Author: Jim Cantelon

March 9, 2020

I’m taking a break from researching the Gospel of John to share a bit of homemade “wisdom”. The irony of social media is that we’ve never been as disconnected as we are today in this supposedly connected era of the internet. We’re isolated even as we publicly post another pic or motivational poster on Instagram. The point of these posts is,” I’m doing great!” Indeed, it’s all about “me”. This need to publish our happy, satisfied selves is in itself an indicator of the opposite reality. We’re NOT doing great. Our hearts are conflicted, our relationships fraught, our nights sleepless. But...

March 4, 2020

The Wise Men 2:1-12 (Part 2) Then there’s the star. There have been many attempts to explain this phenomenal aberration. Some commentators refer to Halley’s Comet (11 BC), or to the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter (7 BC). Other talk of the Egyptian “dog star” (Sirius) that rose at sunrise. My view on the star is heavily influenced by v. 10, “When they saw the star they were overjoyed” (NIV), or as the KJV puts it, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” The Greek word for “exceeding” is “sphodia”...

February 26, 2020

The Wise Men 2:1-12 (Part 1) There are four points of interest in these twelve verses: Bethlehem, the Wisemen (or “Magi”), the Star, and Herod the Great. Bethlehem literally means “house of bread”. In Micah 5:2 the prophet adds “Ephratah” to Bethlehem which reads, “House of Bread twice blessed”. Perhaps Micah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was thinking of the double blessing in terms of Bethlehem being not only “the city of David” (1 Sa. 16:1; 17:12, 20:6), but also the birthplace of Israel’s Messiah. In most messianic...

February 24, 2020

Some of you (I hope!) are reading excerpts from Cantelon’s Casual Commentary here on the site. Writing it is a joy, although labour intensive. It’s also a touch revelatory. You’d think that after 50 years of pastoring I’d know a thing or two about the Bible. Yes I do, but only a little The more I study the more I realize how limited my scope of knowledge. In some ways, as I research and write I feel like a rookie. The Bible, so vast in its historical and spiritual canvas, eclipses any and all attempts to “master” or exhaust its depth. We do truly, as the apostle Paul put it, “see through...

February 19, 2020

Jesus’ Birth 1:18-25 Part 2 We don’t know how far the divorce proceedings had progressed, but at some time in the process, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'” The angel goes on to say, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” No other man in history had or has received such a message. It’s amazing, indeed a testament...

February 12, 2020

Jesus’ Birth 1:18-25 Part 1 Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth is blunt and to the point, lacking Luke’s beguiling detail. Matthew seems to rush into the messianic narrative, impatient to recount Jesus’ powerful, earth-shaking ministry. So he summarizes the story of the incarnation. But the words he does use are charged with meaning. The word Matthew employs to depict Joseph and Mary’s marital status is “betrothed” or “engaged” in the Greek. The NIV translates it as “pledged”. We modern readers need a little help with this,...

February 10, 2020

None of us are unaware of the rapid spread of the corona virus around the world. It’s a threat to all of us, even as the epicentre of the critical mass of affected persons is still its country of origin. The nations of the world are on high alert and proactive measures are escalating. Blame, of course, is also escalating. As is blame-shifting. Pointing the finger is always counterproductive. It solves nothing but tends to create polarities. The first reflex on the part of the accused is defensive. Accusations are counter-punched. Vitriol bounces back and forth like a tennis ball. The genius...

February 5, 2020

Jesus’ Ancestors (1:1-17) Part 10 Before moving on, just a word about “levirate marriage”. In De. 25:5-10 we read this: “If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. “However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town...

January 29, 2020

Jesus’ Ancestors (1: 1-17) Part 9 Then, there is another woman to consider. Bathsheba was a Hittite woman, wife of Uriah one of King David’s military leaders. While Uriah was on duty, David seduced Bathsheba, then had Uriah killed. To maintain whatever honour David could have salvaged from such a sinful, tawdry act, he married Bathsheba. She eventually gave birth to King Solomon. And wonder of wonders, she is listed as one of Jesus’ progenitors! So, Matthew’s genealogy includes four non-Jewish “Mothers of Messiah”. Absolutely astonishing for the culture and...

January 27, 2020

I was watching a TV documentary recently where there was a study on “finding happiness” through group dynamics. In other words, leaving all screens behind and simply fellowshipping face to face with flesh and blood human beings was the road to happiness. What a concept! One of the significant benefits of this kind of intentional interaction is the resulting sense of belonging. In this social media era we have never been more connected and more isolated. We’re lonely! One proven place of belonging is a local church. Not all are the same , of course, but most not only meet on a weekly basis but...