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Category Archives: Matthew

Parable of New Cloth & Old Garment/Old & New Wineskins (Matthew 9:16-17, Mark 2:18-22)

04 Sep

14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”

15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:14-17

18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

Mark 2:18-22

Dear God, this has always been one of those vague parables/analogies of Jesus that I really could have used a later section where Jesus explains the parable like he did at other times. This seems like too big of a deal to just let it go with these two quick references.

Jesus had come to bring whole new thing. The old garment, the old wineskins, were not fit to handle his new Gospel. They weren’t fit to contain what we would eventually call Christianity. Did Jesus fast and pray? Yes. Did he tell his disciples that some things only come out through fasting and prayer? Sure. But what the Pharisees were doing and had taught no longer made sense in this new song Jesus was teaching.

A local pastor I respect put out an email to local pastors recently that he was about to lead a study on a book by an author whom I have heard is more along the lines of Christian nationalism. Not wanting to prejudge the book or the author, I downloaded the sample on my Kindle app and read the endorsements that come with the book along with the introduction. I was disappointed because it was definitely about the Christian church exerting power and influence over the government. Interestingly, it drew parallels to Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Germany in the 1930s and his call for the church to resist Hitler’s Nazi regime and ideals, but I saw key differences. Anyway, I don’t want to get into all of that except to say that this type of approach seems to be very “old wine skin” and “old garment.” It doesn’t feel to me like who Jesus is. As I read this book, I tried to imagine Jesus, or even any of the apostles reading the book and thinking it was the right message–even the bombastic, front-lobed Peter. It looked more like Israel of the Old Testament, taking the world by force in your name, rather than the Jesus who led with prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering. When we start striving for power and influence then we will lose sight of you and make that our idol, and we will do whatever it takes to achieve it. We will be more like James and John, asking Jesus if they can sit at your right and left or if they should call down fire on Samaria, rather than Paul considering his own life worth nothing to him or James, the brother of Jesus, saying we should take our suffering and consider it joy.

Father, I realize I am being very judgmental right now. I’m sorry for that. But I am truly trying to process how you want me to respond to this. The pastor who is promoting this study. I still love him very much. I respect him as well. I just want to know how to love him as you would have me love him. I want to also see the error in my own thinking. Am I too weak? Am I not courageously taking up my cross and following you? Speak to me. Holy Spirit, speak to me. Help me to know exactly how to get rid of my old wine skin for your new ones. Help me to pre-shrink my fabric to make it fill in the gaps for the old, torn covenant of the Old Testament. For the beautiful symphony of Christianity that Jesus wrote, help me to be an effective player.

I pray all of this in complete submission to you,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 4, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Speck and the Log (Matthew 7:1-5)

03 Sep

 1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Matthew 7:1-5

Dear God, this is part of Matthew’s recording of the “Sermon on the Mount.” First, I’ll say that it hurts to be called a hypocrite by Jesus, but it fits. Sure I’m a hypocrite. Of course I am. I’m sorry that I am. I recognize that I am.

In the TV show Ted Lasso, one of the favorite quotes people will say from the show (which is actually attributed to Walt Whitman in the show, but is apparently not really from Whitman) is, “Be curious, not judgmental.” Here’s the scene:

It’s a different take on what Jesus taught here, and it doesn’t involve the self reflection that Jesus encourages in his statement, but it still makes me think of it. There are two parts of judging someone, I suppose. There’s the empathy and hypocritical nature of it that Jesus is pointing out, and then there is the lack of compassion that “Ted” points out in this scene.

There are some people who are really frustrating me right now. Some of them make me angry. And I’ve certainly judged some of them. But you are calling me to use that as an opportunity for self-reflection. When I see the speck in their eye, what is the log in my own? And then maybe when I identify my log I can turn around and figure out why it is I do what I do in that area? What is motivating me? And finally, I can maybe then take that knowledge and apply it to the person I’m judging. Did they wake up that morning wanting to do harm, or do they think they are doing the right thing based on their experience, hurts, and wounds?

Father, we can read over this little parable so quickly and easily. We can even watch this scene from Ted Lasso, enjoy Rupert getting beat at his own game, and then not stop to wonder if we aren’t more often the “Rupert” of the story than we are the “Ted” (see Disney Princess Theology by Erna Kim Hackett). I admit that I’m guilty of it. I probably watched that scene from Ted Lasso four or five times before I stopped to wonder about the real meaning of that quote, or if I am Rupert. So help me today, Holy Spirit. Help me to embrace you and hear you. Help me to listen to you and your still, small voice. Help me to turn loose of the ways I judge others to prop myself up, and to instead find ways in which I might impact your world through prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering.

I offer all of this to you through the gift of mercy you gave me through Jesus, my Lord,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Lamp (Matthew 5:14-16, Mark 4:21-25)

01 Sep

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Mark 4:21-25

Dear God, what am I a lamp for? Why am I a lamp? What’s the purpose of my lamp? Well, it’s right there at the end of each of these versions of this parable: …so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. It’s interesting that the words are exactly the same for each of the two versions. I wonder if the translators of the NLT paid attention to that when they wrote it down.

So here’s my problem. I live a life that is dedicated to you as much as I can. On a scale of 1-10, I’m probably a 5 or 6, but most are a 2 so it looks like I have this amazing relationship with you. My point is, people respect me. I had a woman in my office yesterday who probably really disagrees with me about some of the social/culture issues we are facing, but she said more than once she wanted to engage with me about it and understand my thoughts because I am someone she really respects. So I have earned integrity with those around me, and that’s great.

Oh yeah, I started that paragraph with “here’s my problem,” but then I didn’t say what the problem is. The problem is that I don’t seem to help people take the respect they have for me and turn it into a desire on their part to disciple with you and know you better. Yes, people can see that I know you and give you glory, but I don’t seem to be effective at helping them to take that next step in their journey with you.

Father, help me to be your light in the world. Help me to live a life that causes others to praise you, worship you, and commune with you. I received a letter a couple of days ago from an anonymous woman names Faye with a local PO box who wanted me to find you through being a Jehovah’s Witness. While that’s not going to happen, and I believe her letter (and being Jehovah’s Witness overall) was ill-conceived, I do admire her willingness to try to point people to the God she worships (not sure if I should do God with a little “g” or not since I do think she is trying to worship you). She is not just living a life dedicated to you, but she is trying to get others to live that same life. As I go through this day, help me to have that same kind of courage. I would be nothing without you. I have no idea what kind of shambles my life would be without you. Thank you. Thank you for breaking me, melting me, molding me, and filling me. Now, Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 1, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Matthew

 

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Parable of Salt (Matthew 5:13)

28 Aug

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

Matthew 5:13

Dear God, Matthew follows up the Beatitudes with this little metaphor. Yeah, I guess this is really more of a metaphor of Jesus than it is a parable, but I think I’ll go with it anyway. He’s making a point.

So what does salt do? It preserves in an era when preservation was difficult and refrigeration non-existent. And when I was a camp counselor, we used to say at mealtime that salt made everything taste better. So what does it look like for me to be salty? What does it look like when I’ve lost my saltiness?

I think the best thing I can do after loving you with all my heart soul and strength, is to love my neighbor by being salty. Adding goodness to them. Adding quality to their lives. Being a solution to their problem. Now that I think about it, salt is only useful when it combines itself with something else. It isn’t the nourishment. It has some nutritional value in that we need to replace sodium in our bodies, but it needs other foods to be good and the other food needs it as well. If I just try to be salt in isolation, I will never be useful and no one will want me. But if I allow myself to partner with something/someone else, I can be part of your presence in this world.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, tomorrow’s parable will be the Parable of the Lamp. How I am to shine for you. But right now, I want to focus on being a functional part of your plan. You guide me. You cover me. You make me better and salty so that I might be your ambassador into the world. Please help me to be useful.

I pray this in the name of the one, Triune God,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 28, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew

 

Matthew 15:21-28

20 Aug

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Matthew 15:21-28

Dear God, this was the passage for church today, and the priest did a nice homily about it. So I want to ask something I don’t think I’ve asked before. What was this girl’s life like after Jesus healed her? Was she remarkably healthy? Did she live to an old age? Did her mother’s work on her behalf make a difference in her relationship with her mother? How did it impact how her mother treated her for the rest of their lives? Did the girl and/or the mother feel the girl’s life was now saddled with a responsibility to be used well since her life was spared and prolonged? Did the woman become a Gentile disciple after Jesus’s death and resurrection? Did the girl grow up to be a follower?

There are so many questions that this story doesn’t tell us. All it tells us is that Jesus responded tersely with this woman–almost in a racist way–and the woman impressed him. I tend to think he wasn’t actually being racist, but was testing her to see what she believed, as a Gentile, when it came to you and to him. Was she there for the freak show? Was she there just to use him?

So as I, a Gentile believe, pray for the things in my life–my wife, children, family, friends, etc.–what am I really doing here? What do I really want. Do I just selfishly want you to do for each one what I ask you to do, or do I want to simply ask that your kingdom will come and your will will be done in their lives, and in mine? Can I let go–truly let go–of the outcomes I want to see and simply turn my eyes upon you? Can I let go of making any of them my idols and let you be God?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, please be with everyone who is on my heart right now. I turn my eyes to you. Work in me. Break me, melt me, mold me, and fill me.

I pray all of this through complete submission to you,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 20, 2023 in Matthew

 

Matthew 19:13-15

19 Aug

13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

Dear God, I think I have prayed about this before, but this was the New Testament/Gospel reading for the Catholic Church today so I thought I would look at it again. The same question that I think came to my mind then is what popped up today: How did those children’s lives turn out?

A nice thought might be that they ended up living these wonderful, Godly, blessed, and fruitful lives–all positive. I’m sure that’s what the parents who brought them that day wanted for them. We love our children and want the best for them. But the truth is, we have no idea what your best for them is. Maybe your best for them is for them to struggle and be honed into the people you have for them to be. Maybe your best for them is for them to suffer as they serve you. I am sure there was a disconnect that day between what the parents had in mind and what you had in mind.

We want so much for our children. I guess all animals do. I was thinking this week about animals in the wild that have babies. With some exceptions, the mothers will normally do whatever they have to do to defend and protect their child. There is this natural desire to just want to wrap them up and not let anything hurt them. But eventually we have to let them go, both humans and wild animals, and they have to face the world on their own. Human parents can try to help with some of the struggles of adulthood as appropriate, but for the most part the hope is that you will provide a path for our children than will bring them love, joy, peace, patients, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, and self control.

Father, I pray that kind of blessing for my grown children today. Lead them into the fruit that comes from a life lived in submission to you. That’s the best I know how to pray for them. Use my wife and me in whatever way you have for us to be a part of your plan.

I pray all of this through the redemption offered me through Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 19, 2023 in Matthew

 

Matthew 17:14-20

12 Aug

14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Matthew 17:14-20

Dear God, first, I want to say that it is always a good time to worship you. It is good for me. It is good for my soul. The Old Testament readings for the Catholic church today are Deuteronomy 6:4-13 (Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength…) and Psalm 18:2-4, 47, and 51 (I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer…). So I want to acknowledge you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. My joy comes in the morning. You haven’t called me to wield power over my neighbor and take this land for you. You have called me to love you and love my neighbor. As someone said recently, you have called mem to pray, serve, persuade, and suffer. Those are the four tools Jesus used, and they are the tools you gave me to do your work. Pray, serve, persuade, and suffer. My my entire life be a prayer of worship to you.

With that said, the New Testament reading today struck me because I am about to be part of a board strategy session that will take a large part of the day. We are going to have to make a lot of decisions. We need to be wise and shrewd. We need to be faithful and compassionate. At the same time, we need to be careful to follow your Holy Spirit and not our own egos or ambitions. We need to be about bringing your kingdom and will into the earth through our lives and through our work.

There is a mystery verse 21 that is not in all manuscripts, but I think is important. As Jesus is talking about their lack of faith, he adds a button to the end: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” That is really going to need to be a part of this too. I’m going to need to pray and fast. Frankly, I wonder if there aren’t a few things in my live through which I need to fast. You know I pray to you about them, but I’ve fasted very infrequently. It might be time for that too.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I bring you my life. I bring you my soul. I live for you alone. Every breath that I take. Every moment I’m awake. Lord, have your way with me.

I pray all of this submitted to your authority over me,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2023 in Matthew

 

“Forever” by Third Day

28 Jul

“Forever” by Third Day

I see a hand reaching out to help me
But I don’t understand all of your ways
You are still the Potter and I am just the clay
And though I know at times I am too proud
To reach for You, to help me out
And if I waited on myself to get it right
I would be waiting here forever

Your grace is never going to change
Your faith will always remain
Your love is the same yesterday, today, and forever

I see a world looking for an answer but I don’t know what for
When will we realize that we’re sinners in the hands of a loving God who came
And died and wants to set us free
Oh how he longs to be with you and me
And if we waited on the truth to change
We would be waiting here forever

Your grace is never going to change
Your faith will always remain
Your love is the same yesterday, today, and forever

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Brian Holland / Freddie Gorman / Lamont Herbert Dozier

Dear God, this is almost a continuation from yesterday’s prayer. It plays off of Hebrews 10:31

31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

When I read this for the first time this week a few days ago, it made me think of the line in the second verse of this song that says, “We are sinners in the hands of a loving God who came and died to set us free.” I believe this line from the song is also a twist on the sermon by Jonathan Edwards in the 1740s called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

Reading the Wikipedia description of this sermon, I found this diary entry from pastor Stephen Williams, who was in attendance:

[B]efore the sermon was done there was a great moaning and crying out through the whole house — “What shall I do to be saved?” “Oh, I am going to hell!” “Oh what shall I do for a Christ?” and so forth — so that the minister was obliged to desist. [The] shrieks and cries were piercing and amazing. After some time of waiting, the congregation were still, so that a prayer was made by Mr. Wheelock, and after that we descended from the pulpit and discoursed with the people, some in one place and some in another. And amazing and astonishing: the power [of] God was seen and several souls were hopefully wrought upon that night, and oh the cheerfulness and pleasantness of their countenances that received comfort. Oh that God would strengthen and confirm [their new faith]! We sang a hymn and prayed, and dispersed the assembly.

I bolded part of his diary because that is probably the most amazing thing I’ve seen in myself and others when they come to faith in Jesus and accept your grace through him: “cheerfulness and pleasantness of their countenance that received comfort.” I’ll be frank, Father. I don’t know how I feel about threatening people with hell in order to get them to accept you, but I do know that whenever anyone makes that decision regardless of the motive, the relief and forthcoming joy after that relief is palpable.

So back to this song, for the last two days I’ve had it going in my head when I woke up in the morning. It’s been nice, and I’ve liked it. So I thought I would look at it a little and spend some time with it this morning in your presence.

Here’s the first verse again:

I see a hand reaching out to help me
But I don’t understand all of your ways
You are still the Potter and I am just the clay
And though I know at times I am too proud
To reach for You, to help me out
And if I waited on myself to get it right
I would be waiting here forever

So I truly don’t understand all of your ways. I never will this side of heaven. I can’t figure out the future. I can’t dictate what will happen in the next moment, much less the following years. Sure, I can influence by my actions, but there is no way I can see how the dominoes will fall. I also know that I cannot undo all of the things I’ve done wrong–to you or to others. I simply need grace and to learn from those mistakes so I won’t do it again.

I see a world looking for an answer but I don’t know what for
When will we realize that we’re sinners in the hands of a loving God who came
And died and wants to set us free
Oh how he longs to be with you and me
And if we waited on the truth to change
We would be waiting here forever

This is just kind of an exasperated moment. I think the writer is even exasperated with himself. He uses the collective “we” in the second line. But we do. We pursue happiness. We pursue self-fulfillment. We pursue peace. We pursue what essentially turn out to be the fruits of your Spirit, but we try to grow them by planting our seeds in rocks and thorns. In fact, I really enjoyed the Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso, and a lot of people who watched it loved it. It finally occurred to me that it was teaching pursuing the fruits of the Spirit. The problem is that it was doing it apart from you so it needed a contrived television script to pull it off. People are hungering for your fruit. They just don’t want to humble themselves and risk losing themselves. What they do not realize is that surrender brings them to a freedom through which they can find themselves.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, my Triune God, I give you all my praise and worship. Thank you that your grace is never gonna change and your will always remain, and your love is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 28, 2023 in Galatians, Hymns and Songs, Matthew

 

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Matthew 20:20-28

25 Jul

20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:20-28

Dear God, “but among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.” That’s probably what I need to hear this morning.

I need to reframe my mind. It needs to start with being yours. Your worshipper. Your servant. And then I need to carry that to my wife, my children, my coworkers, and our clients. I cannot demand any kind of respect. I just need to be your slave.

Father, I am sorry for comparing myself to others. I am sorry for thinking that I deserve something over someone else, or for getting indignant when someone else tries to advance themselves over me. That is not your way. I must decrease so that you can increase in my life. Help me, Father, to decrease joyfully and with a servant’s heart. Thank you for having so many people pray for my wife and me this week. We need it.

I pray all of this through my submission to you and faith in Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 25, 2023 in Matthew

 

“Hypocrite”

21 Jun

Note on April 22, 2024: I originally wrote this prayer in the summer of 2023. This evening, I was listening to the Bible Project Podcast, and in the midst of their series on the Sermon on the Mount, they had a whole episode dedicated to the Word “hypocrite.” They redefined it for me, and I found that I have apparently either been misinformed or misunderstood the definition of the word the translators used to convey Jesus’s message. Apparently, a more accurate definition would be someone who is doing the things they say they (and you) should do, but they are only doing them for show. So it’s not what I thought, which is the old “do as I say, not as I do” definition, but it’s actually something that only God can tell if we are doing it or not. Only God can see our hearts and motives as we do what we do and say what we say. So this is another example of how my interpretation of scripture can be influenced by misunderstandings and my own lack of education. With that said, her is the prayer I prayed with the wrong definition in mind.

Dear God, I noticed that the New Testament reading for today for the Catholic church had the word “hypocrite” a couple of times. Both times, it was Jesus talking. I decided to take the New Living Translation and find out how many times the word is used in the Bible. As it turns out, it came up 21 times. Three times in the Old Testament (one in Psalms and two in Isaiah) and then 18 in the New Testament (13 in Matthew, one in Mark, two in Luke, one in Acts and one in 1 Timothy). So Matthew really seems to have zeroed in on this word and Jesus’s use of it. Therefore, I thought I would look at the instances when Matthew quotes Jesus as using it, courtesy of Bible Gateway.

  1. Matthew 6:2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  2. Matthew 6:5 Teaching about Prayer and Fasting“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  3. Matthew 6:16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  4. Matthew 7:5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  5. Matthew 15:7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  6. Matthew 22:18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  7. Matthew 23:13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  8. Matthew 23:15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  9. Matthew 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  10. Matthew 23:25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  11. Matthew 23:27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  12. Matthew 23:29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  13. Matthew 24:51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Jesus seemed to have very little tolerance for hypocrites. Perhaps this is something I should be careful about as I move through this life. Are there areas where I am hypocritical?

I guess hypocrisy is something that requires self-awareness because I know of very few people who are able to see their own hypocrisy in real time. Even now, as I try to search my heart, I try to think of areas where I might be hypocritical, but I can’t think of any. Am I a hypocrite? Almost certainly. Can I identify how? Apparently not.

I think hypocrisy starts with a spirit of judging others. Maybe that’s where I should start. Do I judge others and how do I judge others? If I am judging them for this thing or that, then the odds are probably good that I have some work to do on myself in that area–oh, and I need to stop the judging.

Father, there are six instances in Matthew 23 that includes the phrases “What sorry awaits you…” and “Hypocrites!” I recognize that this is partially Jesus getting the Pharisees riled up so they will crucify him. It’s also getting his last words in with them while he can. But the message is still true. If it is true with me, please reveal it to me. Holy Spirit, please reveal it to me. Jesus, please forgive me.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2023 in 1 Timothy, Acts, Isaiah, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Psalms

 

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