Welcome to Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal

Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal is a blog/podcast where Cam, one of Reflective Bible Study's founders, shares things he has discovered from his time studying the Bible (usually from one or more of the four gospels).

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Finding Belief When In Doubt: Matthew 28:1-10

Published February 20, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Matthew 28:1-10 (NCV)

1 The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. 3 He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. 7 And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there.’” Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.”

8 The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. 9 Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings.” The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Read Matthew 28:1-10 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During Jesus’ resurrection, one thing that stands out as interesting in my mind is that women decided to visit the tomb early on Sunday morning. We have no idea what prompted them to do this, but perhaps it was the Holy Spirit telling them to go. It might also have been that they didn’t think the men had prepared Jesus’ corpse properly as they were in a rush to get Him buried before the Sabbath began.

Whatever prompted the women to make the trip to the tomb, they did not go expecting to find the tomb empty. They may have even been wondering along the way how to convince the guards to let them in, or how to even get the stone rolled away. (Mark 16:3)

Luke and Mark include in their gospels that the women brought the spices and perfumes they had prepared to put on Jesus’ body. These women did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead. They simply wanted to give His body the respect and attention it deserved in death.

But they are surprised by an earthquake on the way, and I wonder if this made them question what was happening at the tomb ahead. Matthew tells us that on hearing the angel’s news about Jesus, “The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened.” (v. 8)

However, the reaction the followers give is mixed. Both Mark and Luke tell us that on hearing the report from the women, the disciples didn’t believe them. Luke even describes the disciples’ response, “They did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense.” (Luke 24:11)

But Peter and another disciple (traditionally believed to be John) believed enough to go investigate the situation personally. While they didn’t know what was happening, they wanted to find answers. John describes what happened when these followers arrive at the empty tomb. “So Peter and the other follower [John] started for the tomb. They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and looked in and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then following him, Simon Peter arrived and went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. (They did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead.)” (John 20:3-9)

Seeing the empty tomb prompts John, “the other follower”, to believe.

These followers are a lot like us. They want to see it with their own eyes in order to believe it. We can believe their testimony is valid because they are honest about their unbelief, and what actually changes their minds. John didn’t believe until he personally saw the empty tomb and the strips of linen folded up neatly. This picture would be cemented in his mind for the rest of his life as the foundation for his faith in Jesus!

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Passing on Judgment: Luke 12:13-21

Published February 19, 2026 in Audio Journal Entries

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When looking at the parables Jesus shared, it is easy to begin to think that Jesus shared many positive, uplifting, or primarily encouraging parables. Many of the well-known parables end in a positive way. However, there are quite a few parables that do not end positively, and the parable we will be focusing on in this episode is one such parable.

It is interesting to focus on the context of this parable, because while it is relevant to all of humanity, it is likely this parable wouldn’t have been shared if it weren’t for the shouted request of Jesus to do something.

Let’s read what happened and then discuss what we can learn from this event. Our passage is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 12, and we will use the New American Standard Bible translation to read it. Starting in verse 13, Luke tells us that:

13 Someone in the crowd said to Him [referring to Jesus], “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

This parable and passage are a little depressing and very challenging. While some reading this might conclude that God will immediately demand the life of anyone who is not generous towards Him, this isn’t the key idea behind this parable. Instead, this parable is entirely focused on the captive nature of greed.

Before jumping in to the truth we can learn from this parable, it is worth paying attention to a key idea: Jesus passed on the opportunity to judge people or cases when He came to this world. This strongly suggests that Jesus’ purpose for coming into the world is not to act as a judge. Jesus came with the goal of showing us what God is like, and showing us that God loves us so much that He would die for us, taking the punishment for our sins upon Himself. This truth sets up the foundation for understanding the parable itself.

The context leading up to this message, especially with how Jesus frames this parable, gives us the key ideas. Leading up to this parable, someone in the crowd shouted at Jesus to tell his brother to divide the family inheritance with him. If a parent had recently passed away, then each of the children would receive a portion of the estate. Generally the portions were equal, with the only exception to this being that the first born son would receive a double share because he would be responsible for the family moving forward.

It is unclear from the context if this is the younger brother, older brother, or simply one of many brothers making this request. It is also unclear if the brother making the request is asking for what would be rightfully his, or if what he received didn’t feel fair and that he wanted Jesus to side with him regarding what is fair.

For the sake of our discussion, let’s assume that the brother making the request is the younger of two brothers, is fully grown into adulthood, that he has a family of his own and is earning enough money to support their lifestyle. Nothing in the man’s request speaks of needing the money to survive, but simply wanting the inheritance.

Let’s also assume that this brother also deserved to receive a share of the inheritance, but that his older brother did not want to share it with him. For the purposes of our discussion, let’s basically say there is every reason for this man to receive his fair share of the inheritance, and no good reason for his brother to keep the money from him. We could call this man’s request completely reasonable, and his brother a greedy, spoiled, selfish person.

Even in the most justified scenario, which fits the details we are given in this event, Jesus responds by first passing on the opportunity to be a judge in this situation. Jesus then warns this brother, and everyone present to, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

In this parable and situation, greed disguised itself as fairness. Fairness sounds reasonable, but if fairness is pushed or refuted in an immature way, then greed might be the underlying motivation. While fairness sounds reasonable, greed masking as fairness is never positive and it often will never be satisfied if things are truly fair.

Greed is never positive, and according to this parable, greed only focuses on one possible outcome in the future. The greed in the parable ignored the possibility that said the morning would never come for that man. The greed prompted the man to assume that his life was set because he had been blessed.

It’s worth paying attention to the detail that it was “the land of a rich man” that was productive. The wealth this man had was because God had blessed him, and greed never wants to admit that it doesn’t deserve what it has. Greed focuses on keeping as much as possible, and sharing seems ridiculous for someone who is greedy.

However, Jesus’ finishes this parable by sharing reality with this greedy person. At the end of this man’s life, whether it would be that night or at some point years into the future, someone else would get what this man had tried so hard to keep for himself. In the end, other people get everything of ours, which means that in the end, greed is worthless.

The cure for greed is gratitude and intentional generosity towards God for what He has truly given to us. We push greed away when we give thanks to God for what He has given to us, and when we intentionally return God his portion of what He has blessed us with. Typically, we call this portion a tithe, which simply means a tenth. In the New Testament era, we are not excused from paying tithe, but are called to give above and beyond this because we are so grateful and thankful towards God for what Jesus did for each of us.

Gratitude in our lives starts with recognizing what Jesus did for us, and then living generously towards others because we are grateful and thankful for what Jesus did for us. Gratitude and generosity keep greed from taking over our lives, and a generous gratitude in our lives helps us live like Jesus has called us to live!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As always, seek God first and be grateful and thankful towards Him for everything He has blessed us with. Remember to thank Jesus for what He accomplished while He was here on this earth, and for giving us the gift of salvation.

Also, remember to always pray and study the Bible for yourself. While learning from other people is good to do, check everything you learn with what the Bible says, and then trust the Bible’s conclusion if it differs from what you were taught. God has preserved the Bible for us as a guide for our lives, and if we trust that He is able to keep us safe for eternity, we can trust that He is more than capable of keeping the Bible safe for a few thousand years.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or wander away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Parables – Episode 8: When someone in the crowd asks Jesus to step into the role of judge in a dispute that was taking place, discover not only how Jesus responded, but a powerful parable about how we should respond to God when He sends us blessings.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Blinded By Grief: John 20:11-18

Published February 18, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 20:11-18 (GNT)

11 Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb 12 and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.

She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”

14 Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”)

17 “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”

18 So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what he had told her.

Read John 20:11-18 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During the weekend of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we find an interesting event in John’s gospel that centers on Mary Magdalene looking for Jesus. Early on resurrection morning, she had come to the tomb, saw the stone rolled away, ran to get the disciples, and had come back with the disciples to confirm the empty tomb. However, after the disciples see for themselves that the tomb was empty, they leave to confirm Mary’s story to the rest of the disciples.

But Mary stayed in the garden crying. “While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.” (v. 11-13a)

To those who know the whole story of what happened, the reality that any of Jesus’ followers cried is amazing. The angels know that Jesus had risen from the dead, and on several occasions, Jesus even tried to tell the disciples what was going to happen.

But all the predictions Jesus tried to give His followers fell on deaf ears. His followers were not able to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them.

Mary was among those who believed Jesus was dead. She responds to the angels by saying, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” (v. 13b)

Then looking up, she sees a person standing near her. This person asks the exact same question as the angels, “Woman, why are you crying?” (v. 15a)

John tells us that while Mary believes this person is the gardener, she is actually talking to Jesus Himself. Part of me wonders if Jesus’ appearance had changed significantly enough that she couldn’t recognize Him, or perhaps Jesus looked the same, but Mary’s belief that Jesus had died blinded her from recognizing Him at first.

It is only after Jesus says her name that He breaks through her grief. If this person was the gardener, there would be no way he could have known her name. But perhaps the way Jesus says her name is familiar enough for her to open her mind to the possibility that Jesus is standing there in front of her.

This event is amazing to me because it tells us that even when we are in our darkest moments of sorrow, and even when we cannot recognize it at first, Jesus is right there with us in our grief. We might not recognize Him, but if we are open to letting Him speak to us, He will bring life back into our hearts.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

Subscribe to this blog and never miss an insight.

Making Our Worship Useful: Mark 7:1-23

Published February 17, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Mark 7:1-23 (CEV)

1 Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands.

3 The Pharisees and many other Jewish people obey the teachings of their ancestors. They always wash their hands in the proper way before eating. 4 None of them will eat anything they buy in the market until it is washed. They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls.

5 The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?”

6 Jesus replied:

You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said,

“All of you praise me
    with your words,
but you never really
    think about me.
7 It is useless for you
    to worship me,
when you teach rules
    made up by humans.”

8 You disobey God’s commands in order to obey what humans have taught. 9 You are good at rejecting God’s commands so that you can follow your own teachings! 10 Didn’t Moses command you to respect your father and mother? Didn’t he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? 11 But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to God. 12 You won’t let those people help their parents. 13 And you ignore God’s commands in order to follow your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad.

14 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. 15-16 The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.”

17 After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and had gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. 18 He answered, “Don’t you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. 19 It doesn’t go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body.” By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.

20 Then Jesus said:

What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. 21 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, 22 unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. 23 All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.

Read Mark 7:1-23 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Part of me wonders if Jesus ever got tired of the Pharisees and other religious leaders challenging Him about things He and His followers did or did not do. While many times, the Pharisees are upset for something that is done that they don’t feel is right, we can learn something powerful in Jesus’ response during one of the times they challenged Jesus’ disciples over what they did not do.

In this event, the Pharisees challenge Jesus’ followers over not washing their hands before they eat. While a rule about washing one’s hands seems very petty while also being sanitary, the Pharisees had taken this health instruction and made it into a spiritual requirement.

Jesus’ response to their challenge may seem to go overboard, but instead of simply answering the question that is on the surface, Jesus challenges the foundation that had prompted the question. He even quotes from the prophet Isaiah who said:

“All of you praise me
    with your words,
but you never really
    think about me.
It is useless for you
    to worship me,
when you teach rules
    made up by humans.” (v. 6-7 [Isaiah 29:13])

Jesus then goes on to describe some of the ways these religious people had elevated their rules over God’s laws. However, Isaiah’s words, and his description of the people, are what stand out to me.

Isaiah describes a group of people who praise God with their words, but they really don’t think about what they are doing. While Jesus takes Isaiah’s description and applies it to people in the first century, I wonder if the same could be said for many of those living today.

The phrase that stands out in Isaiah’s description is when He quotes God saying, “It is useless for you to worship me”. When we look at how this quote is structured the uselessness of these people’s worship is connected to the fact that they are not thinking about God.

Why is this?

The opening and closing phrases tell us. The people talk a good talk, but their actions tell a different message. Their thoughts are on things that are not aligned with God, which makes their worship useless.

This passage emphasizes and reminds me that talk is cheap, but when our thoughts, words, and actions are aligned together, then our worship to God will be useful, meaningful, and beneficial for both God and us.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

Subscribe to this blog and never miss an insight.