365 Reflections

The Parable of the Vineyard workers comes on the heels of Jesus' interaction with the Rich Young Man.  Jesus ends both sections with this phrase: "many who are first will be last and the last first." The dynamic reordering of the kingdom declares the laborers hired first who bore the burden in the heat of the day received what was promised.  The laborers found last and hired received the same. When the first-hired laborers got their due, they grumbled.  To me, it's a simple case of bad assumptions.  They assumed they deserved better. We do the same. We should notice, the master of the house made the first move with each set of laborers.  None of them would have a job without His initiation. But the real story is this - after just one day of working , the first-hired laborers already have in mind what the master should be doing.  Isn't that like us?  We get saved by grace, and then we unconsciously leave grace for works, thinking we have ar...

Some of us are looking for the inimal requiresment to get into heaven without it upsetting the plans we have for our lives. One such example is the Rich Ruler in Matthew 19. Matthew 19:16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." "Which ones?" - now that is a funny question. When Jesus says keep the commandments, isn't it clear to keep all of them?  Yet he wanted to know what can I do minimally and still be good with God? Of course Jesus lists the commandments he's confident to have kep...

Matthew 18:23–27 (ESV) “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. Jesus was a master story teller.  Here He famously employs humor to teach a valuable lesson on forgiveness.   10,000 talents was more money than the Roman government had at the time.   The man asks for more time to pay everything back! Matthew, the tax collector would of course remembered this particular story above all. The humor is in thinking you could pay God back for what you owe.  There is no othe...

Who doesn't long to be great? We all want to be great in some way... Well, the greatest one ever said the path to greatness is this: Matthew 18:4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. What is it about a child that makes them a perfect illustration for greatness?  Children can be temperamental  impatient, unkind, and selfish.  But there is something all children have... Teachability. I think teachability is the key to greatness.  Right now there are lessons you need to learn to be great.  There are changes you need to make to get to the next level of living.  Right now something in your life is out of whack with God and you need to let someone instruct you in the right way you should go. Without teachability, you're finished. With teachability you're constantly improving.  To be great is to have a great sense that you are unfinished.  To be great is to take advice not get offended... t...

Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Peter, fresh off being rebuked by Jesus because He sought to spare Him from the cross, is once again caught speaking when the time wasn't right. Sometimes I'm guilty as Peter. Instead of soaking in Christ for who He really is. Instead of understanding Him as the Lord of Glory. Instead of remembering the old saints of the Bible are still alive and we will see them again. Instead of thinking about the glories of hereafter... I'm too eager to go to work, keep busy, build things, do things, accomplish things.  I'm too busy making the moment about me... What did Peter say? "Lord, it is good for us to be here." He should have stopped there.  But for some reason, Peter goes right into worker bee mode.  Let me do something in response to this revelation. While there is absol...

Matthew 16:22–23 (ESV) And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” One thing is for sure, a lot of people in the book of Matthew disagree with God's plan along the way. In chapter two it's Joseph, in the third chapter it's John the Baptist and now in chapter 16 you half-year disagreeing with the way God is doing things. The interesting thing is that these were all three very good men in human history. No doubt that they were righteous, that they serve God with all their heart, that they had a love for Christ. Yet they vastly misunderstood the dynamic and details of God's eternal plan from the foundations of the world. The lesson is simple: even the best of us usually don't get it right concerning God's ways. I know...

Matthew 16:1 (ESV) And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. I was thinking about this today: what could God do that would actually satisfy the unconvinced? We all have doubts... questions... We all struggle with the big "whys?" of life. So many demand God "prove" Himself. What "sign" could or should God do so that doubters might believe? I don't think there is one. People are far too fussy and fickle. The atheist has decided to believe there is no God.  They do this because of their perceived "lack" of evidence.  Or some disbelieve due to the enormous amount of evidence to the contrary: Starving children in Somalia, innocence lost in America, women tortured and enslaved all over.  Where is God?  Why won't He step in?  He must not exist. What does He have to do? - Stop the murder from happening in the next town tomorrow? - Cease all killings in Sudan by Sunday? -...

Another chapter, the same story. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said,  "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."    And the disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?" Matthew 15:32-33 Literally one chapter later, Jesus is again moved with compassion for the crowds who follow him and are hungry. Yet again the disciples are oblivious to what Jesus is able to do for them and through them.  However, instead of focusing on their lack of resources, they are focused on the setting.  "Where can we get enough bread in a DESOLATE place?" Sometimes that's how we are. Focused on the setting of our lives.  The desolate places.  I've been there.  Desolate in relationships, desolate in feeling God's presence, desolate in financial situations ...

But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." (Matthew 14:30 ESV) This is a cry from a man who probably bit off more than he could chew. A man who willingly jumped at the chance to walk on water but suddenly realized he was walking on water . His step of faith also exposed his dark side of fear. When we take a chance of faith, we also take a chance to really blow it. Of course the alternative is to do nothing, play it safe, never experience the need for God to step in. That kind of life doesn't do much for anyone. It doesn't inspire.  It doesn't make it into Gospels. Peter is the disciple MOST people appreciate because he tried and failed. If he never tried we wouldn't know him, and if he had never failed, we wouldn't be able to sympathize with him. Peter's failures help as much as his successes. Peter is a lot like us. There is a part of us that wants to get out of the boat and ...

There's a difference between us and Jesus. We tend to care about people and Jesus shows us how to care for people. Big Difference. Now when Jesus heard this , he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:13-16 ESV) What had Jesus just heard? He heard that his cousin, forerunner, friend and partner was just brutally murdered by a wicked and immoral king. No doubt his own crucifixion was now looming over his head and he understandably wanted to be alone. But the crowds would not have it. They n...

Matthew 14:3–5 (ESV) For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day.  We pause to remember the man who stood up to segregation and helped to change our nation. I was reading today that his assassination may have been based on something other than civil rights of African Americans.  Some believe it was a conspiracy of the government because King not only stood opposed to segregation, but started also preaching against US military action in Vietnam. You see, King wasn't afraid to stand up to injustice in government on both sides of the aisle. Even some of his closest allies didn't like this stance.  In one sermon, he spoke extensively on Jesus' command to "love your enemies."...

Matthew 13:28–29 (ESV) He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. We live in a world gone bad.  And we want justice. Usually we want God to do something with the injustice we see, right now... in others. Be careful.  If God instantly took care of all the wickedness in the world it would include the wickedness in you and me... and I fear for many of us what would be left?  Would we be at all?  And if not, is God subject then to our whims and fancy as to when He should step in to stop evil and when He should back off?  Like maybe you are one of the disillusioned people who actually believes they've got nothing but good left in them.  Chances are you're related to someone who could really use a lot of wickedness-removal.  So let us adopt your delusion an...

And he answered them,  "To you it has been given to know  the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matthew 13:11 When you read Jesus' teaching in Matthew 13 on the parables of the kingdom, it is astonishing.  And I thought about it this week.  If Jesus had never taught what He taught 2000 years ago, where would we be? Think about it.  There has not arisen a greater teacher since.  No one's teaching has had the far reaching impact of Jesus.  How often - being raised around this teaching, hearing sermons about it, knowing it, going over it again and again - how often have I taken for granted these wonderful words of life!  Instruction of the highest form.  The SECRETS of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN have been given to me.  I am undone. The Songs that have been written about Him, or quoted the Words from Him. The quotes used in plays, movies, and dramas across the span of human history. The number of people ...

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:34-37 ESV) Jesus strikes a strong and distinguished court here on the topic of our words and what we say. We are what we say. We translate what we treasure. I think of James who says in chapter 3 of his epistle, "the tongue is a fire a world of unrighteousness." There are many ways we kill the good things God wants to do in our lives simply because we do not put a reign on our tongue.  The power of life and death are in the tongue. In Psalm 19, the poet opens with, "The heavens declare the glory of God"... and...

Some people wondered if Jesus was related to David... Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" (Matthew 12:22, 23 ESV) From this passage you can see why. David was the conquering fighting general, commander, and king of the armies of the Lord. David fought, killed and murdered thousands of people. David delivered Israel with war and bloodshed. Jesus delivers through gentle compassion, grace, mercy and ultimately by dying Himself. Where David took life, Jesus gave his life. Where David killed Goliath with his sword, Jesus took the sword. The good news is - Jesus came to deal with our real enemy - death and the devil.  So he casts out demons.  Interesting to note... David is the only person in the Old Testament recorded to have silenced a demon.  In 1 Samuel 16:14-23 - David sings for Saul who is tormented by a...

Jesus has been doing some remarkable stuff so far in Matthew.  In chapter 12, He allows the disciples to eat grain and heals a man with a withered hand.  After these two incidents, the religious establishment set out to kill Him. Matthew 12:14 (ESV) But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. This verse strikes me funny.  Here are men fully devout to the law.  They have a list of rules on how to obey the real rules.  They maintain "obedience" to the highest standard.  And yet, when Jesus doesn't fit their agenda or threatens their authority... they are ready to "KILL" Him.   Isn't there a commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill?"  Funny how they failed to see the log in their own eye. What bothered them most was the authority Jesus took over the Sabbath.  He entered, "their synagogue" and broke "their rules." Religion kills.  And by religion, I don't mean caring for orphan...

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Matthew 11:2-6 ESV Sometimes we forget God is doing something in our world even when we aren't a part of it. This most often happens when we are suffering.  When things are not going our way.  We play the "why me" card and throw a pity party.  We wonder when our day will come. John sends disciples to Jesus having heard how well things were going to wonder "Are you the one?"  John sits in prison.  He's there for preaching truth to those who did not like to hear it. Jesus i...

Its the content you find Jesus saying in Matthew 10 that reminds you - you cannot leave Him at "good teacher", or "moral leader."  He is either God incarnate that has every right to the deed of our being or He is completely mad in the head. Matthew 10:34–37 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Most of us need to be rescued from the dumbed-down "acceptable to Hollywood" version of Jesus.  He is the passionate, relentless hound of heaven who seeks us out, finds us, saves us and rearranges our lives completely. To know Jesus is a privilege to ...

When the crowds saw it,  they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 8:9 What authority were they excited about? Two kinds of authority are both questioned and then displayed in Christ in this passage: 1. The Authority to heal. 2. The Authority to forgive sin. What authority would you rejoice over? Depends on your condition. If I'm the paralyzed man, healing power would get my vote. But here's the fact: physical healing is temporary.  Everyone healed eventually dies. Forgiveness is eternal. Christ healed the man to show them the authority He has to forgive sin! I've spent the last two days limping around on a crippling pain in my right foot.  I don't know where it came from but it's been killing me to walk.  Every step hurts.  I could do very little today.  I wanted to go take photos at the park.  No such luck.  I'm on the couch feeling helpless and pitiful. My physical pain has me handi...

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him,  he gave orders to go over to the other side.  And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."  And Jesus said to him,  "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."    Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  And Jesus said to him,  "Follow me, and leave  the dead to bury their own dead." Matthew 8:18-22 What I love about this challenging passage is what happens to the disciples who follow Jesus. The disciples follow Jesus into the boat.  Actually, He ordered them to go to the other side of the lake. the boat encounters a storm so bad that trained experienced fisherman believe they are about to drown. The disciples must have thought, I knew it was hard to follow Jesus, but I didn't expect this hard!  Death?  And so soon? Yes, it'...

Matthew 8:1-17.  The narrative of Matthew dramatically turns from the authority of Jesus' teaching (Matthew 7:29) to the authority of Jesus' power! As a Pastor I emphasize obedience to Christ.  What we should do as a follower of Christ.  Sometimes, to many times, I forget to simply marvel at HIS POWER. He did incredible works. There was no one like him before or after. He did things no one else even claimed to do. Let us not forget the power of our SAVIOR! We do not follow a religious leader or inspiring teacher, we follow the Son of the living God!!! He heals the Centurion's servant from a distance. Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.” Right then his servant was healed. (Matthew 8:13 CEV) He casts out demons with a word. That evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. (Matthew 8:13, 16 CEV)...

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (Matthew 7:28, 29 NLT) He taught different. And His teaching is still being taught. One of the ministries often neglected about Jesus was His teaching. Absolute. Firm. To the point. And life-changing. Perhaps because Jesus practiced what He taught. Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. The teaching authority of Jesus was rooted in His reverence for the Scriptures.  To remember the Psalmist declaration: for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Psalm 138:2 How often people want Bible-bites to make our life better. How often they come looking for a "spiritual" side to life But Jesus calls for much more. Jesus held that even casting out demons and prophesying were unknown t...

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts,   as we also have forgiven our debtors. So in my first day of Seminary, I learned that forgiveness is mentioned more in Matthew more than any other New Testament book at 47 times. If you read the Lord's prayer you will notice forgiving our debtors is the only part that entails our action.  Everything else is supplication for God's intervention.  Forgiveness requires our participation.  Having been forgiven, our first priority is to BE FORGIVERS. The Greek Word for forgive in Matthew is "aphes" and is translated as: "to let go; to send away, to remit, cancel or pardon; to leave; and to let go, tolerate." Looking at some of them: Let it go. Someone hurt you. Someone close.  You need to let it go. To leave. Move your mind elsewhere.  You won't forget, but you don't have to rehearse. Send away. Stop holding on to it.  Whatever we rehearse we resemble.  Resentment is a two-part word - "Re...

Matthew 6. A chapter I could spent the whole year on alone! Giving - Praying - Fasting - Serving - Money - Worrying. In the middle of these important personal topics is this prayer: " OUR FATHER." Jesus mentions the Father more times in Matthew 6 than any other chapter in the book. 12 times in this chapter, Jesus mentions the Father. 5 of the times, Jesus says the Father sees or knows. 3 times Jesus says the Father will reward you. He sees.  He knows.  He rewards. How often do we forget OUR HEAVENLY FATHER! I think it is Tim Keller who said "sin is casting off the fatherhood of God." How true! Every fake pretentious act of righteousness for the sake of others... Every ounce of energy consumed with more possessions and wealth.... Every fear and worry about what we have, eat and wear... Is a denial of our FATHER who SEES and KNOWS us. Jesus reminds us, He's there.  He's always there and He's not just there... He's OURS!  What an a...

Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. As much as Jesus came to reveal who He was and what He was here to do ... He was equally clear at times what He was NOT here to do.  In this case - He did NOT come to abolish the law or prophets. I'm amazed at the common lack-luster effort many give to know the Jesus in the Gospels. Sometimes "Christians" use Jesus as an excuse to pick and chose what we must do as New Testament Christians.  Many like to cherry pick the passages that are palatable to their personal preference or sensibilities.  But Jesus makes it clear from here on out - the standard is going up, not down.  The law is going to be fulfilled through his life and death and resurrection, but it's not going away. He even says in four verses:   VERSE 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the...

Matthew 5 Just a few verses in we see Jesus' resolute perspective on Earthly life.  In a nutshell, it's imperative to make this life count for the next. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:12 ESV) If there is one thing that harnesses the theme of Jesus ministry in the Word it is that what we do here matters hereafter, take it seriously. Take it soberly, don't neglect planning for the afterlife, by works and perspective, and attitude toward enemies, lust, oaths, anger, etc... And on and on and on. Your life here matters for the afterlife. I'm amazed at how much preaching today refuses to focus on this very important fact and central theme to Jesus's own teaching. We want our lives here to be comfortable and cozy.  We want all the amenities of Earth without the hassels of discipleship. Yet almost every parable of Jesus ends with judgment and/or reward. Think He'...

Still in Matthew 4 and I found something interesting... At some point everybody gets "Arrested." By that I mean - at some point, you will leave this Earth.  What do you plan on leaving behind? In Matthew 4, when Jesus learned that John had been arrested he then  left Judea and move to Galilee. Matthew 4:12 (ESV) Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. Matthew 4:18–19 (ESV) While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Once in Galilee  the first thing Jesus does is chose disciples to develop. Could it be that John's arrest made Jesus just think about his own arrest approaching when He willingly lays down His life for our sins?  In response to that - Jesus knows there is precious time remaining to training a team of men ...

One of the fundamental tactics of our enemy is to use Gods Word against us. He even has the audacity to use the Word against the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14) . Evidently the enemy of our souls knows full well there aren't many other BETTER ways to really mess with Gods people that to twist His Word in our ears. The devil knows the power of the Word. Do we? To Eve, the devil's first words were "Did God really say?" To Jesus: and (the devil) said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ""He will command his angels concerning you," and ""On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."" (Matthew 4:6 ESV) How many of us are leaping off the "pinnacle of the temple" in our own lives because we foolishly listen to a twisted word rather than knowing it well enough to sniff out a lie in the making? How many times we recklessly run ou...

Matthew 3: Just obey, even when it doesn't agree with you. When Jesus comes to be baptized by John, John tries to talk hm out of it. He disagrees with what Jesus wants to have him do... This is JOHN THE BAPTIST.  He thinks the world of Jesus.  He's one of the few that knows who Jesus is.  In Verse 11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." But this time, Jesus' plan to get the ministry started has the baptist tripped up. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14 NLT) Have you ever try to talk God out of something? Are there parts of the Bible that you don't agree with? - You aren't alone. Many of the Bible's greatest saints argued and fussed and disagreed with God's calling and God's command ...

Matthew 2 Nothing could stop Herod from his desire to rule. No one could get in his way. Furious, hateful, vengeful, selfish. What a complete opposite of Joseph. In the middle of these two men was Jesus, a helpless child, shuttled to and from Egypt and Israel by his father running by his dreams. The Spirit of Herod: So many want to kill Christianity. At the time of Herod I'm sure a faithful Jew thought it was impossible for anyone to stop what Herod wanted to do. He created a mountain for his palace. In our day in America it seems like Christianity is falling away. But one day all those who want to kill it will be dead and the Lords purpose will prevail. Question: Why all the running from Herod in the story? What doesn't God just send an angel and kill Herod? Case closed. It's hard to move with a baby and wife in tow. It's hard to change countries and live as a foreigner. Why does God make it so hard on Joseph? Why not give him a break and kill off ...

So here we go. Matthew 1. The Genealogy and Birth of Christ Joseph has an interesting role in Matthew 1. The angel told Joseph to name Him Jesus: VERSE 21 She will bear a son, and  you shall call his name Jesus,  for he will save his people from their sins.”  And He did: VERSE 25 But knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And  he called his name Jesus. Then, Joseph disappears from the scene. But in this one chapter, what Joseph did was amazing. He had to receive Jesus into his life.  He had to choose to adopt him. He only knew to adopt Jesus because of the revelation of the angel. Then he named him - Jesus - "God saves" That's how it starts.  Revelation and Acceptance and Action. At some point God intervenes in our lives.  He opens our eyes to what He's doing in the world and we must disregard what we think we should be doing. Considering Joseph in the context of chapter one in which a great number of men...