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)

1:17    So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

    God does everything perfectly. He makes every cell in our body to work together and keeps track of every detail.
    This verse is an example of how He lined up human history into a specific generational pattern. One thing that pastors today don't agree on is, 'how long is a generation?' This seems to vary from time to time.
    If Jesus' return is in the generation that renewed Israel becomes a nation - it must be almost time now for His return. We have to always be ready for that day - as it will be when we least expect it. (DRM 2/24/15)

1:18    Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

    This commentary doesn't give Mary's part of the story. The angel had visited her first (Luke 1:26-35).
    This has never happened before or since. If this happened today and the angel didn't participate, or it was considered a fanciful dream, most likely the child would be aborted, as most people wouldn't believe God would/could do this.
    Thankfully, Mary and Joseph had faith to believe and do God's will no matter what the rest of the world thought.  (DRM 5/24/14)

1:19    And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

    What would you do? Joseph was engaged to marry Mary and found out she was to have a baby before their marriage. Joseph knew he wasn't the father. In today's society an abortion would be an option, but Joseph was a righteous man, thus he would not do as the "world" does today.
    Thankfully, Divine intervention clarified Who the Father was (v. 20) and Joseph followed the directions given and acted as Jesus' father. (DRM 2/9/13)

1:20    But when he [Joseph] had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

    It seems that I have a few different dreams every night. A lot of them are nonsensical and are forgotten when I wake up. Sometimes I feel that I get specific dreams from the Lord or what are to referred to as angels here.
    Joseph got a dream that no one else has ever received before or since. He knew it was from the Lord God and did as he was told.
    When you or I receive clear dreams from the Lord, we are to do the same. (DRM 12/10/11)

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)

1:22, 23    Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." {Isa. 7:14)

    Anticipation. The Israelites knew this prophecy since the days of Isaiah 700 years before. Someday the promised Messiah would come. Now we know that Daniel gave them (calculated) the date of His coming, but no one understood that.
    God had judged Mary and her devotion to Him before she was chosen to be Jesus' mother. There would be no doubt that her Son was not of Joseph.
    The witnesses on the night of His birth confirm that Jesus would truly be the King.
    Like those days, we are also looking for His promised return. (DRM 12/23/13)

1:24, 25    And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, ²⁵but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

    I probably have three dreams per night and forget them when I wake up. Joseph's dream must have been very vivid and easily remembered when he woke up. When the Lord God speaks through a dream it is different than 'run-of-the-mill' dreams.
    Not only did Joseph remember the dream, but he also did what he was told. Like Mary, he heard AND did the Lord's will. Am I doing the same? (DRM 4/3/12)

2:1    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, . . .

    The Bible doesn't say how many magi came from the east. The reason that many use "three" is because they brought three gifts (v. 11).
    This brings to mind other questions like "what did the star look like?" "How did it direct you to one house in the town?", "How long was this after Jesus' birth?" and "What town did they find Him in?"
    These are questions that may be interesting to know, but are pointless to the reason for Jesus' birth on earth. We need faith to believe in Him as our Savior and the other details are trivial. (DRM 12/13/14)

2:2    [Magi from the east said:] "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

    While we prepare for His second coming, there are many things causing people to look at the sky. Just in the past weeks we had an event called, "The star of Bethlehem" for the first time in 2,000 years. Was this what the Magi saw? I don't think so. I saw this star (2 planets) and it was a bright star, but that wouldn't direct people to a particular city on earth. The 2015 star was in the west, not the east.
    God put together special events for that day 2,000 years ago, and will do something else for His return. The signs in the sky are important now. He is coming SOON! (DRM 7/16/15)

2:3    When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

    Why was King Herod troubled? Because he thought his reign would end soon, and he wanted to keep his power. Even if Jesus were to be an earthly ruler, he should have realized it would be many years before the baby would grow up to rule.
    The "all Jerusalem" in this verse probably meant the priests in the temple, but I don't understand why they wouldn't want their Messiah to come. Maybe they just didn't know what the star represented and were afraid some disaster would follow. (DRM 12/1/15)

2:4, 5    Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he [King Herod] inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

    King Herod was afraid he would lose his throne. When the magi came he called the priests and they knew Bethlehem would be the town. They had read the "Bible" and believed its accuracy/prophecy. With the census going on, they should have known it would be the family of David.
    The king didn't really want to worship Jesus (v. 8), but to eliminate Him from being a future King (v. 12, 13).
    Some people will do the same thing today and say they want to know more about Jesus, then harm us because of their hate of Jesus. We have to be discerning/careful and depend on His protection; like the magi did (v. 12). (DRM 1/8/17)

2:7, 8    Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."

    In these two verses it seems that King Herod also wanted to worship Jesus. We are told otherwise in v. 12.
    Why did Herod call the magi secretly? That could be our first clue. This news should be celebrated. If he thought about it, a child should be no threat to the current king for many years.
    As events unfolded, we know that Jesus was born and protected from the evil king by His Father, God, as the angel told Joseph to move to Egypt (v. 13).
    God=Jesus also watches and protects His family today. If He has a plan for our future, He will protect us. We can depend on that! (DRM 12/23/17)

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)

2:10    When they [magi] saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

    The star of Bethlehem causes some questions for me. How does a star point to a specific location? How did it move and stop over Bethlehem?
    The magi could/should have been happy that it wasn't a cloudy day.
    We don't know the answers to these questions so will have to ask Jesus when we see Him.
    What happened in the sky was important then and, we are told, will be important to us as we await His return, as there will also be signs (24:29-31) when He comes again.
    Jesus could come any day; keep looking up. (DRM 1/6/18)

2:11    After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold; frankincense, and myrrh.

    We aren't told how long it was from Jesus' birth until the Magi arrived. Clearly, Jesus was still in Bethlehem, but in a house now. It had to take some time for the Magi to travel there.
    The Magi were clearly directed by the Lord in their travels, their gifts and what NOT to do next, after they had seen Jesus. We are to do the same when God, through the Holy Spirit tells us to do something or not. (DRM 12/28/16)

2:13    Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."

    Both Joseph and Mary had to have a lot of faith - because they had to know the Lord's voice and angels voices and know Who was directing their next moves. So often we get confused on who is telling us what - and I would think demons would also try to influence their moves so their leader, Satan, could destroy Jesus. No one says that, but it occurs today, so I would think it did then.
    We are to follow the Lord's direction and do His will, like Joseph and Mary did. We aren't told how long they were in Bethlehem, but it was certainly less than two years (v. 16). (DRM 12/27/14)

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)

3:1, 2    Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ²"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

    Isaiah prophesized that John the Baptist would come before the Messiah (v. 3) and (Isaiah 40:3), so this was a fulfillment of prophecy.
    Perhaps the same thing is happening today. Right before Jesus returns, we should expect people to come to faith in the Lord Jesus. This prophecy doesn't say John the Baptist was limited to only the Jordan River - and today's new Christian followers are not limited to one nation.
    Like John the Baptist, our message to unbelievers should be the same, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus is coming back very soon and you don't want to miss Him. (DRM 3/18/15)

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??? 
    This verse certainly tells me that Jesus Christ is my savior and is the son of God. (DRM 12/20/86)

4:2    And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

    I have a problem going more than six hours during the day without getting a hunger headache and wonder how Jesus could go 40 days without eating.
    Now that I looked up the cross-references to this verse - Exodus 34:28 and 1 Kings 19:8 - Moses and Elijah also went without food for 40 days.
    Jesus, Moses and Elijah did this with special assistance from God. Moses was writing the Ten Commandments with God and Elijah was given food by an angel. Jesus was able to do this with God's help and defeated the devil's temptations. (DRM 8/28/13)

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)

4:18    Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

    Are you (I) willing to follow Jesus = God? No matter what occupation or status in life, He can use us. It seems that He uses people in the "low class" jobs more than "high class" jobs because low class people tend to be more dependent on Him for all their needs - and hear His voice clearer.
    Later on in life, Peter, Andrew and others had the new occupation of "fishers of men" which is what the Lord Jesus wants of all of us. (v. 19) (DRM 11/17/11)

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)

4:21, 22    Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

    What was different about Jesus' call to the future apostles that made them stop and follow Him immediately? I don't know the answer to this question, but Jesus must have had some appeal that caused these men to follow Him and His teaching. Maybe it was the Holy Spirit activated within them that said to their souls that this Man was genuine and they would benefit from following Him.
    No matter the cause, He is still asking people to follow Him, through the Holy Spirit. I pray you are one that's answering His call. I am. (DRM 5/29/14)

4:23    Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

    Times have changed since Jesus' day. There is no mention how the people knew if He was a "qualified teacher" or doctor. He just did it and they accepted Him.
    Today, a church would have to do a complete background check on any proposed speaker - to make sure the person never molested anyone or to check their doctrine stands. They would have check if he/she was "ordained" before speaking to the church. Any church healer would be suspected for false preaching, because of the actions mentioned in this verse.
    If Jesus did the same thing in USA today, He wouldn't be allowed in most churches, and possibly be put in a mental institution for what He said. (DRM 11/10/14)

5:4    "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "

    When we mourn for friends and relatives that have died, our closest friends mourn with us. They knew the person who died and will also miss their presence on earth.
    Depending on their faith, we know where they will spend eternity. Many times they never expressed their faith while on earth, so their fate is a mystery to us.
    The best comfort comes to us from Jesus and the Holy Spirit when we know the deceased put their complete faith in Him. That's when there is no doubt that we will see the person again in Heaven whenever we get there. (DRM 10/29/16)

5:5    "Blessed are the gentle*, for they shall inherit the earth."
         *other words for gentle are humble and meek.

    Maybe the opposite helps to explain this better. The arrogant person demands his/her own way. No other way is right - they won't listen to other views.
    A gentle or humble person is the opposite and wants to keep everyone happy. They don't want to call attention to themselves and probably would rather work "behind the scenes."
    To "inherit the earth" (I think) refers to the new Heaven and the new earth that will exist when Jesus rules in the future. (DRM 2/24/13)

5:6    "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

    This is one of nine "Blessed are. . . " verses from the Sermon on the Mount.
    When I became a Christian 26 years ago, I wanted to read the Bible and understand all that was in it. I was anxious to go to Bible studies and learn more and more. Thankfully, I was led to the the Lord by a person (and the Holy Spirit) who was a true Christian and not part of a cult where I would have gotten very confused.
    As you can tell by these writings, I continue to read the Bible daily and always want to learn more. There will be no end to learning more about the Lord.
    I hope you feel the same. (DRM 1/28/12)

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)

5:8    "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

    How can I/we become "pure in heart?" One thought is to be more transparent, which is to allow others to see that your (spiritual) hearts' desire to do good, to tell only the truth and not put down others. That's not easy.
    Another thought for "pure in heart" is to learn all about the Lord God and Jesus from what is written in the Bible. Other sources help in understanding, but the pure word of God is the Bible itself. (DRM 3/30/14)

5:9    "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

    This is from Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." Sometimes I think of a peacemaker as a negotiator. They listen to both sides of a story and should go to the Lord for insight as to which solution is best.
    It's easy to listen to just one side, but sometimes you have to go to the opposite side to get insight on their view. Clearly Jesus doesn't want us to make quick decisions without taking all options into consideration. Often a middle road is the best option.
    When there is a conflict in your life, always go to the Lord in prayer before making a final decision. (DRM 2/20/18)

5:11, 12    "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

    While I feel that several things that have happened to me in the past nine years are because of my faith, I can't call it persecution because the people who caused my problems didn't tell me WHY they did it. That seems to be the way it's done today in the USA.
    In other countries the persecution is worse. The beheadings have begun in parts of the world only because a person says they are a Christian. We are told these days would be coming and we are told here to "keep the faith" no matter the opposition from the world. (DRM 8/23/14)

5:13    "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."

    Salt is probably the most common spice. We add salt to food to improve its flavor. Without use for years, it loses it saltiness and becomes like white sand.
    In this verse, Jesus reminds us that we are to be like salt, and to tell others (add flavor) about our faith through conversation. If we don't share Christ in our daily walk, what good are we doing for His Kingdom? We would become as useless as the salt on the ground.
    We have spice - salt to share - and need to improve others' lives. (DRM 9/15/13)

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)

    Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. A lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong; and yet far over the waters its friendly spark is seen by the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let the main sermon of your life be illustrated by all your conduct. (Charles Spurgeon in DLM 1882 Bible)

5:15    . . . nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

    As Christians, we have something to share. This illustration is physical light - and we are to share spiritual Light - our trust in the Lord Jesus.
    Our current house is the world, so we should share Jesus with anyone in the world who will listen. There are various ways to do this. (DRM 3/23/12)

5:16    Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

    No matter if you (I) think so or not, people are watching us. It's obvious that relatives are concerned about our fate, but even slight acquaintances have a thought about our actions. We could be "watched" for different things, with faith among them.
    With this knowledge, it is best to always be as perfect in Christ as possible. When people see us, we (should) want them to see Jesus - who's Holy Spirit lives inside us. (DRM 10/6/11)

    Our light (our actions) should point people to the One who is the Light. We don't have any light in ourselves, but we shine with the reflection of Christ (Eph. 5:8). (Cindy Hess Kasper, Our Daily Bread)

5:17    Do not think that I [Jesus] came to abolish the Law or the Prophets', I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

    This could be confusing. At the time that Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, the Law was generally considered the Ten Commandments. Thus it would seem that He was on earth to fulfill the requirements of the Ten Commandments for those who were to trust in Him.
    A cross-reference in my Bible goes to Matt. 7:12 (which is after this verse) and really summarizes the Ten Commandments to one - treat others as you would want them to treat you.
    Which is right? I think that it's good to try to keep all the commandments, and ask for forgiveness if/when I fail. (DRM 8/17/12)

5:18    For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

    Since we, as Christians, will go to Heaven when we die, I don't see how Heaven will pass away. So, lets use the word "never."
    Jesus will never let one prophecy that is in the Bible be left unfulfilled. Not even a minor prophecy or one that we might have missed, or we thought already occurred.
    Yes, there are plenty of prophecies that haven't occurred yet in Daniel and Revelation - but that doesn't mean the Rapture of the church can't occur. All unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible can occur AFTER the church is taken off the earth. (DRM 8/22/13)

5:19    Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    I can think of a church that I've visited where the pastor said in his sermon that he didn't personally believe all that is in the Bible. He wanted to pick and choose what he would believe. Based on this, I'm not sure if he is a born-again Christian or a theologian.
    In this verse Jesus seems to say that some people like this are Christians and will go to Heaven, but they will be "least", compared to those who teach and believe the whole word of God.
    The whole Bible is absolute truth. (DRM 12/7/13)

5:20    "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

    At first glance this seems intimidating when you read it, but after we think about the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' time, we should realize that they opposed all that Jesus did and weren't believers in Him - thus didn't want to please Him with their works or anything else.
    Since trusting in Jesus, and desiring to follow His commands, we are already ahead of the Pharisees. The infilling Holy Spirit will direct us to the work that needs to be done for the Kingdom - and by simply obeying His directions, we will have no problem with this verse. (DRM 11/18/15)

5:22    But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

    As I've read through the Bible, I've seen hundreds of laws and rules that the Israelites or the Christians should follow. This has made me more of a legalist than I really should be.
    Jesus came to save sinners. A person who breaks the rules or laws would be a sinner, so we need a Savior=Jesus Who died for our sins. This doesn't mean we (I) should go on sinning, but to ask His forgiveness when I know that I have broken a rule/law in the Bible. (DRM 5/16/13)

5:25, 26    Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

    You must know your opponent before court day and have had a disagreement or else you wouldn't be on your way to the court.
    Jesus says here to apologize individually with this person and straighten out the matter because the judge won't be as agreeable. . . settle out of court.
    If you settle out of court, most likely it would be for a smaller settlement than what the judge would award. (DRM 5/10/12)

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)

5:40    If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

    This is from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
    Jesus never wanted confrontation between two people. He promoted peace and not war - but also knew that wars would come - so was not deluded.
    With this attitude, if an unbeliever had a disagreement with you, He instructs us to give them more than they ask for. This would show we want them to be happy and also see our dependence and faith.
    (A believer should not sue another believer, so we know it HAS to be an unbeliever.) 1 Corinthians 6:1-8
    As believers, we are to be in this world, but not of this world. When we follow Jesus' leading, as given here, people will know we are different and truly following Him. (DRM 6/11/16)

    When we love our enemies, we mirror the perfection of heaven and the heart of the Father. (from Our Daily Bread INSIGHT DENNIS MOLES 6/11/16)

5:41    Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

    This seems to refer to submissiveness. The person who "forces" you to go must be an authority of some type, and we are also to submit to authorities unless it's clearly against God's written will.
    So we are walking the mile - and submitting to their will. . . by walking even longer, this will show our yielding to their authority and they may even consider why we submitted and our faith. Certainly by doing this, we would be different from the rest of the world and showing and/or speaking the reason we were being submissive. (DRM 5/2/16)

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)

5:43, 44    "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 and pray for those who persecute you, . . .

    Jesus was known to go against 'earthly wisdom', this is an example. Certainly we will love those who also love us - that's easy. But why try to love the people on the other side?
    Jesus=God loves everyone. The sun shines and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous (v. 45).
    Why love the enemy? Because some day they could change and be your eternal friend. They can 'see' your love and may decide it's something they want in their lives also.
    It may not be easy today - but love ALL people - like Jesus did. (DRM 2/24/17)

    If Paul, the worst of sinners, could be saved, then there is hope for everyone else. No one is beyond the reach of God's mercy and grace. (from Our Daily Bread INSIGHT 2/22/17 _{SIM KAY TEE})

    [Re: 5:44]    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" (v. 48) to set a good example as Jesus set for us. (DRM 11/3/86)

5:45    . . . so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

    A hurricane is coming, or an earthquake just occurred. God does not exempt the righteous believers from these "acts of God," as we all have to go through them while on earth. If an earthquake hits California, the Christians feel the shaking as much as everyone else.
    The point is that believers know that these events are not "personal" against their faith, but understand that this is another sign of His soon return.

    *The comment above is out of context. The passage is about making peace. (v. 44) God loves both the righteous and the unrighteous and wants us to do the same, no matter what happens on earth, we know the Father's purpose is not "personal." (DRM 11/20/11)

5:46,47    For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

    I remember a church leader in the past who suggested that a Christian should only associate with other Christians. This didn't make any sense to me. If I never spoke to a non-Christian, how would they know about the Lord Jesus?
    Jesus wants us to share our faith with others - there are many ways to do that - but don't stay secluded in your home or at church - go and share your faith with non-Christians. Perhaps they will see the Light. (DRM 3/20/13)

5:48    Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

    I'm a perfectionist. I try not to sin, I try to do everything without error, but I fail sometimes.
    The context of this verse is to love those who DON'T love you. Not just those who agree with you. (v. 44)
    Following Christ is not following the world's ways. We (I) have the example of Jesus and, as a Christian, am to follow His direction and not the way the world (everyone else  that isn't a Christian) does things. (DRM 7/26/12)

6:1    Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

    This makes me think of saying grace in restaurants. What to do? When I'm alone, it's easy to pray silently before eating my food. The question is about public prayers before unbelievers. It seems inconsistent to me to have a family (not me) say grace in front of the children at home, but not in a restaurant in front of unbelievers.
    The question now is motive. Is the reason for the prayer/grace to be seen by unbelievers or to thank the Lord for the food that He has provided? (DRM 8/20/12)

6:2    So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

    It's on TV every so often - some rich person just gave a million dollars to some cause or building project and the building will be named after them. Even a local Christian rescue mission publishes the names of all the donors.
    This is not God's way. He wants us to give to Him in secret - not to publicize the donation. The next time I give to a cause I should tell them it's from anonymous  and God will know - not the whole world. (DRM 2/7/12)

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.
    He will reward us for the things that we do for others in His name. (DRM 12/26/07)

6:5    "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

    The hypocrite wants you to see how good they are, but they really aren't that good on the inside.
    Jesus refers here to the people who pray to be seen praying so people will think they are spiritual. A modern application COULD be praying in restaurants; but I wonder if I pray (say grace) at home why I shouldn't also before I eat in a restaurant.
    The point could be to have a complete spiritual life and if you pray in public, let it also be something that you would do in private - not just public and skip doing it at home. (DRM 11/16/12)

6:6    But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

    Jesus discourages public prayers for the sake of the person calling attention to himself. There are times when I have been asked to pray for a small group and think that is appropriate before a Bible study or meal.
    The point is that we are not to pray just to be seen by others as being spiritual. A controversy exists on if we should say grace in a restaurant as that could fit this directive. (DRM 5/5/12)

6:7, 8    And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

    I think I could be guilty of this. Over the years, people have asked me to pray for them for various trials they are going through. No one ever asks me to stop praying for them. The list has gotten longer and longer over the years and it seems repetitious to me as I don't know if their problem has been resolved or not.
    Jesus=God knows our needs and wants more concise prayers and our devotion to Him rather than the "long list." (DRM 1/6/14)

6:9    Pray, then, in this way:
        'Our Father who is in heaven,
        Hallowed be Your name.

    This is the beginning of "The Lord's Prayer" that Jesus gave us as a format for our prayers.
    "Our Father" indicates to me that God isn't just the Father of Jesus, but all of us. He is our heavenly Father that loves us and wants us to live with Him in Heaven.
    He is our Creator and the Creator of all things (with His Son, Jesus), so deserves to be hallowed - or honored and praised and worshipped.
    When I pray sometimes I forget that God Himself is listening and will act on my behalf if He chooses to. (DRM 1/7/14)

6:10    Your kingdom come.
           Your will be done,
           On earth as it is in heaven.

    This is part of what we call 'The Lord's prayer.' Jesus is giving us a format as to what to include in our prayers. I'm not sure that He meant for us to memorize His format (v. 7).
    We are to look forward to His return, and when that occurs, His Kingdom will rule the earth. I can't imagine a true Christian that wouldn't look forward to that day!
    We also should want His will to be done - today and every day we are on earth and will be in Heaven. Sometimes our will and His don't match - but He has a far better plan that includes a bigger picture than we can see. (DRM 1/7/16)

6:11    Give us this day our daily bread.

    This is just one part of what we call the Lord's Prayer. Jesus told us to use this format when praying (v. 9).
    As we work to secure money to buy food, it's easy to ignore God's provision. Remember to thank God for the ability to do productive work and someone who pays for your efforts. God gave us these abilities/talents.
    In one way or another, God provides for our needs as believers, yes it could be outside assistance, but God is in control. I can't explain famine, but the Lord knows everything. Depend on Him and He will provide on one way or another. (DRM 11/19/16)

6:13    And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]

    This is from what we call the Lord's Prayer. It's really a format of how we should pray (v. 9).
    Jesus doesn't want us to be lead into temptation. This wouldn't come from the Father, but from Satan. God is the One who delivers us from evil or the evil one. We don't want to be tempted to do anything evil. (1 Corin. 10:13) (James 1:13)
    The final bracket was added later; it's to bring God all the glory and honor for what He has done.
    Praying is essential to knowing God. He loves us and wants to hear from us - both with our needs and praise. (DRM 1/9/17)

    Prayer is the voice of faith, trusting that God knows and cares. (from Our Daily Bread 1/7/17)

6:14, 15    "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

    Transgressions are sins. Your friend said something about you that wasn't true, and you found out. They sinned. The best thing to do is to go to them and find out why. No matter if you do that or not, Jesus clearly states here that we must forgive others for their sins.
    God knows the truth. He is responsible for any punishment, not us. If we don't forgive others, God knows that too; and will not forgive the sins that we commit.
    Forgiveness feels good. Friendships grow and conflict ceases. Try it. (DRM 6/1/17)

6:16    Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

    When fasting, praying (v.6) or giving to the poor (v. 2), the Lord does not want us to proclaim the good deeds we have done. He wants this to be private between us and Him.
    I think the point is, whatever we do for the Lord is to be kept between only me (us) and the Lord.
    It's easy to think of wings of hospitals and building at colleges for examples of people who didn't follow this principle. (DRM 4/4/13)

6:19    Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

    Just last week the local newspaper showed that a person purchased a $5 million house a few miles away. I can't imagine the benefits of spending that much money over a regular house! When these people die, the house will just go to someone else on earth, while at least $4 million could have been used to serve the Lord's work if they had been satisfied with something smaller.
    Earthly treasures have no eternal reward. Use 10% of your income to serve the work of Jesus=God in some way. (DRM 10/19/11)

6:20, 21    But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

    I remember back when I first read these verses and thought, "how can I send ANYTHING to Heaven?" thinking literally instead of spiritually.
    When I give money to the church, a lot of that is used to pay for salaries and church heating, electricity, etc. This is an indirect way of continuing the furtherance of the gospel message.
    Perhaps the most direct way of storing up treasure in Heaven is by helping missionaries that are evangelical and directly talking to people about their salvation. How am I/we/you doing on storing up treasures in Heaven? (DRM 10/16/15)

    Material wealth is temporary. Nothing lasts forever - except what our God enables us to do for others. Giving of our time and resources to spread the good news, visiting those who are lonely, and helping those in need are just some of the many ways to store up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20) (from Our Daily Bread, Lawrence Darmani, 10/16/15)

6:22, 23    The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

     What we look at with our eyes effects our whole spiritual being. To have a clear eye, we should be looking only at good things, not bad things that this world can produce to distract us.
    As we keep our eyes and mind on Christ and not the world, then others will see the spiritual light coming from us and be attracted to Jesus' Holy Spirit within us.
    Avoid the spiritual darkness in this world. Show others that there is a better way — through Christ. (DRM 11/26/17)

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)

6:25    For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

    My mother was a worrier - and I inherited it from her. Since I became a Christian I have read and re-read this and following verses in Matthew 6.
    Now that it has been a quarter of a century since I became a Christian, my worry is fading and I give most of my anxiety to Jesus=God. I still have nervous times - but not like before.
    Worry gets us nowhere. Jesus knows everything and it's freeing to just give it to Him and go on with other parts of life. (DRM 2/4/13)

6:26    Look at the birds of the air, that they doo not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

    Who said this? Jesus our Lord! He should know what the Father God thinks of us.
    When I ran out of money and had no money for food, I know what happened. It's never easy to test this verse - and it wasn't intentional - but He sent people to help provide the money or gift cards or even food to eat when I really needed it.
    This verse is absolutely true. Praise the Lord! (DRM 5/13/13)

6:27    And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

    This is short and to the point. We have the choice if we will worry or not. For me, the worry problem comes when I face the unknown. If I've done it before, I know what to expect. Still, Jesus says worry/fear is not going to help.
    The point is that Jesus is watching over us and wants only the best for us. If He chooses for us to go to Heaven today, then what? It will be better there than here, so what's the point?
    So long as we've trusted Jesus, we know He will do what's right. (DRM 1/15/14)

6:28, 29    And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

    Jesus knew/knows everything about us. He knows we always seem to worry about things that COULD go wrong, or in this instance what clothing we need or want to wear tomorrow.
    His assurance is that He will take care of all our NEEDS when we put our complete trust in Him. There's no need to worry.
    The whole point is even given in verse 33: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
    Put all your trust in Him and don't worry! (DRM 3/1/18)

6:30    But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith?

    So long as we put our full trust in the Lord Jesus, He seems to give us extra attention. That doesn't mean we should sit and do nothing, but rather do things to promote His Kingdom.
    As a result of being His children, He will make sure we receive enough to meet our NEEDS for food and clothing. If I don't have a job (I know this), He provides in another way. If I have employment, He makes sure that the salary will meet our needs. Even in the toughest situations, we have to depend on Him. . . God will make a way, when there seems to be no way. (DRM 12/14/16)

6:31, 32    Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' ³²For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

    Jesus doesn't want us to worry. In these verses He refers to food, drink and clothing, but then we come to wants - and things we don't 'need'. These things aren't necessarily in God's will. If we NEED a new pair of shoes, God wants us to have them. If we want an expensive new shirt/blouse and don't need it, that requires prayer.
    Jesus=God will provide for our needs. Don't worry about it. We need to depend on His direction daily for the non-essentials. (DRM 8/14/16)

6:33    But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

    The context of this verse is worry - and worrying how we will eat and meet our needs.
    Jesus gave the examples of the birds (v. 26) and the flowers (vv. 28-29) and they don't worry about their needs or future. God loves us, knows our needs, and will supply them so long as we trust in Him. He doesn't fulfill all our "wants" if they aren't our needs at the time (v. 32).
    We need to trust Him and seek His Kingdom with all our heart - truly putting our faith in Him - then He will give us what we need - which can come in various ways including the ability to work or other supernatural ways on occasion. (DRM 3/16/16)

    We are important because God loves us. (from Our Daily Bread 3/16/16)

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.
    Since trusting the Lord, I have tried to put His Word into my mind instead of worrisome thoughts. Most of the time it has worked! (DRM 12/4/86)

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)

7:12    "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

    This is called the "golden rule." I personally wonder if people even think of it much any more.
    When making a major decision, or even writing a letter, I occasionally think, "how would I react if this was written to me?" Then I usually modify something.
    Don't just write or do something without thinking of the "other side." It's worth the analysis and only takes a little longer. No snap judgments. (DRM 3/12/14)

7:13    "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

    Most people in the world want freedom to choose their own way. They choose what they want to do each day and generally choose what type of employment they are most comfortable doing, even though I know it gets repetitious.
    Following Jesus is going in a different direction. It's yielding our will to His will. We let Him direct our path each day and follow His leading. This can affect work choices and how we show others how He dwells within our life. It's a different type of freedom.
    Our goal is through the narrow gate. Follow Jesus' leading every day and avoid the wide gate. (DRM 7/8/16)

7:14    For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who 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. 
    Lord, help me to appreciate my salvation so much, that I will not be a hypocrite, but be willing to tell others of your incredible grace. (DRM 12/14/86)

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)

7:21    Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

    I remember Jack Wyrtzen quoting this verse at Word of Life often. It's not a "comfortable" verse as I always want to do His will and it seems so elusive at times.
    Since salvation is so simple, God's will should be also. God wants us each to follow His direction as given in the Bible and share the good news with as many others as possible - there's no doubt in my mind about that - the questions come up when I wonder where (what city) and the specifics of each day. That's where the Holy Spirit comes in - and I (we) need to hear His (Holy Spirit) voice for that. (DRM 10/14/12)

7:24    Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

    When I was in my teens, twenties and early thirties, I heard Jesus' words and didn't act on them. I didn't take His gift seriously or internally in my heart. Since that day in 1986, I have tried several projects to bring others to Jesus and have continuously been defeated. Perhaps the problem is that I've let others influence my progress and not the Rock, Jesus Himself.
    While the other projects have not succeeded (yet), I'm glad that you and others have looked at this web site and pray that it will help in your spiritual growth. (DRM 11/9/13)

7:25    And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

    If we hear AND ACT on Jesus words, we will be like the house built on a rock (v. 24).
    We can go to church or even read our Bible every day or week and still not learn anything from the experience. We have to read the words, think about what is taught and implement it in our lives. When we are told to "love one another," then fight with others, what did we learn from the teaching? Don't start the fight, love others who have differences with you — do what the Bible/Jesus says and life will go so much better. . . our faith will not fail like the house did in this illustration (v. 27). (DRM 10/19/14)

7:26, 27    Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and it fell — and great was its fall."

    Jesus does not want us to just read His words and think they are good thoughts; He wants us to act on what we read and apply it to how we live. Not to do this is called hypocrisy. It's easy for me to visualize people going to church on a Sunday and swearing at co-workers on Monday. These people never internalized the words Jesus spoke nor let it change their attitude in life.
    The term "born again" is related to the time the decision was made to not just listen, but also do what Jesus did while He was on earth. If you are not "born again" you will not enter Heaven. (DRM 4/7/15)

8:3    Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

    When Jesus was on earth, one of His major ministries was to heal the sick. The leper that came to Jesus (v. 2) believed that He could heal him. Jesus knew the man's faith and was willing to heal him.
    I believe that Jesus is alive today and still heals people who believe He can. He seems to have done it several times for me. . . but not always. If He is willing, it will be done.
    If we come to Him in faith, He can choose to heal us, or may wait, or may work through doctors. He is still in control. (DRM 5/1/14)

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)

8:8    But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed."

    The centurion had a servant that was paralyzed at home (v. 6) and asked Jesus to heal the servant.
    In verse seven Jesus said He would come, but the centurion refused, believing Jesus could heal the servant from afar.
    Jesus was amazed with the faith of the centurion (v. 10) and healed the servant.
How much faith do we have in the Lord Jesus? When we ask for something do we actually believe He will do it, or it it just another option?
    We need faith like the centurion here and Jesus=God can answer yes if He chooses. (DRM 5/5/17)

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. 
    People who follow Jesus as Lord are not dead, but are alive in Him. While I think this is the meaning of this verse, I still have a feeling for these people and hope and pray that their families will come to know Jesus as Lord. (DRM 3/10/87)
    Another response to this verse could be that we should not put off following the Lord's leading, but to do His will immediately, and not wait to do it later. (DRM 1/13/2004)

8:23, 24    When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.

    The boat had to be reasonably large for the 12 disciples and Jesus to be aboard. There were two levels as Jesus was asleep. Certainly it wasn't a little rowboat.*
    Who caused the storm? God wouldn't want to drown His Son. Was this within the power of Satan? Whatever the cause, Satan could see it as an opportunity to stop Jesus' ministry.
    Jesus knew of His Father's love and what would happen next . . . it would be another teaching experience for the disciples. With faith, ALL things are possible. (DRM 4/27/16)

    *Mark 4:36 states . . . "other boats were with Him."

8:25    And they [disciples] came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!"

    Jesus was asleep while the disciples were on the boat and a storm battered the boat.
    In this verse, the disciples knew enough to wake Jesus when they were in trouble. They had faith that He could help the situation - but didn't know what He would do.
    We also need to have faith in Jesus when we are in trouble - and have confidence that He will do something. Quite often it's not what we/I expected Him to do, but it solved the crisis.
    Pray to the Lord Jesus - He can and will help if it's His will. (DRM 4/28/15)

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)

8:29    And they [demons] cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

    The demons had inhabited the two swine/pig herdsmen. When they saw Jesus approach, they (demons) knew who He was - which is another proof that He was who He said He was.
    They knew He could kill them, so asked to inhabit the swine if they had to leave the two men.
    "The time" they refer to here is the time of judgment (NASB comment) that is still future - after the tribulation - reminding me (us) that demons/angels live forever - as they will be the same demons/angels involved in the world at that time. (DRM 11/15/13)

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)

9:9    As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him.

    Matthew must have known Who Jesus was before making this decision. If someone I think highly of were to ask me to do something, I would be honored to have been asked.
    Still, Matthew was eager and willing to follow Jesus - and his life was never the same after that.
    When we follow Jesus, we also have to change and do as He directs. (DRM 1/20/12)

9:10    Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

    Jesus was clearly setting an example here. Matthew had just joined the disciples by Jesus' invitation (v. 9) and had other unbelieving friends for a meal with his new friend, Jesus. This was a way of evangelism - to get more people to know and trust in Jesus.
    I know a church and Christian organization that don't want believers to have ANY contact with unbelievers. That's not what Jesus did - or He would be very lonely!
    We have to share the Good News in some way - like Jesus did, and so many others over the past 2,000 years (e.g. missionaries). (DRM 10/15/14)

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)

9:27, 28    As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" ²⁸When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

    One of the requirements that Jesus had for healing people was that they trust in Him to do it. In this case the blind men said they had faith in Him, in other cases an intermediary asked for healing and the intermediary was the one with vocal faith in the Lord's ability to heal.
    I wonder if the reason that health care today is such a big business is because people trust more in medicine than in the Lord's ability to heal.
    Always go to the Lord first for healing, then go to medicine as a second option - as He also can work through doctors.

9:29    Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith."

    In this chapter, Jesus performed various healing miracles. In each instance faith was emphasized.
    Today it seems that people have faith in the wrong things - either the doctor or the hospital system or almost anything other than Jesus. If even considered, He seems to be the last resort.
    I'd prefer to skip all the intermediaries and just go to Jesus first - then go to the others if told to by the Holy Spirit or emergencies/accidents if necessary.
    Jesus will still heal people if they show their faith/trust in Him to do it. (DRM 7/14/15)

9:35    Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

    This is an evidence that Jesus is God. Today, with the Holy Spirit, a devoted follower of Jesus can go through different cities and preach the gospel of the kingdom, and he would be an evangelist.
    The difference was that Jesus healed every disease. Some doctors and medicine can heal a particular disease(s), but Jesus could heal people by touch and faith in Him. What other single person could do that for EVERYONE that came to them?
    Jesus is our true Healer. (DRM 6/24/12)

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.
    Unfortunately there are very few teachers of the word as it should be spoken. We need more shepherds! I hope I can help in some way, if only by writing. . . (DRM 3/11/87)

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)

10:7    And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

    This was in Jesus' instructions to the twelve disciples (v. 1) or apostles (v. 2). It was a time for them to go out - really practice for when He would not be there.
    This verse could refer to the fact that Jesus, the representative of the Kingdom of Heaven, was actually on earth, and people should go and meet Him.
    Today, Jesus is with us spiritually and everyone needs to know the gospel of the Kingdom. The date we could go to our judgment is unknown, so decide TODAY about the Kingdom of Heaven. (DRM 3/5/14)

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)

10:29-31    Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

    [Re: 10:29]    Jesus wanted/wants us to know that He and His Father are always watching over us - as we are His spiritual children. He also watches over all other living things like the sparrows - and if He does that, He cares more for us than the sparrows.
    With the events of today, another thought comes to mind. . . millions of birds and fish die and pile up in various parts of the earth in the past few years. Jesus=God knows about those things also. Clearly, He is trying to tell us something and wants people to pay attention - but most unbelievers still go on normally. (DRM 12/31/15)

    [Re: 10:29-31]    God knows everything. Nothing is hidden from Him (v. 26). He knows more about us than we do - including the number of hairs on our head - and that changes every day!
    While God loves the birds and other animals He created, He loves us far more than them.
    How God=Jesus knows everything about seven billion people alive today is a mystery; the important thing is to also love Him and listen to Him for daily direction. Be sure it's His voice, as His voice will agree with what the Bible teaches. God loves each of us. (DRM 5/29/16)

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

    Have you ever told people about your faith in Jesus? Today it's easy to tell people about God, as many religions believe in some god. The hard part is to use the word Jesus, as He is the true Man we put our faith in. As we tell others of our faith in Jesus, He will know and tell God about our lives lived for Him.
    Have you ever denied Jesus existed? If so, then He will deny us in the same way.
    Sometimes it's hard to believe, but Jesus knows EVERYTHING we say. We should never deny His influence in our lives. As the Holy Spirit is in us, we will want to share His love to others. (DRM 1/17/17)

10:35, 36    For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; ³⁶and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

    Let's say you went to a church revival service out of curiosity on you own. While there you put all your faith in the Lord Jesus. Then you went home to your unbelieving family. They all think you are crazy for doing what you did. They weren't your enemies before, but now they are until they say that Christ is also their Savior - this could go on for years. They are now your spiritual enemy.
    As stated in the next verses, Jesus wants priority above relatives in our earthly family. He deserves it. He saved us from certain suffering in Hell. (DRM 7/15/16)

10:37    "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.

    Jesus spoke these words. If Jesus is not God, they would not make any sense. Now, think of them as spoken by God.
    God wants us to love Him more than anyone on earth. He loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for our sins, and our reward for loving Him will be eternal life in His Kingdom rather than the suffering in Hell.
    He is worthy of our praise - and love. (DRM 5/7/13)

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)

10:40    "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. . . "

    As Jesus was telling His disciples here, He is also telling us the same thing.
    One of the important things that we should be doing in life as Christians is to represent Him in the world. Try to do some of the things He did ( e.g. help, encourage others). We can't raise people from the dead like He did, but we can show His love. By doing these things, others will be attracted to Him, thus also to the Father.
    Jesus doesn't want anyone to die and go to Hell. (DRM 5/31/17)

11:4-6    Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John [the Baptist] what you hear and see: ⁵the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT 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. ⁶And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."

    John the Baptist wanted assurance that Jesus was truly the Messiah that he preached about.
    These verses really summarize what Jesus did while He was on earth. They contain the evidence that He was who He said He was. No one else then or now can do all these things. Modern medicine has tried to do some, but only Jesus could raise people from the dead.
    Clearly, Jesus was and still is the Messiah, the Son of God and our redeemer if we put our trust in Him. He deserves our praise and worship. (DRM 1/10/17)

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)

11:16, 17    "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, ¹⁷and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance, we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' "

    As we get older, we seem to have more and more to do. Children have plenty of free time in comparison.
    Jesus was telling us that they, as adults, weren't paying as much attention as the children were. They were too involved in other activities to realize the Son of God was in their midst. He figuratively played the flute, but almost no one listened. Their priorities were things they had to do
    Yes, people came to hear Jesus, but many didn't, and most don't listen today either. God=Jesus is still calling for followers. Earthquakes, floods and signs in the sky all show He wants our attention. He will come suddenly - and people will still be busy doing their own thing. (DRM 6/17/17)

11:25, 26    At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight. . . "

    While there are some really smart people that know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, many of the colleges and leaders of today haven't trusted in Jesus. They have a different mindset, and a more scientific view on things. According to this verse, this was God's plan.
    Those of us who have trusted in Jesus had to come as a spiritual child to be born-again. Trusting in Jesus=God requires faith that what He said is true, rather than trying to figure it out on our own.
    Thank God for opening our eyes to His Truth. (DRM 9/26/16)

    [Re: 11:25]    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)

11:27    All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

    God knows everything about Jesus. He should, He's His Father! Jesus knows everything about God. He should, He's His Son! We can't know everything about God or Jesus because we haven't visited their home yet - but God sent His Son to tell us some things about it so we would want to join Him there.
    Jesus said at the end of this verse that He chooses/"wills" who He will reveal the Father to. That seems like He predestines who will join Him. I still think Jesus knows who will come to Him in advance - so it's still complicated as to who chooses Jesus as Savior - Him choosing us or us choosing Him - (DRM 10/12/14)

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)

11:29    Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

    In a way, when we (I) take a yoke on, we are accepting a job that the Lord Jesus has given us. What is the job? To "learn."
    Wisdom is to be desired, like Solomon said. Here Jesus wants us to spend more time learning about Him and His Kingdom. This is not a hard task (v. 30) and afterwards our knowledge is increased and our souls are more confident of our "final" outcome. (DRM 9/15/11)

    What does it mean for us to take Christ's yoke upon us? Some Bible expositors think that Christ is referring to a technique used in training beasts of burden. Often one side of a wooden yoke would be placed on the shoulder of a domesticated ox. The other side of the yoke would then be put on a younger untamed ox. The unbroken animal would sometimes fight against the steady steps of the tame animal, resulting in chafed shoulders. However when the young ox learned to walk in stride with the obedient animal, it would experience the ease of an evenly divided load. So it is in the Christian life. As we walk in Jesus' steps, He gives us rest. (1 Peter 2:21) (Our Daily Bread, Radio Bible Class)

11:30    For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

    As Christians we love the Lord Jesus and He loves us. He does more for us than we even know - maybe I know 100 ways He has protected me, but there are probably 1,000 more that I'm not even aware of.
    To serve the Lord Jesus=God, is another way to thank Him for all that He has done for me. When He tells me something to do, I have to know His voice (hard part) and do it. The work is easy when we remember all that He has already done.
    Serve the Lord with love and gladness - it's easy. (DRM 3/25/13)

12:7, 8    . . . But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

    How important is following the sabbath law? In the beginning of Matthew 12, the Pharisees objected to the disciples eating grain=working on the sabbath. Jesus used an example of David breaking the sabbath an he was forgiven.
    Perhaps the point is that the most important thing in our lives is to trust in Jesus. He will forgive us if we "break the sabbath" so long as we have trust in our heart for Him. He has the power to forgive our sins.
    The question of which day to observe the sabbath is not answered here. The point is Jesus is the One to be worshipped - not the Law. (DRM 12/17/15)

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!
    We must do God's will to be in the family and He will most certainly show us the way, if we are willing to listen. (DRM 4/3/87)

13:3    And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; . . . "

    The gospel of Matthew places great emphasis on the teaching ministry of Jesus. One of Jesus' preferred methods of teaching was to use parables. Chapter 13 contains parables on the kingdom. There, Jesus explained why He taught this way (vv. 10-17). In this chapter, He taught a total of eight stories that describe what the "kingdom of heaven is like": the sower of soils (vv. 1-9, 18-23), the wheat and weeds (vv. 24-30, 36-43), the mustard seed (vv. 31-32), the leaven (v. 33), the hidden treasure (v. 44), the pearl of great price (vv. 45-46), the fishing net (vv. 47-50), and the householder (v. 52). from Our Daily Bread, INSIGHT, 7/26/13)

13:5, 6    Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

    Jesus explained this parable in verses 18-23. Concerning the "rocky places", He said, "this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, . . ."
    When a person first trusts in Jesus, he/she should be excited, but when a problem arises they can fall away. This is the time when the person should be MORE in the word=Bible, so to keep in the faith. Whatever the problem - go to the Bible or other Christians to grow in the faith, Stick to it! Don't be like this seed and wither away. Jesus loves you. Ask yourself, "What Would Jesus Do?" (DRM 5/17/17)

13:7    Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

    This is from the parable of the sower and the seeds. Some seeds fell beside the road, some on rocky places and others fell on good soil. These seeds fell among the thorns.
    We are all called to spread seeds of our Christian faith to others. Some don't want to hear of our faith and criticize our faith and downplay its importance. These people could be considered thorns or hindrances to the Gospel.
    When we have people like this, we are not to give up, but rather ignore their criticisms and keep planting our seeds. (DRM 10/14/13)

    Each of us needs to ask, "What kind of soil am I?" The Lord wants to plant His Word in our hearts so we can grow in our knowledge of Him. (from Our Daily Bread, 10/14/13)

13:8, 9    And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.

    This is from Jesus' parable of the sower and the seeds.
    As Christians, we should want to spread the good news of salvation through Christ alone. Sharing the good news about Jesus is like planting seeds. Some people who hear the gospel will ignore it, but others will let it take root and fill their lives. Our goal should be for our seeds to produce eternal fruit for His Kingdom (v. 23). (DRM 7/26/13)

13:20, 21    The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

     This is from Jesus' explanation of "the Sower" parable, so we know this is the correct interpretation.
    A new believer in Jesus has committed himself to be a follower, then he gets sick and his friends - who are not believers - start attacking his new faith and probably threaten not to be his friends anymore if he continues to follow Jesus. Rather than to lose his friends or trust in Jesus to heal him of his illness, he goes back to his former way - so he "falls away" in Jesus' terminology here.
    When we have contact with a new convert, we have to influence them to stay the course and not fall away. (DRM 11/21/14)

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!
    One aspect of this verse deals with why we are to live on earth after conversion. I think He wants us to grow with the tares and influence their lives. Only God knows who I will meet and if they will see Him in my life. (DRM 1/14/08)

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, 46    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)

13:46    . . . and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

    Jesus knows we are profit motivated.. If offered something that we know is valuable at a low price we will buy it - whatever the cost - to make a profit on it in the future.
    Heaven is offered to us at a low cost - free - and we should want to take advantage of the "deal."
    If people know what Jesus is offering - eternal life in Heaven instead of Hell - they should take Him up on the "deal." Why they don't mystifies me. I thank the Lord that He opened my eyes on this account.
    This is the best "deal" on earth. Take Jesus up on it! (DRM 12/4/13)

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)

14:19, 20    Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, ²⁰and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets.

    The people needed to eat. Jesus knew how to do it, but He would need His Father's help. He knew to pray before performing this miracle. By looking to Heaven, Jesus showed us again that God has a different personality than Jesus, thus they are different aspects of the Trinity.
    Truly this miracle was allowed by God and performed by Jesus. When we need help, we also need to call on the Father in prayer like Jesus did. We can't do it on our own. God will make the decision if it will succeed or not. We need to follow. (DRM 1/1/17)

14:26    When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

    Jesus' body changed over time. In the Old Testament when He came to Moses or Abraham, He had a body but it was never really described, as I recall.
    Jesus had a real physical body between His physical birth (apx. 4 BC) and His crucifixion (apx. 30 AD), and He had a new spiritual/physical body after that.
    This verse was from the time He had a physical body. He wasn't a ghost, but He still had special abilities, like after 30 AD.
    When we see Jesus, He will be like a bright light. He is truly God - no matter what form He is. (DRM 6/24/15)

14:27    But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."

    Jesus was walking on the water as He came to the disciples in the middle of the night during a storm. The disciples were fearful as they thought He was a ghost (v. 26).
    This verse shows us that Jesus wasn't a ghost, He was real and could do things we can't do. He didn't want them to fear Him or have fear.
    I/we have many times in our lives when we can have fear. As Christians, we don't need fear. Jesus will be with us (through the Holy Spirit) during our trials. While we don't know the outcome, He assures us whatever happens will be for the best in the end. (DRM 3/21/18)

    When we feel like we are in the storm of an impossible situation we can take courage that Christ—the Creator of the world—is present with us and in control. (from Our Daily Bread, INSIGHT, 3/21/18 _{DENNIS FISHER})

14:28    Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

    Peter was different. In this same paragraph, he displayed a lot of faith by stepping out and walking on the water and then Jesus said he had little faith (v. 31) for doubting when the wind blew (v. 30).
    We are human, Jesus is God. He knows so much we don't know and have to learn. Even though He faulted Peter for his incomplete faith, He understands and forgives.
    We are all different. We were made that way. Jesus wants our faith to increase and also will forgive us if we misstep along the way. (DRM 7/13/16)

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)

14:30    But seeing the wind, he [Peter] became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

    What would I do in the same situation? Probably stay in the boat. When Jesus called, Peter walked to Him on the water and the others didn't. Peter showed his faith in the Lord by the attempt. Still, when starting to sink, he needed even more faith.
    Jesus gives us faith today through the Holy Spirit, but we (I) also need to be constantly refilled with more faith as the sin of fear seems to come and take away faith. (DRM 11/10/12)

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.
    We all must learn to trust God for all our needs. It is so easy to depend on your own thoughts, but it it better to ask God to direct your paths. (DRM 4/7/87)

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)

15:17, 18    Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

    What we eat does not affect our spiritual condition. Later (Acts 10:15-16) Peter understood that all food was to be eaten that the Lord provided.
    Our sin problem doesn't come from what we eat, but what we say to others. We have to think before we speak, and that's hard to do in most conversations. What our "heart" says is what our inner belief is. If we harbor resentment or love, etc. for someone, it will come out in our speaking.
    Even our thoughts can be sins - so we truly have to be careful! (DRM 7/29/15)

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)

16:1    The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

    Jesus did many miracles as He was led. The feeding of thousands, healing of the sick and raising people from the dead - and still they wanted Him to do more signs at their request. Maybe they were not present for the other miracles - but Jesus did these things to help people at the times He chose to do them, not to fulfill their (Pharisees + Sadducees) request.
    Jesus does the same now - all of our requests are not fulfilled, but some are. He knows what is best for each of us. Jesus is God and He makes the decisions in His time, not ours. (DRM 11/11/16)

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)

16:15, 16    He [Jesus] said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

    As Christians, we believe that everything in the Bible is true - if you keep the statements in context.
    Based on this Truth, today's verses are also absolute truth. Peter said it, and Jesus agreed this was true in the next verse. Jesus truly is the Son of God and God is alive and not dead.
    This is appropriate for this time of year because of the celebration of His earthly birth. If He did not come to earth, then later die for our sins, we would have no hope of reaching Heaven.
    Jesus is truly worthy of our praise and worship. (DRM 12/20/16)

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.
    The same thing happens to new believers as we proclaim Jesus as "the Christ (God) and the Son of the living God." and the Holy Spirit enters our body to keep our desires active to continue to follow Him. (DRM 1/21/08)

16:19    " . . . I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

    Peter had a good day when he answered Jesus' question correctly!
    Jesus wanted His disciples to believe who He really was, but wanted the masses to make their own decision based on what He said and did.
    Since Jesus didn't lie, all the things that He promised Peter here, Peter has today; even though he made mistakes later; they were forgiven.
    We don't know what Jesus' plan is for us, but knowing Him and Who He is is an important first step. When we do that, we know we will also have a good day! (DRM 4/14/14)

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)

16:26    For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

    God made us with souls.. It's our most valuable possession. If a man were to create a clone, it wouldn't have a soul.
    God gave us life and the ability to determine what we will do with our souls - to dedicate them to Him and His Kingdom - or to keep them for ourselves - which is really the same as losing/forfeit our souls at the end.
    We can't buy/exchange anything to get into Heaven. Making lots of money is really keeping our mind off of Jesus - and what would you do with the money when life is over? (DRM 12/16/13)

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)

17:27    " . . . However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me."

    A customs or poll-tax was due and Peter needed the money (vv. 24-26). Where would he get it?
    Jesus knew the problem and had a unique solution - another miracle. How many times have you found coins in fish? No one knows how Jesus did this - but the point to us is that He provided for the need in an unexpected way.
    Over and over again, we are told that He will provide for our NEEDS and this is another example.
    We need to put all our faith and trust in Him to provide. (DRM 12/26/17)

    As former pastor David Pompo put it, "When we're fishing for our Father, we can depend on Him for all we need." (from Our Daily Bread 12/26/17 _{TIM GUSTAFSON})

18:3    . . . and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

    I'm getting old. How can I become like a child?
    Clearly we can't become physically like children again, but spiritually we can! When we first came to trust in Jesus for our eternal destiny, we have to clear our minds of all the old ideas and thoughts we had before coming to Jesus (e.g. evolution) and trust completely what is written in the Bible.
    To be a Christian=Christ follower, we have to clear our minds and follow His teachings and act on the Holy Spirit's promptings that lead us to a closer walk with Him. (DRM 9/14/14)

18:5, 6    And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; ⁶but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble; it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

    Children need to know the Lord at an early age. This is a big responsibility for the parents to undertake while the children are growing and impressionable. Christian parents need to read Bible stories to their children long before they go to school.
    Non-Christian parents certainly won't do this and the children will know nothing about Christianity.
    Jesus talked here about those who "put down" or divert children from growing their faith. Any (non-Christian) adult could do this to a child who is just learning about Jesus.
    Encourage little children in the faith. (DRM 1/29/18)

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)

18:8    "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. "

    What causes a person to spiritually stumble? Sin. Today's examples are hands and feet. I can think of some hand gestures that Jesus would not agree with, but feet?
    The point is that Jesus wants us to share LOVE with others, not hate. By hating others, we aren't being a good witness to Christ in us. By loving others we are showing His love through us.
    Try not to stumble/sin in your spiritual walk. Commit yourselves to stopping any continuous sin. Ask Him for forgiveness and start anew. (DRM 8/17/17)

18:21, 22    Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? ²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

    Forgiveness is a challenging thing to do. It really depends on the offense committed. It's something that Jesus teaches clearly here.
    Sure, it's easy to forgive someone that said a minor thing and asks forgiveness, but in reality it is harder to forgive someone who has taken you for a large sum of money or worse.
    No matter the offense, Jesus wants us to forgive the other person. He didn't say it would be easy, but it's the right thing to do.
    Whatever the sin, Jesus=God wants us to forgive the person before the end of the day (Eph. 4:26). Let Him be the Judge. (DRM 5/9/17)

    Choosing to forgive doesn't condone sin, excuse the wrongs done to us, or minimize our hurts. Offering forgiveness simply frees us to enjoy God's underserved gift of mercy, as we invite Him to accomplish beautiful works of peace-restoring grace in our lives and our relationships. (From Our Daily Bread 5/6/17 _{XOCHITL DIXON})

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)

18:35    My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

    This is the final verse of a story by Jesus about a man who had a lot of debt, couldn't repay, had his debt forgiven, then went to his friend who owed him a small sum and started to attack him. . .
    Jesus=God has forgiven our sin debt to Him so long as we repent. Since He can forgive us and allow us into His Heaven, we should also forgive those who sin against us. No matter how big their sin may seem at the time, it is nothing in comparison to what Jesus did to save us and allow us into Heaven.
    Forgive others - no matter the offense. (DRM 3/6/13)

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)

19:25, 26    When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" ²⁶And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

    This could be taken out of context. This is the end of the story about the "Rich Young Ruler" — where he is told to sell all his possessions to claim eternal life.
    We can not earn our way to Heaven. No amount of money will buy admittance. Good works won't do it either. All of our efforts won't allow us into Heaven.
    The only way to get to Heaven is through the Son. We must depend on God=Jesus as our Savior to be given a home in Heaven. (DRM 3/2/12)

20:8    When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.'

    Earthly speaking, since the vineyard owner knew he would pay ALL the laborers the same, he probably should have paid the earlier laborers first to avoid the grumbling.
    God=Jesus does not work in the normal ways of the world. He wants us to take this spiritually. People have been called to serve Him throughout time and they all have been rewarded with a place in Heaven. Those who are living in the end times (hopefully us) will spend less time in serving the true vineyard Owner - but will receive the same payment - a place in Heaven. (DRM 10/18/12)

20:10    When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

    I can understand their grumbling (v. 11) because they worked 12 hours for the same wages as those who worked one hour. Except for this first group, no one knew what their wages would be until the end of the day. The first group knew when they started.
    Some people have been Christians for 50+ years and serving the Lord those years and others became Christians on their last day on earth, but both will enter Heaven. God will work al these things out in His time. (DRM 4/5/14)

     Jesus' story makes no economic sense, and that was His intent. He was giving us a parable about grace, which cannot be calculated like a day's wages. God dispenses gifts, not wages. (from Our Daily Bread, Philip Yancey, 4/5/14)

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 be other rewards not mentioned here. (DRM 1/28/08)

20:13, 14    But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

    This is from the "Laborers in the Vineyard."
    God is like the owner of the vineyard. He asks people to come at various times of their life. It could be early in the day (young in age) or late in the day (old in age), but, so long as they accept His terms, they will all receive the payment/gift of eternal life.
    It may not seem fair to a 50 year Christian to see someone "saved" right before death, but God can do as He chooses and be generous (v. 15) with His gift. (DRM 6/30/13)

20:15, 16    Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? ¹⁶So the last shall be first, and the first last."

    The vineyard farmer hired people to work at various times of the day. Only the first knew, and agreed, to their wages. At the end of the day, some worked one hour and some 12 hours (vv. 9, 12). The farmer paid ALL the workers the same wage.
    Jesus told us this story. In a way He will do the same thing. Some people will put all their trust in Him at a young age and stay with Him all their lives. Others will trust in Him late in life, or even the last day. ALL who trust in Jesus will go to Heaven - thus the last and the first will receive the same - but other things will also be considered after we get to Heaven. (DRM 8/19/16)

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 wants 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.
    Jesus gave His life to save our souls and thankfully I totally believe that He gave His life for me. (DRM 2/13/87)

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)

21:9    The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
                "Hosanna to the Son of David,
                BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES
                IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
                Hosanna in the highest!" *{Psalm 118:26}

    At least for a short time, our King Jesus got the praise He deserved from the people of Jerusalem. . . but it didn't last long.
    This was later called Palm Sunday which we celebrate today. It was to begin a week of events that no one, except Jesus and God, would have expected.
    Someday soon, Jesus will come back to Jerusalem and will stay to lead the nations - it will be at least seven years from now, but that day will come - as the Bible told me so. (DRM 3/29/15)

21:12, 13    And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves ¹³And He said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN."

    Jesus was upset here. Was He angry? Probably. But this was righteous anger - telling the people God's desire - it wasn't a sin - as Jesus never sinned.
    There seem to be two reasons for Jesus' actions. The primary reason He called a ROBBERS DEN (Jeremiah 7:11) where they were overcharging for the items sold. The secondary reason could be where they were selling the items - IN the temple. God wants His house/church to be a place of prayer, (Isaiah 56:7) and not a place to sell things in the sanctuary. Keeping sales of products outside the sanctuary seems to be a better option. (DRM 2/1/18)

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.
    What would Jesus think of these churches and the people who participate in and organize these games? (DRM 5/19/87)

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.
    There are many things that I have already received, and I am very thankful for all of them. I know that there is always an answer and it will come in His timing. (DRM 4/11/87)

21:32    For John [the Baptist] came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

    This is the end of the 'Parable of Two Sons', which clearly refers to the belief of the people involved.
    If a person believes in God, and does His will, he will get into Heaven. A person who does not believe will not enter.
    In this verse, John the Baptist was used as the example and the tax collectors and prostitutes believed his message and will get to Heaven. The others who did not believe the message won't get to Heaven. Maybe they didn't reel remorse on the day they rejected the message, but they will when their life is over and they don't enter Heaven. (DRM 9/14/15)

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. 
    I pray that I may find a suitable way to be a witness to the power that Jesus has given me. (DRM 1/4/87)

22:39    The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

    This is the second greatest commandment. My neighbor isn't just the person who lives next door. It's everyone.
    This is also a summary of some of the Ten Commandments.
    With differences in personalities, this can be challenging, but God created us and wants us to get along with each other. (DRM 10/29/11)

22:40    On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

    Verses 37-39 (above) are what Jesus said are the greatest (or summary) commandments. Everything in this short synapse is in the ten commandments.
    A person would not murder another person if you loved your neighbor as yourself.
    A person would honor the Sabbath (either Saturday or Sunday) if they loved the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. (DRM 3/12/12)

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)

23:23, 24    "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. ²⁴You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"

    Jesus was pointing out that the Pharisees were caring more about the little things of faith, not the important things.
    The mint and dill and cummin are spices needed (I think) to prepare the sacrifices at the temple. . . but they were ignoring justice, mercy and faithfulness to the "ordinary" worshippers.
    In the same way (v. 24) they were emphasizing small things more than the bigger, more important things that God wanted them to do/show to others. (DRM 5/14/14)

23:25    "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.

    This is similar to verses 26-28 where Jesus points out that the scribes and Pharisees care more about the outward appearance then the interior soul.
    I think most of us have this attitude when we comb our hair in the morning before leaving for work.
    When we get to work we tell no one about the Lord, but have a good outward appearance.
    Lord, please forgive me/us for placing a higher priority on appearance than sharing your life saving Word. (DRM 2/6/13)

        Spiritual words are mere distractions
        If not backed up by our godly actions,
        And all our good and beautiful creeds
        Are nothing without God-honoring deeds. — Williams (from Our Daily Bread, 2/6/13)

23:26    You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

    These words of Jesus are to be taken spiritually. The Lord wants us to have a pure and devoted heart to God - and His Son. We are to be totally devoted to advancing His Kingdom, and not concerned about how we look or any other outside appearance. It's what's inside our hearts/soul that counts to Him.
    As we grow to follow Him, our desires will only be to do His will and not our own (usually) selfish way. His will will be imparted to us and that will also be our desire. (DRM 7/19/12)

23:27, 28    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

    It's what's inside that counts. I can think of several examples. Jesus wants our heart to be devoted to Him. What we look like on the outside doesn't matter as much - as this body is only temporary.
    A person can have a beautiful appearance, but not trust in Jesus for their eternity - then, when they die, their soul goes to Hell. What's better? (DRM 1/24/12)

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)

23:39    For I say to you [Jerusalem], from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

    Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would not accept Him as Savior until He returns.
    During the nearly 2,000 years since He said this, the city and nation of Israel has been dispersed and reunited - but still is unbelieving in their Savior.
    Just before Jesus returns to Jerusalem, things will be so bad for the inhabitants of the city and country that they will finally (spiritually) embrace their Savior as He comes to protect and defend them from an overwhelming enemy. (DRM 10/17/13)

24:4, 5    And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. ⁵For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.

    Think of all the people in the duration of 2,000 years that have convinced themselves then others that they are the Messiah to come. Just in my lifetime I can think of a "cult" that had a leader who lead hundreds of people to kill themselves in South America and another in Texas that was smaller, but the leader was convincing people to "follow him."
    We have only One to follow, He is Jesus=God. (DRM 9/28/12)

24:9    Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

    I'm sure this is happening today. Depending on what country we are in, the attacks on Christians can be deadly or indirect, but the attitude of the world today is clearly anti-Christian.
    It wasn't like this when I was growing up. I realize I live in an area of the USA where Christianity is nearly dead anyway, but MOST churches in my area are far less than half full as non-believers would rather do other things on Sunday.
    Watching the church empty is a sign of Jesus' return. Only a few will keep the faith (v. 12-13). Stay with Jesus - eternity is in the balance. (DRM 2/19/14)

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?

24:36    But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

    Date setters for Jesus' return seem to be everywhere. For several years now people have proposed specific dates and people even prepared at times, but then the predicted date passed, and this continues. Now people don't believe Jesus is ever coming. "No one" expects Him anymore.
    This is like what Jesus said in this verse. People set dates and are wrong. Only God knows the date. We can see from other prophecies that it's VERY close, but no one knows the date it will occur. (DRM 5/20/14)

24:40    Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

    These are the words of Jesus. They can't be false. Something WILL happen and some will leave. It has to be the rapture. I've heard or read that the unbelievers would leave and believers would stay; but that's not consistent with the rest of the Bible. Even in v. 37-38, God protected Noah from the disasters to come (the flood), so He will also save the people who trusted in Him from the Tribulation time that will come. There's no other Biblical explanation on who will be taken and who will be left.
    Are you ready to go today? (DRM 1/25/14)

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)

25:10    And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

    Jesus is coming! Five virgins in this parable were ready and five weren't. The ones who weren't ready planned to go, but didn't expect the delays that came. They didn't have the oil for the wait in the night, so weren't ready when He came.
    For years now I have thought He would come at any moment, then He delayed. He doesn't want us to just sit and wait, but to keep busy working for the Lord every day until His arrival.
    Are you ready? Keep busy and His arrival will come when we don't expect it. (DRM 9/12/16)

25:15    To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

    In this passage, a talent is a unit of money. He knew his servants and their abilities, so didn't give the same amount of money to each of them; seemingly the master knew the result based on previous experiences with the servants.
    Jesus knows us in a similar way and also has gone on a long trip and we don't know the day He will return to see what we did with the talents He gave us. Jesus' talents could be financial or abilities.
    Are you ready for His return? (DRM 3/21/14)

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)

25:31    "But when the Son of Man [Jesus] comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. . . .

    This is the introduction to the section called "The Judgment." At that time He will separate the believers and the unbelievers, like sheep and goats (v. 32).
    As Christian believers, we will be placed on the right and allowed to enter the kingdom.
    Later verses are examples of the evidence of our belief - works that we did AFTER our coming to faith (vv. 35-36).
    I pray that each person reading this has put their full trust in Jesus for forgiveness of their sins - and that we will meet someday in His Kingdom. (DRM 10/24/17)

25:32, 33    All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³and He will put the sheep on his right, and the goats on the left.

    As Christians, we should look forward to the day this will happen in the future. For those who aren't part of Jesus' family, this will be a terrible day. This division of people totally depends on our devotion to Jesus. This is something that is internal. I can't tell if you have given your life/heart to Jesus except by some outward evidences. This is shown by things like those mentioned in v. 35 and 36.
    As Christians, we are to let our light shine by helping others in need- just like Jesus would if He were here today. (DRM 10/25/16)

    God's kingdom work gets done when we give generously of the time, love, and resources He has provided us. (from Our Daily Bread _{TIM GUSTAFSON} 10/22/16)

    In showing love, concern, and generosity to those in need, it may provide an opportunity for sharing the message of the cross. (from Our Daily Bread, INSIGHT _{BILL CROWDER} 10/22/16)

25:35, 36    . . . For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶naked, and you clothed Me: I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

    After we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. We are then a part of His spiritual body.
    When we do any/all of the things listed in these two verses, we are physically doing these things for both Christians and non-Christians . . . who could become Christians as a result of our actions. Since we are doing these things for another part of the spiritual body of Jesus, we are doing them for Christ Himself.
    This is a list I need to review more often - and implement more.
    If someone needs to know what they should do in/for the body of Christ - this is a good list. Trust in Jesus is required FIRST. (DRM 2/10/15)

25:37, 38    Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?'

    In today's society in USA, it has been a challenge for me to give money to people on the streets of big cities. The money that we give them will likely be used for more drugs and alcohol. I want to follow Jesus' words here, but how will that lead these people to Him?
    Fortunately most cities have missions and help these people and also teach the Bible so they can see the love of Christ.
    While indirect, this is a way that I believe we can help some in need and also have them know about Jesus. (DRM 9/27/15)

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.
    This quote by Jesus seems to indicate that Judas will suffer for his deed. Certainly this great sin should not be rewarded or recognized. I don't believe that I'll meet Judas in Heaven. (DRM 2/18/08)

26:26    While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

    This refers to "The Last Supper." When Jesus gave the disciples bread it represented His body, it wasn't literally His body or it would be His skin. I don't understand how some people can mix this up. Jesus' point was for future people (like you and me) to be totally devoted to Him, and this would be a reminder that He gave His body and blood to save us from our sins.
    Thank you Jesus! (DRM 4/5/12)

26:29    ". . . But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

    There are at least two possibilities with this verse. Clearly, Jesus said that He wouldn't drink wine on earth again. When He had breakfast after His resurrection (John 21:12-13), it is not stated what He drank.
    One option could be that He had wine with the disciples after they all were with Him in Heaven, but there is nothing in the Bible about that.
    The other option will be in the future, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This great occasion will include ALL of His disciples, - including you and me - so long as we put our full faith in Him for our salvation. (DRM 5/10/17)

26:38    Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me."

    Jesus knew exactly what would happen that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Two words in this verse could have been clues if the disciples had 'caught' them.
    Jesus was ". . . deeply grieved, to the point of death. . . " His own; which was coming tomorrow. He also asked them to "keep watch," which shouldn't be necessary after midnight in a garden. He knew a crowd (v. 47) was coming to arrest Him, but they were tired from a long day and just had supper.
    We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We have to keep spiritually alert. (DRM 9/11/15)

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)

26:40    And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?"

    While the text doesn't say the time, I can imagine this occurring about 1:00 AM. After a full day of activities, including the "Lord's Supper" (26:20-30), I expect that the disciples were tired and ready to sleep. Jesus was awake because He knew what was coming next.
    The disciples' bodies needed rest, just like ours do. Jesus also must have slept on other occasions, but, like us, couldn't sleep as He anticipated the next event.
    Sleep is good - we need sleep, so we can start every morning refreshed. (DRM 12/11/12)

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)

26:42    He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."

    No one likes the prospect of death. Jesus prayed to God that He didn't want to die either. It's a mystery as to what happens next.
    Jesus knew what was on the "other side," but probably wanted more time to teach His disciples and heal/help more people.
    The point of this verse is that Jesus yielded His body to His Father's will above His own. This is another example for us to follow . . . we are not to do our will, but rather the Father's will when it is known. As we practice this now, we will be more comfortable doing it in Heaven. (DRM 4/15/15)

    Despite the fact that the crucifixion of Jesus was part of the divine plan for the restoration of humanity, Jesus was still apprehensive about the physical suffering He was about to endure. This fear is one of the strongest evidences of His humanity.

26:44    And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

    No one knows how God will respond to our prayers. He makes all the final decisions.
    In this verse Jesus was praying to His Father and asking for more time on earth. He repeated the similar prayer three times, thus showing us that it's all right to repeat requests that are important. When the answer comes, even if negative, we don't have to ask again - the decision has been made.
    Prayer is important. Jesus thought so. Only God knows what the answer will be. He still performs miracles. (DRM 4/16/17)

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.
    I thought of today's murders in the city. While we use guns instead of swords - quite often the murderer could be shot by the police. Violence never solves anything and usually leads to more violence. People need to follow Jesus, who shows He is the Prince of Peace in this verse. (DRM 2/19/08)

26:64    Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

    The high priest's question was ". . . tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God." (v. 63)
    Jesus knew Who He was. He has existed forever. He wanted people to know who He was, but for them to realize themselves through the acts/miracles that He did, rather than saying Who He was/is.
    The last part of the verse clearly tells us that He will return, and all eyes will see Him - that's exciting for me. It can't be long now! (DRM 6/22/12)

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)

27:29    And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

    Disbelief. The majority of people in Israel at least today - and possibly then - didn't believe that Jesus was Who He said He was. Certainly these soldiers didn't. The crown of thorns had to have pain as it cut into Jesus' skull. The reed represented a king's scepter and obviously the kneeling down in worship was fake.
    If Jesus came to earth today and said the same things, He would likely be institutionalized. His healing acts set Him apart and are one of the most convincing aspects of His ministry. (DRM 10/21/13)

27:32    As they were coming out, they [soldiers of the governor] found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

    Once I read in an old book that Jesus had to be strong to be a carpenter when He was in His twenties. While He didn't use His physical strength while preaching or healing others, He wasn't weak that day - until they finished beating Him and putting a crown of thorns on His head where He bled. Whatever strength He had was gone by the time they asked someone else to carry His cross.
    While this text doesn't tell us much of Simon, I think he was a believer - or would be in the next few days. (DRM 4/4/15)

27:42    "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

    God has three ways to answer prayers: Yes, No, and later = wait.
    At Jesus' crucifixion the chief priests and scribes could have said these words as a prayer. It seems like a promise to God, if You will, we will.
    Jesus had a job to do - to save humanity from their sins - and was back three days later. God answered this "prayer" later. They didn't fulfill their promise - because they wanted it their way (now) - and not God's way. (DRM 7/1/14)

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)

27:45    Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.

    This event occurred during Jesus' crucifixion. Clearly, God wanted all people to know that this was an important event in history. In Luke 23:45 we are told, ". . . the sun was obscured;" but we are never told what physically caused this to occur. If it was an eclipse, it wouldn't have lasted three hours. How did this happen? We know the reason.
    During the past year I've read about a large "Planet X" that is so large that it would block sunlight for three hours when it passed between the earth and the sun. Was this the cause? Will it occur again when He returns? (DRM 1/4/16)

27:51    And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

    During Israel's temple period, there was a exterior area where people would go, and a most holy place where only the rabbis could go. This area was separated by the "veil" referred to here.
    When Jesus died, He had completed His assignment and the only explanation for the veil should be that God did it. The price had been paid. Through Jesus' blood and resurrection, all believers now have access to the most holy place= God Himself.
    As Christians, our intermediary is no longer a rabbi in the temple, but Jesus Himself. Thank You Jesus! (DRM 3/3/17)

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)

28:3    And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

    With all the angels that we know of and read about in the Bible, it's rare to ever see one. We see lots of evidence of their protecting us in life situations, but they are mostly invisible.
    Angels are not ghosts. Angels are sent by God=Jesus to protect us and watch over us, whereas ghosts will often do things to disturb us, thus they are not from God.
    When you see an angel, you know it will be white and may give you a message from God - whatever it is - do it! (v. 7)

28:6    He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

    Jesus gave the prophecy that He would rise again after three days. People like the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to be sure He didn't come back, so had guards posted at the grave to keep Him in. (Matt. 27:63-66)
    God made us, He is stronger than anyone else and has power to change "nature." An earthquake rolled away the stone that was "secured" and the angel proclaimed to the women that Sunday morning the best words ever proclaimed, "He has risen." (DRM 3/30/13)

28:10    Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."

    Jesus had just risen from the dead. He spoke these words to "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" who had come to the grave that Sunday morning (v. 1).
    Jesus still knew their thoughts like before. I'd probably be afraid if I saw a "dead" person talk to me. It was another proof that He was alive - and would change the lives of all future believers, as now we know that earthly death is not final for those who have put their trust in Jesus. He is alive! We will also live forever with Him - that's great news! (DRM 2/17/16)

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)

28:19    Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

    This is the middle verse of "The Great Commission."
    Jesus had risen from the dead and was speaking to the 11 disciples (v. 16). This directive was what the King told us to do. It's NOT optional. While all Christians aren't evangelists or pastors that do the baptizing - we are told to share the Good News in some way with the rest of the world.
    I don't think I'm very verbal in this regard, but there are other ways  to show our love of Jesus. We each have to do our part! (DRM 9/10/12)

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.
    Why doubt Him? When I feel alone or upset it might be good to memorize the words: "I am with you always." (DRM 4/9/87)