A Psychologist looks at Scripture
In this 8-10 minute podcast, I as a psychologist and a priest use my training and skills to examine the Gospels. I will present alternative interpretations and insights into the meaning of Scripture for men and women in the 21st century.
I can be reached at peter.dohertyomi@gmail.com.
Episodes
158 episodes
Mt 21. 33–43 Oct 4, 2026 Did God Require the Cross—or Did Jesus Reveal God Through It?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who plants a vineyard, leases it to tenants, and then sends servants to collect the harvest. The tenants beat, stone, and kill the servants. Finally, the landowner sends his son, saying...
Mt 21.28-32 Sept 27-26 The Wages of Obedience: Why Saying Yes Isn’t Enough
There is little room for misunderstandings in this parable. I am sure the Pharisees and Scribes who heard this story for the first time must have bristled in annoyance as they knew Jesus was referring to them. This parable speaks to...
Mt 20.1-16 Sept 20-26 Same Wage, Different Hours: Why God’s Generosity Feels Unfair
I have often asked this question, If your faith became illegal, would there be enough evidence for your neighbor’s to convict you? This question is adapted from a question asked by John Wooden, a deeply religious basketball coach in 1997....
Mt.18.21- 35 Sep 13- 26 The Debt You Could Never Repay—and the Grudge You Won’t Release
In today’s Gospel Peter asks a question to Jesus, how many times does one forgive someone? Excellent question, to paraphrase Peter, Jesus is asked about the limits of forgiveness. Jesus poetically points out that forgiveness is limi...
Mt.18.15-20 Sep 6-26 “Tell Them to Their Face”: Jesus’ Radical Psychology of Conflict
This week’s Gospel reminds me of the letters of St. Paul to the Corinthians where he is addressing the different factions. Jesus realized that when two or more people get together there will be disagreements and in some cases conflict.&nb...
C 22 0T Mt 16:21-27 “Get Behind Me, Satan”: Was Jesus Rebuking Peter—or His Own Fear?
The most significant line in this Gospel is Jesus saying, “Get behind me, Satan”. In the past when I have preached on this Gospel, I’ve always understood this passage as Jesus directing this comment to Peter, thus indicating t...
Mt: 16:13–20 Aug 23-26 Who is the Son of Man to YOU?
It must have been frustrating for Jesus when people failed to recognize who he was. Some thought he was a prophet who had returned from the dead. Jesus was making a very direct point: people in the past had responded more positively...
C 20 OT Mt 15.21-29 Aug 16-26 Finding Jesus beyond the Fold
In this Gospel, Jesus is approached by an unnamed Canaanite woman who asks him for help. At first, Jesus responds in a way that seems unusually critical. In biblical times, the Canaanites were regarded as outsiders and rivals, but that alone do...
MT 14.22-33 Aug 9-26 “Fear Brought You Here—Now What? Lessons from Peter on the Water”
Today’s podcast focusses on the Gospel of Matthew 14:22-33. It will be read in churches on August the 9, 2026. This Gospel is unusual. The Gospel focusses on Jesus’ walking on water and when asked by the disciple Peter, Jesus ...
Mt 14. 13-21 Aug 2 26 “Co-Creators or Bystanders? Rethinking Your Role in God’s Work”
Today’s Gospel is one of the two stories of Jesus feeding a large crowd. I have spoken about this theme before. I invite my listeners to check out my podcasts released on June 15, 2025, and another on July 21, 2024, for different re...
C OT 17 Mt:13.44-52 Jul 26-26 “Letting Go to Enter In: The Counterintuitive Psychology of God’s Kingdom”
The Gospel for July 26, 2026 continues with the theme of describing the kingdom of God. Again, the kingdom of God appears to be something we live here on Earth. Jesus is not addressing what Heaven will be like but rather teaching us...
Mt 13:24-43 July 19, 2026 Inside the Kingdom: Life Reimagined
In this Gospel, Jesus presents three parables that illuminate God’s plan for creation. The first is the parable of wheat and the weeds. A farmer’s field is deliberately sown with weeds by an enemy. When the plants begin to grow, the laborers of...
July 12, 2026 Mt 13.1-23 Seeds Everywhere, Roots Nowhere: Why Faith Fails to Take Hold
In the Gospel today we hear one of the most famous of parables. Jesus uses a well-known event to describe people’s faith experience. People would be familiar with gardens especially vegetable gardens. Most people did not have ...
Mt 11.25-30 Not Just for the Wise: How Scripture Undermines Spiritual Elitism
This passage is distinctive in that Matthew presents Jesus offering a prayer of thanksgiving. Jesus praises the Father because understanding has been revealed to the “little ones”—those without status or power—while remaining hidden from those ...
June 28, 2026 Mt 10.37-42 God or Everything Else: Why He Refuses to Be Second
At first hearing, this Gospel may seem somewhat jarring. However, its central theme is not unfamiliar. It echoes the foundation of our faith. Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, an...
Mt 10.26-33, “Anxious Faith: When Jesus Tells You to Calm Down”
The early Christian community lived with significant fear—fear of rejection, persecution, and uncertainty about God’s presence in their suffering. That experience remains familiar today. While Scripture frequently refers to the “fear of the Lor...
Mt 9:36-10-8 June 14-26 Go, But Not There: Unpacking Jesus’ Confusing Commands
In this Gospel, Jesus sends out his disciples to minister to the people. We don’t know exactly at what point in Jesus ministry did he send out the disciples. We have many references to Jesus sending out his disciples to evangelize p...
C Mt 9:36-10:8 Jun 7-26 When God Becomes Food: The Intimacy That Confuses and Terrifies Us
Today's reading needs to be unpacked to grasp the full meaning of the Gospel. Likely, this Gospel is of the same caliber as many of Jesus' statements that were meant to challenge the people and focus on the passion of the teachings. Other examp...
John 3:16-18 May 31-26 Love Without Exception: How God’s Love Transforms the Human Heart
Love is a defining theme throughout John’s Gospel. Not only does John emphasize God’s love for us, but he also stresses our call to love one another. In John 13:34–35, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you...
John 20:19-23 “The Fire and the Psyche: What Pentecost Means for Inner Transformation?”
We have the disciples gathered behind lock doors. There they are processing their experience of crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That is all they can do. Then God’s mysterious presence in the form of the Spirit moves the...
Ascension Mt 28:16-20 "The Ascension and the Ache of Letting Go: Why Goodbyes Shape the Soul"
Like many goodbyes, the Ascension is bittersweet. Jesus has completed his ministry on Earth. He can have a sense of accomplishment. Yet he is saying goodbye to his disciples. There were likely many positive memories of c...
Jn 14:15-21-May 10 26 "Truth: The Raw Foundation of Divine Love"
As Jesus introduces the spirit of Truth as part of our relationship with God. Truth is absolutely foundational for spiritual growth, not just an optional “nice‑to‑have” accessory. In Christian teaching, truth is what God uses to convert and set...
Jn 14:1-12 May 3-26 The God You Picture Shapes Your Mental Health—Is Yours Healthy?
In today’s edition there is a lot going on in this Gospel which is typical in John’s Gospel. The Gospel starts with Jesus trying to reassure his disciples. He speaks about providing a place for them and returning to come and get the...
A 4 East Jn 10.1-10 Apr 26-26 Faith’s Breaking Point: Surviving the Crisis of Trust
One of the techniques that Jesus used was using situations that the people would be familiar with. The readings today are no exception. The people would be familiar with the gate keeper for the sheep. To give you some backgrou...
Lk 24.13-35 Apr 19-26 Burning Hearts, Blind Eyes: Why We Miss the Divine in Plain Sight
In today’s edition from Luke 24 we hear about two disciples on a walk from Jerusalem to a village 7 miles away called Emmaus. While it seems like an innocent walking excursion, there is so much going on. We gain insight into ...