Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 8:35 (New Living Translation) People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Fear filled the crowd of people. What brought […]

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John 19:25-27 (New Living Translation) 25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, […]

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Matthew 1:18 (New Living Translation) This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here we are in late January. A month ago, you […]

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Luke 7:28 (New Living Translation) Pray for those who hurt you. Jesus is teaching large crowds of people. He tells them many simple yet powerful things—like the short sentence above. And I pause while I consider this. Pretty good advice. How often have I followed it? Not often. There is much to consider here. Praying—taking […]

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Luke 2:17 (New Living Translation) After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. The Messiah had been born in a stable and lay in a manger. Sheep herders, who were supposed to be working but had abandoned their jobs, were telling everyone […]

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1 Peter 2:12 (New Living Translation) Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. This verse continues the thought from the previous one. We are passing through […]

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Titus 3:9 (New Living Translation) Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. The different translations use different words for the word following “foolish.” Examples are arguments, controversies, and so on. All the translations […]

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Philemon 1:7 (New Living Translation) Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. Paul is thanking Philemon. Philemon has allowed God to work through him to refresh hearts with joy and comfort through kindness. Philemon didn’t have to do that. Philemon […]

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1 John 3:11-13 (New Living Translation) 11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his […]

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Matthew 28:1-2 (Holman Standard Christian Bible) 1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone […]

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