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MATTHEW The following comments are from Navigator's and Quiet Time Diary journals. One verse will be entered, then the comment, then the date. 1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Since I just finished reading and writing about Genesis, I thought this verse from the genealogy of Jesus was appropriate. After all that is written about Joseph in Genesis, he wasn't a part of Jesus' family. God had chosen his brother Judah to receive that honor. God is unpredictable, and will use the small (weak) to confound the wise (strong). (DRM 12/16/07) 1:21 " . . . She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Jesus was to be a "man with a mission." He had been sent to "save His people from their sins." That would mean the Jewish people. I wonder how He felt about His mission when He was a carpenter in His 20's? Did He pray, "Lord, when can I do Your work?" Everything has to be done in God's time. (DRM 12/17/07) 2:9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the child was. As far as I know, stars don't perceptively move. Comets do. Unless this was a new and bright star - perhaps a new galaxy created by God? My point is that, no matter what happened, God did something supernatural to create attention to this birth. Jesus was not to be any "ordinary" person. God wanted (and still wants) our attention! (DRM 12/18/07) 2:19, 20 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20"Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the child's life are dead." Today's passage consisted of four paragraphs. In three of these paragraphs Joseph was told to do something by a dream. At least at this time, Joseph was the man directing the family and God spoke to him through dreams. While many of my dreams seem senseless, I think I should pay more attention and see if they are leading me more in His direction. (DRM 12/19/07) 3:11 As for me, I {John the Baptist} baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Since Jesus' ministry had not yet begun, it is interesting to think that baptism for repentance for sins was practiced before Jesus. Jesus had no sin, but was baptized to begin His ministry. While some may not agree, I think the baptism that Jesus gives us today is spiritual at the time of conversion, and is the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The fire could refer to the immediate desire that new Christians have to tell others about their new-found faith. We don't want that fire to go out. (DRM 12/20/07) 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Jesus had JUST been baptized and God was
speaking the words above. If anyone can doubt that Jesus was the Son of God, how
can he explain this verse??? 4:8, 9 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Jesus is God, He knows the future. Even if the devil showed Jesus the future Kingdoms (cities) of the world, Jesus shouldn't have been surprised, as He is God. Jesus is already Ruler of all and the devil wasn't really offering Him anything that He wouldn't receive later anyway. The devil seems to have temporary solutions, but following Jesus has an eternal bliss and reward. (DRM 12/21/07) 4:19, 20 And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Jesus must have had a magnetic personality. What would I do if a stranger came up to me and said "follow me?" Probably ask lots of questions. The miracles of Jesus are mentioned after choosing disciples, so what "drew them in?" Lately I've had a lot of questions about a ministry and these verses seem to indicate I should follow Him, and trust His direction, like the first disciples (apostles) did. (DRM 12/22/07) 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." This section is known as the Beatitudes. There are nine verses that start "Blessed are. . . " This verse about mercy is about compassion and serving others. When we help, talk to, and have compassion for the troubles of others, we know that eventually we will have problems that we will want them to help us with. It's like mutual assistance and love in times of trouble. (DRM 12/23/07) 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. When you witness to non-believers you are personally responsible for the statements that you make. It is best to be prepared to witness and also to be able to point out specific verses of the Bible from memorization. We must be a light unto this world that is so full of earthly things and temptations. (DRM 1/10/87) 5:30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. I believe that this is both a literal truth and a spiritual truth. Jesus wants to emphasize how bad it would be to go to hell. Anything is better than that! Even taking out your eye (v. 29) or your hand in this verse and repenting of sin, is better than going to hell. Quite often I don't think of the consequences for unrepentant sin. (DRM 12/24/07) The point is to repent of sin, not the removal of parts of our body. (DRM 7/30/08) 5:42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. This has been one of the challenges of my recent life. I have let people borrow a lot of money from me and didn't get re-paid. There are many, many organizations that plead for money via the radio and direct mail. Did Jesus know what this would mean 2,000 years later? I think He meant for us to choose carefully who to give to, and to give as we are able. (DRM 12/25/07) 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. When we get mad or upset with someone, normally we would never want to pray for them. A real Christian should be forgiving and "be perfect" (v48) to set a good example as Jesus set for us. (DRM 11/3/86) 6:3, 4 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. God knows our heart, and our financial
status. He knows if we have extra money to give to the poor or if people should
be giving to us. He is the ultimate provider of all of our needs, and we (I) are
to depend on Him. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." There are many verses to choose from in this chapter, which are all familiar. The real question to this verse is, 'do I really apply what is taught here?' The fine line is 'how much money do I need to live and where will it come from?' Somehow the Lord Jesus has provided for my needs - and I need to keep believing that He will continue to do so. (DRM 12/27/07) 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I was always a worrier. It seems that
whatever I worried about, always came out better than expected. There was no
reason to worry, and I had no control of the future if I worried or not. 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." I thought of an application for this verse when I was reading it today. The dogs or swine are unbelievers. I think He wants us to explain the gospel to unbelievers, but not to give them our pearls - riches - money - as that is like throwing the money away and they will just ask for more. He wants us to give to causes that advance His Kingdom. (DRM 12/28/07) 7:14 . . . but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. As I continue to try to live with the Spirit
of Jesus in my heart, I see few, if any, others that I work with exhibiting
Christian attitudes. This has (and should continue) to cause me to be thankful
for the gift of God's grace to me. 7:18, 19 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Here people are compared to trees. If we are Christians, Jesus desires us to produce spiritual fruit. A non-Christian can't produce converts to Christianity. The "scary" verse is verse 19. How should we interpret this? I don't believe we can lose our salvation, but it is a motivation for each Christian to go into the world and try to lead others to Christ - in any way the Lord leads them. (DRM 12/29/07) The comment in the diary states in part: "The fruit which determines whether a tree is good or corrupt, is not external works, but rather the internal fruit of obedience to the will of God." (WOL Diary 2007-08) 8:4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." This is where I think Jesus was using "reverse psychology." He told the leper not to tell anyone of his healing - but big crowds of people came to Him to be healed. People talked of Jesus, and it seems that when He said not to, they did all the more. How would I feel if healed of a great disease? I'd also want to tell my friends. Jesus was truly Good News! (12/30/07) 8:22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Knowing many people who have died this year,
this verse meant something to me. To "let the dead bury their own
dead" seems to mean that people who don't have Christ in their hearts are
already dead to heaven and they should bury their own. 8:26 He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Here Jesus gave a physical display of a spiritual truth. In this act, Jesus proved that He was God. His disciples saw His way of providing for them. While I don't have the same physical evidence, I must trust in His providing for me in a spiritual level - faith without sight. I'm convinced He will provide for me every day He allows me to be on earth - and after that too! (DRM 12/31/07) 9:8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Jesus had just healed the paralytic stating "your sins are forgiven." (v. 2) I think this verse shows their confusion as to what they were seeing and what they said. They thought they saw a man healing another, but they didn't realize that Jesus is God, and that only He has the authority to heal and forgive sins. (DRM 1/1/08) 9:18 While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live." I don't think too many synagogue officials in Jesus' time believed in Him - which makes this healing unusual. The other aspect of this story is the faith of the man who came to Jesus. He absolutely BELIEVED that Jesus could raise his daughter - and his faith became sight after Jesus came to his home. (DRM 1/2/08) 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they we harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. There are millions and millions of unsaved
people in the world today and they don't know Jesus Christ or what He can do for
them. 9:37, 38 Then He (Jesus) said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." I can't imagine anyone speaking like this about Himself. He must have been talking about God as the "Lord of the harvest." Who are the workers? How are they called? I think God wants all of us to be workers on this spiritual field. As Christians we (I) should be called to tell others of our faith no matter what our vocation is. (DRM 1/3/08) 10:1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Jesus gave his disciples specific instruction on what to do in this verse and in verse eight. I believe that true Christians today are also disciples of Jesus and, with His Holy Spirit's help, to do the work in this verse. In verse eight "raise the dead" is listed, but it seems that only Jesus could physically do that. This could mean we should instruct people spiritually, so they would always be raised to life in Heaven. (DRM 1/4/08) 10:20 ". . . for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of you Father speaking through you. So many times I have heard this phrase and wondered just where it was found. When I witness to God's amazing grace, I sometimes say things that I don't even think ahead of time. They just come out, and I know that it was not me who said those things, but the Spirit of God. I'm glad I can be a tool for God. I hope I can be so more often. (DRM 3/13/87) 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Human beings are able to kill other human beings by all kinds of means, but they can't kill a person's eternal soul. So long as we (I) know where my soul is dedicated, death is not an enemy. But without the Holy Spirit living in me, I should fear Him (God) who can send me to hell because of my unbelief. (DRM 1/5/08) 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. To be a Christian is to follow Christ. He doesn't want us (me) to just sit around and wait for His return. He wants us to share our faith with others - both Christians and non-Christians - so we can encourage other Christians and bring the others to a knowledge of his saving grace. Why learn something, and trust in Him, without sharing this with others? (DRM 1/6/08) 11:11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. How would I (we) be greater than John the Baptist? What are the minimum requirements for admittance to heaven? We are to trust only in the Lord Jesus to be saved - or admitted to eternal life with Him in heaven. At the moment John the Baptist asked, he wasn't sure, thus wanted to know for sure. I'm sure he trusted in Jesus after getting his reply from Jesus. The key is trusting in Jesus alone for everything - especially our eternal destiny. (DRM 1/7/08) 11:25 At that time Jesus said: "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. I know that I am thankful that the Lord revealed Himself to me! How easy it was to ignore Him! It's great to be a child of God! (DRM 4/1/87) 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Jesus=God wants us to lean on Him. He is asking us to tell Him our problems, through prayer, and, in this verse, He assures us (me) that He is listening and will ultimately give us (me) a solution or rest. I could call this "Assurance of Listening," and our prayers will be acted upon in His time. (DRM 1/8/08) 12:12 How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." I should have added (v. 11) The sheep fell into a pit n the Sabbath - shouldn't he pull it out? (not exact quote) The question was, what is lawful to do on the Sabbath? The answer here is to "do good." That includes the healing that Jesus did and the good things we can do for others - like visiting the sick. I believe God gave us one day in seven to rest and do good - and we should obey Him and try to do that. (DRM 1/9/08) 12:25, 26 And knowing their (Pharisees) thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any Kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his Kingdom stand? This only makes sense to me. The American Civil War came to my mind. It was a nation divided against itself and would have become two nations if the south had won. Jesus' healings and works were done to "promote" the Kingdom of Heaven and not the works of Satan. A person has to choose between a loving and healing God and His Kingdom or continuing in this world, run by Satan - which is the opposite Kingdom. (DRM 1/10/08) 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. This is called "the unpardonable sin." I think of Jesus as God and the Holy Spirit as the messenger between Jesus and me. When I receive direction, it is received through the Messenger. There is no logical reason to criticize the Holy Spirit as He is just doing His job. I pray that I've never unknowingly committed the unpardonable sin. (DRM 1/11/08) [ From the 2007-08 Word of Life diary: "By definition, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing the miracles of Christ, accomplished through the Spirit, to the power of Satan. Due to the fact that Jesus Christ is no longer on the earth working miracles among men, no person is in danger of committing this sin today. . . "] (WOL 7/31/08) 12:45 "Then it (evicted evil spirit) goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in (the human body) and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." This quote from Jesus is not very encouraging to me. As a person evicts an evil spirit, seven more arrive? How can we win the battle? The only way that I can think of - is to follow only the Lord Jesus and continue to study His word and make it VERY uncomfortable for the evil spirits, thus they will voluntarily leave. (DRM 1/12/08) 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
It's great to be a part of this new family! 13:22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. At different times in my nearly 22 years as a Christian, I have felt like a seed in all the parts of this parable. Today I feel like the seed in this verse, as I get overly concerned about my daily living expenses more than the proclamation of the Gospel. I need a personal revival of my faith at times like today. (DRM 1/13/08) 13:30 Allow both (wheat and tares) to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn." Before I was a Christian, I didn't understand
the Parables at all — now they seem so clear! 13:44 "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." This is a single verse parable. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, and we allow Him entrance to our souls, and repent of our past ways, it is the most exciting experience that can happen while on earth. . . assurance of salvation! At that point we (I) would do ANYTHING to serve the Lord Jesus who opened my eyes and heart. The hard part is to keep that same excitement for years and decades. (DRM 1/15/08) 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls, when he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. It seems that I am following the direction given in this parable. I was sure the Lord wanted me to build the cabin for His use, so now I will be selling the overflow of my materialism to pay for the cabin. I really think Jesus would want me to sell the worldly goods that I don't need, so that I may concentrate on serving Him more and more every day. (DRM 6/26/87) 14:13 Now when Jesus heard about John (the Baptist's beheading), He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. Jesus went into mourning for John the Baptist. This is another way to show that Jesus was a human being with feelings for others while on earth. He still has feelings for people like us, but is now in a different place. Because of the healings that Jesus did, He was a "celebrity" and people followed Him everywhere. Imagine He will be followed for eternity! (DRM 1/16/08) 14:29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. I'd think Peter should have gotten some "credit" for his faith to even try to walk on the water. Would I do the same thing? Why did Peter try? Because he believed that with Jesus Christ he could do anything, as he had Someone who would support him. I should keep learning to trust in my Savior, and His hand is outstretched. (DRM 1/17/08) 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him (Peter). "You of little faith," he said "why did you doubt?" Jesus had just walked on the water to the
boat, and Peter tried to meet Him, but lost his faith temporarily. 15:11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean. No matter what I say, my words are extremely important. I should carefully weigh my words before they are spoken, so as not to criticize or put down anyone else. [Set a good example] (DRM 11/9/86) 15: 19, 20 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." If I were to eat my meal with dirty hands I might get sick, but that has no affect on the condition of my soul. I only did a dumb thing. God=Jesus will not condemn me for my dirty hands. He is more concerned about my heart-soul's condition to love Him and not do the evil things listed in verse 19. (DRM 1/18/08) 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This is a surprising statement to me. It shows the "mission" of Jesus at the time. The Canaanite woman asked for healing, thus she wasn't an Israelite. The disciples didn't want her to be healed (v. 23). The good news to me that even though Jesus' mission was for the Israelites, He still healed her daughter because of her faith. (v. 28) and loves all people. (DRM 1/19/08) 16:6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Leaven or yeast is considered essential in making bread, but in the Bible, Jesus uses it to describe bad things - like how the Pharisees and Sadducees spread their false teachings. I need to pray for discernment to tell when I'm hearing false teaching from any pulpit. How do I gain this discernment - from knowing more and more about the TRUE content in the Bible. (DRM 1/20/08) 16:17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. . . "
Peter had just proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God,
which is true. As the Holy Spirit had not yet come to earth, this Spirit must
have made Himself known to Peter through Jesus Himself. 16:24, 25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." I think I'm like a lot of people - especially in the USA culture, who think that I should have the freedom to do "what I want to do." But to do the Lord Jesus' will is to be a servant to the Master. I am to become a slave to do His will, and not my own. This has been easy to say, but harder to do! (DRM 1/22/08) 17:19, 20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it (demon) out?" 20And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. . . " How strong is my faith? Do I believe all of the Lord's promises? Am I acting on them? How can I improve? Perhaps the point of all these questions is that "my" faith has to continuously increase as the years increase. Instead of saying, "I can't do that." I have to go out and "do that," to increase my faith in His provision. (DRM 1/23/08) 18:7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" When I tell non-Christians how I've had so many challenges for the past few years, I feel that I am causing stumbling blocks that continue their disbelief. While I'm not "giving up," I hope that as they observe the whole story that they will see that my dependence on Christ will all be worth it in the end. (DRM 1/24/08) 18:32, 33 Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' Sometimes forgiveness is hard to do. We (I) have the ability to hold a grudge for a long time. PTL eventually I get over the whole affair and know that it wasn't God's will for it to happen "that way." Forgiveness is good for both parties, but more for the forgiver, as it eliminates the inner turmoil that has been going on "inside." (DRM 1/25/08) 19:5, 6 ". . . and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH' ? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." I think this part of Jesus' quote makes the reason for NOT divorcing clear. God approved the union of two people - in His sight. They became one flesh, thus God made them "one." Only He has the power to separate the union - generally by "death," thus it is not in our (my) power to declare a separation (divorce) of the things that God put together. (DRM 1/26/08) 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." I have thought of this verse a lot over the past few years - as I have sold more and more items that I don't "need." I think Jesus' point was that He doesn't want our possessions to be more important than our love of Him. Our society is based on the principle of more, more, more, and Jesus wants it to be less, less, less and to follow Him. (DRM 1/27/08) 20:11, 12 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' I think the Landowner is God and I think the workers could be Christian converts. Some people are Christians all their lives, and some are converted an hour or two before their "death." The long-timers don't think it's "fair" that both receive equal admission to the Kingdom, but I think God wants ALL to enter and there will other rewards not mentioned here. (DRM 1/28/08) 20:26, 27 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. I have read this many times over the years and understand it all, but it has been hard for me to internalize. No matter what I have done before in my life, letting people "help" me, Jesus want me to serve others in whatever way He directs. There are a lot of examples of servant hood that need to be done. He wants me to be a servant to others. (DRM 1/29/08) 20:28 "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus Christ's life was the most
important of all. He did not come as a King, but as a servant. He was accessible
by everyone and did not hide himself in a temple. 21:6, 7 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Whenever I have visualized Jesus coming into Jerusalem on "Palm Sunday," I thought He was riding on a donkey. The words here seem to indicate otherwise. Today's reading seems to indicate that He was riding the donkey and the colt together. Double hitched? This is trivia compared to the reason for His grand entrance into Jerusalem. (DRM 1/30/08) Word of Life explains this as "colt of a donkey." (8/4/08) 21:13b "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" How can people today read this
verse and not understand? You can drive past many churches in many cities and
see Bingo or other games of chance being offered in their halls. 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
I do ask for many things in prayer, but the Lord does have an answer that
sometimes is hard to accept. . . wait. 21:43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. This is one verse out of a parable about the landowner and the vineyard - that was rented out to vinegrowers. The vinegrowers attacked the slaves that were sent (prophets) until the Owner (God) sent His Son, and they killed Him. Then comes this verse which shows me that the Kingdom of Heaven will consist of followers of the Son - and not the way it was before. (DRM 1/31/08) 22:8, 9 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' This is just a part of the "Parable of the Marriage Feast" which has different insights when taken spiritually. I think the King is God, the slaves disciples or prophets and the invited guests were the Jews. Since the Jews weren't ready, the invitation was extended to everyone else - which includes you and me. In this case I'm glad they weren't ready! (DRM 2/1/08) 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. This statement by Jesus is part of an answer to questions from the Sadducees. This one concerning a family of seven (7) brothers who married the same wife. As a single person, I'm interested in this aspect of Jesus' answer, as I can talk easier to single people than married people - who spend more time with each other. It will be nice that all will be able to be "individuals" again. (DRM 2/2/08) 22:37, 38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." 38This is the first and greatest commandment. I still think that I am not serving the Lord
in an adequate way. I want to further His kingdom, but still don't know the
exact way to do this. 22:46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question. According to v. 34, the Sadducees had asked questions of Jesus and were silenced. So the Pharisees tried more questions and got an answer, then He asked them a question, and they couldn't answer. So the summary is in this verse. God=Jesus knows everything and is willing to share His Knowledge if we ask - the hard part is to "listen!" (DRM 2/3/08) 23:10, 11 Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11But the greatest among you shall be your servant. These verses seem to have more meaning to me recently - I have read them many times and have them in my head, but my human nature wants to be served. I've never been considered a "leader," so that hasn't been a problem. I feel that this will be something that I'll be working on all the rest of my life. (DRM 2/4/08) 23:19, 20 You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. Since our society is money-driven, and has been since Jesus' day, the emphasis was and can still be - MONEY. The Pharisees apparent emphasis was more on the offering than Who was the offering offered to. Jesus wants our offering to be directed towards the advancement of His Kingdom and not to make individuals rich. (DRM 2/5/08) 23:34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, . . . Today we wouldn't think of this verse or passage as prophetic, but it was when Jesus said it. It is also clearly dated to His time, as I believe that people were only crucified for a short period of time in the era that He lived. The Lord God sent "wise men" and deliverers and the majority didn't know it. Would we today? (DRM 2/13/08) 24:10, 11 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. The great mystery is when "that time" is. When Jesus spoke these words, He clearly wanted us to believe that the time was near. Throughout the prophecies, I see that He always wanted us to be ready for His return. While certain prophecies seem to indicate that the time could be today, others thought the same in their time. Still, there are key passages (not here) that have only occurred recently (Israel) that we can tell that we are getting "very close" to His return. (DRM 2/13/08) 24:22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. The mystery in this section of Matthew 24 is "who are the elect?" They are referred to in three verses (v. 22, 24, 31) seemingly at different periods of future time. Only the Lord knows His plans, and this section could go with different theories, but the most important part is to BE READY for His soon return. (DRM 2/15/08) 24:34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. This seems to refer to the "Parable of the Fig Tree." Generally it is thought that the fig tree refers to the nation of Israel; thus the final generation would have to include people who were born before 1948 and/or 1967 when Jerusalem became a part of Israel. His arrival will be unexpected - are you ready? 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. When we are tempted to skip a day of reading the Bible or think we have other things that "are more important" then we are losing our faith in the Lord. We should continuously strive to know more about Him and study His word daily, as we never know what tomorrow may bring. (DRM 11/8/86) 25:5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. I don't have a lot of patience. My current trial is truly a test of my patience. Five of the ten virgins were ready for the bridegroom (Jesus) to arrive, but the other five probably thought, He won't come today - or tonight. When He suddenly arrived they weren't ready. I know that I get diverted a lot - but always try to be "ready" and anticipate His sudden return. (DRM 2/16/08) 25:21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' This parable about the talents refers to economics as the talent was a measure of money. Even so, it could also refer to the talents or spiritual gifts that the Lord Jesus gives every believer. He wants us to use and grow our gifts, not to hide them in the ground. (DRM 2/17/08) 25:39, 40 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' This has been a challenge for me. I have occasionally talked to and given money to the homeless, but still feel uncomfortable when they are in my "home." This verse 40 seems to indicate the word "brother," and I wonder if it refers to another believer. No matter, the Lord is directing us to help others - and excuses aren't acceptable according to this. (DRM 2/17/08) 26:4, 5 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5But they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people." Quite often my plans change. There are many ways that this can happen to me, like e-mail and the mailman are examples. I call them diversions to my goal. The chief priests and elders in Jesus' time also had a plan to kill Jesus, but not during the Passover feast. Their plans changed as God is the One in control. (DRM 2/18/08) 26:24 "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."
In my travels and listening to sermons, I have heard that Judas would be in
heaven and at least a few churches are named after him, or so it seems. 26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." I have two thoughts on this verse today. The position that Jesus took when He prayed - "fell on His face," is most likely like kneeling face down to the ground; something I should do more often. The other thought was that Jesus loved His life while on earth and didn't want to leave so soon. Still, He was submissive to His Father's will. (DRM 2/19/08) 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Jesus was praying at Gethsemane and asked his disciples to watch over Him in this verse. I personally took these words to mean that we should always pray to avoid temptation. It seems that temptation is everywhere, and praying to God to avoid this temptation usually works! (DRM 2/28/87) 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword." This was Jesus' comment after Simon
Peter (John 18:10) cut off the ear of the slave of the high priest. 26:67, 68 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists, and others slapped Him, 68and said, "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?" This was at the end of the questioning before Caiaphas, the high priest (v. 57). My understanding of prophecy is to tell of future events. In these two verses the scribes and elders did these things THEN asked Him to prophesy about the past experience. This seems backwards to me. Their minds were closed to the Truth. (DRM 2/20/08) 27:3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, . . . Somehow Judas felt conviction for the sins that he committed. The world would call this his conscience. Christians would call this the conviction by the Holy Spirit, but Jesus indicated Judas would suffer for his act (26:24) which means to me that he wasn't a Christian. Since I'm not a theologian, I don't know how Judas felt remorse. (DRM 2/20/08) Perhaps the answer is what I just wrote, it was his conscience, which all people have. (DRM 8/5/08) 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. This makes me think a little about politics of today. The people who are in authority seem to have more influence on the decision-making process. The average person probably didn't care if Jesus died or not, and faced with the authority figure, did what was "suggested." I think I should know the facts and not just go along with the crowd. (DRM 2/21/08) 27:25 All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" It was crucifixion day for Jesus and the crowd wanted Him to die. The crowd answered: "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Indeed it is! The world still is responsible for the act of that crowd and unless we declare that Jesus is the Son of God the consequences are not very bright at all! (DRM 3/2/87) 27:44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. At first thought this seems like a contradiction to Luke 23:39-43 where one of the robbers trusts in Jesus for salvation. I don't think this is a contradiction because of v. 45-46 - where three more hours had passed. Verse 44 is probably three hours before Luke 23:39. The heart-soul of a person can change quickly - especially while being crucified. (DRM 2/21/08) 27:52, 53 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The whole reason for the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus - and our hope to be with Him someday. These two verses indicate that our faith is true, as many saints were risen from the grave about the same time He did. It seems that we emphasize Jesus' resurrection - but rarely mention that other graves opened also. (DRM 2/22/08) The priority is Jesus' resurrection, not the others. I was just commenting that the second event is rarely commented upon. (DRM 8/5/08) 28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. There is absolutely no doubt that earthquakes are caused by God - or God's will and timing. There was an earthquake when Jesus died (27:51), and another upon His resurrection. God was trying to tell us something important - and wanted us to notice the event. I wonder how many other Biblical and more recent events are related to earthquakes - the Battle of Jericho comes to mind. . . (DRM 2/22/08) 28:12, 13 And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' If your job is to guard something overnight, aren't you supposed to stay awake? The chief priests and elders certainly had a determined hatred for Jesus - and some Jews today keep that spirit alive. Our (my) job is to tell the truth as the Bible explains it - in whatever way He directs. (DRM 2/23/08) 28:20b And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. This is the last half verse in Matthew. Jesus
spoke these words.
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