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Category Archives: Matthew

Peter & John — Matthew 20:20-28

08 Sep

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:20-28

Dear God, I’m this series in learning more about how John and Peter compare with each other, this is one of the few we’ve gotten so far that specifically mentions John.

I guess what I’m thinking about here is John’s family of origin. Did John (and James) grow up with a sense of entitlement? In Mark, when Jesus first called them while they were fishing with their father, it’s says they left him with the hired men. So while they were fishermen, they were the boss’ kids and presumably the heirs apparent. Did they leave behind more wealth to follow Jesus than Andrew and Peter did? Did something in them hope for more financial reward for following Jesus? Did their parents see them as having irresponsibly run off to join the circus, or were the believers? I’m sure they had seen the miracles. Maybe their mom was a believer as well, but she could help trying to give her boys an advantage over the others. It’s also interesting to consider given the passage before when Peter says that they gave up everything to follow Jesus. Did James and John give up just a little more because they had it to give?

We don’t think much about the disciples’ families being around because we are only given very small snippets about them. But here we have John’s and James’ mother talking to Jesus. And she dragging her boys along and making them bow to him. I don’t know how many times in the Bible people feel compelled to bow down to Jesus, but it wasn’t many. He wasn’t that kind of leader. But they were putting him into that category during this interaction probably because they were looking for that kind of power for themselves. In other words, in the pecking order, we bow down to him, but then the others will bow down to us.

I don’t know how old John was at this point, but the one thing we know from this story is that he didn’t stop his mother from doing this. Did he agree with her or not? We don’t know. But we know that he went along with it.

As a privileged white male in our society, I have a lot of advantages over others. Some I have chosen to use for my own gain and some I have intentionally not used in response to your call. But I confess that there are times when I would love to live a wealthier, more powerful, more influential life. I would love to insulate myself from the harder parts of our society and built a tight cocoon around my me and my wife. I have certainly not purged all of the worldly desires in me.

Father, I come to you this morning mindful of my selfishness and my desire to be in control of my life. I am no better than John or James. Help me to get one step closer to turning loose of all of that and embracing your kingdom.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Matthew 19:23-20:16

06 Sep

And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last; and the last, first. 20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

Matthew 19:23-20:16

Dear God, there is a neediness and insecurity in Peter’s question of Jesus. After the “rich young ruler” leaves, Peter wants to make sure that 1.) Jesus is proud of him and 2.) this is all going to be worth it.

And Jesus seems to affirm him. I might have thought Jesus would have gotten on to him, but Jesus has some teaching to do. And this story about the vineyard workers applies to Peter and the disciples in two ways. First, they are the laborers that joined later in the day. Second, one day, they will be the ones welcoming laborers even later in the day. So the good news is that the master hired them and they are working in the vineyard. They have the grace of a full day’s wage for only partial work. The bad news is that it will soon be their job to hire more workers who get the same wage (except for the sitting on thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel part) and they will need to be accepting of it.

I got to visit with a friend yesterday about our faith and how we work that out as individuals. While we talked, I hoped to share with her some of the things you’ve taught me over the last 30 years. And she was able to share her life lessons with me as well. My perception is that she is already part of your vineyard staff, but she is still figuring out how you would have her work. What does living out her faith on a daily basis look like? How does she approach her children, parents, husband, etc. when it comes to her faith and relationship with you. I pray that you will help her to find the answers for which I think she is searching.

Father, help me to be at peace and to not have Peter’s need to know that the reward is on its way. I don’t want to simply use this relationship with you for my ultimate reward. I want to be in this relationship because you love me, you gave yourself for me, and you are my source of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Matthew 18:21-22

05 Sep

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:21-22

Dear God, I wonder where this question from Peter came from. Right now, I’m only looking at Matthew’s version of Jesus’ life, and maybe he was just really into Peter—good stuff, bad stuff, and all, but I’m really noticing as I scan these stories that Peter is almost always the only disciple identified as a solo speaker. In most other stories, if the disciples speak they are credited as a group.

In this story, something has driven Peter to ask this question. And is he speaking about his brother Andrew or a figurative brother among the disciples? I suppose it doesn’t matter, but I had never considered he might be specifically referring to Andrew.

There was something in Peter’s personality that was very black and white. He judged others and himself on the ability to be good. There wasn’t a lot of room for gray. One either did the right thing and succeeded or did the wrong thing and failed.

One interesting weakness I observed in myself as my children were growing up was that I am usually very diplomatic and thoughtful in how I approach someone who works for me when I need to reproach them over an issue. But when my kids would do something wrong as children, my tendency was to be much more straight up confrontational. Perhaps it was because it’s the pattern I fell into when they were babies and toddlers and I had a hard time growing out of it. I am getting better now that they are adults. My wife has helped me a lot in this area. But my tendency is still to be more black and white with them.

Father, help me to be a generous forgiver. Help me to be sympathetic and empathetic. Help me to also humble myself and seek forgiveness when I need to—both from others and from you. I only know how to live because of the love you give me. Let the same be true with other area of my life. Help me to know how to relate to others through your example of how you relate to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 5, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 17:24-27

04 Sep

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Matthew 17:24-27

Dear God, it’s so interesting to come back and focus on Peter and John in these stories and think about the role each played. In this case, it’s apparently Peter who stood out to the temple tax collectors as the point person among the disciples.

I’ve never noticed this before, but I think he B.S.’d them when he answered their question. They put him on the spot and he found the easy way out. “Does you teacher pay the temple tax?” “Oh, yeah. You bet he does.”

Two things make me think this. Matthew refers to Peter as Peter, but when Jesus addresses him, Matthew is careful to show that Jesus called him Simon. Now maybe Jesus called him Simon a lot. I’ll look for that as I finish Mathew.

The other thing is that Jesus takes the time to talk through the paying of the tax with him. This is apparently something they haven’t done before. Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter, per se, but he calls him Simon and he sends him out to find the money in the fish. And Jesus’ miracle covers both of their tax (I wonder how the other 11 paid theirs).

Father, give me wisdom and discernment when I come upon traps and tricks. And it doesn’t need to be something done with bad intent. It might just be a tricky situation. Please help me to be wise, deliberate, and to think carefully so that the words of my mouth and the desires of my heart might build your kingdom and the hearts around me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 4, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 17:1-13

03 Sep

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:1-13

Dear God, in my series on Peter and John, here’s a story that specifically contains both of them (plus James).

I love that Peter can’t stand an awkward moment without just saying something. Previously, we saw Jesus walking to them on water, but instead of just watching everything play out he decided he needed to get out there too. In this case, he couldn’t just sit there and wait until he was needed. He couldn’t imagine that he was there to just take it in and use the knowledge and experience later. He figured he and the other two must be there for physically utilitarian purposes. He didn’t understand and couldn’t imagine that you were using this as a moment to be leaned upon later in his life.

Of course, I’ve always thought that the main reason for the transfiguration experience was to encourage Jesus as he continued his road to Jerusalem. I would love to have heard that conversation. I’m sure it focused around Jesus hearing affirmation and encouragement from them. I wonder if Peter, James and John were truly able to keep it a secret until after the crucifixion.

Then there is John in this story. We aren’t told that he says anything while Moses and Elijah are there. He was probably in awe. Maybe he was talking with Peter and James. Maybe that’s where the shelter idea came from, but Peter was the one who said it. Either way, he was certainly more reserved in his response than was Peter.

Finally, in the trip down the mountain they asked about Elijah. It doesn’t tell us who actually asked it. It probably wasn’t Peter since Matthew seems to like to tell us when it’s Peter talking. Presumably it was either James or John who asked it. But this shows thought of trying to make sense of all of this, connect the dots, cross the t’s, and dot the i’s. While Peter is seemingly completely in the moment, the asker of this question is trying to step out of the moment and look at things from a big-picture point of view.

Father, I am interested to see how all of this plays out. What is it about Peter that I need to look at adding to my life? What is it about him that I already have that I need to discard? The same for John. What can you teach me about my place in the body of Christ by studying these two men and contrasting them against each other? Teach me through this process so that I might become the man you need and want me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 16:21-23

02 Sep

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Matthew 16:21-23

Dear God, wow. That last part of verse 23 will preach. I think I could build a whole sermon on this. We usually stop with the line, “Get behind me, Satan!” But it’s really all about that last line: “you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

First, since I’m focusing on all things Peter and John and what their motivations are, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out a couple of things. Yes, he had the wrong thoughts and said the wrong thing, but, to his credit, he took Jesus aside privately. That was the right way to handle it. Jesus is the one who chose to make the rebuke public. Why? Probably because he knew that at least similar thoughts were in everyone else’s mind, and he wanted to address them.

The big thing, however, is what this last part of verse 23 tells us about how we should pray. When I ask for healing for a loved one, financial provision, or even a safe trip somewhere, is my mind more on human concerns than focused on your concerns? If things aren’t playing out the way I think they should, will I get mad at you.

And everything, up to and including death, is on the table. After all, Jesus was talking about his own death, and, like us, Peter didn’t think that accepting death or seeing death as part of the plan was a good thing. Jesus gave us this lesson and the church has largely missed it because we focused to much on enjoying the first part of the rebuke: “Get behind me, Satan!” We’ve focused on the idea that people will cause us to stumble when we want to do right—to tempt us. But there’s such a deeper meaning here.

I’ll be the first to admit that there have been times when I’ve complained to you about your plan and your timing. I like it when things are good and easy for me, and I don’t like it when things are difficult. I prefer the smooth path. There are times when I hope that if I can embrace enough self-discipline and pursue you in the good times then you won’t need to use trials to shape me. And while there might be some truth to that, even if I pull it off and keep myself completely disciplined, you might need my trials to shape someone else. And you might also need them to teach me a lesson I simply cannot learn any other way.

Father, thank you that you are teaching me through Peter and his mistakes almost 2,000 years later. Thank you that I find my life only after I lose it. Thank you for the blessings you have, indeed, brought my way. Thank you also for the trials. I pray that every path my children follow, my wife follows, my loved ones follow, and that I follow will lead to the “concerns of God” and not my own concerns.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 16:13-20

01 Sep

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

 

Dear God, there are a few things in this story. I think the first is, why did Jesus ask this question in the first place? Was it a test? Did he not know what they thought? Did he know they weren’t sure and that they needed to know the truth? Maybe, things were probably about to get harder for everyone, and he wanted them to have some confidence in him. Or maybe he needed to get those who were going to bail on him to do it now. And maybe he knew that Judas was already having misgivings and he wanted to lay it out there for him.

Another thing is that the disciples have some weird answers. Are they suggesting reincarnation? I know there was a prophecy of the second coming of Elijah, but John the Baptist? Jeremiah? Those are some odd answers.

Then Jesus makes it more personal and puts them on the spot. He ratchets it up a little. Who do YOU say that I am? He makes them answers their own. And Peter says what he hopes he left his fishing nets for. He doesn’t want him to be Elijah, John the Baptist, or Jeremiah. He didn’t leave his job for that. He not only wants him to be the Messiah–he needs him to be the Messiah.

Of course, in the spirit of this series I’m doing, it’s important to point out that Peter is the one who said it. John didn’t. James didn’t. It was Peter. If John had said it first, would he have been the person upon whom you built your church?  Would his name have changed from John to Peter, and Peter remained Simon? I’ll need to be sure to pay attention to how this name change will change Peter’s role from here on.

Father, teach me through all of this. Help me to see if there are any attributes to Peter that I need to consider modeling myself after. The same goes for John. Help me to see how I might need to be more like him as well. But of course, it all pales in comparison with how much I need to be more like you. Help me to be like you today. Help me to be more like you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 1, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 15:10-20

30 Aug

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Matthew 15:10-20

Dear God, it takes a special kind of humility to be the one to ask what everyone else is thinking but too scared to say. Notice how the NIV puts it. Peter asks the question, but Jesus tells “them.” They were all thinking it. It was just probably silently, not wanting to appear foolish.

That reminds me of a Mark Twain quote that I’ve always gravitated towards: “Better to remain silent and appear foolish than open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Now, I still think this is right when it comes to trying to show people how smart you are, but it’s okay to appear foolish when it comes to humbly asking questions and admitting I don’t know.

Peter blew into a lot of situations that made him look foolish, that’s true. But that part of his personality also led him into being willing to ask the potentially embarrassing question. He wanted to know and he thought it was foolish to be unsure. It might cost him some pride, but, to him, it was worth it.

Father, I know I need to let my ego go more. I’m in a couple of roles in my life now where I don’t want to appear foolish. But it’s also important that I really understand what’s going on. I’m thinking about a board on which I currently serve. I don’t need the impetuous part of Peter’s character in the boardroom, but I need his humility and his desire to be the best he can be. Help me to get there so that you can use me as much as possible.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 30, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 14:22-33

29 Aug

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:22-33

Dear God, what I don’t understand about Peter in this story is, how did it even enter his mind that he should go out there?

If I think about it, they had been watching you do these fantastic miracles. Maybe he just got overwhelmed by the moment and seeing this new, amazing miracle of Jesus walking on the water and he decided he wanted to try it too.

But back to my original question. What was it about his personality that took his mind there? I think Peter was a dreamer. Peter was probably an idea guy. If he were to be in an office, he would probably be the one on the room arguing that we should try this strategy and that strategy. The kind of person that I’ve always described as shooting first and seeing what they killed later. They always see possibilities. They aren’t necessarily great at execution, but they are usually an important aspect of leading a company.

Father, the reason I’m going through this is not because I want to or think I should be more like Peter. I understand that you made me to not be that kind of person. But I do think you want me to appreciate the Peters you have put into my life. I need them. I need them to dream for me—to make me uncomfortable. No, they aren’t perfect either. They need to be tempered. But it’s that type of person on which you chose to build your church. There is certainly something very necessary about them. Help me to really understand all of this and learn from it.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 29, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John – Matthew 8:14-15

27 Aug

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

Matthew 8:14-15

Dear God, I wonder what kind of son-in-law Peter was. And what happened to Peter’s wife and possibly children. This new life was not what they signed up for. Where would they get money? How long would Peter be gone? How many of the other disciples had families and what became of them? This is one of those great mysteries for me. What was the cost that everyone involved paid Jesus’ earthly ministry. What cost did the pay for me?

I suppose I’ve never considered the debt I not only owe to you, but also to the disciples and their families. Jesus needed them as part of their earthly work, and I am a needy recipient of this work.

Father, there’s a lot I don’t know about this, but there are people who sacrifice for me very day whom I don’t appreciate enough. Soldiers. First responders. The list is too long and complicated for me to get into here, but it’s real—especially in my role as a nonprofit director. We couldn’t do anything we do without the help of others. I am grateful to them, starting with Peter’s wife and her family. Well, starting before that even. Mary and Joseph gave their lives for your plan for me. I’m grateful to them as well. Help me to live in that gratitude, and live up to that gift.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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