The Coming One, the Messiah

Matthew 11:3-6
3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

John baptized Jesus, calling Him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; yet he did not see the works Jesus did to show He was the Christ because he was imprisoned. But he heard and sent others to ask Jesus if He was the anointed of God, the Messiah or Christ. Jesus showed the miraculous works as told long ago, and then told the disciples to let John know for certain who He was. We now hear the testimony of those in the Bible and many since then of who He is and what He did to deliver us from death to life. We too can rest assured He is Emmanuel, God come among us to die in our place and rescue us forever!

Drowning in Sin

Matthew 18:6-7 
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

We must not lead others to sin, causing to stumble or offend either by word or example.  Such deserves to be punished, for we then affect another's relation with God as we keep them from Him by sin.  So discipleship and being examples requires us to walk sincerely and the best we can ourselves to minimize our offense to others.

Humble Reception to Conversion

Matthew 18:2-5   
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

We must hear and trust Christ's words as a child heeds and learns by obedience from natural parents in authority.  So we are told to be converted, literally "turned around", hearing and lovingly obeying to follow Him.  This humble attitude of complete trust and reliance kills pride and honors God as we listen and trust (faith means trusting with an active response).  And so we who are His must also receive all those who so respond to Him as He does us as we follow and lead many to His righteousness and rightness. 

Don't Offend in Freedom

Matthew 17:24-27   
24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”  25 He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”  26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

We may be free from obligation in paying religious dues, but Jesus taught not to offend in our freedom, but use what God provides to pay.  Though this is a temple tax, Jesus also compares taxes of kings (nations) here as well, so this truth does apply to our taxes also - "whose inscription / what is written on the money we have?"  It is of the country we live in, so pay to whom it is due and trust God in it. 

To be Betrayed, Killed, and Raised

Matthew 17:22-23   
22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas, but in a sense by all of mankind as well.  We all sinned and fall short of His righteousness.  We all then chose sin over our God and Savior.  Ah, but God's love and mercy brought life from death and forgiveness for our offenses, blotting them out of the courtroom record in eternity!  So we have true sorrow over our sin that led to His crucifixion, yet joy in knowing He died while we were still in our sin - this is amazing grace.

Smallest Seed of Faith

Matthew 17:18-20   
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

When a lunatic (lit., 'moonstruck') child who was overrun by a fallen angel was healed by Jesus, the disciples wondered why they could not make the demon leave as Christ's representatives.  Jesus explained they needed to trust and rely on Him more.  He used this not to have them do miraculous things such as moving a mountain, but to trust Him for the strength in the gospel preaching and serving. 

Repentance and Suffering

Matthew 17:10-13   
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

John came to set the way of repentance before Jesus arrived in the flesh in order to restore the hearts of people to what they were in the before - seeking and set on Him.  But instead most mocked John, yet some heeded the message and turned from sin to seek God again.  So when Jesus began to tell the good news of forgiveness, mercy, and provide the way to be reconciled with the Father (in heaven, not a church position),  He also suffered as we who sincerely follow Him will also.  Let us follow because it pleases God, not lagging behind for a comfortable life without glorifying Him. 

Metamorphosis of Glory

Matthew 17:1-5   
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Jesus was metamorphosised, changed and transformed to show His glory and the glory of the our bodies to come when we rise with Him.  We will reflect God's glory as we stand in His presence at last, reminding us of how it was in Eden when God walked among us!  As we behold His face we are being transformed in ever increasing glory until we see Him at last.  So we must hear the Son and embrace Him now. 

Psalms 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Reward of the Kingdom

Matthew 16:27-28 
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

If we lose the world and gain Christ and His kingdom, then we can rejoice to see His return, confident in His work up to, on, and beyond the cross.  Some will taste spiritual "death" as they suffer forever because they did not gain Christ, but we who have will live forever.  The disciples saw His return from death, and we will see the final rerun and be with Him forever - because we lost our lives for His.

Deny to Follow, Lose to Live

Matthew 16:24-26 
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Bearing witness to the truth as Christ's follower means we must not seek our own pursuits, but His.  We live as crucified with Him, dying to what we would and choosing instead to live for what He tells us in His words of life.  When we so lose ourselves in God, we find everything and more.  What could we ever want to trade for this? 

Propitiation Plan Revealed

Matthew 16:21-23 
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”  23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Jesus said He would suffer from the religious leaders for bearing witness to the truth in Himself they denied, that He would be killed to die for His own, and yet rise from death to life.  This is why He did all this - to pay our sin's weighty price that we could rise from death to eternity without sin's just due.  So we cannot deny the suffering for His name's sake, we cannot deny Him who cannot deny Himself.  We must be mindful of God's things, seeing from His only right perspective. 

Authority of Church's Confession

Matthew 16:18-19   
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

When Peter confessed Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus told him that confession is the foundation of His body, the church of those who truly believe and confess the same.  This church of God, and not an institution of man, is unstoppable because the gospel of he suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be done away with.  God Himself has the keys as the Son, and on earth His kingdom will come.  In Christ the true church has the keys. 

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Matthew 16:13-16   
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Who is Jesus?  Is He just a good man or a prophet?  The Bible clearly says He is the anointed of God, Messiah/Christ, God's own Son.  John tells us He is God come as a man, so He is God among us, Emmanuel.  Peter knew this inside and so confused Him as this Lord of Lords.  If we see Jesus as anyone else but God, we do not truly know Him.  Who do you say the Son of Man is?

False Teaching Creeps In

Matthew 16:8-12 
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus warned of bad teaching, but the disciples did not get the allusion of yeast spoiling the bread.  If we allow bad yeast in the dough, it quickly multiplies and taints the entire loaf.  So if we allow rules of man or religious teachings that contradict what the Bible shows God says, we allow ourselves and the church to become unpalatable.  Our God and His word within us must remain pure, and we must contend earnestly for the faith. 

Discerning Signs or Trusting God?

Matthew 16:1-4   ​
1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Some will look and even demand God give them a visible sign so they can say they have the ability to understand Him, like the "red sky at night, sailors delight" saying we still have.  But Jesus demands we trust Him and take Him at His word, not demanding proof so we can only intellectually get the gospel.  We have the sign of Jesus rising from the dead - how do we reason what we can only accept as true because He said and did so?

His Hand Meets All Needs

Matthew 15:32-34 
32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”  33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”  34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”  And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

Jesus loves us enough to meet our needs (not just unwarranted desires, but deficits).  When we have nothing, He provides from what little we already possess.  By using what we have and multiplying it to meet the needs of others, we experience grace and so run and do not faint.  When we see the impossibility and ask how we can meet so great a need, we only need to look to the Master's hand who alone is able.

Inner Healing by His Stripes

Matthew 15:30-31 
30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  (See Isa 35:4-6; Isa 61:1)

How the many crowded to Jesus to find healing of their bodies and their souls!  He worked the miraculous to show His divine nature, and also spiritual healing by deliverance from sin, often overlooked in the midst of the visible work.  Jesus came to save (Isaiah 35:4).  Too often the gospel is made to appear as just meeting our physical needs, but overlooks the real healing in reconciling us to God with inner healing of the soul.

Humble Crumbs of Faith

Matthew 15:26-28 
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Being needy and worshipping Christ means that we have no second thoughts to humble ourselves.  We see that we deserve not even a crumb from the Master's table, yet eagerly await even one of those from Him.  Jesus told us this is great faith, to trust in anything small we are given.  Do we admit our need and await the undue grace from His table? 

Have Mercy on Lo Ammi

Matthew 15:22-24   
22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”  23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”  24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Jesus came first for His chosen people, but they rejected Him as others were drawn in need and humility to the Savior.  People knowing Him by who He is looked past the religious mold of how Jesus should be to see Him as He is.  And they trusted Him to work in their hearts and lives.  This is a heart of a mother here as well, pleading for her daughter when she seemingly had no right outside of God's people.  But she saw who He was enough to beg mercy anyway.

Clean Heart, Clean Lips

Matthew 15:17-20 
17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

What are some of the things that a heart untouched by God unleashes?  Thinking what is opposed to the good of His word and intentions (evil thoughts), hatred even to murder, lust even to adultery, perversion, stealing, lying, and defaming God (blasphemy).  These all make us unclean before a holy, just, and angry God.  But there is hope! Jesus offers to make us right inside with a new birth, creating us as a new person.  This is not possible by religious acts such as washing of hands, church attendance, tithing, giving to the poor, and all other efforts of our own. 

Blind Leaders Not Planted by God

Matthew 15:13-14 
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

When God calls a man, He waters the roots and holds him fast to the good soil.  Those who plant themselves can't see and lead others to follow them to destruction.  So are those who try to earn their eternal standing with God by their own efforts led by rules of man in the name of God.  What comes from Him is in His word, not added to it by those who give themselves authority; this leads to life by the truth found in the only way, Jesus Christ - He alone justifies and reconciles us. 

God Looks at the Heart

Matthew 15:10-12 
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”  12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

God sees our hearts.  We can hear and see disturbing things and others can do their best to wrongly influence each of us, but it comes down to what we allow to grow in our heart.  Out of what we store there comes what we think, believe, and feel.  Here the religious leaders were offended because the status quo was upset on the hidden sin that came out in unloving and God dis-honoring actions and words.  They could not hide behind religious rules covering God's anymore.  Jesus and His word reveal what lies within; we must be transformed by these.

Words Must Match Heart

Matthew 15:2-3, 6-8 
2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?   6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  8‘ These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

Tradition.  When our ways are no longer God's, done from a good heart and conscience for His glory above all else, then we have missed the mark. His commands take precedence over our ways, even though some traditions which do honor Him are good.  Why we do what we do and how it aligns with His words makes the difference.  Let our hearts be close to Him in this, not far from Him.

Made Perfectly Well in Christ

Matthew 14:35-36 
35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

When Jesus came to an area, people knew they could be made well.  They immediately would tell everyone to come and be healed, even by just touching His clothes, the mere edge of who He was, by faith.  So we too come just to be near Him, and are made perfectly well in our souls.  It is not about the physical healing, but the position and relationship with God that is at stake here.  Jesus suffered and died to bring us to God, healing the broken spirit within each of us who trust and so follow Him.

Truly He is Son of God!

Matthew 14:32-33 
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God (Ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ)." 

When we trust God and all He says by seeing the truth as shown us by His accurate word and living Spirit of help, then we trust and can also echo the followers of Jesus by saying He really is the Son of God.  Nobody else could do what He did - God alone controls the universe, and can command it at will.  So we know we can trust Him with our lives.

Faith to Walk on Water

Matthew 14:28-31 
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”  31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Do we have faith as Peter, jumping in to follow Jesus wherever He is and goes, only to immediately doubt and falter?  Or do we learn from those examples and encouraging promises that we can trust Him fully, and can follow in situations that seem impossible?  We can choose to doubt or trust as we follow.

God Walked Among Us

Matthew 14:22-27
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

Jesus gave the example after ministering to many to then go and pray, to talk with God our Father. Here He sent the disciples on ahead while He dispersed the others, telling them He would catch up with them. But how He did that - walking on the lake - troubled the disciples who still did not understand that God walked among them (Emmanuel). There is no fear, but peace, in knowing God in this way. This is good news!

True Manna from Heaven

Matthew 14:16-20
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.

Jesus was moved with compassion on those lost without a shepherd, not only to heal broken bodies but also to feed hungry souls. He spoke to them of the kingdom (Luke 9:11) and fed them of Himself as manna from heaven in the wilderness. Jesus ministered to the whole person and did it because He loved us so. So they ate and it satisfied their bodies and souls, and there was enough left for each of His disciples also. We can learn much on serving here (see Mark 10:45 also).

God's Power at Work

Matthew 14:1-2
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

Herod thought that Jesus' power was from man - a dead man come back to life after he had him put to death. The reality is that Jesus is God come back from the dead by His own power, not a ghost or walking dead but a living God and Savior. Even now people see Him as a man, whether prophet or gifted, but fail to see clearly that God was among us as a man. Knowing who He is makes all the difference, for only a perfect man (who was also therefore God) could live perfectly and so die in our place to justify us before a holy and righteous Judge.

Wisdom and Power, Glory and Honor

Matthew 13:54-58
54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ... 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Those who see Jesus as just a man think He is just another Joe from next door, and so question how He could ever do things only God can do. His wisdom and power cannot be reconciled as just a man, so they take offense. God chooses not to do many great things when people do not take Him at His word. Such lack of faith would not be moved by great miracles nor by deep wisdom alone. So we preach Christ crucified, even when a stumbling block to wisdom and miracle seekers.

Scribes of the New and Old

Matthew 13:51-52
51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Understanding parables means we need to see how all of God's word fits together. The Old Testament is revealed in the parables and other New Testament books. Jesus told His followers to then dig into the Scriptures to unearth those treasures hidden before and revealed now. We have the Spirit to give understanding now, just as the disciples had Jesus in flesh in front of them then. He teaches us all things as we study to show ourselves approved and seek old and new things from cutting the word straight. So we teach others as we make disciples.

He Will Separate Wicked and Just

Matthew 13:47-50
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

God will gather everyone in the end together from every part of the world, but then they will be separated between good and bad for the kingdom - those made just and righteous by Christ, and those left as wicked from birth who have rejected the good news of the kingdom and remain in their sin. The fires of torment are real and, though made for the devil and the fallen angels, those who remain unrighteous in the end will go from net to the fire... People do not want to be accountable to God and deny this as hate speech, but love compels us to warn and offer reconciliation.

Kingdom Treasures

Matthew 13:44-46
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Do we find that the kingdom found through Jesus Christ is so precious that we are willing to give all we have, even our very lives, to gain it? Have we sold all we own to buy that most precious possession of God Himself? Or do we choose to hold to the things that fade away, rusting and rotting, until we are left with nothing of lasting value... If we truly count the cost, we will run after the eternal.

God's Seed and World's Weeds

Matthew 13:37-43
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

When Jesus had to explain the parable of the sower, His followers heard the war for men's souls. God's word, the good news of Jesus Christ, is what our enemy is doing all to keep from us so we are kept from God as he is - we have a chance to be reconciled, and he does not. So we sow seed and pray that many will be washed clean and made righteous in this truth war.

Parables of Foundational Truth

Matthew 13:33-35
33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Yeast spreads of its own accord in dough, softening and making it palatable. So God's word works by His Spirit in the regenerated, filling him out as he ought to be - and not by his own power. God's kingdom within us is moved by Him; we must keep in step by obedience, but He enables the conquest of our rebellious nature. This "mystery" as shown in a parable is only understood when we are given ears to hear. When we are made new, we can grasp these as He works within us.

Smallest Seed of Faith

Matthew 13:31-32
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

God's kingdom begins with the smallest seed of realization of His reconciling grace shown in mercy by Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. That faith, when rooted deep in Him by His word, fills the life as it grows until the Kingdom is seen on earth within His people. Then there is refuge for others to nest in as well by His word in that tree of life passed on as disciples are made. All this is from the seemingly smallest of seeds given as the greatest gift from above.

Wheat to Eat, Tares to Burn

Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ... 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’... 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The enemy plants religious people among God's who appear the same from the outside, and can even act the same by using the well known words and phrases as a chameleon uses color to fit in. But in the end, those God calls are as wheat for an eternal harvest, while the imitation in he midst of the church are burned as weeds. Time grows shorter, so examining yourself to be certain where you stand in grace and faith in Christ alone is essential when eternity is at stake.

Receive Implanted Word to Save the Soul

Matthew 13:19-23
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Does God's word find receptive and fertile ground in our hearts, and does it take root to bear fruit as His chosen are called by faith to do (Ephesians 2:10)? This parable spells out our responses, and only those who are cut to the heart and receive it, planting Gospel seed deep inside and fertilizing with obedience (active faith, not just assent) grow and bear fruit to God in the kingdom. Ears to hear and feet to follow fully.

Why Parables?

Matthew 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Jesus goes further to explain how He used parables to speak to those chosen to hear, while those rejecting Him could not grasp the truth. Blinded eyes and deafened ears clouded their spirits, but the things sought over the years by study and effort could only be realized when given as a gift by God's good will through faith in what He shows. People seek great wisdom or miracles, but Jesus pointed to Himself as truth. We need to come as a child who is told that truth and receive it as such with opened eyes.

The Sower's Crops

Matthew 13:3-9
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Jesus often used stories that veiled deeper meaning which only those seeking Him could grasp the real significance of. The parable of the sower here is one often debated even among those who identify as His followers today. It was a common scene of a farmer planting seed, but the lesson and truths told under its surface needed ears able to listen from the spirit and heart.

His Blood is Thicker Than Water

Matthew 12:47-50
47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

If we follow Jesus Christ, we are His family. Even Jesus pointed out that relationship was more important than that of blood. So when natural family turns against us because of Christ, we should rejoice in knowing that we do what He says and follow Him as His children, loved first and forever. His blood that bought us is stronger than the water we were born in. In this way, blood is "thicker than water."

Put Off Sin, Put On Christ

Matthew 12:43-45
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

If we only have the repentance of John, saying no to sin but not going further to yield to Christ coming in as Spirit, then we only prepare ourselves for more evil. Repenting from dead works must be followed by faith in Jesus Christ so we may be reborn and have His Spirit come live in us forever. If not, our last state is worse with unregenerate ritual cleansing surrounding a filthy and unrepentant heart within. We fool ourselves, but not God nor the Enemy.

Sign of Jonah, Resurrection

Matthew 12:38-41
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Why do so many demands signs and wonders to believe? Because they do not take God at His word with faith as moved spiritually by God Himself. So they need Jonah to come after 3 days by the mouth of a fish to turn from sin to God - yet even Nineveh listened; Jesus was 3 days dead and people still want more. What is needed is hearing, being cut to the heart, repenting, and trusting to be reconciled in Jesus Christ to God.

Tree Known by its Fruit

Matthew 12:33-37
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

What we say and do does matter; though we are saved by grace through faith alone, we are called out to be conformed to Christ. The Pharisees looked only to checklists, not the underlying heart motivating their actions. We must work on the heart by obedience out of love, and He will enable us to change by His working in us. But we must continue to obey in word and deed, driven by grace and mercy. Let no one mislead you - we will stand before our Lord to answer for our lives.

Unforgivable Sin: Against Son and Spirit

Matthew 12:31-32
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:24. Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

If you do not have eyes opened to know Jesus and attribute God's work in Him as satan's, you blaspheme God's Spirit working truth. So, never coming to Christ, you will not be forgiven in eternity. To avoid this, let Him call you and be saved from God's justice and wrath due to us all apart from Christ. If you are truly His, you can then not do this and need not worry about the unpardonable sin.

He Knows Our Thoughts

Matthew 12:25-30
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

If we are with God, we stand on the winning side of the One defeating our adversary both now and in eternity with the final swing of the sword from His mouth. Those fighting against Christ are not His, and lose their souls, but we do not scatter but fight with Him against every thought set against.

Blaspheming God

Matthew 12:22-24
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

When Jesus did what seemed impossible by freeing a man to be able to see and speak, some wondered if He was the promised one of God. The religious leaders quickly said it was of the devil, fearing for their own power and authority. They ignored what the finger of God was doing before their eyes since they did not do it, and so blasphemed God in His presence. They thought they could see, but proved they were blind themselves.

Justice and Trust

Matthew 12:16-21
16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. ... 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

Isaiah 42:7 To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

Jesus came to bring justice through trust (faith) in Himself as the way to God. Yet He did not go about with banners and heralds declaring who He is or what He was doing - He instead humbly and directly spoke and worked the words and works of God in our midst. He was bringing trust in Him to the nations, to open our blind eyes and resume us from the prison of sin's dark trap and the sentence of execution due all by just wrath. He came to set us free.

Christ Restores Us

Matthew 12:11-14
11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Those who live by man's rules of religion miss God's truth and purpose. Here men actually tried to test God by twisting the purpose of His law, but Jesus brought out the goodness of God's intended meaning and application - to bring healing and wholeness out of compassion and love. It was not to rigidly (and wrongly) apply the law with their own interpretation and additions. We must judge with righteous judgement to see wisdom justified by her children as it is written..

Lord of the Sabbath and Temple

Matthew 12:5-8
5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus set us free from the slavery to the Law, for the Law could only teach through "do this and do not do that" that we always fall short of God's perfection. So Jesus justifies and makes us righteous where following rules could never do. But by His Spirit within us, as reborn from death to life, we now can be conformed to Him with the Law in our hearts, motivating us where following rules in outward attempts always fails in the end.

Rest for the Soul

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When we cease working to know and please God in order to be saved, we find grace looking through mercy's eyes justifying us forever in Jesus Christ. The yoke of "slavery" to righteousness is nothing compared to the bondage of sin, death, and hell. Jesus not only paid our price to ransom us back, He also rose from the dead to defeat the eternal consequence of sin. What a light burden we carry compared to what He bore on the way to the cross and the painful death there - yet we count it all joy seeing the empty tomb!

Christ's Will Saves Us

Matthew 11:25-27
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

God has hidden away in Christ all He has from those who think they can reason Him out or uncover all His plans. The wisdom of people in our time has been seeking a "God particle" to answer all things, but they miss the One in whom all things hold together, Jesus Christ. Only Christ, who has all authority, can reveal what is hidden to us - including Himself, so the only way to God the Father is Jesus Christ. As little children we must come to Him, trusting no other, and find wisdom in our helplessness.  Christ's will alone saves us.

Judgment and Mercy

Matthew 11:20-24
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ... 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

God owes us judgement, but offers forgiveness and mercy. He demonstrated who He is by the power and authority behind all the miraculous works He did while walking this earth toward the cross. To think that if He had showed these things to past cities - even Sodom destroyed utterly by fire - that even they would have repented and turned from rebellious sin against their Creator and Lord. So we do well to tell the good news of Christ laying down His life to buy us back from destruction and bring us from darkness into His marvelous light! This is why we celebrate His death and resurrection. This is a Good Friday of suffering a cruel death to heal us inside by those stripes.

Wisdom Justified

Matthew 11:16-19
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Many will not hear God's word because they don't hear what they want to hear. Unless the one speaking for God aligns the messages to dance to the world's tune of anti or extra-biblical teaching, we are not playing along with them. But true wisdom is validated by the eternal outcome - is what is said or written by men true according to God's word (all of it), and does it glorify God? Wisdom then brings peace from God.

Jesus Speaks after Prophets

Matthew 11:10-13
10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Hebrews 1:1-2.
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

John pointed to Jesus as he pointed to the sin of men needing repentance. Prophets came before and were killed to stop God's words from being spoken, but the Prophet who is God's Word in flesh has spoken once for all. And we in Him are "greater" than the prophets without the living hope of Christ in is and His message we now carry.

The Coming One, the Messiah

Matthew 11:3-6
3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

John baptized Jesus, calling Him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; yet he did not see the works Jesus did to show He was the Christ because he was imprisoned. But he heard and sent others to ask Jesus if He was the anointed of God, the Messiah or Christ. Jesus showed the miraculous works as told long ago, and then told the disciples to let John know for certain who He was. We now hear the testimony of those in the Bible and many since then of who He is and what He did to deliver us from death to life. We too can rest assured He is Emmanuel, God come among us to die in our place and rescue us forever!

Reject or Receive Christ?

Matthew 10:40-42
40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

We who are Christ's are His ambassadors, speaking as His little children the message of reconciliation to those who will listen and hear. Those receiving us for Christ in us (certainly not for ourselves alone) are honored by God for hearing His word and serving us as they would Him - even by giving a cup of refreshing water when we are parched. The opposite holds true, too. If they reject us as we speak the truth of the gospel and mistreat us in His name, they will be further accountable.

Lose Life for the Worthy Cross

Matthew 10:38-39
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

If we follow Jesus, we must be also willing to bear our rejection even unto a cruel death on a tree, carrying that on our shoulders - to death also if necessary, knowing life will come from the grave. We are only worthy of the suffering and death in the sense that we are willing to so be treated for His sake in offering the gospel of reconciling forgiveness to others. We do not earn good standing, but respond with our called "duty" out of love (Luke 17:10), becoming as Him to bring Jesus to the lost. So we lose this life to find life unending.

Peace With God, Not on Earth

Matthew 10:34-37
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man's enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Do we love God above all others, even when it means no peace? This is especially difficult when your own parents or siblings are against Christ. But Jesus told us this would happen, and it shows that those set against Him can be anyone - including those closest to us. But we are worthy of the one who saved us, buying at the price of His Son, and so put living for and following after Him first. This is difficult yet the burden can be light when we keep in step with our Lord.

Confession vs. Denial

Matthew 10:32-33
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

We must openly acknowledge Jesus Christ as God's Son and savior to others, no matter the reaction or consequence. Denying is rejecting by definition and by result. Do we want to face God at time's end in shame or in joy of honoring and magnifying our creator and majestic Lord? To count any suffering here as joy in this light of eternity and sovereignty is essential.

Every Hair is Numbered

Matthew 10:28-31
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We are to fear God, not any created being - including satan or the fallen angels/demons. God holds us in His hand and keeps us, so our reverence and fear for Him alone must bring us to the point of mercy and grace for a secure eternity while fearing His displeasure. We walk about this life by faith, trusting Him in absolutely everything. Knowing He watches over us and values us so, how can we not live for Him alone?

Called Out to Follow

Matthew 10:24-26.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

We who have been called out are to become like Jesus; this means we also will be called evil (as an example when we say Jesus is exclusive), and some will be very angry at our message and lifestyle. But in the end there is nothing to fear because He not only keeps our souls, but also will reveal our hearts' motives and the unseen that we endure for the truth in following Him. Therefore we do not lose heart.

Endure to the End

Matthew 10:21-23
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

God gives us the words to speak, but many are opposed to the gospel because they are exposed as sinners who are guilty before an angry God, sitting in His judgment. So those of our own families will fight us, but our Father in heaven is greater. So He will keep those who are His till the end, and we must go to the end with this good news of forgiveness unearned so others who hear the call may be freely reconciled to God in Christ. But many will not hear, even in Israel as Jesus told the disciples here, so the work will go until He comes.

God Gives Wisdom to Speak

Matthew 10:19-20
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Acts 4:8-13
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ... 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

As we go into the packs of wolves, we rely on God living in us to give the right words to speak the gospel. We point to the Jesus we are with for their deliverance from the justice levied against sin as He speaks through us using the scriptures we know and the words He provides.

Sheep, Wolves, Serpents, Doves

Matthew 10:16-18
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

We are in a world set against Jesus Christ. Guilty and under judgement, those refusing to humble themselves before Him instead fight against all that is His - including us. We will be persecuted in various ways, but it is for His name's sake. We testify in words and actions to His mercy and grace in the face of justice's reward coming due. So we must be keenly aware of the devices of our enemy and all his minions, yet harmless in our love and lack of judgment. God and His word have already judged the world. We are ambassadors of Christ and His gospel, not executioners or manipulator so. So we speak truth in love, aware of what is going on.

Peace Given or Dust Left

Matthew 10:12-15
12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

The apostles went house to house, city to city to bring good news of Christ and His kingdom - and without pay. They either prayed peace on those they stayed with or not, depending on either their response or reception of God and Christ's message. For those rejecting the message, they were testified against by outwardly shaking dust off the feet that travelled to bring them God's precious words. This let them know God's judgement remained on them, having denied His mercy and grace.

Authority to Preach

Matthew 10:1, 5-8
1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ... 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

The authority Jesus gave to the apostles, His 12 disciples, was to tell God's chosen people that His kingdom is come. God brought it down before us, and proof of that message was in the power over the curse to include disease and possession. But the message behind the signs was their purpose - to show the authority of Jesus and so His followers as the kingdom's ambassadors. We are His ambassadors to call men to be reconciled to God.

Few Laborers, Plentiful Harvest

Matthew 9:36-38
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

After Jesus healed many with the gospel and in their bodies, He was moved for the many who were lost without God, starving for Him and sick in spiritual starvation. He then called His close followers to pray for more workers to go to the fields and gather the harvest - Jesus was drawing men to Himself and needed people to go tell the gospel to reap what God had sowed.

Never Seen Before!

Matthew 9:33-35
33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

When Jesus healed people, He set them free from darkness and pain - but all was to tell them of the good news of God's kingdom. The gospel of His deliverance from sin was only highlighted by the physical; that is what proved His authority over life and death. He came to give life unending, and not to just make everyone physically well.

Do You Believe He Can Save?

Matthew 9:27-30
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”

Though the blind men could not see Jesus with their eyes, they were drawn to Him and knew as the Messiah that they could see by His power and authority. Jesus told them that they could see according to their faith; they trusted He could give them sight, and so they could see. He opens eyes that seem to be working, giving true sight by faith in Him as the gospel touches hearts, souls, spirits, and minds.

Faith Makes Us Well

Matthew 9:21-22
21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

Looking to Jesus the Christ brings wholeness in the soul, and sometimes in the body. Here Jesus allowed the healing to demonstrate His power and authority as Lord, and our requirement of faith to trust God can do all things. Do we want forgiveness and healing inside? Then step out from the crowd to exercise the faith given as we trust Him more. We cannot rely on others to follow Him, it must be our own feet we drive by trust as we step out in faith.

Death to Life

Matthew 9:18-19, 25-26
18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. ... 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.

Jesus and all He did was known by all in the areas He went; even rulers worshipped Him, somehow knowing as the Son of God that He was divine. What mere man could raise the dead? Faith knows Jesus is God among us, that nothing is too hard for Him (Jer.33:3), and comes to bow before Him for answers and life itself. Do we arise and follow Him?

New Vessels of Mercy in Grace

Matthew 9:16-17
16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

When we are made new creatures, it is as if we have new clothes - and we cannot put on pieces of our old life. It will only lead to ruin. Just as old brittle wine containers cannot hold new wine that expands to break them, so we must keep new life in changed vessels of mercy and grace.

Sinners Called to Repentance

Matthew 9:11-13
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus did not die for self-righteous people. He died for those who acknowledge they are sinners, the ones He calls out and so hear the Shepherd's voice and live. Those who think they are well enough to earn God's favor ignore the sin passed from Adam to them, supposing they are not part of the "one righteous, no not one." So Jesus calls those who hear, who know by grace and faith from God that they are all sinners, and so come and repent of their soul sickness. He is the Great Physician.

Healing of Sins Forgiven

Matthew 9:2-8
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Jesus forgave sins when He healed; it was not about the physical healing (that was to show He was the Messiah with the power only God possesses), but about reconciling and restoring sinners to God. Bit when He spoke a word and healed this man, it seems the people were more awestruck by the man walking than the power to forgive sins. Today many make this same error, not focusing on the real miracle of salvation.

Demons Must Obey Christ

Matthew 8:29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

The demons, disobedient and fallen angels, had to obey Jesus' authority. They do not see or know everything as God does, so they assumed that their judgment was coming early or that they would be tortured in judgement ahead of time as if it were Judgment Day. They knew God before them and trembled in fear.

Save the Perishing

Matthew 8:25-27
25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Why do we fear in danger as the waves of circumstance rise up and threaten to wash us overboard? Our Lord has everything in absolute control, for He is King of kings and Lord of lords - nothing is too hard for Him. Truly we need to trust in any storm of life that He is able. Faith looks to Jesus' call for all to obey His word, not living in fear.

Die to Self and Follow Him

Matthew 8:19-22
19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

When Jesus calls a man to follow, He calls him to die. We are bought at such a price, and may have nothing to hold to in this life when we give up all to that call. We cannot hesitate to take care of family business, or seek enough in houses or riches. Our all must race toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ. He knows what we need and we have it from Him; why run after things without a reward?

Fulfilled Prophecy Identified Christ

Matthew 8:16-17
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

1 Peter 2:24. who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Jesus healed to prove who He is, not to set a pattern for us to do the same. Peter (whose mother-in-law was just physically healed of a fever) says this plainly in 1 Peter 2:24 by quoting also from Isaiah as Jesus did here, showing the intent was healing of our souls from sin so we could live for Him (righteousness). By His stripes we are healed, forgiven and reconciled.

Trust God's Work in Christ

Matthew 8:7-13 
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Faith. It is taking God at His word in Jesus Christ and relying completely on His ability to do exactly what He says He can do. This leader of a hundred knew authority and knew God's authority over even death. So he asked for help and trusted it was entirely in God's power to answer if He was willing. Do we have such faith, not blind but knowing with certainty?

He is Willing, We are Cleansed

Matthew 8:2-4
2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The testimony of the healed man to the religious leaders was done in accordance with the law, so they could say nothing evil of him or Him. Yet most still did not believe when the finger of God in Christ was among them. Jesus proved over and again by His actions and miracles that only God could do, and so proved just who He was. By faith many were made well, inside their souls as well as in their bodies. By His stripes we can be healed in our sinful souls by mercy and grace.

Astonishing Authority!

Matthew 7:28-29
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

When Jesus taught, every word came from God Himself - He had the authority of the Almighty, and people listening heard this. They were astonished that one who appeared to be another religious teacher was not giving opinions or options, but absolute truth with the associated consequences in what He spoke. The scribes learned and taught, but it was as our modern university degrees, teachings from man to man. The words Jesus spoke are from God, and so we are taught by Him in order to teach others now. Or at least, this is what we should be doing.

Sure Foundation

Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Without Jesus Christ as our foundation of rock, we cannot weather the storm of judgment to come upon the world and all in it. If we get the justice all have coming, there is no hope - but He paid the price once for all. That is the only sure foundation we can build on. The philosophy of men, science, reasoning, and other "gods" are only shifting sand with no absolute form to hold us up. So do we do and build upon the sayings Jesus spoke of, the only way and truth and life?

Lord, Lord, Or Know Him?

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Do we do God's will, starting with Him drawing us, giving faith as grace to hear and respond to the gospel, not as our will or another's by a rote prayer? And having been reborn, do we then do His will by trusting and obeying out of love and thanksgiving for the unearned grace, keeping in step with His Spirit in us? We can cry His name out, but does He have our whole heart, mind, and soul as we follow with all the strength we are given? All the "great" things we do for Him mean nothing without reconciliation to Him and living for Him.

Sheep's Clothing or True Fruit?

Matthew 7:15-20
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

When someone gets popular as a television evangelist or has many best selling books and DVDs, we must ask why. Often there is false teaching that tickles the ears, promising what we get from God, not what we should give Him and walk by faith with Him. What is the fruit of their work? Is it honoring to God? We will know them by heir fruits, not their suits and smooth words.

Narrow Way is Christ Alone

Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

How truly narrow is the way to life; it is only in Jesus Christ, not in a prerequisite set of rules or organized church or other organizations. He is the gate as we see in John 10, and we must be enabled to hear His voice to find the gate to enter. We cannot climb over the wall or go some other way to God - it does not exist. Those attempting to go through a wide entrance outside of Jesus Christ only walk into their own destruction which they have been headed to their entire life. Few find the gate and go in and out to find pasture, feeding on all the goodness God offers.

Good Gifts, Golden Rule

Matthew 7:9-12
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

In contrast to fallen sinful men, God always gives good gifts, either the right things asked for or something even better. Men will try to not give what takes too much from them, give the opposite out of spite, or not much at all. God's grace, His great unearned gift of His Son, should always be in the front of our minds to give the best to others as we would like to see them give to us. Jesus is the ultimate gift and our example.

Ask, Seek, Knock (A.S.K.)

Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

We have not when we do't ask, yet we also ask selfishly and don't receive as James wrote. If we are asking for the things to glorify God, we should persevere in prayer, continuing to ask God, not giving up seeking for the right things, and knocking at His door at the throne of grace. He answers such sincere persistent prayer when we seek His kingdom and righteousness above all else. So we do not lose hope and press on in communion with our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Casting Pearls or Peas?

Matthew 7:6.
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

It is thought that small pearls that look like peas would attract swine to try to eat, but finding them inedible would turn in anger to attack the one deceiving them. Just like throwing holy meat from the temple sacrifice which was to be offered to God, giving what is God's to those opposed to the Gospel leads to anger by some who cannot understand. And they turn to attack. Wisdom then is being sensitive to God's Spirit when wariness is needed, and boldness in the face of attacks when they come.

Speak Truth, Don't Speck It

Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

If we are to speak truth in love to help our brother, then we need to first look inside to cut down the trees in us of the forest we see in another. We can see clearly in a matter when we ourselves are doing our best before God to do the same thing right ourselves. Humility must fuel our love and concern when we help, not accuse, our brother.

Reliance not Worry

Matthew 6:31-34
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Relying on God also means that we do not run after the things we "need," but rest in knowing as we seek Him and to be conformed to Christ in daily choices, that we will have our true needs met. Worrying about if we have enough in the future will only fog our gaze into His wonderful face. As we pray "[let] Your kingdom come," let His will be done in us by being about His kingdom's work.

Cannot Serve Two Masters

Matthew 6:24-25
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Do we allow our worry about finances and making a living so much that we love the money and things it buys, losing sight of the One who supplies it all? Why worry about things that do not last at the expense of those that are eternal? If we choose to rely on God's promised goodness to meet our needs (not satisfy wants which have no end), we will have the necessities, and all else is grace on top. He must get the glory from our lives, we need not try to seek our own.

God's Light in the Eye

Matthew 6:22-23
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

If our eye is good, focused singly on the one thing (the good that God says) and not divided in its focus, then we walk rightly and see clearly (righteously). But if the eye is set on evil, not on God and His kingdom and righteousness, then what could be illuminated is darkened completely. To not know and follow Christ is like groping around in the dark of a deep cave, not seeing the walls nor the way out. But when He calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light, how great indeed is that sight in the light!

Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Do we accumulate possessions that have no eternal value? Whatever we value is what we hold onto and collect; but in the end, it crumbles away or is taken by others (in life or in death). But the eternal things do not burn up or rot away - nobody can take away these. Ultimately our heart reflects what we fill it with, whether precious things or wood, hay, and straw that is consumed in the end. Do we truly hold dear the things the Lord values, the ones that glorify, honor, and please Him?

Fasting Before God

Matthew 6:16-18
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

If we fast to draw closer to God or work through some decision or situation, it should be a matter before God and not something to impress others with. The example here is to keep up personal hygiene to not gather sympathy or to show faux holiness, keeping it an internal spiritual matter with God. He is the rewarder, and pleasing Him in humility while we do justly and love mercy is key.

Forgive to be Forgiven

Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This tells us that God fully expects us to do as He does with us. So we must love others as ourselves. There are consequences when we refuse to forgive after He has forgiven us all in Christ for our sin deserving justly to be punished. But we do not forgive others just to be forgiven because of this, but because the second greatest commandment shows the change within should be resulting in love for others, and we can only love this way knowing and experiencing His love for us. This goes against our fallen nature, but is an essential mindset for action as we walk in step with His Spirit living in us.

Honor and Glorify God in Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

To honor God in prayer we must begin with confessing who He is, praising His name as the one above all others. We should not ask for how we want things to change or our view of the results, but that God's planned will is brought to fruition. We ask to not go in need and to be forgiven as we continue to fall short - knowing others do so to us and forgiving them as well. We ask to be kept from the wiles of the devil and our own fallen flesh, and tell Him we bow to His absolute authority in all things. Let it be so.

Hypocritical or Sincere Prayer?

Matthew 6:5-8
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

We pray to God to honor Him and seek His will, not to impress others that we pray or how "great" we do this. Prayer is primarily between us and God, and honoring Him allows Him to honor us and answer according to His will and timing. So we must not ritually pray with empty words over and over, but with trust that He is good and faithful. So is His answer, knowing our actual needs are already known.

Do Good Before God Alone

Matthew 6:1-4
1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

This is what Jesus taught us - to do good for others, not for ourselves. If we want others to pat us on he back, give awards, or congratulate us on the good we do for charity, that is the sum of what we earn. If we take no notice to what we do, just moved by meeting needs and not the value of the deeds, we find favor with God who died for us when we were yet sinners..

Perfectly Love Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ... Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Today the Scriptures show how we all fail in this, but still are compelled to go in this direction - to not hate ones who hate us, but do good instead. And to pray for those who slander (insult, slander: use despitefully, falsely accuse, harass) and persecute (pursue in a negative sense) us. This is not the easy narrow road, but the one of completeness or the end goal of growth we are called to nonetheless. We are to be like Jesus, but we are so unlike Him still; so we must not give up, but press on to that goal at the race's end as Philippians tells us.

Not an Eye for an Eye

Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Vengeance is for God to handle when He passes justice's sentence on the world at its end. For us, yielding to the merciful grace of forgiveness as He forgave us is the way to live rightly. Jesus gave the examples of taking insult and stealing what we need or value. But He went further to say we should not just respond well, but also give willingly of both our treasure and time. This is not easy for us since we are born in sin, but with regeneration we find the help and strength to do so.

Do Not Swear

Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your “Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

We are not to make empty promises, nor trust in our ability to shape events or others. Instead we must say yes we will do this or no we will or cannot, that some thing is true or false. Frivolous promises, especially attaching God's name to them to add false weight when He is not behind it, these are empty and offensive to Him and do not help others. We should say, if the Lord wills we will do this or that. Empty oaths swearing to things we will not or cannot do are in our own effort; God does not promise to back us in them.

Divorce of the Fallen

Matthew 5:31-32
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Human nature - fallen, self serving, and opposed to God's will - gravitates to sin. Here divorce became as it is now again, for convenience or some other contrived reason. Giving a piece of paper to end a covenant apart from this is sin. Jesus told us that only a breaking of that covenant could justify divorce to break it. Man and wife, a man with a woman, are to be intimate in heart and flesh. Sexually and in sexual thoughts and desires, they are only to cleave to each other. Going to another breaks that. But the holiness of purity in thought and deed is what He calls us to.

Sin Begins in the Heart

Matthew 5:28-30
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Sin of all kinds begins in the thoughts and intents of the heart, which is "desperately wicked," as we are told. So the extreme phrases here telling us it is best to stop sin at the source, at the eye that takes things in and makes them twisted from God's design, and at the source of the hand that reaches to take and misuse what is not ours in ways not pleasing to Him. Without reconciliation in Christ, we all justly deserve what sin earns for us. Hell. Separation from God in torment.

Reconcile Before Worship

Matthew 5:23-26
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

When we have offended a brother and they hold it against us, whether due to our anger (as in the previous verses) or for another wrong we have done, God does not want our gifts of worship or other service. He wants the second commandment of love for our neighbor, seeking what is best for him. Once reconciled, we are welcomed by Him. This extends to being taken to court as well - settle before going to the judge, reconciling, or face what is due. Do we so seek love for God and others?

Anger is Murder

Matthew 5:21-22
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

Ephesians 4:26-27
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

Psalms 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

Murder begins in the thoughts and intents of the heart as anger, and indeed the anger itself is murder. So we are all guilty of murder from within if we do not deal with anger that the adversary revels in. As David said, we should stop and think over what and why we are angry at another, calming and not acting spitefully to others in return - but rather giving the anger and the situation to God, finding peace and humility in Christ. This is never easy, but essential.

Law Fulfilled in Christ to Follow

Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus did not usher in a new covenant (testament) that negated the law, He fulfilled it in being completely obedient from the deeds and intent of it all. He told us it is summed up by loving God with all we have and are, and subsequently loving others as ourselves. Then He remakes us, putting this law in our hearts, for we need spiritual strength to live this way as we become more like Him as we live and breathe in Him. The religious leaders missed this, and so we are told to do better, trusting His ability and enabling, choosing to trust, follow, and obey out of love in Jesus' righteousness.

Salt and Light Glorify God

Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are to give the flavor of reconciliation in Christ as His ambassadors, preserving life to those who hear and repent towards the gift of saving faith. If we cease doing this, we are tasteless and allow corruption to go unchecked. Likewise, we are to shine by deed and word this good news of reconciliation, not hiding the message that illuminates the soul, but blazing openly with truth in love. This gives the glory, honor, and praise justly due to the God who made us all and who owns us who belong to Him - bought at such a price!

Persecuted Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9-12
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

God is pleased when we take the difficult and narrow road to do our part to make peace, knowing we cannot guarantee resolution - yet also aware we could make matters worse by saying nothing or even stirring things up more. When we so live godly in Christ and speak the good news, persecution and attacks will certainly come our way. We will be defamed and slandered because they see our great God and Savior in us; but joy should override persecution as heaven rejoices when we honor and glorify God and become more as He originally created us to be, reflecting His hand.