Drummond Hill

Wednesday Meditation (Matthew 4:10,11)

“‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him..

Most of us do not like confrontations. We do not like to be rejected. We do not like rejecting others. Telling someone off is really a difficult task we do not look forward to. We avoid confronting others very creatively.

Wednesday Meditation (Matthew 4:6)

“The the devil…saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ”.

A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about how detectives or investigators could manipulate people with lead-in questions to get answers they wanted. It was a simple trick. Ask a question by sowing doubt in the minds of people they suspect. Even if these people did not commit any crimes and deny with conviction any wrongdoing, by continually planting doubts and offering alternative possibilities with constant pressure, people would eventually begin to doubt their own stories and would start to consider their memory to be faulty, agreeing with detectives.

DH Update 15, Wed. March 8, 2023

Wednesday Meditation (Matthew 4:4)

“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” .

As Christians we do our best to live a life of balance in most matters. Whether in work or play, caring for one another or strangers, we do our best to manifest God’s love in ways each person, including myself, flourishes in life. As Presbyterians, whenever we talk about ‘doing everything in moderation,’ we are speaking of living life that achieves equilibrium between private and public life.

DH Update 14, Lent1 Wed. March 1, 2023

Wednesday Meditation (Matthew 4:1)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. .

We are lingering on Matthew 4:1 for another week. It is a fascinating experience for us to share with Jesus. The Spirit led him into the wilderness. Of course, for us, wilderness is a strange, foreign, barren and desolate place. We often picture it as a hostile and inhospitable area. Immediately upon reading this passage our minds think of dangers Jesus would face.

DH Update 13, Ash Wed. 6 Wed. February 12, 2023

Wednesday Meditation (Matthew 4:1)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. .

We are not quite sure what it means for us to hear that Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. What was the reason for Jesus to be tempted? Jesus was baptised. The voice from heaven proclaiming that Jesus was the beloved Son was heard. Why, then, was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted by the devil? What was the purpose?