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Category Archives: Matthew

Matthew 1:18-24

21 Dec

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-24

Dear God, I have two thoughts as I read this story for the umpteenth time this morning. First, like Mary, the angel is keeping Joseph on a need-to-know basis. All Joseph needs to know right now is that it’s okay to take Mary as his wife. He doesn’t need to know about the trials and tribulations of the road ahead. He doesn’t need to know the whole plan.

I went to a funeral yesterday for an 84-year-old woman who had her first date with her husband 70 years ago when they were both 14 years old and lived three houses down from each other in Pittsburg. I like to joke I haven’t had a “first date” since I was 19. Well, I don’t think either of these two ever had more than one “first date.” The 14-year-old dreamers never knew what life would hold for them. They didn’t know that the end of her life would involved Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer. They were on a need-to-know basis, and they didn’t need to know. The same is true for all of us.

The other thought occurred to me during her funeral yesterday. I wonder how many people Gabriel might have appeared to that wasn’t reported. We get Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph (in that order). But were there others? There are a couple I hope got visits just to give Mary and Joseph the support they needed. I hope Mary’s parents got a visit. I hope Gabriel told them they could believe Mary. And I hope Mary’s sister who was with her at the crucifixion got a visit at some point. I would like to think you gave Mary at least one person who was completely supportive and as confused as anyone when Jesus died. I hate to think Mary was standing there at the foot of the cross with a sister who was judging her and her son. I prefer to think she was at least almost as devastated as Mary was when Jesus breathed his last and then as vindicated and joyous as Mary was after the resurrection.

Father, I thank you that you didn’t give me the gift of prophecy. I thank you for ignorance. I thank you for my weakness. I have experienced great provision from you lately. I feel a little guilty about it, but maybe it’s something you want us to have so that we can be good stewards of it to others. So help me to be a good steward in real time so that you are glorified in everything my life stands for and everything I do. For your glory, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, and not mine.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 21, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 1:18-25

18 Dec

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

Dear God, I think Joseph wanted to believe Mary. He wanted it for her sake. He wanted it for his own sake. He didn’t want to be angry. He didn’t want to abandon her. He certainly didn’t want to disgrace her or have her stoned. So when he had this dream, he was totally willing to go with it. I say this because if this dream came to me and I didn’t want to follow it then I’d have done an Ebeneezer Scrooge and blamed the vision on something I ate. But Joseph went with the dreams you sent him.

I’ve said it many times, but as a man, there is no biblical character I admire more than Joseph. The guy is just awesome. Give me someone in history outside of my paternal grandfather I’d like to have dinner with and pepper with questions and get to know him, and it would be Joseph. I trust you’d help me overcome the language barrier when I’m with him. In fact, if it’s possible, I look forward to visiting with him one day in the next life. His character just seems so remarkable. I’d love to know how it developed and who he was as a man.

Father, I guess this is just another day when I say that I want to offer myself to you in a selfless way. I want to be the kind of man who wants to see the best and assume the best in others. I want to want to do the absurd thing not only because it’s what you call me to do but because it fits within my moral code regardless of its absurdity. I want to want to love the sinful and unlovable. Help me to be all these things today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 1:1-17

17 Dec

1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
4 Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
12 After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
14 Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-17

Dear God, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary. The five women Matthew calls out as being part of Jesus’s lineage:

Tamar: Judah’s daughter-in-law who had to pretend to be a prostitute to get him to sleep with her and conceive a child because her husband had died and Judah wouldn’t follow through on his responsibility to have one of his sons marry her.

Rahab: I’m assuming this is the prostitute who hid the spies before Joshua led the Israelites against Jericho (although the lineage doesn’t quite fit with Boaz because of the gap in years, but there seem to be a lot of gaps in years here).

Ruth: The Moabite widow who followed her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem and ended up marrying Boaz. Frankly, the most obviously noble of the women so far, although that’s probably an unfair judgment of Tamar and Rahab.

Bathsheba: Should never have been part of this lineage if David hadn’t sinned so greatly, slept with her, killed her husband, and then married her. It’s interesting that the baby she got pregnant with died and so it was another baby (Solomon) who became part of the lineage when it was the baby Tamar had by tricking Judah who is part of the lineage.

Mary: Probably the youngest of the four. The most innocent. The virgin given an incredible assignment.

So what does this tell me this morning. The first thing I see is that none of these women had things turn out the way they dreamed. Tamar widowed and desperate. Rahab afraid of being killed by the Israelites and betraying her people. Ruth, widowed and having to leave her home. Mary, a dream of a normal life with Joseph. But look what you did with all of these lives. You redeemed mistakes. You loved. You provided. Most of it is so ugly, but that’s what you do. You take the ugly and turn it into something beautiful.

I heard about a young man yesterday morning who is walking a difficult path. He’s 18, still finishing his senior year in high school, but he’s been kicked out of the house by an alcoholic father. My wife and I reached out to the couple helping him to give them some support, but what he needs is so much more. Father, move in his story and redeem it. Redeem it and make the pain count for everyone he touches. For him. For his parents. For the family helping him. For those I cannot see.

Father, there are all kinds of stories that need redeemed. I have a story and pain that needs redeemed. Be with me and help me with this pain. Comfort me and everyone involved. Love others through me. Use this pain and make it count. Help me to lean into this pain and grow from it. Don’t let any of it be wasted. Use the scars from this pain and use them to make us all stronger.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 17, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 21:28-32

16 Dec

28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Matthew 21:28-32

Dear God, oh, how I hope I’m counted, from a character standpoint, with the tax collectors and prostitutes who repented. This reiterates to me that it’s not our actions as much as the states of our hearts that drives your compassion for us. For me. If my heart is humble before you and I’m just trying my best to serve you then you have some mercy for me. But if I just try to do it right and then condemn people who don’t live up to my standard then I’m falling so short.

Today, I am going to a funeral for a friend’s husband. Not a close friend, but a good woman who has actually had a tough go of it the last three years. And now she’s lost her best friend. And it was a long, hard death. Help me to know how to be your presence to her today. Help her friends to know how to be there for her. Give her a sense of your presence. Draw her closer to yourself.

Father, I want to be the son that’s not mentioned here. The son who accepts the assignment and then follows through. Is that possible? Does that son exist? I hope so, and I hope it is me. But I am sorry for what I have done and what I have failed to do. It was my fault. It is my fault. It will be my fault. So I ask that you forgive me and show me your path forward.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 21:23-27

15 Dec

23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. 26 But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” 27 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

Matthew 21:23-27

Dear God, I was asking yesterday about the purpose of John’s ministry as it relates to Jesus and wondering if he was more for the moment or for us now. I kind of concluded it was more for that moment than for us (although it’s impossible to know how much he actually does impact me), and this certainly affirms that his ministry was important in Jesus’s time.

I wonder what the answer to the question was. Did they each have a different answer? Did some believe he was from heaven? Did some, like Nicodemus, secretly repent and believe? Were they just blowing John off and trying not to anger the people by blowing him off privately?

The truth is, John’s authority was from heaven. And Jesus’s authority was from heaven. John was from you. Jesus was of you. He was you. I really don’t envy the Pharisees back then because I would probably have been skeptical too. I wouldn’t have readily trusted you. At best, I would have been like Nicodemus and secretly believed and followed you, but I know I wouldn’t have just openly followed you in the moment. It was too strange of a plan. I’d never have been able to get my mind around it.

Now, Father, I pray for this day. I have work to do. I have some work to do that is critical to helping our patients. I have some work to do that is important to others. I have some work to do that I don’t want to do. Help me to do it all well. Help me to be your servant and to work cheerfully in everything. Help me to get done what you need me to get done today. And I’ll confess that my performance, or lack thereof, with the man I saw in public while I was praying who was seemingly homeless, is still haunting me a bit. I’m sorry for my inaction. I’m sorry for my fear and my dread. Help me to do what you need me to do in those circumstances.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 15, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 11:2-11

14 Dec

11 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”

7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way before you.’

11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!

Dear God, I guess I’ve never thought of this before, but what does the Jesus narrative look like without John the Baptist? Does John’s presence and prophetic work lend credibility to who Jesus is for the people back then. I think he’s a piece of the story now, but not a critical piece. I think it still reads okay and Jesus has the same legitimacy with or without John, but for people then, I think John certainly helped to give Jesus some credibility.

So what do I think John’s existence adds to the story? Initially, his presence in Elizabeth’s and Zechariah’s lives put them in a position to be an encouragement to Mary when she went to them. Perhaps they were able to advocate for her to her parents.

Then John started stirring the pot with his provocative preaching, challenging everyone from peasants, to Pharisees, to kings. Everyone needed to be challenged, and challenged from a different perspective. Peasants needed to take worship of you seriously. Pharisees needed to look at the spirit of the law and not necessarily the letter–especially the laws they had added themselves. And kings needed to repent of their lust and quest for power.

Is it any different now? Us common folk need to worship you better, repent of our lethargy and how we’ve let sin into our lives, and move into discipleship. There are some pastors who need to look beyond the rules and get to the heart of what is keeping people from you. And kings/presidents/rulers need to repent of their lust and quest for power.

Father, I’ve been uncomfortable while I’ve been typing this because I decided to come to a public place this morning, and I saw a man who appeared to be homeless. I’d gladly have bought him food, but he had just eaten (empty food containers on his table). I thought about talking to him, but I’ve gotten involved with situations like that before, and I’m very aware of the limits an individual has when trying to help someone in that situation. So I remained silent and didn’t talk to him. Did I make the wrong decision. Did I justify selfishness or was I wise? Right now, I’m feeling more justification in my actions than wisdom. So I pray that you will forgive me if you were just here in front of me and I missed you. Even now, though, I’m still not sure what I would have said to him. What words? Maybe start with making eye contact and just saying hello. Yeah, maybe that’s what I should have done at just a basic human level. Yes, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I am one of the peasants John called on to repent. Help me to be who you are calling me to be.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 14, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 17:1-13

13 Dec

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:1-13

Dear God, the reading today focuses on verse 10-13, but I felt like they needed context so I went back and included the whole scene of the transfiguration. The disciples ask this question having just seen Elijah. Let me say that again in a more appropriate way: “THEY HAD JUST SEEN ELIJAH AND MOSES!” That must have been just surreal. Amazing.

The other interesting part is they seemed to miss the third sentence of verse 12. The part about Jesus being abused like John the Baptist was. They were so focused on the Elijah/John the Baptist part they overlooked those words until they remembered them later.

What is it about us that conveniently looks past things we don’t want to hear or think about and focus on the sensational instead. Or focus on the things that fit into our own narrative of how things should be? In that case, the disciples were focused on the wonder having just seen Elijah and Moses and then the glory of what must be to come next. They weren’t thinking about the negative. The parts they didn’t want to know.

Of course, we do the same thing. The dangerous part about us doing it now is that the computers we hold in our hands continuously throughout the day are designed to only give us what we want to see or know. And we can read over or ignore what we don’t want to see as well. This is taking this negative part of the human sinful nature that is evident even in the disciples in this story and putting it on steroids. It’s cancerous for our society and for us as individuals.

Father, I don’t know how to break out of this unhealthy pattern for myself, but I know I need to fight against it. I need to see what you want me to see. I’m about to go and deliver toys for Toys for Tots. Be with me as I do this. Give me eyes to see. Give me ears to hear. Give me a mind to see and hear these things with your heart and then the courage and insight to act in the appropriate way. Be glorified, sweet Jesus. Be glorified in me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 11:11-15

11 Dec

11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come. 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Matthew 11:11-15

Dear God, I think my mind will be absolutely blown when I see the reality on the other side of the veil between this life and the life to come. The first thing I suspect is that we all feel so important in your hierarchy of creation, but verse 11 is a reminder that we are so small and part of something that is so vast and incredible. Beyond our faintest imagination.

This passage makes me think of the Matthew West song “You Are Everything.”

The chorus: 

You are everything that I live for
Everything that I can't believe is happening
You're standing right in front of me
With arms wide open all I know is 
Every day is filled with hope

'Cause you are everything that I breathe for
And I can't help but breathe you in and breathe again
Feeling all this life within 
Every single beat of my heart
You are everything

That’s my worship this morning. You are everything. I am so small. It’s amazing how self-important I get, but I am so small. Father, I submit myself to you today. I get the opportunity in the midst of my busyness to visit another ministry today to learn from them. Help me to learn what you want me to learn. Help me to know what you might be calling me to to meet the needs around me. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, serenity to accept, courage to change, and wisdom to discern.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 11:28-30

10 Dec

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Dear God, what an interesting thing for Jesus to say. He didn’t say, “You best be gettin’ to work!” Yes, he raised the standard on a lot of things. He equated hate to murder. He loathed selfishness. But his lead-off hitter was peace.

I’ve quoted this song many times in these prayers, but the song “Peace” by Rich Mullins comes to mind this morning. The chorus: “May peace rain down from heaven like little pieces of the sky. Little keepers of the promise falling on these souls the drought has dried. In his blood and in his body. In this bread and in this wine. Peace to you. Peace of Christ to you.”

That’s my prayer for my wife and children this morning. For my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. For my coworkers, our clients, and then my friends. I pray that they burdens be lifted, their wounds be healed, any secrets locking them up would be revealed for your glory’s sake, and for you to ultimately enter the world through them. And do the same with me. Let your peace fall on me as I go through this day. Help me to carry that peace to others.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 10, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Matthew 18:12-14

09 Dec

12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:12-14

Dear God, it’s important to remember the context of this statement by Jesus. He was answering the question about who is the greatest in the kingdom. He starts by talking about the value of children. Then he goes into talking about not causing someone else to sin. Then in tells this story of the one sheep and the 99. So the answer to the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” is that we are all precious–even that 100th one that wanders away. That lost one must be found. That child is precious. We are precious. I am precious. But when I look at other Christians and what they are doing, there should be no enmity between them and myself. I should not be jealous of another Christian who is living a more obviously “victorious” or “impactful” life than I am (and I confess that sometimes I do get jealous in this way. No, I should delight with you in them. I should ask if there is a way I can support them. I should pray for them that they not be led into temptation and delivered from evil.

Father, help me as I go into this day today. I have some work to do. I have some people to love. Help me to love. Help me to work fast and efficiently. Help me to worship you in everything.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2025 in Matthew

 

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