Matthew 10:1-7

Matthew 10:1-7

And after calling out to His twelve disciples, He gave authority to them over unclean spirits in order to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness.  And the names of the twelve apostles are these: First, Simeon the one who is being called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, and James, the one of Zebedee, and his brother, John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James the one of Alphaeus and Thaddeus, James the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who handed Him over.  Jesus sent out these Twelve after commanding them while saying, “You all should not go into the road of the Gentiles and you all should not go into the towns of the Samaritans.  But journey instead into the sheep that have been lost of the house of Israel.  And while going, proclaim while saying that the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We have an incredibly eclectic group of disciples.  It has been said that Jesus made up His disciples from the nobodies of His day.  Yes, there wasn’t anyone with great wealth or prestige.  But that doesn’t mean that these are nobodies.  We have Matthew the tax collector – author of this Gospel.  He started his life off being known as a collaborator with Rome.  He was willing to do the dirty work to get Rome its money.  We have James the zealot.  The zealots wanted Rome done away with, so he and Matthew would have naturally been at odds with one another.  Then we have no less than four fisherman: two sets of brothers, even!  So we have city folk mingling with rural people.  What we can see is that anyone can come together and work with one another so long as the agendas are all set aside.  If Matthew and James had met away from Jesus, there would have been words and probably worse!  But when Matthew and James put their allegiance in God and not in the things of this world, suddenly they find themselves on the same team.  When we drop our own agendas and embrace the agenda of God, things can go remarkably well between us and other people who are genuinely following the Lord. 

Do you find this to be true?  Have you ever found yourself enjoying the presence of someone in the Lord that outside of the Lord you probably wouldn’t have tolerated?

Second Thought:

I am always amazed at this prohibition in this passage against the disciples from going to the Gentiles.  After all, didn’t Jesus go among Gentiles?  Jesus went to a Canaanite woman in Matthew 15, which is a story from which we get the famous “even the dogs eat the crumbs off of the table” line.  Jesus went into the region of the Decapolis, a largely Gentile area, where the feeding of the 4,000 happens.  Jesus went to the Samaritan woman at the well.  How can Jesus prohibit His disciples to do the very thing that He Himself does?  I believe there are three good reasons why Jesus would give this prohibition. 

• First, His disciples are new to proclaiming the faith.  They would experience fewer struggles by beginning in a familiar context.
• Second, Jesus is like any leader of a movement.  Jesus needs to prioritize objectives.  Jesus knows that support prior to His crucifixion should come from among the Jews.  Finding too much support among the Gentiles would only quicken His rejection and crucifixion.  There would be plenty of time to preach to the Gentiles after His death, and the disciples would be prepared for it by then.
• Third, and perhaps most importantly, God knew that Paul would be equipped and open to going among the Gentiles of the Roman Empire.  The Gentiles would be the mission field for other people.  The disciples of Jesus were called to the Hebrew people.  Jesus was setting parameters upon these disciples and their mission field.

What is the scope of your mission field?  Where are you likely to begin and experience less turmoil while you grow and develop and mature?

Third Thought:

Have you ever considered the names on this list?  Sure, we’ve got the big names. Peter is so well known everybody has heard of him.  James and John are the sons of Thunder and make up the rest of the big three.  But what about Bartholomew?  What about Thaddeus?  Just out of curiosity, how many of Jesus’ twelve apostles could you name?  If you are like most people, you can probably get 7 or 8 for sure.  So why is this important?  It’s important because once more we understand that there are big names, popular names, and lesser names.  Jesus loved them all.  Jesus called them all.  They all had a place in the kingdom.  You don’t have to be destined for stardom to be loved by God.  You can be a largely forgotten disciple and still matter to Jesus.

Have you ever wondered about your place in the kingdom of God?  How does remembering the forgotten disciples help you understand that there is a place for the people who are overlooked?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 10:8-10

Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:35-38

And Jesus was going around through all the cities and villages while teaching in their synagogues and while proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and while healing every disease and every sickness.  And after seeing the crowds, He experienced deep compassion regarding them because they were having been harassed and they were forcefully cast away – like sheep while not having a shepherd.  Then He says to His disciples, “On one hand the harvest is great.  But on the other hand the workers are few.  Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He should send out workers into His harvest.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In what appears to be a verse that is largely for transition we get a three-fold expression of Jesus’ normal work.  As Jesus went about His ministry, he taught the people.  As He went throughout Israel, He proclaimed the kingdom of God.  As He went from place to place, He allowed people to experience healing.  This is what it means to help bring people into relationship with God.  They need to hear about it.  They need to be taught deeply about it.  And when the kingdom comes into their life, they will experience healing.

How well does your life imitate the life of Jesus?  When you are going about your life, are you proclaiming the kingdom, teaching people about it, and helping people to find healing in their life?

Second Thought:

As Jesus goes about His ministry, He sees the crowds.  He sees their waywardness.  He sees how they are tossed around by the world and by their own shifting desires.  He sees the empty quests for peace and happiness.  He knows what each of us also knows: the world is full of emptiness.  The world is full of fleeting things.  Without relationship to God, our life becomes a pursuit of things that are only ever in our grasp for what seems like such a short time.  Without God, we are like sheep without a shepherd.

When have you experienced the fleeting nature of the things of this world?  How is your life different in Christ?

Third Thought:

Here is an interesting thought.  As Jesus went about the face of the world, He saw how great the harvest was.  He saw the people who needed to be reached.  And God – in the form of Jesus – asked for help!  As God, He could snap His fingers and force us to all obey.  But He doesn’t, because obedience under those circumstances shows no love and no relationship.  So God wants to reach us through relationship; which means He needs our help!  The same God that created the universe and brought each of us into existence tells us to ask so that we might be used by Him to accomplish His will!  That’s a really cool invitation.  That is something god did not have to do, but He does it anyway because He wants us to be involved!

Have you ever thought of this passage as being a passage where Jesus asks for help?  Why is it meaningful to you that God would ask for help of sinners like us?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 10:1-7

Matthew 9:32-34

Matthew 9:32-34

And while they went away, behold!  They brought to Him a mute man while being possessed by a demon.  And while the demon was being cast out, the mute one spoke!  And the crowd marveled while saying, “Nothing was being seen like this in Israel.”  But the Pharisees were saying, “In the ruler of demons He casts out demons.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In this passage we do not see Jesus making the man wait.  Unlike the blind men from yesterday who could afford to demonstrate their genuineness of heart, today we have a man who is not in control of himself and who is in need of urgent deliverance.  So Jesus delivers him.  Jesus doesn’t hesitate, Jesus seeks the will of God and acts.  The man is delivered and the evidence of his deliverance is immediately evident!  God is capable of acting right now in this very moment.

What does this passage have to say about God’s willingness to act when the need is imminent?  How does this passage inspire us to continue to have hope in the midst of suffering?

Second Thought:

The crowds respond to Jesus with amazement.  I can’t blame them.  Imagine seeing a man that you know cannot speak and hasn’t been able to speak for as long as you’ve known him.  Then all of a sudden the man is able to speak!  I think amazement is an honest and legitimate reaction.  When the power of God is on display, it is clear.

When have you ever been awed by God’s hand at work?  What is it that typically gets your attention with respect to God’s hand at work?

Third Thought:

However, not everyone marvels.  The Pharisees explain it away.  However, notice the approach that they try and use.  They seek to discredit Jesus.  They know that Jesus has caught the attention of the crowd.  Thus, in order to defeat Jesus’ image among the crowd they know that they need to discredit Him.  They do this by saying that Jesus has this power because He is in league with Satan.  From a worldly perspective, this would actually make sense.  After all, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day couldn’t deliver people possessed in the same manner as Jesus.  The crowds would see these men as being very religious.  If they were supposedly so close to God and powerless, then it is possible to see how the crowds could be led to believe that Jesus’ power must have come from somewhere else – specifically from the one that we know does have power over demons: Satan.  Of course, they are clearly wrong.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were powerless because their relationship with God was not founded upon the truth.  Jesus came bearing the true power of God and it clearly shows!  While the religious leaders may have been wrong, it is easy to see the logic behind their attempt to sway the crowd back under their control.

Have you ever thought about how easy it might have been for a regular person in the crowd to believe the false claims of the Pharisees?  Have you ever been in a position of doubt because you see something you can’t believe so you make excuses for it?  Why do we as human beings like to act like the Pharisees rather than change our own position?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:27-31

Matthew 9:27-31

And as Jesus went along from there, two blind men followed Him while crying out and while saying, “Have mercy upon us, Son of David!”  And after coming into the house, the bind men drew near to Him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am powerful enough to do this?”  They say to Him, “Yes, Lord.”  Then He touched their eyes while saying, “According to your faith, let this become for you all.”  And their eyes were being opened.  And Jesus warned them sternly while saying, “Pay attention and let nobody know.”  And the ones who went out spread the news about Him in that whole land.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

 Notice that Jesus seems to take His time in doing this miracle.  Certainly Jesus had the power to heal these blind men as soon as He saw them.  But Jesus doesn’t heal them right away.  The men follow Jesus and Jesus doesn’t seem to give any attention to them until after He gets home.  But they continue to follow.  I believe the reason why can be found in the name that they give to Jesus.  The term “Son of David” is a Messianic term that was used in the Gospels primarily by people who knew Jesus from afar.  What does this tell us?  Jesus hears their confession, but He wants to see if they are just using the name to get what they want or if they have what it takes to stick around.  Jesus hears their cry, but He wants to see their willing to do more than pay Him lip service.

Do you give Jesus more than lip service?  When are you likely to just give Jesus lip service and not follow Him concretely?

Second Thought:

Notice that Jesus does heal the men once they come inside the house.  Inside the house the healing will not be a spectacle.  Inside the house the men will not have their moment of public fame.  Inside the house, the men can have an intimate moment with Jesus that is deserved.  After all, what is more important: what we do with Jesus when everybody is watching or what we do with Jesus when nobody is watching?  When the crowd is gone, Jesus can heal the blind men in truth and know that the blind men likewise followed in their own search for truth.

What effects does the crowd have upon you?  Are you different in your faith when people are watching?  Why do human beings tend to be different in groups than when we are by ourselves?  Is it easier for you to be faithful when people are watching or when you are alone?

Third Thought:

Look at the basis for this miracle.  It isn’t about the importance of the men.  Neither is it about their urgency in need.  It isn’t even about how these men can be used later.  The premise of this miracle is faith.  Jesus looks at these men and says, “Do you believe I can do this?”  This is a question asked in the privacy of the home.  This is a question asked in the intimacy of the heart.  This is why Jesus wanted the men to follow and to be alone.

Do you believe in your heart?  What can God do with your faith?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:32-34

Matthew 9:23-26

Matthew 9:23-26

And after Jesus came into the house of the ruler, and after seeing the flute players and the crowd which had caused an uproar, He said, “Withdraw away from here, for the girl did not die but rather she sleeps.”  And they made fun of Him.  But when the crowd was being cast out, after entering, He held onto her hand and the girl was being raised.  And this report went out into that whole countryside.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus is ridiculed.  He is made fun of!  Here are more people who are making fun of God’s Messiah.  Of course, I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t have been in their camp.  After all, if I saw a dead girl and then a man came by and said that she was really alive, I’d probably think that it was the man who had issues and not me.  So I can’t really judge the humanity of these people, because I’m not convinced I’d be any different.  So if nothing else, this story should be a reminder to us that sometimes God’s hand just doesn’t look like what we think the natural laws say it should look like.  If we don’t keep an open mind to God, we could easily find ourselves ridiculing the very hand of God at work.  That should be a sobering lesson.

When has your humanity gotten in the way of seeing God at work?  Why are we as human beings so susceptible to missing the other-worldliness of God?

Second Thought:

Jesus was ridiculed.  He could have gone away.  He could have abandoned this place and walked on to greener pastures.  But He didn’t.  Being mocked by human beings is just part of His job.  For Jesus, being mocked by human beings is a small price to pay when given the opportunity to be obedient to the call of the Father.  What a great example that He sets for us.  He does not let the opinions of the human beings around Him prevent Him from being obedient!

Why is this such an incredible demonstration of obedience?  Would you have had what it took to pass through the lines of ridicule and still be obedient without feeling bitterness or resentment to what you’d been called to do?

Third Thought:

The report spreads.  Jesus raised a girl from the dead.  How could word not get out?  Let’s not forget that the girl that was healed was the daughter of a ruler of the people.  This is a significant man who has just experienced this personal miracle in his family.  Many people would know his name.  Many people would know the importance of the fact that it happened because the ruler sought out Jesus.

Have you ever heard a neat story of God’s power or a story of some miraculous event?  How do you react to such news?  Why is it natural to want to pass along such a story?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:27-31

Matthew 9:20-22

Matthew 9:20-22

And behold!  A woman who suffered a loss of blood for twelve years – after approaching from behind – touched the fringe of His garment.  For she was saying in herself, “If I only touch His garment I will be saved.”  And after Jesus was being turned around and after seeing her, He said, “Have courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.”  And the woman was being saved from that hour.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I am always amazed at the length of this woman’s suffering.  Twelve years!  I can’t imagine suffering with something for that long – especially something as messy as blood loss!  But also remember that those who touched human blood were ritually unclean.  They would not be allowed into the same places as the religious elite and the spiritual leaders of a community.  So here is a woman who not only has to deal with the physical turmoil but she would also be dealing with emotional and spiritual estrangement.  This should be a hopeless woman; but instead we find a woman of incredible hope!

What would you do if you had something prevent you from knowing true spiritual acceptance for twelve years?  Would you find it easy to hold this against God?

Second Thought:

Nobody is lost in a crowd when Jesus is around.  The woman doesn’t even plan on introducing herself to Jesus.  After all, how could she?  She’s ritually unclean!  To be in Jesus’ presence would risk making Him ritually unclean – as if that could ever happen.  But Jesus takes note of the woman.  He has compassion upon her.  He has mercy upon her.  He has words of hope and promise for her.  What a great story of Jesus coming to the hopeless!  What a great testimony of how nobody is too small or too “damaged” to be a part of the kingdom.

Have you ever thought yourself too small or too damaged to be a part of God’s kingdom?  How does this story help you to realize that Jesus can even take notice of you?

Third Thought:

I love the tense of the verb that Jesus uses when speaking to the woman about her salvation.  Jesus uses the perfect tense: “Your faith has saved you.”  What Jesus means by all of this is that her salvation has been a known thing of the past because of her faith.  It was the effect of her faith and salvation that now brought her peace.  It is not as if the woman was healed and then believed.  The woman believed in the past – and continued in her belief – and the healing came about on account of her past faith.  This is a woman to be lifted up.  She did not need a miracle to believe.  She did not need God to “take care of all of her issues” and thus prove Himself before she believed.  She believed.  Out of her faith came her salvation: physical and spiritual.

Why is this woman a great role model to lift up in our circles of Christianity?  Is this made even truer by the fact that in no place is her name ever recorded?  How is this even more remarkable when we remember that the woman suffered with this for twelve years?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:23-26

Matthew 9:18-19

Matthew 9:18-19

While He said these things to them, behold!  One ruler was bowing down to worship  Him after coming while saying that, “My daughter just now came to her end.  But after coming, place your hand upon her and she will live.”  And after being raised up, Jesus and His disciples followed him.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s make sure that we understand this passage is context.  This man – the other Gospels call this man Jairus – is a ruler.  He is an important figure.  He likely rubs elbows with the religious leaders who are starting to chafe against Jesus.  This shows us the man’s desperation.  He’s not afraid to cross party lines – as it were.  Desperation brings him into the presence of Jesus.  In truth, desperation brings us all into the presence of Jesus.  The question that remains is whether or not we will pay attention to what we see in our moments of desperation.

Are you a desperate person?  When has God been there for you in a desperate moment?

Second Thought:

I love the way that the man talks about his daughter’s death.  Well, in truth, I don’t like it at all in reality.  The man says, “My child came to her end.”  This is a Greek euphemism for death – one that translates well into English.  I don’t like this because I personally believe that we should call death what it is: death.  Part of the mourning process begins by naming what has happened.  However, as a story-telling device, I think Matthew is telling a brilliant story here.  He daughter came to an end.  But the ruler doesn’t see the end as “The End.”  His daughter is dead, but the man can see past the present into a future where she will live once more.  What a great perspective to have in life!

How good are you at seeing past the present – especially in the dark moments of life?  How readily do you see Jesus Christ as a person who can turn what we think of as an ending into a new beginning?

Third Thought:

In a corresponding thought to my first thought, notice that Jesus gets up and follows.  Here is a desperate man.  Here is a desperate man who likely rubs elbows with the same people who are contemplating His death.  Yet Jesus doesn’t hold a grudge.  Jesus doesn’t judge.  Jesus sees the desperation of the man and sees it for the opening that it truly is.  He gets up to follow.  He gets up to put God’s power on display.  Jesus’ first thought is obedience to God without regard to the people that God brings into His life.

Do you ever judge God’s call based on the people to whom He is calling you?    Why is this just not a good option?  Why is it better to follow the example of Christ who just gets up to follow?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:20-22

Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew 9:14-17

Then the disciples of John drew near to Him while saying, “For what reason do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast?”  And Jesus said to them, “The friends of the bridegroom are not powerful enough to mourn upon the time that the bridegroom is with them.  And the days will come when the bridegroom should be lead away from them.  And then they will fast.  And nobody puts a new patch of unshrunken cloth upon an old garment – for that which fills it tears away from the garment and the schism becomes worse.  Neither do they throw new wine into old wineskins.  But if it should be done, the wineskins are being burst and the wine is being poured out and the wineskins are being utterly destroyed.  But new wine is cast into newly made wineskins and both are preserved together.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We can learn three lessons from Jesus’ analogy to the bridegroom:

1. First, we can learn that being in the presence of Jesus brings joy that cannot be conquered.  Jesus’ disciples have no reason to fast because God is currently answering their prayers in a very active and meaningful way that is readily perceived by His disciples.  That is always reason to celebrate!
2. Second, we can also sadly learn that nothing lasts forever.  John’s disciples were dealing with John’s arrest and departure from ministry.  They had a reason to be sad.  Jesus reminds John’s disciples that a time is coming when even His own disciples would be sad.  Jesus is hinting towards the coming arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
3. Third, we can learn that to follow Jesus implies challenge.  Jesus is telling His disciples that they are in the joyful part of ministry.  They are in the joyful part of discipleship where it is easy because Jesus is doing all of the hard work.  But when Jesus is taken from them and the time for them to step up and do their own thing comes, how will they react?  In this we hear a great challenge for ourselves, too.  Being discipled is always fun and easy when the mentor is doing all of the work.  But when the time comes for us to step forward and do our own ministry, can we rise to the challenge?

How are you joyful in ways that cannot be quenched?  How have you also experienced sadness in following Christ?  How do you respond when times are tough and you are asked by God to continue on the work of those who came before you?

Second Thought:

Jesus also talks about cloth.  There is a neat thing to see here.  When the new comes, we don’t just patch up the old and expect it to work out well.  Let me put it bluntly.  Jesus is not a patch for our broken life.  If all we do is try to apply Jesus as some patch to our broken life we’ll constantly be feeling as though we are being torn away – or He is being torn away from us.  But if we instead embrace the new and become the new and give up the old garment that needs patched, then we won’t have to worry about Jesus being pulled away from us.

Do you use Jesus as a patch?  Why doesn’t that work in your life?  How do you give up the old and embrace the new?

Third Thought:

When Jesus talks about the wineskins, Jesus is telling us that in Him is a new teaching that brings fullness.  The old ways had become rigid, fragile, and inflexible.  They were unable to contain God’s abundance.  So Jesus comes and gives us new wineskins.  He gives us fullness.  He calls us out of the old ways that just aren’t working and encourages us to take His fullness and embrace something new that He is doing in our life.  Jesus calls us to be flexible and capable to embrace the newness and fullness of God.

Where has your life become rigid, inflexible, and fragile?  Where could you stand to let go of the old ways and instead embrace something new in Christ?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:18-19

Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew 9:9-13

And while moving along from there, Jesus saw a man while sitting upon a tax booth – being called Matthew – and He said to him, “Follow me.”  And after getting up he followed Him.  And it became that while he was reclining at the table in the house – behold! – after many tax collectors and sinners came they were reclining at the table by Jesus and His disciples.  And after the Pharisees saw, they were saying to His disciples, “For what reason does your teacher recline at the table with tax collectors and sinners?”  But the one who heard said, “The ones who are healthy have no need for a physician.   But the ones who are in bad health do have need.  Go and learn what this is: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.  For I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

This is the Gospel of Matthew.  This is Matthew’s calling story.  Here is the opportunity for Matthew to write about how he got to know Jesus.  And what is amazing is that in the Greek Matthew sums up his calling to 22 words.  We don’t see Matthew drawing glory upon himself.  We don’t see Matthew giving unnecessary details.  Matthew takes an incredibly humble approach and basically says, “Jesus came, he saw me, and he invited – commanded – me to follow.  I obeyed.”  That’s all.  It is a remarkable story when you think about it.  Matthew is clearly way more interested in keeping the emphasis upon Jesus and not putting the emphasis upon himself or his story.

Could you summarize your calling story to 22 words or less?  What does this really tell us about the importance of humbleness when it comes to giving our testimony of calling?

Second Thought:

I’ve never liked the Pharisees approach in this story.  It is almost like the Pharisees are a pack of hyenas, circling Jesus and His disciples and looking for the weak ones.  When they see Jesus hanging out with tax collectors and sinners, they go to Jesus’ disciples rather than talk to Jesus directly.  They go in under the radar as if to make trouble without Jesus knowing about it.  Only by the grace of God are these disciples spared.  Jesus sees their approach.  He knows their hearts.  He steps up and takes the Pharisees on head first, sparing his disciples from needing to defend Jesus.

Have you ever been the victim of someone talking behind your back?  What is the purpose of someone talking about someone else behind their back?  Is this proper behavior for a God-fearing person?

Third Thought:

I love Jesus’ rebuttal here because it forces us to accept truth if we want to follow Jesus.  He didn’t come to call the righteous.  The truth is that the righteous wouldn’t have needed a savior anyways!  Jesus came to call sinners back to God.  This means that if I am following the call of Jesus, then by definition I am a sinner.  Of course, I have no trouble acknowledging this fact.  I am a sinner.  I am in need of Christ’s sacrifice and His calling.  But it is good to remember this fact from time to time.  Just because Christ called me doesn’t make me any better than the next person down the row.  I am fundamentally a sinner.  The only thing that changes anything is Christ, not me or my qualities.

Why is it difficult to be reminded of our sinfulness?  How do you think the Pharisees would have responded to this assertion from Jesus?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew 9:5-8

Matthew 9:5-8

“For which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are being forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk around?’  But in order that you all should have known that the Son of Man has authority upon the earth to forgive sins,” He then says to the paralytic, “Be raised up, take up your bed, and go away into your house.”  And after being raised up he went away into his own house.  And after the crowds saw they were afraid and they glorified the God who gives authority such as this to men.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

 Jesus heals the man.  This healing would have been a demonstration of the man’s forgiveness in the eyes of the scribes.  This is not to say that all infirmities are the direct result of sin.  Sometimes people just get sick.  But in this scenario and especially in that culture, this healing would have been the demonstration that Jesus was capable of forgiving sin.  Which means that Jesus is making the subtle claim to be God – or at the very least the Messiah, the Son of Man.  This is not just a miracle story, this is a story of Jesus rising up to the challenge and being the man that He claims to be.

When in your life has Jesus proven to be the Messiah that He promised to be?  How did you react to such an event in your life?

Second Thought:

The paralytic obeys.  Matthew actually makes the obedience seem rather dull and ordinary, too.  You would think that a man paralyzed for any length of time would rejoice profusely when cured.  You would think this would be especially true if the cure came on suddenly and miraculously!  But we are told of no spectacle.  The man is healed.  He gets up.  He goes to his home.  He does what Jesus tells him to do.  Such is the spirit of obedience in those who respond to the hand of God upon their life.

Are you obedient?  Are you obedient without the spectacle?  Are you obedient whether people notice you or not?

Third Thought:

I think that there may be two reasons for fear in the closing verse.  First of all, it is not every day that people see a paralytic man simply get up and walk.  That would be pretty awe inspiring.  I could see how that would bring about fear.  However, I think the people also had some fear because they realized that a confrontation was just had by this beloved itinerant preacher and the official scribes.  I actually think this is why we hear the note about them praising God, too.  If the people respect Jesus and want Him to stay around, they may feel the need to protect Him.  They may feel the need to reflect that the result of Jesus’ action is the glorification of God.  After all, how could the Sanhedrin dispute Jesus’ words and actions if it led to God receiving praise and honor and glory?

Have you ever been afraid because of something unsuspected and very cool happening in your midst?  Have you ever been afraid because you felt the need to diffuse tension that is brewing?  How do you react in each of those situations?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew 9:3-4

Matthew 9:3-4

And behold!  Some of the scribes said among themselves, “This one blasphemes!”  And after Jesus saw their thoughts He said, “Why do you all think evil things in your hearts?”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Isn’t it interesting how quickly the attack on Jesus comes!  Here is Jesus about to perform a miracle.  Here is Jesus telling a paralyzed man that God is a forgiving God.  Yet the scribes want nothing to do with the grace.  The scribes solely know that forgiving sins belongs to the domain of God and they are quick to condemn Jesus.  They don’t caution Him.  They don’t question Him.  They don’t inquire to know more deeply what Jesus is up to.  They simply hear Jesus’ words and condemn Him on the spot because of it.  So often human beings are quick to follow their own logic and their own understanding without pausing to stop and really check things out by getting to the heart of the matter.

How quick are you to judge and condemn when you see something that you believe to be wrong?  Why might it be better to caution the person rather than condemn the sinner?  What can you do to be less condemning in the future? 

Second Thought:

The Bible is clear that Jesus’ response is different.  Jesus doesn’t jump to conclusions.  Jesus takes a moment to perceive the motives of these scribes.  The Bible tells us that Jesus speaks only after He sees their thoughts come out.  Immediately after seeing the bad example of the scribes we hear about a great example from Jesus.  Jesus can saw what He says because He took the time to discern.  Granted, He was the Son of God.  So the discernment was probably faster and definitely more accurate than what we humans could do.  But Even the Son of God takes a moment to perceive the motives of the hearts of these scribes who come to accuse and attack Him.

Why is it so difficult to discern?  Why is it even difficult to remember to discern?  Why do we as human beings like to react more like the scribes than like Jesus?  What can we learn from Jesus about how following Him means letting go of our human nature?

Third Thought:

Jesus asks a poignant question.  “Why do you all think evil things in your hearts?”  Notice where Jesus places the inquiry.  It is the heart of these scribes that is in question.  There words were bad enough.  Their words were wrong.  But their words weren’t the main issue.  It was the status of their heart was their downfall.  Their words came out as they did because their hearts were bad.  It is the same principle that Jesus teaches us elsewhere.  It is not what comes into our mouth that defiles us.  Rather, it is what is within us that then comes out of our mouth that defiles us.

Do you ever have evil in your heart?  How can you recognize such moments?  How can you combat such moments?  How readily do you listen to correction and rebuke in such moments?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:5-8

Matthew 9:1-2

Matthew 9:1-2

And after embarking into a boat He crossed over and He came into His own city.  And behold!  They were bringing to Him a paralytic having been thrown upon a bed.  And after Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, “Be courageous, child.  Your sins are being forgiven.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s start with a note of curiosity.  This section opens with a note of Jesus returning to His own city.  Mark 2:1, which is the parallel to this passage, tells us that Jesus returned to His home.  Both passages point us to a neat concept.  Jesus had a home.  Jesus had a house.  This house was in Capernaum.  It’s so easy to think of Jesus as some itinerant speaker who was always on the move.  And in some cases this is absolutely true of Jesus.  But He also had a home.  It was in Capernaum.  This is interesting in its own right.  The Old Testament talks about Jesus being from Bethlehem.  But Jesus chooses to center His ministry in Capernaum.  Jesus fulfills scripture, but Jesus also expands upon scripture.  He fulfills it to the greatest measure.  Jesus takes what we are told, fulfills it, and then takes it to the next level by giving us the unexpected!  He is incredible in that He can simultaneously fulfill scripture and give us something unexpected at the same time.  That’s how capable God is in His truth.

What does it mean to you to realize that Jesus had a home?  Is this a surprise?  How can you appreciate the fact that God is able to fulfill His Word in addition to bring the unexpected to our doorstep?

Second Thought:

In this passage we also meet some really good friends.  These people bring a paralytic man into the presence of Jesus.  These people are willing to make a sacrifice for the benefit of another.  They are willing to look past themselves and instead focus upon the needs of someone else.  They are willing to be the hands and feet of God as they quite literally bring someone into His presence.  That’s God’s love on display.  That’s God’s faithfulness on display.

Are you inspired by these men?  How can you imitate their faith, friendship, and faithfulness?

Third Thought:

Jesus tells this paralytic to be courageous.  He tells him that his sins are forgiven.  What an incredible message of hope!  Imagine being this paralytic man.  He likely had very little reason to live.  After all, what could he do except drain away resources from his own family?  But in the presence of Jesus, he begins to get a new vision.  Jesus tells him to be courageous.  Jesus is setting him up to see a greater vision from God, but we’ll get to that tomorrow.  For today, let’s just bask in the wonder of a God who looks into a life and gives reason to be courageous and to have hope.  That is what God wants for all of us.

Into what do you hope?  Where do you need to be courageous in your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:3-8

Matthew 8:32-34

Matthew 8:32-34

And He said to them, “Go away.”  And the ones who went out left into the pigs.  And behold!  The whole herd rushed forth down the steep slope and they died in the water.  And the ones who looked after the herd fled and after leaving into the city they reported everything – even the things that happened to the ones who are possessed by demons.  And behold!  The whole city came out in order to meet up with Jesus.  And after seeing Him they earnestly asked that He should change His location from their region.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s talk a little about the pigs today.  I can’t tell you how often I get asked the question, “What did the pigs do to deserve that?”  Not that this question is an illegitimate question, but it clearly exposes the wrong perspective upon this passage.  One of the spiritual mentors that I look up to was talking about this passage and they gave me a phenomenal perspective.  He asked, “How many of you occasionally eat bacon or ham or good old-fashioned barbeque?”  Of course, who hasn’t?  He then continued, “Why is it that you have no problem when pigs die for your own human hunger but you get upset when pigs die in the process of human beings becoming freed from demonic possession?”  I remember hearing this question for the first time and realizing my error.  I was so upset about the injustice done to the pigs that I completely missed the glory of God as two men were freed from their spiritual bondage.  I remembered being rather humbled on that day.  How could I have ever been upset with Jesus for the loss of the pigs when my sympathy for the pigs doesn’t get extended as soon as I’m hungry?

Do you ever get upset about the pigs?  Why is it natural to get upset about the innocent pigs that died?  How does this perspective expose our humanity and how we struggle to see the world through the lens of God’s eyes?

Second Thought:

Yesterday we looked at the influence that Satan and society had upon these men.  Today, let’s look at the influence of Jesus upon these demon-possessed men.  Here’s truth: when God comes into your life, you are freed from bondage.  When Christ comes into your life, you find community with God.  When Jesus comes into your life, there is change over what Satan and society can offer us.  That’s the power of God.  Furthermore, let’s go back to what we spoke about two days ago.  Don’t forget that Jesus intentionally brought His disciples into a very bad storm in order to have this encounter.  Now it all makes sense.  Jesus is not afraid to come to us –and bring His disciples, even – through the storms in life just so that we can be rescued.  That’s the power of God.

Is this true for you as well?  When Jesus comes into your life, do you find freedom from the bondage of the world?  Does Jesus’ influence upon your life manifest in feeling community with God?

Third Thought:

Ultimately, though, this story ends in tragedy.  The townsfolk ask Jesus to leave.  They ask Jesus go away and not just leave their town but to leave their region.  That’s rejection.  But let’s make sure that we understand this story in context.  If we read the version of this story in Mark, we understand that the demon-possessed were charged with telling people about Jesus.  Jesus may not have been welcome, but His fledgling disciples certainly were able to do so!  In fact, the feeding of the 4,000 occurs in a nearby place later in Jesus’ ministry.  There can be little doubt that the gathering in that story has its roots here in Jesus’ rejection and the empowerment of these demoniacs.   For more perspective on this topic I’d encourage you to read my blog post for Mark 5:18-20 - especially the second and third points.

Why is it sad to see the rejection of Jesus after the demon-possessed are freed?  Why is it important to not dwell on the rejection but to also remember the full picture of what God can do even through the rejection of His Son?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:1-2

Matthew 8:28-31

Matthew 8:28-31

And after He came into the other side into the region of the Gadarenes, two who are possessed by demons met up with Him while coming out of the tombs – exceedingly violently – so that no person had the ability to pass by through that road.  And behold!  They cried out while saying, “What is for us and for you, Son of God?  Did you come here before the time to torture us?”  And a large herd of pigs was being fed a long way off from them.  And the demons earnestly requested from Him while saying, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Today, let’s look at these demon possessed men.  There are some who will want to write this story off as a psychological illness – denying that demon possession can even occur.  However, the fact that Jesus treats the men as demon possessed is good enough for me.  I would imagine that the Son of God would know the difference between a clinical psychological disorder and a demon possession.  So I believe it is important to see these as demon-possessed men and honor the witness of scripture.

How do you react to the idea of demon possession?  Why is it a topical that is so easily swept under the rug, ignored, and simply not spoken about often?

Second Thought:

Notice what Satan does when he truly gets a hold upon us.  Yes, he tempts us away from God.  But when he truly gets a hold on us and sinks his claws into our life, he destroys community.  He destroys our peace.  He destroys our self-control.  He destroys our sanity even!  He robs us of the joy of friends and neighbors.  This is the effect of Satan’s influence upon our life.  We see this clearly in the lives of the demon-possessed.

When have you experienced the effects of Satan upon your life?  While you hopefully didn’t get into it as deeply as these men, would you agree that Satan affected your sanity, self-control, and overall ability to enjoy the community God placed around you?

Third Thought:

Let’s also talk about the effect of society upon these men.  Let’s confess.  They are men in need.  But they find themselves ostracized.  The society is powerless to deal with them.  Society is powerless to restore them.  All that society can hope to do is drive them out far enough so as to not be a bother to anyone.  If we read this text in light of the longer version in Mark 5:1-21 we can actually see that society even attempted to bind up the demon-possessed!  Society can be a very good thing indeed, but only when it is rooted in godliness.  A godless society is powerless against the influences of Satan and the demons who follow him.  A godless society is powerless to help those who are in need because they are perishing!

Why is it important to remember that God created us to be communal beings and thus society can be a good thing in our life?  Why is it important to remember that society is not the most important thing in life and that without God society is unable to fulfill the desire for community that God planted within us?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 8:32-34

Matthew 8:23-27

Matthew 8:23-27

And after He got Himself into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And behold, a great storm rose up in the sea so that the boat was being covered over by the waves.  And He was asleep.  And after approaching Him, they raised Him up while saying, “Lord, save us!  We are being utterly destroyed!”  And He says to them, “Why are you cowardly, ones of little faith?”  Then after being raised up He rebuked the wind and the sea and a great calm became.  And the men marveled while saying, “What sort of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Have you ever wondered why it is that Jesus would take His disciples in a boat while a storm is brewing?  Yes, the Sea of Galilee is a small sea known for its sudden weather changes.  But Jesus is the Son of God!  Surely He knew what was about to happen!  Why would Jesus put His disciples at risk?  Simply put, there was a lesson to be learned here.  Understand this point.  The God who is in control of the universe is not afraid to allow us to learn lessons that cause us to feel at risk or even in harm’s way.  Jesus is not afraid to put His disciples in the path of the storm.  Therefore, we should not think that when we follow Jesus that everything will go smoothly, either.  We will learn tough lessons.  We will occasionally be in danger.  Just because we find ourselves in a scary place or uncertain circumstances doesn’t mean that we are doing anything contrary to God’s will!

Does it bother you to think that God isn’t afraid of leading us into scary or uncertain circumstances?  Why do we like to think that when we follow God that everything will go swimmingly?

Second Thought:

In the midst of the storm, the disciples learn a very important lesson.  The disciples learn that they are perishing!  The disciples learn that they cannot save themselves!  The disciples learn that when their life is flashing before their eyes they turn to a higher power that has more power than they do!  This is an incredible lesson to learn.  We cannot save ourselves.  There are some things that are just beyond us.  The disciples are brought into the bought to be given a very real object lesson.  We are not our own masters.  We are better served by humbling ourselves and doing the will of the one who can save us.

How well do you understand that you are perishing? How well do you fall before God?  When in your life have you learned the same lessons that the disciples are now learning?

Third Thought:

Jesus does save them.  Jesus does rebuke the wind and the sea.  The Bible tells us that a great calm spreads out before them.  The disciples are put into a circumstance where they understand their own finitude.  When they respond humbly and turn to God, calm enters their life!  It really is that simple.  When God is our rock, we can stand tall.  When God is our anchor, we will not be tossed about.  When God is our hope, we will not live in vain.  That is something to marvel at much like the disciples marvel at Jesus when He brings calm to their chaotic life as well.

When has Jesus brought calm to your life?  When have you been amazed at the peace and calm that you could experience amidst turmoil?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 8:28-31