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Category Archives: Matthew

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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Matthew 2:16-18

11 Jun

The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups compiled and written by Ned Bustard. The image is called “The Massacre of the Innocents” and was done by Edward Knippers.

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—
    weeping and great mourning.
Rachel weeps for her children,
    refusing to be comforted,
    for they are dead.”

Matthew 2:16-18

Dear God, as I am sitting with this story this morning, it occurs to me that there are a lot more people involved in it that I have always thought. Sure, there are Herod, the soldiers, the mothers, and the children, but that’s not the extent of it. Everyone is in this story.

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are in this story. I wonder what Mary’s and Joseph’s reaction was when they first heard the news. Did they weep? Did they pray? Did they feel survivors guilt? Did they become more determined? Did they despair? Did they thank you for warning Joseph to leave? And how old was Jesus when he first heard about this? How old was he when he realized that it was meant for him. How did he internalize that information and respond to it?

I’m going to ignore Herod because he was just unhinged, jealous and fearful. He had made an idol out of his power and was willing to kill his own children, much less the children of others, to keep his position (okay, so I guess I didn’t ignore him). But the soldiers. Strangers in a foreign land. Likely racist. Resentful. Disrespectful. Vengeful. I wonder if there is any part of me that is like them. Do I hold things inside and then take advantage when I have an opportunity to let my anger spew out?

In terms of the parents, I can’t even imagine their helplessness. I mean, really, I’ve never had to feel that helpless. I remember hearing stories 25 years ago about Syrian refugee camps and what was happening to families there. Raiders were coming in and taking children, raping women, etc. I remember thinking about the men and how helpless they must feel to protect their children and wives. Themselves. No help was coming from the government either. No police. No military. Just helpless. I guess there are times when I’ve felt helpless to protect or provide for my children. Frankly, I feel pretty helpless now.

There are the older siblings of the children who died. A lot of the murdered children had older siblings who were traumatized by this. Did they ask how a loving God could let this happen? Did it make them long for Rome’s destruction and Israel’s restoration even more? When Jesus came along when they were in their mid- to late-30s, did they think back on this as one of the reasons they wanted him to me a conqueror and not a forgiver? Do I allow the pain from my past and traumas in my life influence my anger and sense of vengeance now?

There was the community, both locally and throughout the nation. No one was untouched by this. It’s a little like 9/11. If you were in New York or D.C., you probably knew someone or were related to someone affected by it. If you lived in the rest of the U.S., you at a minimum felt attacked and vulnerable. I know I did. That’s why we watched the news and sat in front of our televisions so shocked and dismayed. This killing of the children in Israel 2,000 years ago, was a national tragedy, and I’m sure it influenced their feelings about Rome and the need to make Israel great again.

Father, then there was you. There was “Rachel, weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted.” There was all of heaven weeping and hell celebrating (although the opportunity was missed to kill Jesus when they could, but they probably knew this plan wouldn’t work anyway). There was the spiritual realm that we humans cannot see. But this was another move in this way the earth is playing out. This didn’t happen so that the prophecy could be fulfilled. The prophecy existed because this would one day happen. But you had a plan to redeem all of this. As Jesus grew and matured, he understood that this event did not need to be avenged. It needed to be forgiven. He understood that each of the people I mentioned above, including his own parents, needed to be reconciled to you completely. Help me, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Help me to live in that wisdom today as I worship you, forgive others, and love my neighbor as myself.

I pray all of this under your Holy Authority and in you Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 11, 2023 in Matthew, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Reaping What You Sow and Weeding Your Field

13 May

Dear God, I’m going to take a couple of passages out of context: Galatians 6:7-8 and Matthew 13:24-30. Well, not really. Maybe I’m actually going to focus on the context for the verses because I read something this morning that I didn’t necessarily agree with, and I want to see if I am wrong. Or at least consider if I’m wrong or right–I don’t know that I can come up with a definitive answer.

I was reading a book called Soul Care by Rob Reimer, and he used the Galatians 6 passage to talk about himself and how he had been reaping what he had sown with his wife. He said he was praying one day through issues he was having with his wife and, separately, someone at work, and you said to him, “The law of the harvest.” The he heard, “A person reaps what they sow. You can blame Jen [his wife] if you want. You can blame Me if you want to. But you are standing in a field of weeds because you have been sowing weed seeds. You have been sowing seeds of anger and selfishness. If you want to stand in a field of fruitfulness, you have to sow new seeds.”

Yeah, on the surface this sounds good, but there are simply times when people do not reap what they sow. Sometimes they are great, loving people who experience rejection and hate. Sometimes they are difficult people who find themselves surrounded by forgiving and gracious people. In the Bible, Job comes to mind (his friends and his wife giving him a hard time). Manoah and his wife and the way Samson turned out. So it made me to go Galatians 6 just now to see what the context is for the passage. Here is what Paul said to the Galatians in chapter six, verses seven through nine: “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”

So what I’m seeing here is the overall field of my life and how it lines up with you, your peace, and eternity. So from Reimer’s perspective and what he’s saying for his particular set of situations, the whole reaping what you sow metaphor can be true, certainly. But I don’t think it has to be true. When it comes to human relationships, one needs to take responsibility for the hurts they’ve caused and not only apologize but also strive to make it better. But it also takes the other side to respond, and sometimes they aren’t prepared to or able to respond in kind.

In some cases, I think there are other factors that can drive the outcome of a relationship. That’s where the second passage comes in. If I think Reimer is taking Galatians 6 out of context, then perhaps I’m taking Matthew 13 out of context. First, the parable of the weeds in verses 24-30 is preceded by one of my favorite parables that I’ve been looking at lately, the parable of the Sower (the farmer scattering seeds that fall in four different types of soil). But verses 24-30 talks about the weeds that are planted when the farmer isn’t looking (with you being the farmer, Satan being the weed planter, and the evil people of the world being the weeds): Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ ‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. ‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. ‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

The truth is, sometimes weeds get planted that we had nothing to do with. And sometimes there’s nothing we can do about them except pray to you that somehow healing will come.

Father, you know the hurts I’ve experienced and the hurts that I’ve caused. If I’ve caused hurt, reveal it to me and give me a legitimate chance to repent and make it as right as I can. For the things over which I have not control, help me to know how to respond to that as well. Give me serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Give me courage to change the things I can. And give me great wisdom and serenity to know the difference.

I pray all of this through the grace and mercy you offer me through the life, death, and resurrection of your son Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2023 in Galatians, Matthew

 

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The Fundamental List

12 May

Dear God, I was driving to visit a friend this morning, and I listened to this sermon by Andy Stanley. It’s part one of a series he’s doing called “The Fundamental List.” He’s basically breaking things down into what do Christians have to believe in order to be considered Christian vs. the things that we sometimes feel are important, but might be more open to interpretation. He started with Jesus talking with the disciples in Matthew 16. He asked what the word on the street was about him: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 NLT) When they tell him that people think he is a prophet come back such as John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah, he turns the question more personal: “But who do you say I am?” That’s when Peter gives us our first fundamental: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 NLT)

So what does that mean “if” it’s true. Now, I’m not questioning its veracity. Of course I believe it. But do I appreciate what that means? If the Jesus that is recorded in the New Testament is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, then I should really learn from his example. I should love richly, forgive easily, and be a discomfort to anyone who is legalistic and focusing on the “Non-Fundamental List (whatever that may be).

I have to say that my soul has felt a little unsettled the last couple of days. I’m not exactly sure why. I’ve been on vacation, and I think part of it might be that I’m just not great without much structure and I just did several days at the beach with no structure. I need days that are more intentional in some way. Perhaps these unstructured days are good for me in that they make me appreciate the structure and the day-to-day work when I get it back.

I also had an interesting visit with a friend today. Part of it was good and part of it was hard. He said some things to tell me that were hard to hear. On the one hand, I wanted to dismiss them because it was a hospital visit and he was heavily medicated, but on the other hand, he was unfiltered and I was trying to discern whether or not you were trying to tell me something through him. I cannot tell right now in this moment, but I pray that you will lead me to the answer over the next few days.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I cling to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Without that, without his life, death, and resurrection I am wasting my time. I have nothing to offer you, but Jesus offered it for me. Now please lead me. Guide me. Use me. In the words of the praise song, “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray all of this through your grace and in your name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2023 in Matthew

 

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Mary: Parenting the Child

04 Apr

Dear God, as I think about trying to get into Mary’s (Jesus’s mother) skin, I think I want to break it into four parts:

  • Conception, Pregnancy & Birth
  • Parenting the Child
  • Parenting the Adult & Crucifixion
  • Resurrection & Post-Ascension

So today I want to look at the second part. From presenting Jesus at the temple through finding him at the temple as a boy (temple to temple, so to speak, we get a look at what her life and perspective might have been like as the mother of God’s son.

Presenting at the Temple

This story to me is all about the prophecies of Simeon and Anna, but it starts with the fact that this poor couple was doing their duty, but they could barely afford to do it. But offering the two young pigeons as a sacrifice also reminds me that the least of the sacrifices was good enough for Jesus. You don’t have to have great resources to give a child everything he or she needs.

But back to Simeon and Anna. Simeon tells gives her two important pieces of information. First, he affirms to her that this child is who she and Joseph think he is. He calls Jesus his salvation and talks about how he will be a light for Gentiles and glory for Israel. Then he gives them a warning: He will cause many in Israel to rise and fall, the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed, and a sword will pierce Mary’s soul. As far as I can tell, this is the first time anyone has told Mary that this will be a difficult journey.

Then Anna came up and affirmed to Mary and Joseph that Jesus was special, even telling everyone around how special this child would be. This was a day of affirmation, but there was obviously a warning for Mary as well that she carried with her the rest of her life.

The Wise Men

This is my first time to use any scripture from Matthew to talk about Mary. As the wise men arrive, Matthew 2 tells us, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him.” I wish Matthew gave us just a little more about these guys. I know other, non-New Testament sources give some more details, but I wish they were here because I’m wanting to stick to what’s actually in the text of the new Testament. But I think the big thing to know here is that Mary got another affirmation from these men, however many of them there were. I also have theories on what Mary and Joseph used the gifts for, but that’s another topic.

The Flight to Egypt

Here’s another story we get from Matthew. Luke skips all of the Egypt stuff and has them going straight to Nazareth, but Matthew takes us to Egypt and then eventually back to Nazareth in an indirect way. But taking the story of Joseph being told in a dream to go to Egypt and seeing it from Mary’s perspective, once I made up this dialogue that could have happened in the middle of the night between them:

Joseph: Mary! Mary, wake up!

Mary: What? What is it?

Joseph: We have to go.

Mary: What do you mean, “We have to go”? Go where?

Joseph: Egypt

Mary: Egypt?!? What are you talking about? Can’t we talk about this in the morning?

Joseph: No. The angel said we have to go immediately.

Mary: You saw an angel?

Joseph: Yes, the angel came to me like he did before and told me, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.”

Mary: What?!? Are you sure that’s what he said?

Joseph: As sure as I was when he visited me last time and told me to marry you.

Mary: Okay, lets go!

For a mom to know that the king is out to kill her son–I cannot imagine what kind of fear that would generate. You have to protect the boy at all costs. He’s your son so you want to protect him anyway, but given that this was also God’s son, the protection of Jesus was paramount. This call to raise God’s son was going to cost both Mary and Joseph dearly. It was not an easy road. In fact, it was a particularly hard road. She gave up a lot to be Jesus’s mother.

Back to Israel and Nazareth

I cannot help but wonder how Mary felt about being sent home and going back to Nazareth. Would her family believe her about Jesus? Was it going to be okay for Jesus to grow up there? Would it be okay for her and Joseph? Would he be safe? So, so much uncertainty.

They Lost Jesus

I want to take some time to just sit in the period between when they realized Jesus was gone and they found him. What amazing fear they must have had! Was he taken by the soldiers and the current king? Was he dead? Where was he? This was God’s son. Had they messed up and done a bad job of parenting him? Had they failed? Was it all for nothing?

I’ve known parents to have lost their children at places like the store or the local county fair. Those moments are moments of terror. Thankfully, in the cases of the people I’ve known, they were only moments and the children were quickly found. But those minutes or hours were unbelievably stressful to them. I can only imagine how much more so given the fact that Jesus had been pursued by Herod in the past. That hundreds or thousands of children had died as a result. Had it finally come to pass that they had gotten him? Had Herod or whomever the king at the time was won?

The other side of this is how it violated trust that Mary and Joseph had obviously put in Jesus. They trusted him to not do things like this. I would imagine that their first instinct was probably not that he had wandered off on his own.

Found

It took them three days–THREE DAYS–to find him. When they found him he was in the temple with the teachers, listening and asking questions.

Mary’s psyche is telling: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” She was that combination of angry and thrilled all at once. The relief combined with the anger must have been incredible. But then what was she to make of him being in the temple? With the teachers? What did all of this mean? How will it play out?

Father, I find myself asking a lot of questions in these prayers, both on my behalf and Mary’s. The truth is that she was doing her best to love and care for this boy, but there was no possible way she could know what you had in store for Jesus. How could she? There’s no way I knew then or I know now what you are doing not only in my own life, but in the lives of my children too. I have no idea. But I know I love them. I know I’m rooting for them and their happiness. I’m rooting for them to find peace. I’m rooting for how they know you. My job, like Mary’s, is to do what I can to be the parent you need me to be while not getting in the way of what you are trying to do. Help me to be exactly what you need me to be today.

I pray all of this in your Holy Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2023 in Luke, Matthew, Mothers of the Bible

 

Matthew 26:36-46

22 Jan
The above image is title “Christ on the Mount of Olives” and was created by Ernst Barlach. It is picture here as part of Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard.

36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[f] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

Matthew 26:36-46

Dear God, since I just came from a marriage conference this weekend and I came across this image this morning, I can’t help but go to Ephesians 5:25

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.

This picture embodies what I am supposed to do for my wife. Everyone focuses on the other verses in Ephesians 5 and freaks out over the instructions for wives (which are probably misinterpreted to some extent), but they don’t think about this image. I should love my wife so much that I’m willing to be put in this position for her. Jesus gave no excuse. I have no excuse. No matter what, this is what you call me to do. Who you call me to be. This is my duty regardless of what my emotions tell me. In fact, for husbands, this might be the most important image in this book.

As I look closely at the image I see vague images of people strewn through it. They are probably intended to be the disciples sleeping while Jesus is in anguish. I thought they could also represent the people of the world for whom he is submitting to this pain, anguish and torment. He will literally be separated from his consubstantiality with you at some point. His physical human body will not longer be part of the divine. For that moment, he will be giving it all for me. For his church. For his bride.

And what if my wife doesn’t get it? What if she is like the disciples who are sleeping in the background, completely unappreciative of what Jesus is doing? Not that my wife is any of these things, because she really is the best. But what if? Am I called to be any less than Jesus was in this moment?

Father, it was a really good conference. I pray now that your Holy Spirit will move in our community through it. Move from the bottom up. It’s obvious not many of the pastors or spiritual leaders in our community were interested in this. So this movement will depend upon those whom you led to come. Help them to carry you into their hearts, minds, souls, and bodies today. Help them to carry you and what we learned into their marriages and give them new insights into not only their own lives, but also the lives of friends and loved ones. Let the older women teach the younger. The older men teach the younger men as well. And may the man my daughter ultimately marries be Jesus for her. Let that be her standard for the man who is good enough for her. The man she deserves. And may my son learn to be Jesus for his eventual wife. And, oh yeah, let’s not forget about me. Help me to be exactly who you need me to be for my wife as well.

I offer all of this under the power and authority granted to me by the grace of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 22, 2023 in Matthew, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Matthew 6:22-23

09 Jan

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
Matthew 6:22-33

Dear God, I looked at a couple of translations of this passage this morning because I wanted to make sure I was reading it right. This translation above is from the New Living Translation. It is what I read first, but I actually think I like it the best. It basically says, to me, that what I take into my body through my eyes (I would add through my ears as well) will color my entire being. If I take in hate, fear, lustful things, greed, gluttony, etc. then my being will be colored by those things. If the shows I watch, the podcasts I listen to, the music I listen to, the news I consume is filled with these things then I cannot help but be tainted by them. I wonder what the things people took in through their eyes to which Jesus was referring here were like 2,000 years ago. What kinds of things did they consume?

So what does a life look like that is dedicated to only allowing light into my body. Sadly, I cannot use my own life as an example because, while I let a lot of your light in during the day, it’s not exclusively your light. It’s not all about you. I listen to some secular music. I watch some secular movies that include violence, sex that does not reflect your intent, hate, prejudice, covetousness, etc. I don’t consume too much news, so I have that going for me.

Father, a good first step would probably be that I would allow more light in that darkness. At the end of each day, it would be nice if I could look back and see that I saw and heard things that reflected your majesty, glory, and light than I looked at things of the world. So help me to do that. Help me to let your light in today. Do it all for my good and your glory.

I pray in your name, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2023 in Matthew

 

Matthew 11:28

28 Dec

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 

Matthew 11:28

Dear God, this is the verse of the day for Bible Gateway, but it’s so easy to take it out of context. All of chapter 11 is one scene, and verse 28 is just Jesus’s closing words for the crowd. Here’s the rest of the scene–the reference for what Jesus is saying:

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! 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!

16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

17 ‘We played wedding songs,
    and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
    and you didn’t mourn.’

18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. 21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.

23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.[g] For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

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.”

So that’s quite a rant on Jesus’s part. He’s frustrated and he’s serious about it. What does it all come down to? I think it comes down to verse 20: 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. That seems to be Jesus’s frustration–lack of repentance.

Oh, there is so much for which I need to repent. I harbor all kinds of sins in my heart. They can all relate back to selfishness. Whether it’s greed, laziness, lust, ignoring the needs of others, etc., it all comes back to my selfishness. It all comes back to me wanting to do things that benefit me and do them my way. The fascinating thing about indulging my sin is that it only brings burden. It doesn’t bring love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, and self control. Like a drug, it brings that momentary euphoria, but then it is quickly followed by emptiness and a longing for more. But repenting before you. Bringing my bag of garbage to you and leaving it at the foot of your cross… Well, that leads me to your yoke and burden, which is light. It’s not about me. It’s not about my advantage or comfort. It’s about your glory. It’s about your highest. And that is where my soul will find true rest.

Father, I’m sorry for my self-indulgence. As I go through this week of quasi-vacation, help me to still worship you and do the work you’ve laid out for me to do. Help me to love others. Help me to be exactly who you need me to be. Do it not only for the sake of the world, but do it for my sake as well.

I pray all of this in your holy name because I submit it to you and your authority,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2022 in Matthew

 

Matthew 1:18-25

17 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 heard someone ask another person in an interview recently, “If you were to find out that there was reincarnation and you learned that in a previous life you were someone famous from history, who would you want it to be?” Now, I absolutely do NOT believe in reincarnation so I’m not going there with this question, but if I could be someone in history, who would it be? Frankly, there’s no one, but I think one of the greatest men who ever lived is right here in this story. Joseph is THE man. And it starts with verse 19. Before there was an angel visit, there was Joseph’s sacrificial decision. In the midst of his hurt and feelings of betrayal, his fear and concern for his own future and survival, he decided to divorce her quietly so she would not be disgraced publicly. He continues to make remarkable decisions, but it all starts with this one. If he had done anything else–if he had shamed her publicly–it could have derailed your entire plan for Jesus.

What decisions am I willing to make though it might cost me dearly? For whom am I willing to sacrifice? I was talking with someone yesterday about pain that I carry all of the time. My hopes and my prayers for different loved ones. My leaning into the idea that maybe this is the path you have for them to walk to get them where you need them to be. Maybe you are using this at the same time to shape me and form me into the man you need me to be. To be clear, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to make anywhere near the sacrifice Joseph was asked to make–either explicitly by the angel or instinctively by his own heart. But whatever sacrifices I need to make, I want to do them with peace and acceptance. Maybe not joy. Joy doesn’t have to be part of it. It doesn’t have to make me feel good to do the right thing. But I can be at peace in you.

Father, you are my supply. I don’t want to take my eyes off of this moment. I don’t want to dwell on the past. I don’t want to be distracted by an unreal and unknown future. I just want to live in this moment. In this moment. I give you this moment. Show me was to do in the next.

I pray this all in your name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 17, 2022 in Matthew

 
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