Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. -Mt 7:26
Jesus referred to sand only once, in the parable of two men who built houses, one on rock, the other on sand. Although sand is composed largely of rock, in this parable it comes to symbolize the opposite.
Jesus, deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said. –John 11:38-9
Someone you dearly love has died. You’ve had the funeral, buried your loved one in the cemetery, and finally had a granite tombstone beautifully carved and placed over the grave. Then someone comes and says, “Take away the stone.”
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. -Lk 19:1
Take a hike down the Bright Angel Trail of the south rim of the Grand Canyon and you’ll see, plainly spread out like the layers of a gigantic Dagwood sandwich, epoch after epoch of earth’s geologic history recorded in rock strata. By the time you reach the floor of the canyon, you’re deep into the Pre-Cambrian period over 600 million years ago.
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain. -Mt 17:1
Among the many benefits of being followers of Christ is that of expanding our vocabularly with glorious words like transfiguration. While most of us know what this means, it’s worth setting down the Oxford definition: “a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.”
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. –Mt 16:18
Follow the Jordan River north from Galilee up to the Golan Heights and you’ll come to the river’s source (one of three) at a place called Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon.
The Jews picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” –John 31:2
The word stone, like rock, can be both a noun and a verb. The practice of stoning, or lapidation, as a method of execution was commanded by God in the Law of Moses for a range of crimes including blasphemy, idolotry, and adultery.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons. –Mk 16:9
In Jesus’ day the city of Magdala was located about five miles south of Capernaum on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. With a population of 40,000, it was the principal city on the lake until the founding of Tiberias in 19 AD.
“Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” –Luke 17:2
As Jesus pronounced these words, He may have been looking at this very millstone pictured in the photograph.
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. –John 8:12
On the same day Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, He went on to heal many others “that evening after sunset” (Mk 1:32). As night falls quickly in Israel, we can imagine the dark street dotted with dozens of oil lamps as “the whole town gathered at the door” (v 33).
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. –Mt 8:14
The Christian church began in houses. To this day there are house church movements, especially in countries where Christianity is banned from public expression.