When I wrote the initial conclusion to this study of the Lord’s Prayer, the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew’s Gospel I never intended on revisiting the writings for any reason other than for basic editing. Over the past few weeks, however, I’ve come to realize that something was missing; I left something out. As… Continue reading The Lord’s Prayer and the Bible
Tag: Sermon on the Mount
Conclusion: Lord, Teach Us to Pray
A long time ago — some two thousand years now — an unnamed student dared to make a request of his teacher. This student had seen his teacher engaged in prayer many times, in fact, he had most likely heard him pray as well, but on this day that student was not satisfied with merely… Continue reading Conclusion: Lord, Teach Us to Pray
The Lord’s Prayer Reflected Upon Itself
I usually walk my dog each day along one of the many local park trails and I allow my mind to wander. One day I found myself thinking about a lesson I learned during my time in the theater: the meaning of any sentence is largely determined by where the point of emphasis is placed.… Continue reading The Lord’s Prayer Reflected Upon Itself
The Lord’s Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount: A Summary
The words from the Lord’s Prayer ripple, not only through the pages of Matthew’s Gospel but also through the most famous of Jesus’s sermons, the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus sat down on the mountaintop to teach, I doubt that his disciples grasped the full breadth and depth of his words. Perhaps it was… Continue reading The Lord’s Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount: A Summary
The Lord’s Prayer and Matthew’s Gospel: A Summary, Part 1
A number of years ago, in the hopes that I might learn a bit more about prayer, I began studying the disciples’ request in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Jesus’s answer in Luke 11:2-4, the Lord’s Prayer. It wasn’t long before I felt compelled to reread the four Gospels in search of… Continue reading The Lord’s Prayer and Matthew’s Gospel: A Summary, Part 1
Matthew 28 – The Dawn, the Message, and the Kingdom
If Matthew had been recording the story of any other person, after the tomb was sealed, all he would have to write about would be the lives of Jesus’s friends over the next few days, months, and years. Such a story could possibly go on after their deaths, but eventually, every person in the story… Continue reading Matthew 28 – The Dawn, the Message, and the Kingdom
Matthew 27:45-65 – The Cross, the Curtain, and the Tomb
Jesus, beaten senselessly, bleeding profusely, and stripped naked hangs on the cross for the world to see. Many people mock him, some ignore him, and his closest friends, those who were actually present, mourned him. Matthew writes, 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about… Continue reading Matthew 27:45-65 – The Cross, the Curtain, and the Tomb
Matthew 27:11-44 – Guilt, Dreams, and Glory
Our deliverance from evil has been secured by means of Jesus’s deliverance unto evil. Matthew writes, 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.… Continue reading Matthew 27:11-44 – Guilt, Dreams, and Glory
Matthew 26:57-27:10 – Peter, Judas, and a New Day
It may seem redundant for me to say that the path leading toward the Father’s kingdom often runs through the valley of the shadow of death and close to our enemies who are enmeshed in evil, but redundant or not, it is true. A seminary professor once told me that the truth, even though it… Continue reading Matthew 26:57-27:10 – Peter, Judas, and a New Day
Matthew 26:1-25 – The Passover, the Poor, and the Pawn
Imagination is not required to see that the remainder of Matthew’s Gospel narrates a major battle in the war waged by the forces of evil as they attempt to bring God’s eternally powerful and glorious kingdom to its knees. The Father, from eternity past, planned that his Son, Jesus, by means of his death and… Continue reading Matthew 26:1-25 – The Passover, the Poor, and the Pawn