Last week’s blog concluded with a brief discussion of these words found in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:18 […] Read more
Matthew 11:25-12:21 – The Difficult Road, Part 2
After Jesus first warned his disciples about the horrific judgment coming upon those who would reject the kingdom he said, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). And when Jesus spoke a second time […] Read more
Matthew 11:1-24 – What to do, What not to do, and Some Dusty Shoes, Part 2
When reading most any story, fiction or non-fiction, I ask two questions: “What can I learn from the story?” and “What can I learn from the author?” These two questions have very different points of focus. The first question places me inside the story’s narrative; the second question places me […] Read more
Matthew 10:34-42 – A Sword, the Family, and the Reward, Part 1
As we come to the end of Jesus’s instructions to his disciples before they head out on their own, I would like to say that I haven’t been very surprised by what Jesus has said. He told them some of the towns and homes to which they go will accept […] Read more
Matthew 10:24-33 – Disciples, Demons, Housetops, and Eternity, Part 1
At this point, you might think Jesus has been taking a long time preparing the disciples for driving the car by themselves, but Jesus knew the dangers of the road and he wanted his disciples to be well prepared. Besides, I’m pretty sure Jesus only took a matter of minutes […] Read more
Matthew 10:16-23 – The Difficult Road, Part 1
Sticking with the metaphor from last week, Jesus is still standing next to the driver’s window giving instructions to the disciples before they head down the driveway. After telling the disciples where to go and where not to go, discussing the accumulation of wealth, trust for their daily food and […] Read more
Matthew 10:5-15 – What to do, What not to do, and Some Dusty Shoes – Part 1
I have a confession to make: I learned how to drive a car with a manual transmission when I was 14. I know this doesn’t sound like something requiring a confession, but when you ride with your older brothers to a basketball game and then, while the game is in […] Read more
Matthew 10:1-4 – The Answer to Jesus’s Prayer
Long before Scheherazade, Charles Heath, or Charles Dickens, Matthew penned a cliffhanger when he recorded Jesus’s words to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” If this was a movie from […] Read more
Matthew 9:35-38 – The Father’s Will, Part 4
Before we begin this week, let’s flip back a few pages in the Bible and read the following verse, 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23 Remember, after […] Read more
Matthew 9:9-34 – The Father’s Will, Part 3
The first cycle of miracles began with large crowds following Jesus (Matt. 8:1), and the second cycle began as two disciples expressed reservations about following Jesus (8:18-20), but in this third cycle of miracles, we finally encounter an individual who leaves everything behind to follow Jesus. Matthew writes, 9 As Jesus […] Read more