Michael Jordan. Wayne Gretzky. Tom Brady. Babe Ruth. Pele. Picasso. Rembrandt. Michelangelo. Shakespeare. Clark Kent. Perfection: we long for it, we idolize it, and we love it. We know it when we see it — whether on the field, the ice, the walls of a museum, the shelf in the […] Read more
Matthew 19:1-15 – Divorce, Eunuchs, and Little Children…Again!
This may seem redundant since we just recapped our study of Matthew’s Gospel last week, but here it is again: an outline of our study of Matthew’s Gospel thus far: With 18 chapters of Matthew and six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer behind us, our present discussion will move into […] Read more
Matthew 18:1-14 – Humble Little Children and the Father’s Forgiveness
As we approach a new section of Matthew’s Gospel, let us take a look back and see how our previous study of Matthew’s Gospel helps us better understand each petition in the Lord’s Prayer. In Matthew 1-2, God’s power through history is a reason for praying, “Our Father in heaven, […] Read more
Matthew 17:9-27 – Rotten Manna, Faithless Disciples, and Miraculous Fish
I have been studying Matthew’s Gospel through the lens of the Lord’s Prayer to see how we might gain a richer prayer life. But anytime we filter scripture through a set of lenses not readily apparent in the passage, we must be wary of the danger of reading into the […] Read more
Matthew 16:13-17:8 – Rocks, Confession, a Cross, and Transfigured Bread
These next few verses in Matthew’s Gospel, if taken in isolation, can seem oddly placed and have even produced some radical interpretations. Matthew writes, along with Mark and Luke, this interchange, 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that […] Read more
Matthew 15:29-16:12 – More Bread, Jonah, and Bad Leaven
Two times Jesus miraculously multiplied small amounts of bread and fish to feed a large number of people. While our focus will be directed toward the second miracle (Matt. 15:32-39), some important points need to be made by way of comparison to the first (Matt. 14:13-21). The first miracle occurred […] Read more
Matthew 14:24-15:28 – The Sea, A Garment, Traditions, and Crumbs
When we last saw the disciples, they were getting into a boat, most likely carrying 12 baskets of food, and heading out to sea while on shore, 5,000 people were relaxing in an after-meal bliss and Jesus was seeking a desolate place where he could pray to the Father. We […] Read more
Matthew 14:13-23 – Bereavement, Hunger, and Our Daily Bread
As we transition to the next section of Matthew’s Gospel, it might help to look back to see how Matthew’s Gospel helps us understand how to better pray the Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 1-2 shows the Father’s hand in the birth and protection of his son, providing insight into ways to […] Read more
Matthew 13:53-14:12 – Astonishment, John, and the Sower’s Life
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, Matthew 13:53 When I read these first words of this week’s passage, my mind immediately goes to C. S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the moment when the Pevensie children first met Mr. […] Read more
Matthew 13:24-52 – A Sword, the Family, and Rewards, Part 2. c.
The first parable recorded by Matthew, and the focus of last week’s blog, has much to say about the soils of the world, but I believe its primary focus is on the sowers and their call to remain faithful. The following parables, however, shift their focus from the sower to […] Read more