Matthew 15 is a great example of the power of faith. Verse 28 reads, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” One woman from outside of the Jewish audience Jesus was serving at the moment came with a request for her daughter. Initially, Jesus denied her request. But she did not give up. Humbly, she continued to make her plea. Why did Jesus change his mind? Her faith. This may not translate to every request in our lives,... Read more
Matthew 14 introduces us to one of the “gross stories of the Bible.” Here, we find the end of the life of John the Baptist. First arrested for speaking out against Herod’s inappropriate marriage, Herod is later conned into putting John to death—giving John’s head on a platter to the daughter of his wife! This is the kind of stuff parents don’t let their kids watch on TV, but it’s right there in the Gospel story. What are we to... Read more
Jesus loved to tell stories. In fact, except with his disciples, most of his teaching was through stories. Whether the story of the farmer scattering seed or the man who built his house on the rock, Jesus was the expert of communication utilizing the vernacular of his time. Interestingly, the concept of story has been making a comeback in Christian circles. We see it in the rise of Christian fiction, the storytelling aspects highlighted in today’s preaching, and even the... Read more
“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” -Matthew 12:50 Family is a critical issue in our society. It was in Jesus’ time as well. He used the opportunity of his mother and family showing up to teach on the important issue of spiritual family. He moved beyond the cultural norm of family by ancestry to family by applying God’s truth. According to Jesus, family is not only by blood, but... Read more
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28 Matthew 11 was, for me, a time of rest in my handwriting through the Bible. After Jesus has picked on the Pharisees and confronted his disciples for their lack of faith, he turns to the issue of rest. This rest interestingly involves the same calling as Christ’s call to discipleship. He simply shares, “Come to me.” Just as Jesus called his disciples... Read more
One of my favorite children’s books with my son has been “Jesus and the Twelve Dudes.” By the age of five, he could tell me the names of all twelve of the apostles without missing a beat. Matthew launches into chapter 10 by not only mentioning the list of the Twelve but what they were commissioned to do. These twelve guys were sent out two by two to teach, heal people, and cast out demons. This was not easy stuff!... Read more
Finally, in chapter 9, we discover a bit about the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament, Matthew. We are given some interesting pieces of personal information. First, Matthew is Jewish. Not much doubt about this fact, given the flavor of his writing, his occupation, his friends, his place of living, and other traits revealed along the way. Second, Matthew was a tax collector. This may not seem like a big deal in our time, but tax collectors... Read more
If you listen to Jesus as presented in Matthew’s Gospel, you might get the idea that Jesus expects us to give up everything in our lives to follow him. He sounds nothing at all like much of what our culture communicates, whether the false idea that Jesus wants to give us all new cars or help us lose ten inches in ten days. Increasingly, the Jesus shared in Matthew reveals a man with a love for God, for truth, and... Read more
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7 includes both words of judgment and words of encouragement. Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his time for their hard-hearted response to him. He encourages his followers to instead ask and receive; seek... Read more
Someone asked me Sunday “how far I am” in handwriting the New Testament. I started December 31, 2010. As of this morning, I have just finished the first book, Matthew. Only 26 books to go! On the plus side, Matthew is one of the longest New Testament books. The next book, Mark, should move along much more quickly if my current pace can continue. Matthew 6 is the chapter for today, known for being the location of the Lord’s Prayer.... Read more
Holy Writ
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