Matthew 16

For some reason I don't feel like I have a lot to say about this passage. There is some good stuff here, no doubt, but the only thing I want to really bring up is Peter's actions. In verses 15 to 17 he rightly identifies who Jesus is, and is blessed by Jesus - but then five short verses later he goofs up enough to be rebuked quite sternly by Jesus.

To me, this is a good reminder / example for us that we can be spot-on following God one moment and then screw up royally the next. We are still human, after all, and though the grace of God covers us if we have put our faith in Jesus we still make plenty of mistakes. God loves us no matter what, though, and while He may rebuke or correct us we need to learn from it and not get bogged down in depression or self-pity for our errors. We need simply to confess our sins, and repent (turn away from them)... God takes care of the rest!

Matthew 15

Today's passage is a mix of story and teaching, and since the story part is largely the same stuff as the last few chapters (healing, feeding multitudes, etc) I want to focus on the teaching part. Specifically, I am pondering the idea that "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” (verse 11, NASB)

This stood in contrast to the arbitrary, man-made rules that many of the religious Jews in Jesus' time followed. The example here in Matthew 15 is of the disciples eating with dirty hands - which was a big no-no apparently in that time and place (and would likely be somewhat frowned upon here in our day as well). But what Jesus says is that isn't what you put in your body that makes us unclean in God's eyes... but instead what comes out of us in terms of words - and presumably thoughts and actions as well, from the context.

At the same time, we need to guard our hearts against letting in some things; not food, so much, but ideas and images of sinful behavior. Letting those into our lives is going to make us more likely to integrate wrong ideas into our lives, and then begin to have those things coming out in the forms that Jesus warned against.

Matthew 14

I've missed the last couple of days - to anyone following this blog regularly, I apologize! This blog is here to keep me accountable in my daily Bible reading, and gaps like this are exactly what I am aiming to minimize (ideally) but also to get over when they do happen. Without something like this I would easily have been able to skip more, or just stopped entirely for who knows how long.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. This chapter in Matthew is entirely narrative-driven - there is no teaching that we are privy to from Jesus, not directly at least. We have John the Baptizer's death, Jesus teaching, healing, and even feeding crowds, and then Jesus walking on water.

That last bit, though famously referenced even in pop culture, is actually a really good learning opportunity for us even today. People tend to focus on this as an example of Jesus' power, and it certainly is, but the more important takeaway is that if Jesus asks us to do something He will provide a way - even if it seems impossible to us. He asked Peter to come to out to Him on the water, and Peter started to walk on it just like Jesus was doing! Peter, only a human, was breaking the laws of physics... through faith in the power and provision of God. Once he was out there, though, he began to doubt - and that is when he started to sink. Jesus rescued him, of course, showing that He doesn't just leave us if we fail.

Lord, may I have the faith to step out into what may seem impossible when You call me! And moreover, may I have the eyes to see You and what You are calling me to do in my family, church, and the world.

Matthew 13

Another lengthy chapter today, mostly filled with parables this time. Each of them is a way Jesus related a truth about His kingdom - which is spiritual, and not (yet at least) a physical empire on this earth. Some of the stories He explained in more detail to His disciples, but the meanings of most of them aren't too hard to decipher... though I suppose we an advantage in that area that those originally hearing Jesus preach did not, in the form of the written books of the Bible (especially the New Testament) which we can study.

Jesus' use of parables here fulfills a couple more prophecies about Him, from Isaiah 6:9-10 and Psalm 78:2. It is cool to see how aware of those scriptures the author, Matthew, was: even though he wasn't a priest or anything like that (he was, in fact, a tax collector - before Jesus called him as a disciple) he had read enough of the prophets to be able to cite Isaiah as well as others. I wonder if that came from his time studying under Jesus, or if he was already familiar with those prophecies beforehand.

Finally, the chapter ends with Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth. Because the people who lived there knew Him, though, they had trouble believing that this 'local boy' was truly able to speak with authority and knowledge. Their disbelief led to Jesus performing fewer miracles there than in other places he visited, which is a pity... and a good reminder that we should put out faith and trust in Him, even if things don't seem believable from a human standpoint.

Matthew 12

A lot of varied topics are covered here in chapter 12, enough that I cannot touch on them all in a short blog entry. Instead, here are some of my favorite things from this passage:

More fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew points out that Jesus' healing ministry and the way in which he didn't come seeking direct conflict fulfill Isaiah 42:1-4. I like it so much because hundreds of years before these events God showed Isaiah that we gentiles (non-Jews) would be putting our hope and faith in Jesus.

Jesus foretold of His death and burial. In verses 38-42, Jesus compared what was going to happen to Him to the story of Jonah. This reinforces that Jonah is, in fact, a true story (some would want to paint its supernatural events as just a myth or parable).

Jesus states that those who do the Father's will are His (Jesus') family. This fits in well with a lot of other passages in the New Testament, where Jesus is shown as the firstborn of all those who will be saved - and others where we are called brothers and sisters in Chris, as well as children of God. This imagery is very powerful, especially now that I am a father myself.

Matthew 11

Chapter 11 of Matthew is a bit of a mixed bag. We have Jesus preaching on His own, after sending out the twelve, and some interesting things come up. John the Baptizer, imprisoned at this point, sent some of his followers to make sure Jesus really is the One who they had been waiting for. Jesus didn't answer directly, but made it very clear by His response: the miracles He was doing and His preaching of good news (gospel) was evidence enough of His identity.

Jesus follows that up with a bit of info about John, quoting from a prophecy in Malachi 3:1 which foretold of a messenger to precede the Messiah and prepare the way for him. One very insightful thing from the end of this section is when Jesus points out that those who do not want to see the truth in that generation refused to listen to either John or Jesus, for exactly the opposite reasons.

Following this, Jesus talks about how the cities He ministered in which did not repent will have a harder judgement than pagan cities who never had the chance to see such miracles, signs, and wonders. This is a sobering reminder for those who have the opportunity to hear the truth about Jesus and choose not to act on it!

Finally, the chapter wraps up with Jesus further identifying God as His Father - more proof of who Jesus claimed to be - and inviting those who heard his preaching to come and follow him. May we all hearken to that in our time, and submit to Him.

Matthew 10

We've seen some of the disciples mentioned earlier in Matthew, but here in chapter 10 the twelve main followers of Jesus are listed in full and commissioned by Him to be His emissaries to Israel. He sends them out, for I'm not sure how long, but based on later events in the Gospels it must have only been a relatively short period of time.

Despite that, though, Jesus gave them pretty extraordinary authority! He gave them power over demons and sickness (verse 1), even to the point of raising the dead (verse 8), as well as being able to bless and curse the places they visited (verses 12-15). They were also to depend on the generosity of those they visited, to the point of not bringing spare coats or lots of supplies for the journey (verses 9-10). Talk about having to depend on God!

This chapter also contains one of my favorite quotes in the Bible:

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, NASB)

Chilling, and a good reminder of the power of the God whom we serve, and who gave Himself for us!

Matthew 9

Chapter 9 is largely composed of Jesus healing various people - blind men, a person muted by demon possession, a paralytic, and even a dead girl. Interestingly, in at least one case Jesus told those healed (the two blind men of verses 27-31) not to tell anyone what had happened... but they did anyway. I'm not sure if that was a case of reverse psychology on Jesus' part, or if He really did want to keep a lower profile; if the later, I don't understand why.

We also get the account here of Matthew, a tax collector, being called as one of Jesus' disciples. He is the author of this book, of course, so up till now the stories told would have been compiled from second-hand sources... but from here on out, he is writing about events he actually witnessed.

Finally, in the middle of the chapter we have Jesus' response to two different questions: why he associated with tax collectors and sinners, and why He and His disciples did not fast. I love his answers, especially to the first question! He points out, quite rightly, that it is the sick (sinners) who need a physician (savior). The reality is also that the Pharisees who asked the question were in fact sinners, they just didn't think of themselves that way because of their religiosity. May we be careful never to fall into the same trap, and to be willing to reach out to those we may see on the outside as dirty or sinful - just like Jesus did.

Matthew 8

Matthew 8 contains several short stories about Jesus' ministry, but very interesting ones. The first shows examples of Jesus healing people, with an account of a Roman Centurion who believed Jesus didn't even need to come to his home to heal someone. Of course he was correct, and Jesus states that he has found more faith in this man than any of the Jews. Pretty sweet!

The third healing reported here is of Peter's mother in law. Let me say that again: mother in law. What does that mean? Peter was married! So the man who the Catholics built the idea of the papacy on was married, but they prohibit their priests (all the way from the lowliest up to the pope) from being married. Yeah, sorry guys: ya got this one wrong.

All of these healings, and the text states there were many more than these three, were fulfilling more prophecy about Jesus. Matthew quotes part of Isaiah 53:4 in the passage here, and it is quite applicable.

Following this we have the fairly famous account of Jesus calming a storm. What I like most here is that He was sleeping through it for a while - its things like this that remind us He was human - and then His perfect control over nature shows that he is also fully God. We also see here that His disciples at this early stage really don't realize who He is, based on their reaction.

Finally, we have the account of Jesus casting demons out of two men and into a herd of pigs. The locals aren't thrilled about the loss of the herd, but the more interesting thing here to me is the reaction of the demons to Jesus' presence. In verse 29 they ask: "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" This highlights a few things:

- They know Jesus' true identity
- They fear Him
- They are aware that they will be tormented at a future time, and that the time was not yet there

If memory serves there are other places in the Gospels where a demon-possessed person rightly identifies Jesus, and if those following Him didn't fully believe it themselves you'd think that would tip the scales. It also must be terrifying to *know* you are destined for judgement and torment... I wonder if the angels who rebelled and became demons knew that was going to be their punishment, or if it wasn't till after their rebellion failed that they realized it? They must have thought they and Satan had some chance, or why would they have turned on God in the first place? Dear me, though, I am getting off-topic; we'll come back to this in a future passage, I'm sure.

Matthew 7

This chapter is going to conclude Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount, and as with the last couple it contains great wisdom from God. The 'Golden Rule' that is widely known in Western society has its origin here, in fact, in verse 12. The parable at the end, about men who built houses on different foundations, is also mentioned pretty often - at least among the Christians I grew up around.

There is one verse here which I have read before, but must confess I do not understand. Matthew 7:6 reads: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." That seems to me like it could be saying not to share God's truth (what is holy / pearls) with those who are clearly not interested in hearing it... but that seems to run counter to Jesus' instructions later on to 'make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:18-20). I suspect there must be some other meaning, and I should make a note to look into it more later - or maybe ask pastor Ryan.

Verses 13 and 14 remind me of a very old book - Pilgrim's Progress. It is hard reading today, being written in pretty old English, but has a lot of cool analogies to the Christian walk... including the idea of narrow vs wide gates as mentioned here in Matthew.

Finally, the warning in verses 15-23 should be a sobering reminder to us all that not everyone who claims to follow Jesus truly does. We should each look at our own lives and see what sort of fruit we are bearing for Him, and at the same time that is one criteria we are given by which to judge those who are true Christians from those who are 'wolves in sheeps clothing'.

Matthew 6

Chapter six continues the Sermon on the Mount, and is entirely composed of Jesus' teaching - words of wisdom, if ever any were spoken! A lot of it has to do with doing things privately, to build our relationship with God instead of to seek the attention and praise of men. There are also some amazing insights into worry and money / wealth, and Jesus demonstrates how to pray as well.

It is late tonight, so at this point I'm just going to list off some of my favorite verses from this passage.

Matthew 6:7-8 - "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

Matthew 6:19-21 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:34 - "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

(all passages from the NASB translation)

Matthew 5

Ah, the 'Sermon on the Mount' - one of the most complete / longest sections of Jesus' teaching in the Bible, so far as I am aware, and the repository of many famous phrases and concepts (at least in Christian circles). There is a lot here, and I had to read over some of it twice.

The second half of the chapter is particularly interesting, I think, as it contains references to bits of the Law from the Torah (first part of the Old Testament / Jewish scripture) - but expands on them. Going from 'don't commit adultery' to 'don't even look at someone with lust'... that is really upping the bar on standards of behavior and thought. Likewise, going from 'don't break your vows' to 'don't even bother making vows, because every time you say yes or no you should be sticking to it' puts a lot of things in a different perspective that I am accustomed to. Several such teachings are given by Jesus here, and as He says he isn't abolishing the old Law: He is fulfilling it, and if anything showing that it isn't just the outward actions we take that matter (which is largely what the Law was concerned with) but also the thoughts and attitudes we harbor inside.

Matthew 4

This chapter covers a lot! It opens with what may be one of the most under-stated things in the whole Bible: "And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry." (4:2, NASB). Maybe they didn't have words like starving or famished, but after that long without food Jesus most assuredly was *very* 'hungry'. Satan takes this opportunity to tempt Him, but Jesus rebuffs him by quoting back scripture in each instance. That is an excellent example to us of how we should resist temptation: memorize passages of God's Word on various topics, so that we can recall them and recite them in stressful situations. David said it well in the Psalms: "Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." (119:11, NASB)

At some point after the temptation, Jesus got word that John has been taken prisoner (by Herod as we'll later find out, though a different person of the same name than was king at Jesus' birth). He relocated to another part of Israel to begin His ministry, in turn fulfilling yet another prophecy (Isaiah 9:1-2), and started recruiting his disciples. Four are named in this passage, all fishermen, and in fact two pairs of brothers: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. With them in tow, Jesus began to travel - preaching, teaching, and healing as He went... amassing quite a crowd of followers in the process.

Matthew 3

It isn't mentioned directly, but this chapter jumps forward many years from the previous ones. Jesus is now a grown man, and we are introduced briefly to John the Baptizer (I use that term out of habit, as it is what a prof in my high school used to make sure people didn't think John was a Baptist in the modern denominational sense). The details about him and his relationship to Jesus are glossed over in this Gospel, but when I get to... I think it is Luke... there will be a lot more depth about them. As I read Matthew I really begin to appreciate Luke more: it was geared toward a Gentile audience, while Matthew was aimed at Jewish folks. That is in part why Matthew focuses so heavily on where Jesus and the events surrounding His life fulfill prophecy.

Speaking of that, we find out that John's ministry was foretold by Isaiah (40:3). The classic idea we have of baptism also gets its roots here, with people being immersed in the Jordan river as a symbol of their repentance and being forgiven of their sins. I know that some churches practice simply sprinkling with water instead, and while their heart is in the right place it doesn't evoke the same idea of being completely washed clean and becoming a new creation.

Finally, we have the public revealing of Jesus and His true nature as the Son of God. This is one of many events in Jesus' earthly ministry that would have been pretty amazing to see! Ah, what I wouldn't give for a time machine...

Matthew 2

As I suspected in my comments on the previous chapter, this section contains more of the 'Christmas Story' as we traditionally think of it. The visit of the magi, or wise men, is often pictured as being right at Jesus' birth - but it certainly looks from the text like it came later, maybe even as much as a year or two after He was born.

It is also pretty cool that the closest things they had to scientists back then came to worship Jesus, after observing some sort of new star in the heavens. I've often wondered if that was God using a supernova or comet - something like that which He simply timed properly - or if it was something altogether supernatural. It doesn't much matter, just something I've thought about a few times.

We've also got the account of Herod's mass murder of children in this chapter. As with all violence, especially against the young and innocent, it is a tragedy... but it shows just how much some people love power, and how twisted our sinful, human nature can be. It also fills another prophecy about Jesus' birth (Jeremiah 31:15), as does His family's return from Egypt after Herod's death and their eventual settling in Nazareth.

Matthew 1

This chapter features two main parts: the genealogy of Jesus and then the abridged story of Jesus' birth. I'll tackle that first. Matthew doesn't go into nearly as much detail here as some of the other Gospels, from what I remember; in particular I think Luke has more in the lead-up to Jesus' birth.

There will likely be more about the events around His birth in the next chapter of Matthew, but the big takeaway here is that Jesus was born to a virgin. His mother, Mary, was impregnated by God - not God physically coming down and sleeping with her, as some claim, but supernaturally without any physical contact from a man. This is the only such event in history, and I've always thought it made perfect sense since Jesus was sinless. It is clearly stated elsewhere in the Bible that all humans have an innate sinful nature, and that it is passed down from father to son (and daughter) - but Jesus had no human father, and so did not inherit that nature! This was the only way that God could be born into our world, really, and it had been prophesied hundreds of years earlier by Isaiah (7:14). This is the first of many prophecies about the coming Messiah which Jesus fulfilled, and I will try to highlight as many of them as I can over the course of reading through the Gospels.

As for the genealogy, it traces Jesus' royal lineage through his adopted human father, Joseph. He was a direct descendant of King David, which was important because that was another prophecy about the Messiah: he would reign on the throne of David forever (Jeremiah 33:14-17). It also interesting to note so many names from the Old Testament which feature in this list - Rahab, Ruth & Boaz, David & Solomon, and of course the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). It really goes to show that the Bible is His Story - the story of Jesus, from His hand in creation through to the end of time. May His name be praised forever and ever, amen!

Reboot!

So it has been nearly three years now since I abandoned this project, and it has been my intent to resume many times... but it never came together. At the stage I am now at in life, though, I really need to be in God's Word regularly - and not just reading it mindlessly, but meditating on it. I am also in need of God's truth in my life, and His instruction.

As such I am rebooting this blog. I am not going to resume in I Samuel, where I left off, though. That part of the Bible is largely historical, and while very interesting to my mind it is not exactly overflowing with lessons and teaching I can apply in my life as a husband and father. Instead, I am going to start fresh in the Gospels, and work my way through the New Testament one chapter and one day at a time. When I finish, I hope to go back and resume my study of the Old Testament as well... but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet :) I will be reading Matthew chapter 1 shortly, and hopefully posting my thoughts before the stroke of midnight. That doesn't give me very long, so I had better get to it!

To any of you who follow this blog, I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my continued dedication to studying God's Word, and of course any comments you want to leave on this blog :)