vv. 2–4 ). Once again the disciples display their knack for missing the point when they ask Jesus : “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ( Mat. 18:1 ). This question, the other gospel writers tell us, results from an argument between the disciples over who will have the highest status in the kingdom ( Mark 9:33–37 ; Luke 9:46–48 ).  The analogy our Lord made earlier between G...

Parable of the Hidden Treasure by Rembrandt (c. 1630). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 13:44 –46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (vv. 45–46). Our Savior continues to unfold the “secrets of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 13:11), but He switches gears a bit in today’s passage to emphasize a truth about the kingdom other than its slow, pervasive growth (vv. 31–33) and the apparent delay of its consummation (vv. 24–30, 36–43). With the parables of the hidden treasure (v. 44) and the pearl of great price (vv. 45–46), Jesus conveys powerfully the worth of the kingdom. Whatever we might say about each parable individually, both tales indicate the kingdom is of such inestimable value that those who understand this truth will do whatever it takes to possess it. If we know God’s kingdom in Christ truly, we will not...

Return of the prodigal son (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 13:12–17 “Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (v. 17). Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:12–15 that He speaks in parables to hide the secrets of the kingdom from some and reveal them to others (Matt. 13:12–15). This does not mean His parables are full of esoteric information that only a select few can grasp with their minds. Christ ’s enemies often understand exactly what His parables mean (see 21:33–46); the problem is their refusal to trust His teaching about Himself and God’s kingdom .  The difficulty the Pharisees have is moral and thus volitional, not intellectual. They choose not to believe our Savior’s words. Those who take up their cross gain more access to kingdom truth; those who reject Him lose whatever insight they had (13:12). Matthew...

English: Jonah Is Spewed Forth by the Whale (Jon. 2:1-11) Русский: Пророк Иона, изверженный китом (Ион. 2:1-11) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 12:38 –42 “He answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah’” (v. 39). A Christian and his friend, who did not know Christ , were discussing Jesus and His claim to be the only way to the Father ( John 14:6 ). The believer humbly shared the Gospel with his friend to no avail. “If only I could see Jesus do a miracle,” the non-Christian said, “then I would believe Him.” Such conversations have occured repeatedly throughout history, beginning with Jesus and the scribes and the Pharisees . In this passage, these scholars, no doubt enraged at His harsh words about them (Matt. 12:1–37), ask Jesus for “a sign” (v. 38) — a miracle that unambiguously demonstrates the messianic anointing of Jesus. Apparently, what He...

Nicolaes Knüpfer - Christ before Herod Antipas - WGA12216 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 11:1 –6 “Go and tell John…the blind receive their sight and the lame walk…the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (vv. 4–6). Among the more persuasive evidences for the authenticity of Scripture is the Bible’s willingness to tell the whole truth about the people it describes even when they look bad. Scripture does not hide the faults of the great heroes of the faith. The authors of the various biblical books could have passed over the occasions on which figures like Moses doubted the Lord (Ex. 4:1–17). Such episodes are included because the apostles and prophets, under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, knew they had to tell the truth about these people, warts and all. Of all people, we would expect John the Baptist to have the fewest doubts about the person and work of Jesus . After all, he is the Mess...