Many biblical scholars consider Mark to be the earliest production among the four gospels. Unlike Luke and Matthew, Mark contains no infancy narrative of Jesus. And compared to the other three, there is little by way of a post-resurrection appearance. What is there (Mark 16:8-20) seems to be compiled from the accounts in the other gospels; moreover, these verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts. When one considers how, for centuries, Jesus’ nativity and resurrection have been the main foci of Christian theology, the virtual absence of both in Mark, the first written gospel, is striking. In Mark, we are left to deal with Jesus first and foremost as teacher. The concern isn’t so much who Jesus is as what he says. Still, who he is matters. and Mark addresses it in the opening verse of his gospel scripturally, having no need to resort to philosophy or theology: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it it written in the prophets.”With this episode, A Light To The Nations begins an exclusive focus on the Gospel of Mark. Every two weeks we will hear the text and discuss its content, particularly the terminology in the original Greek. Join me today for The Beginning Of The Gospel (Episode 58), and our discussion of Mark 1:1-3.Notes:“Passing Clouds” performed by Roger Limb

Examining the history of nomadic pastoralism across Asia—from the Caucasus and Central Asian steppes to ancient Mesopotamia—reveals a consistent pattern: settled elites have repeatedly waged war against pastoral peoples. Both the Bible and the Qur’an emerged from nomadic pastoral societies, yet these same texts were later weaponized by sedentary civilizations against the very peoples once nurtured by them. We are witnessing this tragic pattern unfold again in real time—perhaps in its most brutal form yet—with escalating consequences that now reach into the heart of the West, the heir of Greco-Roman hubris.Even in pre-biblical East Asian traditions, such as the Confucian Book of Odes, herdsmen arrive with their flocks to establish an unnamed prince—a figure who emerges not from the city but from the periphery to usher in an era of divine justice. This archetype, consolidated in the Bible and the Qur’an, becomes active in the world whenever and wherever the voice from the pasture rises against the corruption of the palace.This is the Voice of the Scriptural God—The Voice of the Shepherd.It will not be silenced.It cannot be bought.It does not serve a throne.It does not belong to anyone.It roams freely upon the earth,calling its flock from the outlands, out of the city to the wilderness.The Biblical Jesus is near, habibi—And it’s time for the Lord to act.It’s time for Ibrahim’s Discords.سُبْحَانَ مَنْ جَعَلَ فِي الْحَمْدِ نُورًا(subḥāna man jaʿala fī al-ḥamdi nūran)“Glory to the one who placed light within praise.”This week, I discuss Luke 8:32-34.Photo by Cajeo Zhang on UnsplashShow notesἀγέλη (agelē) / ע־ד־ר (ʿayin–dalet–resh) / غ–د–ر (ghayn–dāl–rāʾ)In the Gospel of Matthew, we are warned that God will separate the sheep from the goats. Mishearing this, the rule-followers among us foolishly turn their gaze outward, seeking to teach others which rules to follow. In doing so, they become goat-finders and goat-fixers—lions and bears who come not to protect the flock but to steal sheep from it.But in Luke’s application of ע־ד־ר (ʿayin–dalet–resh) from the Song of Songs, this dichotomy is flipped on its head. When the mashal unfolds at the Decapolis in Luke, the Song’s poetic use of ἀγέλη (agelē)—interchanging goats and sheep—reveals the Bible’s mockery of human rule-followers. The constant switch between goats and sheep in the Song of Songs reflects a deliberate poetic symmetry: the goats evoke movement and allure (hair), while the sheep evoke purity and precision (teeth).This imagery, drawn from real pastoral life, is repurposed to undermine self-righteous Hellenistic legal constructs. There is no intent in the text to constrain the beloved or to define her by a boundary. Rather, it moves freely—dark and light, wild and ordered, descending and ascending—a complete pastoral image that cannot be systematized. The beloved is named not to be limited, but to be delighted in—not judged, but adored.David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s flock [הָעֵדֶר (hā-ʿēder)], and when a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock…” (1 Samuel 17:34)Know well the condition of your flocks [עֲדָרִים (ʿădārīm)], and pay attention to your herds; (Proverbs 27:23)Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you pasture your flock [עֵדֶר (ʿeder)], where do you have it lie down at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? (Song of Songs 1:7)Your hair is like a flock [כְּעֵדֶר (kə-ʿēder)] of goats, coming down from Mount Gilead. (Song of Songs 4:1)Your teeth are like a flock [כְּעֵדֶר (kə-ʿēder)] of newly shorn sheep, which have come up from their watering place… (Song of Songs 4:2)Your hair is like a flock [כְּעֵדֶר (kə-ʿēder)] of goats that have descended from Gilead. (Song of Songs 6:4)Your teeth are like a flock [כְּעֵדֶר (kə-ʿēder)] of ewes which have come up from their watering place… (Song of Songs 6:5)Still, even in the open pasture, there are rules of engagement. This is how one should hear the text—as a Bedouin.Surat Al-Anfāl (سورة الأنفال, The Spoils of War) addresses the terms of conflict and the proper conduct of the faithful toward their enemies. It contains the Qur’an’s only occurrence of the Lukan-corresponding root غ–د–ر (ghayn–dāl–rāʾ)—a term that denotes treachery or betrayal. Even when nomadic clans behave treacherously, those who follow God are commanded to act transparently—even in the face of betrayal. The response to ghadr is not reciprocal deceit, but open disengagement.The verse also contains the word قَوْمٍ (qawm), meaning “those who stand or rise together as a group,” from the root ق–و–م (qāf–wāw–mīm). Its presence evokes the image of a herd rising for judgment—a disobedient gathering whose posture does not guarantee righteousness. Instead, it invokes divine judgment, alluding to the Day of the Lord. This imagery echoes the Gospel scene at the Decapolis, where Luke’s herd of swine ἀγέλη (agelē), standing before Jesus, are plunged into the sea. In this shared pastoral vocabulary, the Qur’an and the Bible converge: it is not the herd that matters, but obedience to the Shepherd.“And if you fear betrayal [ غَدْرًۭا (ghadran) ] from a people who stand out [as a group], then cast it back to them on equal terms. Truly, God does not love those who betray.” (Qur’an 8:58)Ὄρος (oros) / ה־ר־ר (he–resh–resh)THE GEOGRAPHY OF REBELLIONIn Ezekiel, the mountains represent Israel’s high places (altars, shrines, and places of worship), which are condemned for idolatry. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against them.“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel [הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (hare yisraʾel)] and prophesy against them.” (Ezekiel 6:2)THE GEOGRAPHY OF DETHRONINGTyre’s ruler claims godlike status, and God throws him out on his rear end for his arrogance.“I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire, And I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God [הַר־אֱלֹהִים (har Elohim)].” (Ezekiel 28:16)THE GEOGRAPHY OF SCATTERINGThe people are scattered through the mountains.“My flock wandered through all the mountains [עַל־כָּל־הֶהָרִים (ʿal kol heharim)] and on every high hill…” (Ezekiel 34:6)THE GEOGRAPHY OF WRATHThe mountain, a symbol of Edom, is the target of God’s vengeance, his judgment against the nations.“Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir [הַר־שֵׂעִיר (har-Seʿir)], and I will stretch out my hand against you…” (Ezekiel 35:3)THE GEOGRAPHY OF INSTRUCTIONAfter judgment in chapter 6, the mountains now receive words of instruction.“Therefore, you mountains of Israel [הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (hare yisraʾel)], hear the word of the Lord God…” (Ezekiel 36:4)THE GEOGRAPHY OF DESTRUCTIONOn the Day of the Lord, Mountains fall, and nature itself collapses in the face of his divine wrath against Gog.“…and the mountains shall be thrown down [וְנָפְלוּ הֶהָרִים (wenaflu heharim)], the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.” (Ezekiel 38:20)THE ANTI-GEOGRAPHY OF THE ANTI-ZIONEzekiel’s eschatological temple is an anti-Zion, perched עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר (ʿal rosh hahar)—“on the top of the mountain”—beyond the reach of the urban elites:NO KING: It is not the Zion of the Davidic monarchy.NO PRIEST: It is not the Second Temple of Herodian opulence.NO CITY: It is not the center of a populated, “civilized” Jerusalemite settler colony.“This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain [עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר (ʿal rosh hahar)] shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” (Ezekiel 43:12)“The Hebrew toponym haGālîl הגליל, in modern Arabic al-Jalīl الجليل, comes from a Semitic term that bears the meaning of ‘circuit’, as in a long circular track or walking-path of the sort used by nomadic shepherding people for their seasonal migrations. It also refers to a long cylindrical object, such as a rod—or a shepherd’s staff! Both terms are derived from the Semitic triliteral g (or j)-l-l ג-ל-ל, meaning ‘to roll’. This makes the following implications: to make a circular movement around the track, or else to roll in a vehicle on such a track (as with a chariot or a cart), or else to roll as a cylindrical rod would roll down when placed on a hillside.That’s not all! When the term refers to a place, as it does in Joshua 20 and 21, it is always given with the definite article ha. So it is in fact ‘the Galilee’, ‘the Circuit’, in the same way that one would refer to ‘the Netherlands’ or ‘los Galápagos’. And it refers specifically to a pastureland (Jos 21:32, 1 Par 6:76), used by nomadic peoples for grazing: which is why it gains the epithet in Isaiah, ‘Galilee of the nations’: Gālîl haGôyim גליל הגוים (Is 9:1)!This function of Gālîl lends an additional connotation to the multitude (ὄχλος) which is gathered by the Sea of Galilee. It is a multitude, a general ‘am עם, or motley hāmôn המון—both terms which are glossed by ὄχλος in the LXX. It’s a mass, a confused jumble of people, drawn from the sundry and different gôyim who live in haGālîl.”—Matthew Franklin Cooper, The Lamb before Its Shearers, pp. 156-157Βόσκω (boskō) / ר־ע־ה (resh–ʿayin–he) / ر–ع–ى (rāʾ–ʿayn–yāʾ)NOMADIC PASTORAL LIFEShepherding as labor, family duty, and livelihood in the nomadic pastoral landscapeLabor and time constraints in pastoral work“Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and pasture them [רְעוּ (reʿū)].” (Genesis 29:7)Duty toward the father’s flock“While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess [רֹעָה (rōʿāh)].” (Genesis 29:9)“Then his brothers went to pasture [לִרְעוֹת (lirʿōt)] their father’s flock in Shechem.” (Genesis 37:12)“I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing [רֹעִים (rōʿīm)] the flock.”  (Genesis 37:16)Pastoral imagery in dreams and messages“And behold, from the Nile came up seven cows, fine-looking and fat; and they grazed [רֹעֹת (rōʿōt)] in the marsh grass.”(Genesis 41:2)“A messenger came to Job and said, ‘The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing [רוֹעוֹת (rōʿōt)] beside them.’” (Job 1:14)HARMONY WITHOUT LAWS OR CIVILIZATIONThe natural order is at peace in the absence of human controlPredators graze peacefully with herbivores“The cow and the bear will graze [תִּרְעֶינָה (tirʿenāh)], their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.”(Isaiah 11:7)The wolf and the lamb graze together“The wolf and the lamb will graze [יִרְעוּ (yirʿū)] together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food.” (Isaiah 65:25)THE SUFFICIENCY OF GODDivine care for the poor and the scattered, free from institutional control or provisionLambs grazing in abandoned ruins“Then the lambs will graze [רָעוּ (rāʿū)] in their pasture, and strangers will eat in the ruins of the wealthy.”(Isaiah 5:17)The poor feed securely in the midst of judgment“Those who are most helpless of the poor will graze [יִרְעוּ (yirʿū)], and the needy will lie down in security.”(Isaiah 14:30)Rain from God brings abundant pasture“Then he will give you rain for your seed…and on that day your livestock will graze [יִרְעֶה (yirʿeh)] in a wide pasture.”(Isaiah 30:23)Liberated exiles feed along highways“They will feed [יִרְעוּ (yirʿū)] along the roads, and their pasture will be on all bare heights.” (Isaiah 49:9)God shepherds the remnant personally“He who scattered Israel will gather him, and he will keep him as a shepherd [יִרְעֶה (yirʿeh)] does his flock.” (Jeremiah 31:10)JUDGMENT OF THE URBAN ELITE (FALSE SHEPHERDS)A prophetic denunciation of self-serving urban eliteFeeding themselves instead of the flock“Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding [הָרֹעִים (hārōʿīm)] themselves! Should the shepherds not feed [יִרְעוּ (yirʿū)] the flock?” (Ezekiel 34:2) “You slaughter the fat sheep without feeding [תִּרְעוּ (tirʿū)] the flock.” (Ezekiel 34:3)Allowing the flock to be scattered and devoured “The shepherds fed [רָעוּ (rāʿū)] themselves and did not feed [רָעוּ (rāʿū)] my flock.” (Ezekiel 34:8)Removed from power by divine decree “I will remove them from feeding [מֵרְעֹת (mēreʿōt)] sheep. So the shepherds will not feed [יִרְעוּ (yirʿū)] themselves anymore.” (Ezekiel 34:10)THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERDGod gathers the scattered flock “I will bring them…and I will feed them [אֲרַעֲם (ʾaraʿem)] on the mountains of Israel.” (Ezekiel 34:13)Feeds them on the high mountains of Israel “I will feed them [אֲרָעֵם (ʾarāʿem)] in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights.” (Ezekiel 34:14)Personally feeds and tends the sheep“I myself will feed [אֶרְעֶה (ʾerʿeh)] my flock and I myself will lead them to rest.” (Ezekiel 34:15)“But the fat and the strong I will eliminate. I will feed them [אֲרַעֲם (ʾaraʿem)] with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

In today's episode, we wrestle with St Paul's description of the Mosaic Law in Romans, which he indicates is both good, yet a cause of us stumbling. We conclude by pointing out how Paul resolves this inherent conflict with the Law. 

What does Jesus mean when he says that, for those who are willing to accept it, John the Forerunner “is the Elijah to come”? How does John function as Elijah in the Gospels? In this episode we discuss the text that is heard in the Orthodox Church on the Nativity of the Forerunner, in which John is said to go before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).Koran performed by Delerium.Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/page-of-book-of-malachi-in-bible-20764514/

Human beings are evil. We are hardwired to curate our self-image, excuse our failures, and cling to the stories that make us feel good about ourselves. The truth is, we are hypocrites—fluctuating between condemning unspeakable horrors, often hidden from public view, and idolizing the very politicians and institutional cowards who cause or permit them.The same psychological games we play to deceive ourselves work flawlessly when we’re told to choose the “lesser of two evils” during election season.Listen to yourselves, habibi. You reject Scripture—yet somehow affirm its judgment against you when you call one of your human choices the “lesser of two evils.”You hypocrite.Most people will never acknowledge their complicity in the killing fields of Gaza. It’s far more comfortable to live in self-deception than to face the truth about the monsters we really are.Evil functions under a triple constraint.First: your reflection, shown in a natural mirror, not of your own making. You want to look away, to forget what you see. So, you rush to the second constraint: the mirror of your fairy tales—the one that says you are the “fairest of them all.” Or worse, the artificial mirrors in your data centers, which regurgitate what everyone wants to hear, calibrated to the desires of monsters.Between these two lies the third constraint: your neighbor. The neighbor who also sees your reflection, not in the natural mirror of Scripture, but in how you behave when you follow yourself, even though they are as blind as you.In the end, the natural mirror does not care if you “speak the truth.” It already knows that you, like your virtue-signaling, murderous, failed politicians, are blind, arrogant, and evil.The mirror has only one objective: to force you to see the truth it reflects about you, and not to let you look away. Can you accept this? Can you sit with it? Or will you, once again, project your truth onto someone else caught in the same triple constraint?You hypocrite.You blind fool.On that day, no amount of pleading will bring you comfort.This week, I discuss Luke 8:31.Photo by Kyle Johnson on UnsplashShow Notes“They were imploring him not to command them to go away into the abyss.” Lk 8:31.“For if anyone is a listener of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως — literally, “the face of birth” or “natural face”) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” (James 1:23–24)παρακαλέω (parakaleō) / נ–ח–ם (nūn–ḥet–mēm) / ن–ح–م (nūn–ḥāʾ–mīm)Encourage, exhort, and comfort. Feel regret, be sorry, and console yourself. Provide comfort. Saul disobeyed God’s command by sparing King Agag and taking spoils from the battle. God, through Samuel, declares that he regrets [נִחַמְתִּי (niḥamti)] making Saul king:“I regret [נִחַמְתִּי (niḥamti)] that I have made Saul king, because he has turned back from following me and has not carried out my commands.” And Samuel was furious, and he cried out to the Lord all night. (1 Samuel 15:11)Later in 1 Samuel 15:30, Saul, like Legion, makes a self-serving plea, concerned with his reputation rather than divine obedience.David’s so-called consolation [נִחַם (niḥam)] in 2 Samuel was not repentance or discernment—it was political sentimentality disguised as pastoral care. It resembled the rhetoric of a liberal American politician who publicly laments starving children in Gaza, yet quietly approves weapons sales, enforces food embargoes, and suppresses dissent.David had a soft spot for Absalom, even though Absalom murdered his half-brother Amnon in a revenge killing for the rape of their sister Tamar. Instead of submitting to God’s instruction, David inserted himself as judge and jury, led not by divine command but by personal affection and public image. This sentimental indulgence led to Absalom’s exile, his orchestrated return, and eventual rebellion—a direct consequence of David’s failure to uphold justice according to the Lord’s command, rather than his personal “consolation.”And the heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted [נִחַם (niḥam)] regarding Amnon, since he was dead. (2 Samuel 13:39)Pharaoh, in the following example, is lexically analogous to Legion in Luke 8:31, who pleads not to be judged, but to seek relief from consequences in lieu of repentance. In Ezekiel, Pharaoh observes other fallen nations, tyrants, and armies defeated, and finds a twisted comfort in their shared destruction:Pharaoh will see them, and he will be comforted [וְנִחַם (weniḥam)] for all his hordes killed by the sword—Pharaoh and all his army,” declares the Lord God. (Ezekiel 32:31)In this final example from Lamentations, a destroyed Jerusalem calls for God’s wrath to fall upon her enemies. But unlike Pharaoh, who found twisted comfort in the judgment of others (Ezekiel 32:31), this plea arises under the unbearable weight of divine chastisement. As it is written:“The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his command. Hear now, all you peoples, and see my pain; My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.” (Lamentations 1:18)The call for vindication is not a boast but a plea, spoken on the lips of the harlot city—Jerusalem—who confesses her guilt and urges the Lord to act. Her cry for the nations to “become like me” is an appeal to divine vengeance, not for destruction’s sake, but to expose their harlotry, undo their rebellion, and make possible their submission to God’s command, which Jerusalem itself foolishly rejected:People have heard that I groan; there is no one to comfort me [מְנַחֵם (menaḥem)]. All my enemies have heard of my disaster; they are joyful that you have done it. Oh, that you would bring the day which you have proclaimed, so that they will become like me. (Lamentations 1:21)Luke 8:31, ἐπιτάσσω, Legion “pleads” for consolation in Luke. In Qur’an 7:14–15, this motif corresponds to a mashal with a different root, أ–م–ر (ʾalif–mīm–rāʾ), where Iblis “begs” God for respite: ن–ظ–ر (nūn–ẓāʾ–rāʾ).He said, “Grant me [أَنظِرْنِي (anẓirnī)] respite until the Day they are resurrected.”ἐπιτάσσω (epitassō) / צ־ו־ה (ṣade–waw–he) / و–ص–ى (wāw–ṣād–yāʾ)To command, order, or give a directive with authority.Genesis 49:33, ἐντέλλομαι, Jacob’s final command or testament to his sons, צ־ו־ה (ṣade–waw–he). In Qur’an 2:132, و–ص–ى (wāw–ṣād–yāʾ), Jacob and Abraham enjoin their sons:When Jacob finished commanding [צִוָּה (ṣiwāh)] his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.And Abraham enjoined [وَصَّى (waṣṣā)] it upon his sons, and [so did] Jacob: “O my sons, indeed God has chosen for you the religion, so do not die except while you are in submission.”Ezekiel 24:18, ἐντέλλομαι, The prophet obeys God, צ־ו־ה (ṣade–waw–he). In Sūrat al-Anʿām (The Cattle), Qu’ran 6:151–153, و–ص–ى (wāw–ṣād–yāʾ), God issues commandments. In both Ezekiel 24 and Sūrat al-Anʿām, obedience to divine command is presented as an alternative to judgment; both emphasize the importance of submission to God under pressure.So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening, my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded [כַּאֲשֶׁר צֻוֵּיתִי (kaʾasher ṣuwwēti)]. (Ezekiel 24:18)Say, “Come, I will recite what your Lord has enjoined [وَصَّى (waṣṣā)] upon you: that you not associate anything with him, and to parents, good treatment…” (Qur’an 6:151)This is my path, straight, so follow it; and do not follow other ways… This he has enjoined [وَصَّى (waṣṣā)] upon you so that you may become righteous.” (Qur’an 6:153)ἄβυσσος (abyssos) / ת־ה־ם (tav–he–mem) / ت–ه–م (tāʾ–hāʾ–mīm)In Genesis, תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohu wa-bohu) refers to an uninhabitable state—something not yet organized for life and purpose—literally and in line with Scriptural function—like the rubble in Gaza after two years of systematic destruction. תֹהוּ (tohū) does not come from the same root as תְּהוֹם (tə·hōm).In Genesis tohu wa-bohu refers to a chaotic land, not some philosophical concept of “void.” tohu appears in other parts of Scripture, particularly in prophetic texts (e.g., Isaiah 34:11, Jeremiah 4:23), to describe a land that has been judged and rendered desolate. In Genesis 1, tohu wa-bohu sets the stage for God’s creative word to bring order and function through his command:Now the earth was formless and void [תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohū wā–bohū)], and darkness was over the surface of the deep [תְּהוֹם (tə·hōm)], and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)Here, the deep [תְּהוֹם (tə·hōm)] invokes the de-functioning of Tyre, submerging it in a return to Genesis 1:2, even though tohu does not appear:For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep [תְּהוֹם (tə·hōm)] over you and the great waters cover you…” (Ezekiel 26:19)