"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of

But because you arrogantly insist that you can see, you remain in your sins.” Spiritual pride is one of the main reasons people do not come to Christ. They think that their good works will commend them to God, so they don’t see their need for the Savior. But the starting point for true spiritual knowledge is to admit that you’re a sinner and need Jesus to open your eyes. Only after Jesus open your eyes can you commence to grow in Spiritual

* Location and Time (If Applicable): Not applicable to all the verses of the chapter but He departed to Galilee.

The raising of Lazarus is singlehandedly the most significant religious experience in the Christian faith. It exists as the most apparent example of Jesus’s power over nature; it displays Jesus’s compassion and divinity, and foreshadows the death and resurrection of Jesus. The raising of Lazarus is detailed in the Gospel of John, where Jesus brings Lazarus of Bethany back from the dead after being buried for four days. Lazarus was extremely ill, so Jesus waited for him to die so he could revive him. This account is vital to the Christian faith and it deserves the throne of the most significant religious experience in Christianity.

John 6:16-21 records “when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set across the lake for Capemaum. By now it was dark and Jesus had not joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, “it is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him into the

The little boy offered his lunch to Andrew (then to Jesus) knowing it was not enough, but offered it anyway.

More importantly, Jesus went throughout the land, preaching, teaching, healing and doing

“Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress and he led them along the right way, to reach a city they could dwell in.”

...obedience to Christ must be our chief aim, for he alone pronounces words of life. When faced with complex and difficult questions, we would do well to step back from the brink, and once again listen with keen determination to the still, small voice of our Lord, for he alone “will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms,

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes become white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

Like the Pharisees, Christians, and Christian leaders can fall into the trap of religion instead of being in a relationship with Christ. Being in a relationship with Christ requires loving others, even those who are unlovable. Practically, this message applies to the way Christians treat members of other religions, and ethnicities. Sometimes, an “outsider” qualifies as anyone who does not serve God, and someone who does share the same mindset, political affiliation, or live in the same neighborhood; religion causes hearts to wax cold towards “outsiders” and breeds pride, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and elitism. Consequently, religion births division, confusion, and hatred; most of the previous attributes manifest in the eldest son’s response to his father’s celebration for the Lost Son. After reading this story, a believer must evaluate their own attitudes and perception of God’s will towards sinners then compare their values with God’s. Jesus’ Lost Son Parable exposes the judgmental attitudes towards sinners that lies dormant within the hear. His message calls for repentance and extends an invitation to celebrate when a soul returns to

We find Jesus meeting with his disciples and a large group that followed. His followers was not just from Galilee, but Decapolis, Judea, Jerusalem, and from Syria.

The Transfiguration, depicted with minor variations in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is an event in which Jesus’ true glory is revealed to the privileged disciples (Peter, James, and John) who were there to witness the event. Our author, Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, O.P., gives us a literary critical perspective on what he believes really happened atop Mt. Tabor in Lower Galilee.

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:1-9).

The passage of this exegetical paper, Matthew 17:1-13, is the narrative of the transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain with three of His disciples Peter, James and John as witnesses.

The change of Jesus' disciples from a frightened, despondent, frustrated band to the courageous preachers of Jesus as Messiah and the instrument of salvation was triggered by his resurrection.