From the second to the third Passover festival 1 study
From the 3rd Passover to the start of the final week 1 study
The last week before the arrest 1 study
Peter's ministry 1 study
Historical notes 1 study
From the second to the third Passover festival
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PER140
The parable of the measure
The parable of the measure (PER140) teaches that the way we judge and treat others determines how God will measure us in return. Jesus calls for attentive listening, reciprocity, justice and generosity. This principle, shared by Mark 4.24-25, Matthew 7.1-2 and Luke 6.38, echoes the golden rule and forms the heart of Christian ethics.
Luke 6.38 (King James Version) :Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
From the 3rd Passover to the start of the final week
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PER237
Parable of the Presumptuous Guest
The Parable of the Presumptuous Guest (Luke 14.7-14), related only by Luke, takes place in the house of a leader of the Pharisees in Jerusalem. There Jesus teaches humility by urging us to choose the last place rather than the first, and selfless generosity by encouraging us to invite the poor and the outcasts rather than those who can repay. These two teachings illustrate the fundamental values of the Kingdom of God: honor comes from God, not from oneself, and true giving will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteous.
Luke 14.12-14 (King James Version) :Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
The last week before the arrest
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PER299
The Widow’s Offering
In the Temple of Jerusalem, Jesus watches a poor widow put two small coins into the treasury, all that she has. Unlike the rich, who give ostentatiously out of their surplus, she offers her entire livelihood. Jesus declares that she has given more than all the others, overturning human standards of value. This account, reported by Mark (12.41-44) and Luke (21.1-4), teaches that true generosity is measured not by the amount given, but by the disposition of the heart and the sacrifice made.
Matthew 6.3-4 (King James Version) :But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Peter's ministry
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ADA017
Ananias and Sapphira
The article deals with the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, showing the dramatic consequences of their deception toward the Christian community and the Holy Spirit. Their story contrasts with the sincere generosity of Barnabas, underscoring the ethical demands of the Christian faith and offering a warning against hypocrisy.
Acts 4.32-35 (King James Version) :And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Historical notes
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INF013
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is an iconic Christmas figure, born from a fusion of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Christian bishop, Nordic and Germanic traditions, and intense modern commercialisation. From the Netherlands to America, from Sinterklaas to Santa Claus, his image gradually took shape during the nineteenth century through literature and illustrations, before advertising spread it worldwide in the twentieth century. This fictional character must not, however, obscure the historical reality of Jesus, whose birth Christmas celebrates.