Today’s reading is Matthew 28.
I’m sorry today’s post is late. And please don’t think I’m writing the following just to take the easy way out. It really is all about this and I really have nothing more to say:
“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.'”
What more needs to be said?
Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 1.
Today’s reading is Matthew 27.
I learned something I don’t like about myself from today’s reading. At the foot of the cross, the scribes and elders mocked Jesus saying, “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.” They thought that if God were really there, if God really cared about Jesus, and Jesus really were God’s child, then God would have to bring Him off the cross right then. I realize I often think in that very same shallow way about deliverance. Surely if God is really there, really cares, and I’m really His, He’ll deliver me from every hardship. However, Jesus really did trust God, God really was with Him, and God let Him die. Why? Because God’s plans for Jesus were greater than bringing Him down from the cross. When God is not delivering me on my time table from some hardship, I need to remember it is because God’s plans for me are greater than simply removing that particular hardship from me at that time. Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 28.
Today’s reading is Matthew 26.
Have you ever noticed that after Matthew records that one sentence prayer of Jesus’s in Gethsemane, that when Jesus finds His disciples sleeping He says, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?” Matthew merely recorded a summary of Jesus’s prayer. For about an hour Jesus prayed. No doubt He used different words and phrases, approaching the request from different directions and different emphases. But after praying for about an hour, it could be summed up in one sentence. This always leaves me with the question, is there anything in my life that I view as so important I might spend an entire hour just praying about that one thing? Or am I merely satisfied rolling off a sentence of prayer and moving on with my day? What about you?
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 27.
Today’s reading is Matthew 25.
The judgment scene of Matthew 25 always hits me smack between the eyes. It shows the division of lost and saved, goats and sheep. Please understand, I absolutely believe the primitive plea of the New Testament pattern for the worship and work of the local congregation. I completely believe that we need to mine the New Testament for authority for all we do as local congregations. And I believe those teachings and practices matter for Gods glory and our eternity. However, I can’t help but notice when Jesus presented the dividing line between lost and saved, He didn’t say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, you sang without instruments, you fellowshipped without halls, you resisted missionary societies, you refused institutions between the church and its work.” Rather, He said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” No doubt, we need to bring glory to God His way by having the local congregation follow and observe the patterns of worship and work we can discern from the New Testament church. But let us not forget the dividing line Jesus established while we are busy establishing our own. Let us remember it is not merely i-dotting and t-crossing teachers and practitioners called to the right among the sheep, but sacrificial servants.
Monday’s reading is Matthew 26.
Today’s reading is Matthew 24.
I think some people misunderstand the parable of the faithful and wise servant who is doing the master’s will when he comes. Some critics would suggest that this parable teaches people to be faithful lest they get punished. In fact, it teaches the exact opposite. What it highlights is there are some servants who the only reason they obey is to avoid punishment. When the master isn’t around, they procrastinate and wait. They hope to guess rightly about when he is going to return and get caught up on their duties before he does. But the master will come at an unexpected time and they will be punished. However, there is another servant who is simply faithful and wise, who does the master’s will for love of the master. He doesn’t procrastinate when the master is gone or lounge about when the master isn’t looking, but for love of his master simply fulfills his role properly whether the master is watching or not. Which servant are you?
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 25.
Today’s reading is Matthew 23.
Obviously the scribes and Pharisees knew how to wash their dinner dishes. In fact, you can be sure they were washing those thoroughly. They knew just how ridiculous it would be to wash the outside of the cup but leave the inside dirty. The problem is they weren’t giving their own hearts the attention they would give their dishes. They would do their best to clean up their outside behavior, but they allowed their hearts to dwell on greed and self-indulgence. They were worried that their dishes would defile their flesh and never realized their hearts were already causing that. Let us not be like these scribes and Pharisees. No doubt, we should control our behavior, but let’s start with our hearts, and our behavior will follow.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 24.
Today’s reading is Matthew 22.
Let’s not misunderstand the point. The man who wasn’t dressed properly for the wedding is not in the Bible to tell us to dress up for the church’s assembly. In the context of the parable, there were some people who weren’t interested in the wedding at all. They were judged and destroyed. But here was a fellow who claimed to be interested in the wedding, but showed up on his own terms instead of on the king’s. For the most part, I don’t think God cares how you are dressed for “church.” What He cares about is whether you are coming to Him on His terms or trying to demand He accept you on yours. Whose terms are you living on?
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 23.
Today’s reading is Matthew 21.
When I was a kid, my dad had an expression he often used when I really wanted to do something or go somewhere but he simply wasn’t going to do it. I’d say something like, “Hey Dad, on the way home, let’s stop by Sonic and get a Blast.” And he’d get this excited look like I had just come up with the greatest idea ever and then say, “Let’s don’t, but say we did.” In Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus tells us about some people who really used the same kind of expression, but about serving God. They would say they were going to serve God, would tell people they were serving God, but in the end, they did what they wanted and simply called it serving God. They didn’t obey Him, but said they did. Let’s make sure we aren’t doing the same thing. It’s easy to go to church on Sundays and say we are going to serve God. But it’s Monday now, let’s make sure we are actually serving Him and not just claiming to.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 22.
Today’s reading is Matthew 20.
In most kingdoms, you can tell who is the greatest because they have the most servants. Not in Christ’s kingdom. In His topsy-turvy kingdom, the road to greatness is by being a servant, not by gaining servants. Jesus Himself set the stage by leaving the glories of heaven, descending to the tragedies of earth, and then even further to the pit of the grave. If He would do that for us, how much more ought we do it for each other. Walk the path of a servant. Walk the path of victory.
Monday’s reading is Matthew 21.
Today’s reading is Matthew 19.
When the rich young ruler asked Jesus which commandments he was supposed to keep, do you think he breathed a sigh of relief when Jesus didn’t actually state the one about not having other gods before Jehovah? Of course not. He knew Jesus was giving a sample list but was referring to the entire decalogue. Yet, isn’t the thing he lacked a violation of that very first command, having a god before Jehovah? The rich young ruler knew the command, was certain he had kept the command, but he hadn’t fully applied the command to every aspect of his life. This demonstrates the problem we often have. Usually we don’t struggle with knowing what the Bible says as much as applying it thoroughly to our entire lives. Don’t make the rich young ruler’s mistake. Dig deep in God’s Word and apply it thoroughly. You don’t want to go away sad on that final day.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 20.
Victorious! 