The Pharisees and Sadducees try to trip Jesus up with their questioning but He remains steady and wise in His answers, completely in control. Completely in control. The Savior had told His disciples He was headed to die, and the religious leaders and Roman officials, who thought they had power, had no power in theContinue reading “Take Heart. Jesus is doing what He came to do!”
Tag Archives: #readMatthew
Let’s remember and let’s encourage one another!
It’s sad and scary. The Parable of the Marriage Feast. Jesus has told several parables about His coming to earth to save sinners (Matt 21-22), when we come to this one about a King preparing a great marriage feast for his son and sending out invitations. But the people, “they made light of it.” (MattContinue reading “Let’s remember and let’s encourage one another!”
For the helpless…
With smiles on their faces and exuberant expectation, the crowds waved the palm branches shouting, “Hosanna” which literally means, “Save Please!” (Matt 21) and then, just a while later, that same crowd would scream, “Crucify Him!” And we question, how could they so quickly change? How could they question the famous one, the Miracle Maker,Continue reading “For the helpless…”
It’s embarrassing to moms everywhere…
Jesus clearly tells his disciples he will be condemned to death and will rise on the third day (Matt 20:17-19). And you’d expect to read of the disciples awe-filled response. But instead, the mother of two of the disciples, James and John, starts lobbying for her sons to have prominent seating in the Kingdom. It’sContinue reading “It’s embarrassing to moms everywhere…”
This seems wrong.
God deals with us according to who He is, not according to who we are. In the Parable of the Laborers, those who were hired last and only worked a short while for the master, received the same pay as those who had been sweating all day long. (Matt 20:1-16) In our system of fairness,Continue reading “This seems wrong.”
Not impossible for God!
There it is. Hope for my sleepy eyes! With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26) Jesus had been talking about the greatest miracle of all—salvation. He was referring to those (like the rich young ruler) who place hope in everything else but God to save them—material possessions, politicalContinue reading “Not impossible for God!”
Even this?
The rich young ruler walked away, sorrowful, but unwilling to part with his great possessions to follow Jesus.(Matt 19:26-26) I’ve wondered again and again if I’m holding anything too tightly or counting on anything more than I count on Jesus. Jesus explains to His disciples how difficult the path will be for those who chooseContinue reading “Even this?”
Let’s don’t miss this. In the early part of Matthew 19, Jesus gives some very important instruction. He says, “He who made them at the beginning made them male and female.” (Matt 19:4) God is very clear that He made two, and only two, genders. To reject this is to rebel against your Creator. WeContinue reading
We need THIS for all our lives.
As the world continues to slide into chaos, I pick up my Bible and open back to Matthew. Forgiveness, and now divorce. Couldn’t Matthew record some easier teachings of Jesus about now? But I guess I know. It’s actually really clear. Jesus spent His very short time on earth telling us the truth because weContinue reading “We need THIS for all our lives.”
Undo YEARS of pain and problems.
As we hear the news of the atrocities committed in Israel, it’s hard for me to think about something like forgiveness. But, I know, it is historically true that unforgiveness that has grown and multiplied, and been passed from one generation to the next, has played a role in these horrific events. For the peaceContinue reading “Undo YEARS of pain and problems.”
Are you tortured by emotions while those who hurt you just move on.
Dealing with people is hard. We will eventually be offended, hurt and feel all the emotions of being sinned against. And this will come from those we love—family, friends, coworkers and fellow believers. But we can’t read Matthew 18:21-35 and think we have any loophole to hold on to unforgiveness. The debtor in this passageContinue reading “Are you tortured by emotions while those who hurt you just move on.”
I‘m so thankful for pastors who lead their churches to do this…
Matthew 18:15-20 is incredible instruction in dealing with those who have sinned against us. Furthermore, it is the gold standard for the process of church discipline of which the goal is always to be the restoration of someone walking in sin. We are to break fellowship with the goal of causing the other person toContinue reading “I‘m so thankful for pastors who lead their churches to do this…”
A caution for those with lost sheep.
Jesus talks about the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt 18:12-14) just after talking about quickly addressing our own sin (Matt 18:8-9). The Enduring Word commentary quotes Spurgeon about this passage who says, “perhaps the most dangerous, form of the temptation, is to despise one, because that one has gone astray.” And if you’ve beenContinue reading “A caution for those with lost sheep.”
It will burn your house down.
Jesus emphasizes the need to not take sin lightly but radically remove it from our lives when he talks about plucking out your own eye or cutting off your hand if they help you to sin (Matt 18:8-9). For some of us, we need to kill the friendship, block the phone number, throw out theContinue reading “It will burn your house down.”
A warning from Jesus.
Jesus came to die to save us from our sins, and He warns those who cause others to sin that it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and drowned in the sea than to cause a little one who believes in Him to sin. He says “woeContinue reading “A warning from Jesus.”
Not everyday is a hallelujah moment. Oh, but there are those days…🙌🏻
Jesus gives Peter, James and John a supernatural peak into His deity. Oh, they had seen miracles but what they were about to see and hear would cause them to fall flat on their faces ( Matt 17:1-9). The face of Jesus shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as light!Long dead,Continue reading “Not everyday is a hallelujah moment. Oh, but there are those days…🙌🏻”
One day our faith will see what our minds can barely imagine!
Jesus talks about eternal rewards for works done in this life and then He says, “Thereare some standing here that shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom” (Matt 16:27-28). What does this mean? Many scholars believe Jesus is talking about the disciples who will witness the transfigurationContinue reading “One day our faith will see what our minds can barely imagine!”
Frustrated with Christianity?
I don’t want this to sound snarky and mean it most sincerely…but the truth is you may be frustrated with Christianity if you have invited Jesus into YOUR life. You know like, “come be a part”. Perhaps, even like the demons, you recognize Jesus as the Son of God (Matt 16:16) and you reason youContinue reading “Frustrated with Christianity?”
Peace for the dying
I think we sanitize this verse.We pretty it up.We water it down. We think denying ourselves and taking up our crosses is only putting up with the occasional annoyance or criticism of being called a Christian. We need to soberly understand what Jesus is saying when He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me,Continue reading “Peace for the dying”
When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…
Peter gets it. Then he doesn’t. He rightly states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matt 16:16). He then rebukes the Christ, the Son of the Living God, after Jesus tells the disciples He will suffer many things, be killed and rise on the third day (Matt 16:21-22). Can youContinue reading “When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…”
Kim Jaggers Ministry 