John Mark Hicks

“Faithless” is the word that dominates this section of Malachi. It occurs five times in Malachi 2:10-16 (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) and only here in Malachi. “Faithless” comes from the root bagad that means to deal with another treacherously. This word characterizes Israel’s covenantal relations and thus epitomizes what is broken in the life of post-exilic […]

Within the narrative of Mark, Jesus now leaves Galilee (Capernaum–the upper purple region on the map) and begins his journey to Jerusalem (10:1, 32). His route takes him into Perea (the lower purple region), the region “beyond the Jordan, on the eastern side of the river.” This is particularly significant since Jesus, though having left […]

My earlier attempts at blogging, before this past twelve months, were rather meager though I did post a considerable amount of material at my first site begun in September 2000.  I appreciate how the blog has been received by old friends and new ones. Thank you for your patronage. I hope our dialogue can continue […]

This is quite daring, I must admit. Or, it might be rather idiotic. But in my quest to place my published writings on this webpage, I now turn to the 1970s.  It is rather chilling and sometimes quite illuminating to actually read what I wrote thirty years ago (wow! I really am that old). It […]

When you feel forsaken or rejected,  when you feel like a failure or a piece of dirt, when you feel inadequate or deficient, when you feel unloved or unchosen, hear the word of the Lord through Isaiah the prophet Isaiah 62:2b,4,5b …you will be called by a new name        that the mouth of the LORD […]

Divorce may be the most broken experience in the fallen world.  It certainly ranks high if not the highest.  I say this because it is such a reversal of God’s creative intent. God created oneness, shalom and mutuality between male and female in marriage–it is not good for humans to be alone.  Humans are created […]

I am a divorced person.  In a previous post I expressed what I felt in the aftermath of my divorce.  Now—out of my own experience and not out of some expertise—I offer some suggestions for helping those who have been through the valley of divorce.   Stick with us.  Connect with us.  Don’t leave us […]

I was divorced in 2001 after eighteen years of marriage. I have no intent to assign blame in this post—if blame were assigned I am only beginning to see that I deserve much more than I would have earlier admitted.  I only want to speak of the experience of divorce itself, but even in that […]