Matthew 28

Greetings,

The Resurrection

 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

 8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

This is the central point of human history.  If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead then his death on the cross wouldn’t have mattered. 

It is interesting that women were the first witnesses.  Women couldn’t even testify in court in that culture, so if the Disciples made up this story they did a pretty lousy job of it. 

The Guards’ Report

 11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The lie of the Guards and the Jews just doesn’t make sense.  The Disciples were obviously not courageous enough to come steal Jesus’ body, especially if they were convinced that He was still dead.  And if the Guards were asleep, how did they know what had happened?  It was a major issue to fall asleep while on duty, as a soldier could be killed for that.

Other fanciful explanations have been offered, such as that Jesus wasn’t really dead on the cross.  But the Romans were skilled at executions and they wouldn’t have overlooked such a highly visible one as this.  And a “resurrected” Jesus in such a state wouldn’t have inspired the changes in the Disciples that we see.

The only explanation that logically fits the facts is that Jesus really rose from the dead as promised.

The Great Commission

 16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Consider Jesus final words before ascending into Heaven: “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  That is what we should be doing as Christians.  He is with us always. 

What stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 27

Greetings,

Judas Hangs Himself

 1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

 3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
      ”What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

 5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

The leaders’ hypocrisy was raging.  They didn’t deny that Jesus was innocent.  They broke their own laws with their farce of a trial and payment of blood money to catch Jesus.  But then they decided to follow their little rules and not put the money in the treasury!  Again, they fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy (written hundreds of years earlier) without realizing it. 

Judas was full of worldly repentence but wasn’t truly repentent.  He could have asked for forgiveness and been reconciled with Jesus, just as Peter did after denying Jesus three times.

Jesus Before Pilate

 11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
      ”Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

 12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

 15Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

 19While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

 21“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
      ”Barabbas,” they answered.

 22“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.
      They all answered, “Crucify him!”

 23“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
      But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

 24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

 25All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

 26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Democracy’s not-so-finest moment – choosing Barabbas instead of Jesus.  I wonder if and when Barabbas realized he was the first one saved by Jesus’ death on the cross? 

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

 27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Jesus endured these taunting and beatings even though He is the God of the universe and could have walked away from an ungrateful humanity at any time.  May we as Christians be as graceful and obedient when the world mocks and curses us.

The Crucifixion

 32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

 41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Psalm 22 contains many prophecies of the crucifixion, such as v. 18: “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

The Death of Jesus

 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

 48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

 50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Jesus was in control to the end – He gave up his spirit.

 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

There was a curtain in the “most holy place” in the temple that only the chief priest could pass through, and even then only once per year.  He did it to atone for the sins of the nation.  God tore the curtain from top to bottom to signify that we could now approach him directly through the sacrifice of Jesus.

The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

 54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

 55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

 57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

This was a very brave thing for Joseph to do, displaying his loyaly after Jesus was dead.

The Guard at the Tomb

 62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 65“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 26

Greetings!

The Plot Against Jesus

 1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

 3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5“But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

These religious leaders – who knew the law better than anyone – were willing to commit premeditated murder to save their positions.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

 6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

 8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9“This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

 10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

As noted in the Gospel of John, the one who commented about giving the money to the poor was Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus.  He was responsible for the group’s money. 

Jesus wasn’t soft on poverty (“The poor you will always have with you . . .”).  He was just stating a fact.  It must be amazing for the people in the Bible (at least those who became believers) to know their stories have been told billions of times. 

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

 14Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The leaders unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy written 500 years earlier in the book of Zechariah.  Ironically, thirty silver coins was the price of a slave in the Old Testament. 

The Lord’s Supper

 17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

 18He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ” 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

 20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

 22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

 23Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

 25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
      Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”

Presumably the exchange between Judas and Jesus was made quietly so that the others couldn’t hear it.

 26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

 27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

This was the first Lord’s supper, the sacrement of communion celebrated around the world.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

 31Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
   ” ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

 33Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

 34“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

 35But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Jesus was very clear in his predictions of his death and resurrection, but the Disciples just weren’t equipped to fully understand this.

Gethsemane

 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

 39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Verse 39 is packed with meaning.  First of all, here is Jesus asking God the Father if there is another way for the salvation of humanity.  What was the answer?  No.  There is no other way.  Many Christians are quick to say that other religions offer a path to Heaven, but that is simply un-Biblical.  Jesus is the only way.  Really.  There are at least 100 direct and indirect indications in the Bible that Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life.  It is the position that Christians, by definition, must hold.  Preaching a different Gospel is a profoundly bad idea.

Next, consider the obedience.  Do I submit to God’s will in such a devoted and humble way?

 40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

 42He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

 43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

I have read the Gospels many times but just noticed that He prayed about the cup to be taking away (i.e., the crucifixion) three times, not just one.

 45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

 47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

 50Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.”

   Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

 52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

 55At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus was in complete control of the situation at all times.  He could have stopped the proceedings whenever He wanted and disintegrated the universe that He created.  He was God and He was going to be unfairly tried and horribly punished for trying to help these people.  But He willingly suffered all these things for you and me. 

Jesus was human, also, so it must have been very painful to have his friends desert him in his hour of need.  Regardless of what has happened to you in life, know that Jesus suffered pain and rejection as well and can related to your suffering.

Before the Sanhedrin

 57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

 59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

   Finally two came forward 61and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ “

 62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63But Jesus remained silent.
      The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

 64“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

 65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66What do you think?”
      ”He is worthy of death,” they answered.

 67Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”

Note how they accused him of blasphemy.  Jesus claimed to be God and they realized it.  They just didn’t believe He was right.

Peter Disowns Jesus

 69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

 70But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

 71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

 72He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

 73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”

 74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

   Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Peter denied Jesus even after Jesus told him that is what he would do.  How many times have I denied Jesus with my lifestyle or my words?

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 25

Greetings,

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

 1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

 7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

 9” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

 10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

 11“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

 12“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

 13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

That is a sobering message.  It shows that our relationship with God is an individual one.  We can’t borrow or buy it, and we need to be ready. 

The Parable of the Talents

 14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

 21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 22“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

 23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 24“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

 26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

 28” ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Jesus didn’t reward the servants based on the total returns, but on the percentage.  The first servant gained five more talents (a talent was 60-80 lbs. of silver) and the second gained just two, yet they received the commendation all Christians hope to hear one day: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Am I faithful with what God has entrusted me?  If I died today, which servant would I be?

The Sheep and the Goats

 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

 41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

 44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

 45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Are we saved by doing these good deeds or condemned by not doing them?  No, that wouldn’t make sense with the rest of scripture. 

This is also a challenging passage as we are called not just to write checks but to get involved in ministering to people.  We all have limits to what we can do and preferences as to how we can best serve, but I encourage everyone to find some way to serve others.  I recently started participating in Kairos Prison Ministry and can attest to how rewarding it is and how life changing it is for the prisoners. 

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 24

Greetings!

Roughly 40 years after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, the city of Jerusalem was completely demolished by the Romans.  They had put up with rebellion from the Jews for a long time and finally had enough.  Jesus predicted the destruction in this passage. 

The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. is not mentioned in the Bible, so it is virtually certain that nearly all the books were written before that time.  Matthew lists many prophecies and how they were fulfilled.  It is almost unthinkable that he wouldn’t note the fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction about the temple destruction if it had occurred before this book was written.  Also see When was the New Testament written?  This is an important issue because the more closely something is written to the date of the actual events the more reliable it tends to be. 

Signs of the End of the Age

 1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2“Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

 3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

 4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

 9“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 15“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.

 26“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

 29“Immediately after the distress of those days
   ” ‘the sun will be darkened,
      and the moon will not give its light;
   the stars will fall from the sky,
      and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

 30“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

 32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

Jesus didn’t tell them the specific time of his return.  He had willingly given up that knowledge.   This led some people to think He would be coming back soon.  People have made many predictions about when He will come back, but so far they have been wrong 100% of the time.  If someone claims He is coming back at a specific time then I encourage you to be skeptical.  I always remind people that if I get run over by a bus tomorrow then that will be may own personal “rapture,” so to speak, and I will be judged based on my life and commitment (or lack of commitment) to Jesus.

 36“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

 42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The short version of this is be ready.  Don’t put off deciding whom you will commit your life to.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 23

Greetings,

The “Seven Woes” denounce false religion in the strongest possible terms.  Jesus hammers the Jewish leaders relentlessly.

Seven Woes

 1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

 8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.^[ 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This is a classic case of someone saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  The Pharisees acted in grossly  hypocritical fashion.  As He often did, Jesus turns things upside down and says that if you exalt yourself you will be humbled, but if you humble yourself you will be exalted.

 13“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

 15“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Teaching false doctrines is a sin because it leads people away from the truth.  There are many verses in the Bible emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine. 

 16“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

These leaders focused on the details so much that they even tithed on the spices from their gardens!  However, they ignored major issues such as justice, mercy and faithfulness. 

 23“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

It is much easier to clean up our “outside” – that is, our public behavior – than it is to change our hearts.  But if our hearts change then the behavior will follow. 

 25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

 27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

 29“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!

 33“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

Jerusalem was the capital city of Israel, the land of God’s chosen people.  It should have been the place where people got it right.  But the leaders put their own interests first and committed all sorts of sins. 

 37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 22

Greetings!

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

It was customary at that time to send two invitations to a wedding – one to request someone’s attendance and another to announce that it was ready.  In this story, there are three invitations sent.  Not only do the invitees ignore the extra invitation but they even kill the servants!  This was more than a great insult to the host. 

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

 4“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

 5“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

 8“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

 13“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 14“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

So what is the application?  God is generous in his invitations to us, but one day the opportunities will be gone.  As Hebrews 4:7 says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”  You never know which day will be your last.

The wedding clothes were often provided to guests.  Refusing to wear them would be arrogant and rude.  In this parable, these people are trying to come to God on their terms (bad idea).

Paying Taxes to Caesar

Once again, the Pharisees are foiled in their attempt to trick Jesus.   

 15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

 18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”

 21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
      Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

 22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Marriage at the Resurrection

 23That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24“Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

 29Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

 33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

The Sadducees were another ruling group of Jews along with the Pharisees.  Jesus showed the error of their thinking and He corrected their false doctrine about there not being a resurrection. 

Jesus did not say we’ll be angels in Heaven, just that we’ll be like them in the sense of not marrying.

The Greatest Commandment

 34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

If people were expecting an easy shortcut as to which commands they really needed to follow then this answer must have disappointed them.  Saying to “Love the Lord with all your heart . . .” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” makes it harder, not easier.  Everything we do must be out of genuine love for God and others.  When you realize how hard it is do that perfectly for even 10 consecutive minutes it helps you realize how much you need Jesus’ sacrifice in your place.  Should we aim at keeping those commands?  Yes.  Do we have any hope of doing it?  No way.

Whose Son Is the Christ

 41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”
      ”The son of David,” they replied.

 43He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
 44” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: ”Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ‘ 45If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

This passage makes more sense when understanding that the word Lord is a term of deity in the original Hebrew.  Jesus was turning the tables and asking them questions now and they had no answers.  Also note how Jesus claims that David was speaking by the (Holy) Spirit when he wrote Psalm 110.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 21

Greetings,

The Triumphal Entry

 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
 5“Say to the Daughter of Zion,
      ’See, your king comes to you,
   gentle and riding on a donkey,
      on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ “

 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
   ”Hosanna to the Son of David!”
   ”Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 
   ”Hosanna in the highest!”

 10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

 11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

It was predicted hundreds of years before that Jesus would ride on a donkey.  Of course, this is one of those prophecies that one could fulfill on their own as if reading a script.  But there are so many other fulfilled prophecies that Jesus could not control – where He was born, how He died, the Romans gambling for his clothes, that his legs would not be broken during the crucifixion, etc.

Sometimes people note the fickle nature of the crowds who cheered him on Palm Sunday then yelled for his crucifixion the next Friday.  But it may not have been the same group of people.  Still, think about how our loyalties shift based on circumstances. 

Jesus at the Temple

 12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13“It is written,” he said to them, ” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”

That was not the passive Jesus people are used to.  These money changers did big business with the visiting Jews who needed local currency for payments and/or animals for sacrifices.   His righteous anger resulted in animals being released and tables overturned.

 14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

 16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
      ”Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
   ” ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

 17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

The Fig Tree Withers

 18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

 20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

The fig tree looked good from a distance, but was barren.  I think Jesus was making a commentary on the Israelites.  There is also an application to us if our faith is superficial.

 21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Much has been made of the “mountain moving” comment.  It sure sounds like hyperbole to me.   Jesus ministry wasn’t about moving things around in nature, it was about changing hearts and lives and eternal salvation.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

 23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

 24Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?”

   They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

 27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
      Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Once again the Jewish leaders tried to trick Jesus, but He would have none of that. 

The Parable of the Two Sons

 28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

 29” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

 30“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

 31“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
      ”The first,” they answered.

   Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

“Repent and believe” is the simplest way to explain what is required for salvation.  Repent of your sins and believe that Jesus died for your sins and was raised to life.  It isn’t magic words like, “I will, sir,” but true repentance. 

The Parable of the Tenants

 33“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

 35“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

 38“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

 40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

 41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

 42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
   ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
   the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

 43“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Jesus used this parable to show the leaders that He knew what they were up to with their murderous plot.  Jesus isn’t soft on sin.  He offers mercy and forgiveness now, but one day He will deliver crushing judgment.  Too many preachers and “leaders” leave out that part of the Gospel message.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 20

Greetings!

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

 3“About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5So they went.

   ”He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

 7” ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
      ”He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

 8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

 9“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

 13“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

 16“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

As a pro-capitalism CPA, this story initially confused me.  It just seemed unfair.  But keep in mind that parables typically have one or two key meanings and aren’t meant to work on too many levels.  This is not about rewards, it is about grace.  God freely gives it as He chooses.  We shouldn’t be jealous or critical about who He dispenses grace to; we should rejoice that we get it at all.

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

 17Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

A Mother’s Request

 20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

 21“What is it you want?” he asked.
      She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

 22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
      ”We can,” they answered.

 23Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

They thought they were asking for positions of prestige in an earthly kingdom.  After all, they had witnessed all the miracles Jesus had done.  Surely He would eventually take over soon.  But to be at his right and left would have meant crucifixion.  He told them several times He would be killed, but they were in denial.

 24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What a beautiful and outrageous concept: The God of the universe came to earth not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for you. 

Two Blind Men Receive Sight

 29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

 31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

 32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

 33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

 34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 19

Greetings!

Some people claim that Jesus was silent on homosexual behavior so it must be acceptable.  This is called arguing from silence, and it is poor reasoning because Jesus didn’t specifically mention other evils such as child sacrifice, drunk driving, pedophilia, etc. yet those are obviously wrong.  Also, Jesus is God, so He is the author of all scripture.  He also mentions several times that marriage is to be between one man and one woman.

Divorce

 1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

 4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

 7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

 10The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Jesus’ teaching that divorcing a wife for other than adultery was so shocking to his disciples that they said it is better not to marry!  That shows how hard the hearts of that culture were.

The Little Children and Jesus

 13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich Young Man

16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

 18“Which ones?” the man inquired.

   Jesus replied, ” ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 20“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

 21Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

 22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This story is told in Mark 10 and Luke 18 as well.  Mark also notes that Jesus loved the man. 

 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

 26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 27Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

 28Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

The story of the rich young man is often misunderstood to say that we have to sell everything and give it away to follow Jesus.  But it is important to understand the dialogue between the man and Jesus and to keep reading to see what the context is.

First, note how Jesus started with the Commandments dealing with our relationships with others – don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, etc.  This man almost certainly broke those even though he thought he didn’t (think back to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus points out how unrighteous anger can be considered to break the law against murder and lust breaks the law of adultery).  But Jesus was pointing out that the young man’s real “god” was money.  Jesus wants us to put him first in life – well above family, job, money, etc.

Jesus went on to show how it is impossible for us to follow the Commandments on our own.  He was pointing to the fact that we need a Savior – him!  It is impossible on our own, but with God’s sacrifice of his Son it became possible to be reconciled to God.

Jesus gave the all-time best reasons for believing in the Gospel and portraying what it was really like, yet many people still refused to believe.  Keep that in mind if you share the Gospel and people reject it.  Just be loving, obedient and as accurate as possible and leave the rest to God.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 18

Greetings!

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus’ disciples were very human – just like us.  They didn’t understand his real mission and were concerned with their own status and position. 

 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

 2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was not saying to think like children.  Christianity is a rational religion and we are taught to love God with our minds, to test things and to renew our minds.  John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, “Religion without reason is no religion at all.”

So what was Jesus saying?  The key phrase to me is “whoever humbles himself like this child . . .”  When Jesus said we need to become like children He meant that we needed that kind of humility. 

 5“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

When is the last time you heard a sermon with verse 6? 

 7“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Some skeptics like to point at verses 8-9 and the fact that we don’t cut out our eyes and cut off our hands.  Interestingly, critics of the Bible sometimes take verses far more literally than any fundamentalist preacher ever did.  Jesus was using hyperbole, or extreme exaggeration, of course.  But his broader point shouldn’t be missed: Sin is very serious, and Hell is real. 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

 10“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

 12“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Shepherds were on the lowest rung of society in that culture, yet they would still look after their sheep with care.  How much more so will God go looking for you.  There is a fancy church phrase called “prevenient grace,” which in short means that God is chasing you with his grace.  You just need to turn around. 

A Brother Who Sins Against You

When people sin against us we can handle it the Biblical way or our way.  Sadly, I usually choose my way – either overreacting or ignoring it.  Jesus lays out a model that works, but it takes effort.   

 15“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 18“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

 19“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

This is a powerful parable about forgiveness.  God will forgives us for our countless sins against a perfect and holy creator.  The “ten thousand talents” would have been the equivalent of millions of dollars – something the man could never repay (especially since he would be in jail).  The one hundred denarii was the equivalent of worker’s daily wages.  Will we forgive others for much lesser offenses?

 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

 23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

 26“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

 28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

 29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

 30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

 32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

 35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 17

Greetings!

The Transfiguration

Chapter 16 ended with Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”  That verse sometimes  confounds people because they wonder why Jesus didn’t return before the disciples died.  The problem is solved by reading the passage in context.  This story is also told in Mark and in Luke, and every time it is followed by the story of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain (it was viewed by three of the Disciples).  That is most likely what He meant by saying that some of them would not taste death before seeing him coming in his kingdom.  Read on and see what I mean:

 1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

 6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 10The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

 11Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

We can only imagine how magnificent the transfiguration was to view. 

Once again Jesus predicts his death, though the Disciples didn’t understand it until after the resurrection.  Denial is not a new defense mechanism. 

Moses and Elijah were the two greatest prophets of the Old Testament.  Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt roughly 1,300 years earlier and wrote almost all of the first five books of the Bible.  Elisha was a great prophet of God who did many spectacular things around 900 years before this time.  Their appearance shows that we retain our individual nature upon death.

Peter, impulsive as he was, wanted to build shelters to make this event more permanent.  But this “mountain top experience” was meant for worship and revelation and not to be a permanent state. 

The Healing of a Boy With a Demon

 14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

 17“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

 19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

 20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

V. 20 is always challenging to understand in context, because many prayers don’t get answered.  I may do a prayer series on the 4Simpsons blog sometime.  Some think that since Jesus was just speaking to his Disciples with verses like this and not to broader crowds that it wasn’t a universal statement on prayer.  Other passages on prayer make it clear that the key is to pray in accordance with God’s will.  The closer we get to him and know his will the more effective our prayers will be.  Also, He won’t answer prayers that would ultimately be bad for us.

 22When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

 24After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

 25“Yes, he does,” he replied.
      When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?”

 26“From others,” Peter answered.

   ”Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27“But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

That is an interesting miracle.  Jesus is the King of the universe, so He owes taxes to no one.  But people didn’t understand that, so He didn’t avoid paying the tax.  Peter did have to do his part to get the money.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 16

Greetings!

The Demand for a Sign

Jesus does miracles left and right until the leaders ask him to do it for show.  Then He stops.  Many people say, “If only I could see a miracle then I would believe.”  But the truth is that we could rationalize away any miracle.  All we need is already there is we really seek it.

 1The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

 2He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

 5When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

 7They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

 8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession of Christ

 13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

 14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

 15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

 17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

That is the question we all must answer: Who do we say Jesus is?  Our Lord and Savior, or just a good teacher?  Good teachers don’t claim to be God and claim to forgive sins. 

Jesus Predicts His Death

 21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

 23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Poor Peter – he just got through being complimented for identifying Jesus as the Messiah, then he gets a stern rebuke. 

 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Jesus’ followers knew what it mean to take up one’s cross.  That was a symbol of dragging your cross on the way to being crucified by the Romans.  It was a final humiliation and warning to others. 

V. 26 is a famous and powerful line: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”  Anyone reading this is probably one of the wealthiest 2% of people who every walked the planet.  Yet all our wealth, education and success will mean nothing in eternity if we have forfeited our souls.

V. 28 sometimes  confounds people because they wonder why Jesus didn’t return before the disciples died.  The problem is solved by reading the passage in context.  This story is also told in Mark and in Luke, and every time it is followed by the story of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain (it was viewed by three of the Disciples).  That is most likely what He meant by saying that some of them would not taste death before seeing him coming in his kingdom.  Stick around for chapter 17 and you’ll see what I mean!

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 15

Greetings!

Clean and Unclean

 1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

 3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
 8” ‘These people honor me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me.
 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

 10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ “

 12Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Jesus was not politically correct.  He cared enough to tell the truth all the time.  He did not care if the Pharisees were offended.  He pointed out again that they weren’t really following God, they were just using their power and their man-made rules to do what they wanted.

 13He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

 15Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

 16“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ “

 21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

 25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

 26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

 27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

 28Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

That is a challenging story.  Of course, Jesus knew how it was going to play out.  He was trying to reach the Jews first, but He healed many Gentiles as well.  He was just pointing out that she was not a child of the family.  The Jews used the term “dogs” to describe Gentiles, and Jesus was contrasting that to how He felt about her. 

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

 29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

 32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

 33His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

Did they forget about the feeding of the 5,000?  Were they dropping a hint that Jesus could do that again?

 34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
      ”Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

 35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. 39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 14

Greetings!

John the Baptist Beheaded

 1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

 3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.

 6On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10and had John beheaded in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

John the Baptist endured a grisly death because of a foolish statement by the King.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

This is the first of two recorded mass feedings done by Jesus.  There were 5,000 men, so with women and children the crowd was probably 20,000 or so.  There were twelve basketfuls left over – one for each Disciple. 

 13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

 15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

 16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

 17“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

 18“Bring them here to me,” he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

This is a story you may have heard before.  Peter sometimes gets criticized for being impulsive and for his denial of Jesus the night before his crucifixion, but Peter was the only person besides Jesus to ever walk on water.  He only stumbled when he took his eyes off of Jesus.

 22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

 27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

 28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 29“Come,” he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

 34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 13

Greetings!  This first parable (“a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson”) is one where Jesus explains what it means (starting in v. 18).   He spoke in parables to disguise the message from the Pharisees who had already decided not to believe him (they attributed his powers to Satan). 

The Parable of the Sower

 1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

 10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

 11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: ”Though seeing, they do not see;  though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   ” ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
 15For this people’s heart has become calloused;
      they hardly hear with their ears,
      and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
      hear with their ears,
      understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

 18“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Weeds

The weeds are false teachers and false believers.  The weeds look just like the wheat so it can be hard to tell them apart.  God is merciful in letting them stay.  It reminds me of a good question to ask if people want to know why God doesn’t just remove all evil now: If God removed every element of evil from the world at midnight tonight, where would you be at 12:01? 

 24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

 27“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

 28” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
      ”The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

 29” ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ “

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

 31He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

 33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
   ”I will open my mouth in parables,
      I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

 36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

 37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

 40“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

V. 41 has Jesus (“the Son of Man”) sending out his angels, another claim to his deity.  Angels are mentioned roughly 270 times in the Bible, but they are often misunderstood.  There are fallen angels (Satan and his demons who rebelled against God) and countless other angels who worship God, communicate his messages, carry out his will and protect people.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

 I have heard these passages interpreted two ways, both of which work for me.  One is that Israel or the church is the treasure or the pearl, and Jesus gives up everything to obtain them.  The other is the reverse: Jesus is the treasure / pearl and we should give up everything to follow him.

44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

 45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

 47“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 51“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
      ”Yes,” they replied.

 52He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

This is one of the passages referring to Jesus’ siblings.  Mary was not a perpetual virgin.  Even if Jesus didn’t have brothers and sisters, it would have been sinful for Mary to withhold sex from her husband for their whole marriage.  Sex inside marriage is not a sin.   

53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at him.
      But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 12

Greetings!

Matthew 12

Lord of the Sabbath

 1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees made up a lot of their own rules in addition to what the Bible required.  The disciples weren’t working for profit, they were just picking up grain and eating it.  Israelite law permitted gleaning (gathering grain left by the reapers) as a part of the “welfare” program.

 9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

 11He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

This is one of many examples where Jesus appears to break the Sabbath laws but is just showing the leaders what the laws really said and meant.  Sadly, instead of being overjoyed that the disabled man had regained use of his hand, the Pharisees were angry and plotted to kill Jesus.  Jesus exposed them for not loving God and men at all.

God’s Chosen Servant

Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, including this 700 year old prophecy by Isaiah: 

 15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16warning them not to tell who he was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
 18“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him,  and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
 19He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.   20A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
   till he leads justice to victory. 21In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Jesus and Beelzebub

 22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

 25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

 29“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.

 30“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

The warning in v. 32 often concerns people, for they wonder if they have committed the “unforgivable sin.”  This passage is interpreted a couple ways, but as a rule I believe that if you are worried that you may have committed this sin then you probably haven’t.  God the Holy Spirit is the one who transforms people and brings them to trust in God the Son, so a complete rejection of the Holy Spirit would prevent one from being saved.  The Pharisees were attributing acts of the Holy Spirit to acts of Satan.  Bad idea.

 33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

It is sobering that we’ll be accountable for every careless word we have spoken (not to mention every thought and action).   But the Good News for believers in Jesus is that He already paid the penalty for 100% of our sins.

The Sign of Jonah

The book of Jonah is short but quite fascinating (see the study by clicking on “Jonah” under the categories to the left).  There is a lot more to it than a big fish.  Interestingly, throughout the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Jesus mentions many of the most controversial characters and passages from the Old Testament – Jonah, Noah, the destruction of Sodom, etc.  Some Christians try to claim that those stories are fictional.  But to hold that view is to disagree with Jesus (always a bad idea for a Christian), among other things.

Jesus performed miracles left and right throughout his ministry – until he was asked to do one for show.  God is not a circus animal.  He is still in the miracle business (a miracle being a supernatural act where God steps back into his creation), but He doesn’t do them as part of a game or a silly test. 

 38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

 43“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

 46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus wasn’t being rude to his family (though before his resurrection most of his family didn’t follow him).  He was just pointing out who his real family members were. 

Side note: His mother, Mary, was a great woman and Jesus obviously loved her.  But I saw an otherwise excellent blog post the other day where the author emphatically said that Mary was without sin just like Jesus was.  There are lots of theological problems with this notion, but the short version is that it is simply false and is not supported by Scripture.

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 11

Greetings!

Matthew 11

Jesus and John the Baptist

 1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

 4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

Once again, consider the list of miracles.  These people had usually been blind/lame/deaf since birth, yet Jesus healed them.  Note how “good news is preached to the poor” is listed along with the miracles.

 7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:
 ” ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way before you.’ 11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, but many people didn’t want to hear that.

16“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
 17” ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge
      and you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”

Jesus pointed out the listeners’ hypocrisy: They didn’t like the methods of John the Baptist or Jesus, even though they were quite different approaches.

Woe on Unrepentant Cities

 20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus was referring to Sodom and Gomorrah.  Tyre and Sidon were also wicked cities.  Yet the people of Korazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were considered more wicked for rejecting the Messiah.

Rest for the Weary

 25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

This is one of my all-time favorite passages.  So many people in the world desperately need to hear this.  Try reading it as written, then re-reading it with your named inserted (as in, “Come to me, ______, and I will give you rest).

 28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 10

Greetings!

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

 1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

It is so easy to skim over those words, but think carefully about it: These guys got to heal diseases, drive out demons and raise the dead by themselves!  There is a scary element, though.  Consider that Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Jesus, was one of the twelve and did all these things.  We would have assumed that he was the “real deal,” yet He didn’t truly believe.

 11“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

I love the “shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves” verse.  We shouldn’t sin, but neither do we have to be naive or gullible. 

 17“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Some people think v. 20 means that the Holy Spirit will always tell us what to say.  But keep in mind that these Disciples had been learning from Jesus 24×7 so it wasn’t like they would have been saying things they had never heard before.

 21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

 24“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

 26“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

I used to misunderstand v. 28.  I thought the one who could destroy both soul and body in Hell was Satan.  I was probably stuck with the myth that Satan “owns and operates” Hell.  But the truth is that he won’t want to be in Hell either.  God is the one who can destroy both soul and body.  Wow, I confused God and Satan – that’s pretty bad! 

God knows everything about you – the hairs on your head, your thoughts, your feelings – everything. 

 32“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

 34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
   ” ‘a man against his father,
      a daughter against her mother,
   a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw—
    36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

 37“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

Jesus made a series of powerful statements that show how important it is to put him first.  We are commanded to honor our parents but to love Jesus even more.  When He said to take up our cross and follow him (v. 38) that was a powerful illustration.  That was a reference to criminals who had to carry the crosses that they would be crucified on. 

What passages stood out to you, and why?

Matthew 9

Greetings! 

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

He returned to his “own town,” Capernaum.  I wonder if He knew this man already?   

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

When Jesus asked, “Which is easier: to say . . .,” it was an interesting way to phrase it.  If someone was faking it, of course it would be easier to say “Your sins are forgiven” than “Get up and walk.” One couldn’t prove that sins were forgiven or not, but one could certainly see if the paralyzed man could walk.  But saying, “Your sins are forgiven,” was actually a tougher thing to say because it was claiming to have the power of God. 

The Calling of Matthew

Jewish people hated tax collectors and considered them traitors.  Tax collectors worked for Rome and took advantage of the Israelites.   

 9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

 14Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

 15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

 16“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

 18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

 20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

 22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

 23When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region.

The sick woman could not have participated in worship because of her bleeding (it was part of the laws in the book of Leviticus).  Jesus restored her in more than one way.  It is hard to imagine being sick for that long and then being instantly and miraculously healed. 

Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
      ”Yes, Lord,” they replied.

 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

 34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

The Workers Are Few

 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

I used to reach that passage and assume it just meant to go evangelize the world.  But an author of a magazine article pointed out that He is also saying to ask the Lord of the harvest to send others out as well.  There are some people we want to reach with the Gospel that we may not be able to get to, such as certain family members.   But we can pray for others to be sent and we can be the answer to the prayer of others who want us to reach their loved ones. 

What passages stood out to you, and why?