Daily reflections

Amos is a book of warnings. In its first chapter we are told about the warnings of judgement upon the nations surrounding Israel. This may lead us to ask, why does God give judgements upon the nations?

In Amos 2 we see the warnings directed at Judah and Israel, who have received God’s law. A big part of this is to show that hypocrisy is not accepted by God. God will judge the nations around Israel but he will also hold...

Amos 3 appeals again to the special covenant Israel has with God. Israel has been chosen specially to represent God among the nations, and therefore it is important for them to enact justice on the earth.

Amos 4 talks about the disasters and events that have come and gone and affected Israel while they have been turned away from God. The passage highlights some of the Israelites' sins: oppressing the poor and crushing the needy...

Luke begins his Gospel by telling Theophilus that he has 'carefully studied' the stories of Jesus that were circulating at the time. Luke writes as a serious historian, and perhaps his account was challenging for those who...

Mary's song is called the 'Magnificat', after its first word in Latin. It is uncomfortably revolutionary in its scope, something we don't always appreciate when we read it. Zechariah's song is less well known but it's revolutionary...

The shops have already been full of seasonal products for the last few weeks, but we don't read the stories around the birth of Jesus in churches until Christmas; and then they tend to get squeezed into the format of carol...

John's ministry looks very like that of Elijah. Like him, he didn't do diplomacy and soft words; he told it like it was. He wasn't afraid of confronting kings (verse 9).

Jesus' appearance at the synagogue in Nazareth marked the real beginning of his ministry. He sets out his manifesto: good news for the poor, freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, the year of God's favour (verses...