Matthew, Chapter 23

Rarely do we see Jesus on the attack, but in Chapter 23 of Matthew he basically lays into the Pharisees with both barrels. The Seven Woes that are mentioned in this chapter is essentially an attack on the hypocrisy that the Pharisees practiced in governing the people. Jesus calls this out for their crimes, trying to get them to open their eyes to what they were denying not only themselves, but the people of Israel they were responsible for. Basically, he calls them out for practicing what they were supposed to practice, but doing so without any real purpose or meaning.

16"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. – Matthew 23:16-22

This example shows the difference in perspective that Jesus held apart from the Pharisees. Jesus knew that the power of the Temple and the sacrifices made on the alter lied in the hands of God. God is hat made these things sacred according to the laws of Moses. Allegedly, it was this law that the Pharisees were trying to follow. Their greed and human nature distracted them from this noble path, however. They were placing the value in things man can place value in. Gold only has value to man. The sacred nature of the temple made of the gold had value based on God. When the Pharisees placed value on the materials they were putting themselves ahead of God.

25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. – Matthew 23:25-26

This woe refers to those that refuse to look at their own faults while pointing out the faults of others. This is something the Pharisees were more than guilty of. They thought their position made them above reproach, when in reality ALL men have sinned and fallen short of the glory. By cleaning the outside they were merely putting a shine on something that was infected from the inside. They could not see past their own sin to properly cleanse the sins of others. Their own righteousness was the outside. It appear clean to men but in reality it was filthy.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Jesus choose this time to mention these woes?
   
2. How did this help His ministry?
   
3. What role did this play in the Pharisees turning on Him?

Matthew, Chapter 22

One of my favorite parables of Jesus is the parable of the wedding feast. To me, it is a wonderful illustration of Christ’s entire ministry as well as an unfortunate picture for those that reject the gift of His salvation. The banquet itself is supposed to represent the kingdom of Heaven. This is something the Father has worked painstakingly hard for his followers. It is a gift to us. It is a celebration of our lives and a sign of His eternal covenant with us. Those that reject the invitation to the feast here are those that reject God, so he destroys them. By sending the invitation out to basically anyone at the end of the parable, we see that God is not willing that anyone should miss out on the kingdom of Heaven.

8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. – Matthew 22:8-10

In this parable we also see a prelude to the Great Commission, given at the end of the book of Matthew. As followers of Christ, we are the servants that He refers to in this parable. Therefore, it is our responsibility to go forth and bring more guests to this wedding banquet. Not only is the wedding banquet then a celebration for us, it is a celebration for those that we bring to the kingdom. It is our responsibility to make sure others don’t miss out on this.

29Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." – Matthew 22:29-32

Chapter 22 takes a dramatic turn here. Jesus was speaking to the Sadducees in the temple as they were trying to make fun of the idea of the Resurrection. They did not believe that such a thing could occur, but as usual, Jesus was there to correct them. This is an allusion to what will occur after Christ Himself rises from the dead a week later. Because He rose and conquered the grave, there is no longer true death. There is only life in Christ if we accept the gift of salvation. This is why Christ says here that God is the God of the living, not the dead. By saying that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he is implying that it is a current, ongoing relationship.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

1. Why would some still reject the gift of this wedding feast?
2. Why did the Pharisees try to trap Jesus on the tax issue?
3. Why are the two commandments in verses 38-39 the greatest?

Matthew, Chapter 21 part 2

In the second half of Matthew 21 we see more parables from Jesus as He spoke in the temple courts after His triumphal entry. The chief priests were questioning His authority to teach, and they certainly did not help themselves in their arguments. When posed with a simple question in order to be able to ask Christ a question, They refused to answer. They chose the easy way out, saying "I don't know" because they feared a response. Jesus merely asked them where the authority of John the Baptist's baptism came from. If they answered that it came from heaven, the priests feared they would be asked why they didn't believe John. If they said it came from man, they would then be afraid of the people. They instead took the non-committal answer, so Jesus refused to answer them.

This is really a lesson in facing something we don't want to face. The priests generally agreed there would be negative consequences regardless of what they answered, so they chose not to answer. Because of this, Jesus felt He did not need to answer their question. Sometimes we have to face unpleasant things in life if we are going to get what we want.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. – Matthew 21:31-32

It is an amazing sign that people such as prostitutes and tax collectors, who we truly the bottom of society at the time, were able to enter the kingdom of heaven because of Christ. The lessons that Christ is teaching here is that our station in life is unimportant. The most important thing is that we understand the message of His sacrifice and accept the gift. It is not by what we say, but how we respond to the Father's call on our lives. The priests did not understand this. They felt their position in the temple gave them authority and privilege. This blinded them to the truth of Christ. It is, therefore, impossible to enter the kingdom of God if you reject the Son.

43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." – Matthew 21:43-44

The parable of the tenants is a clear allusion to Christ's death. Jesus represents the son of the owner, who, in the parable, is rejected and killed by the tenants. The priests and the Pharisees are the ones that have been entrusted to care of the vineyard, in this case humanity. They would reject Christ and cast him out, so, in turn, Christ would turn over the care of the vineyard to others. This would become the charge of His disciples as they built His church.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What was so bad about the priests answering with either of their answers?
   
2. Why would the priests be offended that others could enter the kingdom in a different way than they believed?
   
3. How do you see Christ being rejected today?

Matthew, Chapter 21 part 1

Chapter 21 of Matthew is another chapter that needs to be split into two parts because of the information in it. Today we will be dealing with verses 1 through 22. This primarily concerns Jesus' triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem one week before His death. The chapter begins with this story, which is the origin of Palm Sunday. Jesus enters the city with His disciples as the conquering king. Those that followed Him believe that He was finally going to take the throne properly as the king of Israel. To them it was a big day. They didn't believe Jesus' pronouncements of His impending death. Instead they viewed Him as a one man conquering army. This began the climax of Jesus' public ministry, but only He knew what truly lied ahead.

8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
   "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
   "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
   "Hosanna in the highest!"

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

 11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." – Matthew 21:8-11

I admit that this seems a little over the top for Jesus, but He was making a statement. It almost comes off like He is a professional wrestler entering the ring to much fanfare. It is certainly a stark contrast to the events we will see a week later when many of these same people were calling for His death. Jesus needed to make this statement, however. He further ingratiated the people when He immediately went to the temple and cleared it. The money changers and vendors in the temple had defiled the scared place by selling the animals needed for sacrifices at exorbitant prices. The closest thing I can compare this to is if a fee was charged every time someone confessed at a Catholic church. In this, Jesus was controlled in His anger. This was not a tantrum, but a task He had to perform in order to clean His Father's house for its intended use.

19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

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

 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." – Matthew 21:19-22

This final section is both encouragement for His disciples before they were sent out to spread the gospel and a message for us today. The fig tree parable is a message that reminds the disciples that they can overcome anything with the power of God behind them. Since they were soon going to be commissioned to spread the Word of Christ to the world, they would need this. It is also a message for us to keep our own faith built up through prayer.

I must admit there are times, like now, where this seems like a stretch. Sometimes it even seems like there is a certain futility when it comes to prayer. We all struggle with this at one time or another. Even when we are given the promises that God is listening and answers all prayer, we must accept that sometimes that answer can be a no. This doesn't mean God is mean. It just means He has a better plan in mind. WE at least have the confidence to know from this parable that all things are possible through prayer.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Jesus have such an over the top entry?
   
2. How did the clearing of the Temple both help and hurt Jesus?
   
3. What is your opinion on the power of prayer?

Matthew, Chapter 20

I am staring at a blank screen this morning. I am humbled by the beginning of Matthew chapter 20, which promises equality in the sight of God. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard carries that centralized theme that all are equal regardless of when we enter the kingdom of God. The workers that begin working at the beginning of the day are the people that know the message early in life and fully devote themselves to it. Those that begin working at the 11th hour are those that finally come to know Christ only very late in life. It is something I can live with. It shows that there are no favorites and we all get the same reward. The reward itself, eternal life and peace, is certainly worth more than anything on this earth anyway.

13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." – Matthew 20:13-16

In our human nature we don’t like this idea. This almost shows that hard work does not pay off if the reward is the same in the end. Still, it carries over strongly into Jesus’ next point when he refers to James and John. James and John were brothers that worked incredibly hard as disciples. In this chapter, we see that their mother asks for a special place for them within the kingdom of God because of their work. We saw in yesterday’s message that the Twelve were already promised to sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. This request, however, is for an even more special honor, one that was not Christ’s to give.

23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." – Matthew 20:23-28

This is such a gentle rebuke that you almost miss it. Jesus is saying here that we do not serve in order to gain glory in the kingdom of God. We serve merely because we are called to serve. We serve because of the example set before us in Christ. Here is someone that had no need to serve. He could have ruled and been served throughout His ministry, yet instead He set for the ultimate example of humility.

I have had this tumbling over inside my head for most of the morning. I am wondering if writing this blog even is serving anymore. I don’t receive any feedback and don’t know if anyone even reads it, yet I know in my heart I am called to serve in this way. This is true with my entire life right now. Mentally, I can barely move forward. I am so depressed most days that it hurts to even breathe. I am lost, directionless, and I am forced to trust God will come through even when there appears to be nothing on the horizon but horrible things because I can’t find work. My plans for my life are totally on hold right now. That makes me frustrated because I can’t fulfill them, and angry because I feel robbed of the joy that others have when they are allowed to move forward in their life.

But still I serve.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

1. Are you serving a purpose, or purposely serving?
2. Do you think the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is fair?
3. Why would James and John seek such honor?

Matthew, Chapter 19

Today's message in chapter 19 of the book of Matthew touches on the difficult subject of divorce. This is something that, sadly, effects way too many families in this day and age. I consider myself lucky in that I am pretty much the only one in my close family that has not been affected directly by divorce. My sister is only my half sister because of divorce. My father had to go through it with his parents. My mother had to go through with it in her first marriage, thereby affect my maternal grandparents as well. I was the lucky one in that all of this happened before I was born. Still, it has played a large role in my family's history, and I am not the only one.

Personally, I don't believe in divorce. I don't believe in it because of the teachings of Jesus and the way that the Bible outlines the guidelines of marriage. My personal thoughts on the matter are this: if you believe divorce is an option for you some day, then you shouldn't be getting married. I told my wife before we got married that the only way one of us was getting out of the marriage was to put the other in the ground. This may be a crass and even old-fashioned method of thinking, but I still believe firmly in the "to death do us part" section of the vows. In more than three years of marriage there have been some incredibly tough times for sure, but I am more than too stubborn to quit. God has never quit on me, so I won't be quitting on this.

4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." – Matthew 19:4-6

I firmly believe that God brought my wife and me together. How else do you explain two people from completely different backgrounds meeting and falling for each other? Therefore, it would be the height of arrogance to say I can separate this union if I were to divorce her. The teachings of Jesus in these verses state that divorce is only acceptable in the case of adultery, but even then God can salvage the marriage if the person committing adultery recognizes the sin and seeks reconciliation. In that case, it is truly the work of God binding something together that cannot be separated by man.

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

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

 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." – Matthew 19:21-24

Becoming a follower of Christ is not without its sacrifices. The very nature of the relationship is based on the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross. Therefore, there is often much we give up in order to follow Him. This is not an admonishing against wealth. It is instead Christ's way of telling us that we must give up that which prevents us from giving our all to Him. This can be different for different people. For some, specific relationships with other people can get in the way. For others, it could be some type of sin or vice. In this case, the wealthy young man showed that he valued his wealth more than he valued the rewards that Christ has promised through a relationship with him. We don't necessarily have to give up our wealth to follow Christ, but we are instead asked to be ready to give it up if it gets in that way of that relationship.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Why does Jesus chose this passage to speak out against divorce?
   
2. What gets in your way of serving Christ?
   
3. How can Christ heal a marriage even in the case of adultery?

Matthew, Chapter 18

In today’s lesson we see both the power of sin and the power of forgiveness. Spiritually, they are the two most powerful forces in the universe. They are not equal, however. Sin has the power to condemn us. It is prevalent in every single human being that has ever lived. While it is all-encompassing, it is not all-powerful. Forgiveness is not all –encompassing because it still must be asked for. It is, however, all-powerful in that it breaks the power of sin. Thanks to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, it is available to everyone, but it must be asked for. It seems like such a small step, but amazingly it is an incredibly difficult one for many people to make.

The overlying theme of chapter 18 of Matthew is this premise. We see that it takes childlike faith and humility to enter the kingdom of heaven. We see that God is not willing that anyone should miss this wonderful gift of salvation, but it must be accepted. We see the importance of forgiveness not just from a spiritual perspective, but from a human perspective as well. This final point is one that I, as well as many others, have struggled with repeatedly.

12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. – Matthew 18:12-14

This parable perfectly illustrates God’s grace and mercy. There are many things I have done in my life that negate me from deserving this type of treatment. My anger has destroyed relationships. My lies have mislead those I love. My sheer humanity in itself means I have fallen short of the glory of God. Still, God has pursued me like a lost sheep and rejoiced when I was found. I love this about God’s character. There is no hierarchy when it comes to saving the lost. We do not have to get in line and wait for our turn to be processed through the salvation line. The grace of God is more than enough.

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22

This illustrates another critically important point about forgiveness. As we know, God has infinite patience when it comes to forgiveness. We continue to screw up even after we have accepted the gift of salvation simply because we are human. In that, Jesus continues to forgive us time and again. Therefore, we are asked to share that same amount of grace when we are wronged. I don’t know about you, but this is incredibly difficult. For much of my life revenge against those who have wronged me has motivated my moods to the point of where I was a mere shell of myself. It has been the fuel for my anger, but that fire has a tendency to burn out much too quickly and leave me with nothing in the end. What’s worse, there have been many times that that anger has been directed at myself, thereby making it even more counter-productive.

What does this all accomplish? I liken it to something I used to use my anger for with my workout regimen. When I would work out, I used to concentrate my anger to get the most out of my workouts. I used to think of it as preparation for any confrontation with the object of my anger, therefore I would imagine how the confrontation would go down as a boost to my workouts. Over time, however, this burned out my heart. It was only through the forgiveness that Christ asks us to practice here that I finally began to get around this hindrance to my personal growth. He merely asks us to show the same consideration to others that He has shown us.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS:

1. Does God abandon others when He recklessly seeks the lost?
2. Why does it take the faith of a child?
3. What spirit of unforgiveness is holding you back?