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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Matthew began his record of the first cycle of miracles with the comment, “great crowds followed him.” Crowds followed him if you recall because they had heard his message and seen his miracles. Matthew also begins his record of the second cycle of miracles with a comment about following Jesus, […] Read more