Matthew 22

31-32 The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.”


The bible is so perfectly written and yet I miss the little nuance when I read, the Message is helpful here noting the significance so I don't miss that it says I am not I was--for the record I did miss it when I read the NIV.

Those who are dead in human heart beat are in fact alive right now, comforting to be reminded.

Our Bettendorf church mission was to Love God and Love others, a simplified version of v37-38 the greatest commandments.  It seems like a pretty simple and clear commandment, but does my life show that I am doing as he has commanded?  focusing all of soul and mind on him?--if I am doing this it should be clear to everyone who knows me...I have a lot of room go here.

knut

Matthew 21

A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’
²⁹ “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.
³⁰ “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.
^31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”

I've been reading most of the chapters out of "The Message" lately.  I like the new twist it puts on the stories.  They still have the same meanings, but it makes me see them in a different way.

This story is a good one.  I'm not sure it ever hit me in this manner.....this clear.  This one is all about our actions vs our words.  The actions are far more important that the things we say we do.  Here's a good example.  How many times have you told someone that you would pray for them...............eeeehhhh.  Did you really?  To me, that's exactly what Jesus is talking about here.  Don't say you're gonna do it, if your not.  He would rather have you say, "I'm really pretty lazy, and although it sounds good, I'm probably not gonna take the time to think about you THAT much!"
Its a good lesson for much of life.

tp

Matthew 20

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?


I think this one parable can probably be used to teach a lot of lessons.  Its interesting the way its laid out.  Its designed to create the teachable moments by making sure those that worked all day knew that those that worked for only an hour or so received the same pay.  Had he paid the ones who started working earliest first they would have got their denarius as agreed and left happy campers not even being aware that the others were paid the same. 

So I think at least one message in here is Grace.  It doesn't matter when we come to God if we are 14, 44 or 84 the gift of eternal life with him is the same.  You don't earn it, thank goodness.  

Different than this story, I don't think about it being unfair that someone who recently found God gets the same reward.  But I do remember having some immature thoughts about living how I want when I was a teen then making sure to be right with God before I die.  Talk about rolling the dice.  That way I could try to get some girls, party and do fun stuff but still go to heaven.  I think when I was a kid I equated being a Christian to not having a fun life.  Now I see it so differently.

i'm done rambling, I could have just said its all about Grace.
knut 

Matthew 19

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.


Another very familiar chapter covering a range of topics from divorce, children to the rich.  This verse follows on one of you comments from the other day about using all the resources God has given us both in skills but also financial.

As I sit here on my reclining couch under a blanket, its -1 one and worse with the wind chill.  I am toasty warm with the furnace running, my wifi powered computer in my lap and my cup of coffee that was brewed and ready to go when I left my king bed and descended from the 2nd floor of my shack to read my daily chapter.

so clearly I am rich, as long as I am so fortunate to be in this position I better work hard to make sure I follow God's instruction for my life as I am dangerously close to thinking I have all the resources I need and I got myself to where I am and I can make any decisions I want about how to live my life.  Its easy to see why being rich makes its hard to enter his kingdom, i can begin to believe i don't need him.  i don't believe that, but do my actions prove that?  Am I willing to do whatever he asks me to do, is He really first?  seriously really?

God I pray that you will continue to show me what you want me to do in life, and that I will have the faith to follow--an courage.

knut

Matthew 18

I don't have any HUGE take-aways today.  But, this verse did catch my attention.

⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

I do a lot of leading for our children's ministry at church.  And, I'm starting a ManQuest group of father's and son's at our house this weekend.  This is a program intended for 12-14 year old boys, to help them understand the biblical meaning of what it takes to be a man.  Not what society/tv/movies/music/sports/commercials tell them a man is.  Its kinda an inititation into becoming a man.  A "barmitsfa" type thing.  The book was written by a guy from our church, and he is overseeing 150 fathers/sons through this thing......anyway.  Doing all of this leading of kids and young men.  This verse really struck me.  I'm excited to interact with the kids in so many ways, through the church.  But, I need to keep in mind the magnitude of the responsibility that brings with it.

pray for our small group of father/sons as we go through this journey.
If you are interested.  You can find the book on Amazon and read thru the highlights of it.

have a great weekend!
tp

Matthew 17

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 


We have access to God's power, but I think this verse shows how unlikely it is that most of us will truly experience all of his glory while here on earth.  He tells the disciples if you had faith as small as a mustard see you could move a mountain, yet their faith is to little to drive out a demon.

How could their faith be weakened by any doubts? They just seen a transfigured Jesus in what must have been an absolutely stunning and out of this world experience, yet their faith was too small to drive out this demon.

I find this both discouraging and comforting.  Discouraging to think if even the disciples were weak how will I be strong in faith?  Encouraging to know that I am not alone in my weakness and don't give up, be even more thankful for Grace and continue to dig into his word and spend more time in prayer to build my faith and move me closer to his promise that nothing is impossible for me.

knut

Matthew 16

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

The self-sacrifice portion of the verse jumped out at me.  This is something that we, in the US, aren't accustomed to.  We have everything we want/need.  There is no self-sacrifice.  I was reminded of this around Christmas time.  I was asking what everybody was wanting for presents.  My kids couldn't even come up with something to ask for!  That says a lot.  So, I've been thinking around this idea for a couple of months, and here's what I've come up with...........nothin'.  I try to make everything that is mine, his.  If anyone wants to use my house or car or anything for God.....I'm all in.  But, is that enough?  Is that the self-sacrifice that Jesus was talking about in the verse?  I don't think so.

What do you think on this one?

Matthew 15

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.


Today this is a reminder for me to watch what is coming out of my mouth, for my own good.  Listen to my own words and reflect on them as they are an indicator of what is in my heart.  Not my carefully thought out words either, the ones that come out in the heat of the moment or discussion at work, those unguarded moments when I may speak my mind quickly...they may tell me something about my heart that I may not be truly aware.

quick one today
knut

Matthew 14

14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.


So this chapter records the famous miracles of walking on water and feeding the masses.  I noticed a couple times in this chapter it talks about Jesus going to be in solidarity and alone to pray which is probably an important lesson about making a truly quiet time so you can focus on your conversation with God.

I chose this verse today just because it struck me in my movie in my head (see I'm getting the idea) that Jesus was probably in a state of mourning feeling anger and disgust over the news of the violent beheading of John the Baptist.  Yet he still made time for his people.  I imagine a somber Jesus performing healing miracles but yet not being overly excited or energized, but the those he was healing were probably doing handsprings.

His love is so great, he is always available to us.  I just need to go to him.

knut

Matthew 13

3 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”


The early verse says talk about seed on the path develops limited roots to weather the storm or seed among thorns too busy of lives get choked out.

So to be good soil takes not only good raw material but working the dirt to keep it free of weeds and broken up so the roots can grow deep.  That tells me that I need to really work on myself so that when I hear and read Gods word I am prepared to receive it so that it can take root in me and that I don't let busy US lifestyles prevent me from becoming the kind of Christ follower that is truly possible.

Short message, to truly understand and grow in Gods word takes work and time to go with his good seed.

knut

Matthew 12

³³ “If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.
^34-37 “You have minds like a snake pit!

We have said it again and again.  But, keeping our minds pure and holy is the only way to overcome this evil world that we live in.  Garbage in, garbage out.  I've been conscious of this lately, in trying to keep an eye on what the kids watch on tv, moview, and youtube.  Its something that makes total sense to me, but is a hard lesson to learn when all your friends are allowed to watch things, and you aren't

³⁰ “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.
I like this verse as well.  Its a pretty strong statement.  Being a typical passive man won't work in my favor here.

peace

Matthew 11

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

So in the chapter before as you noted Jesus is sending them out telling them its going to be a tough road, but here he says I'll take your burdens away and get you some rest.

I think its two different things, he isn't saying life will be easy but that he will take that tightness out of your chest that you are feeling about things that don't matter in the end, he will give your soul rest.  He can take away the worries of this world the stress I feel at work if I put that work in its proper place and make following him my number one priority.

maybe the tightness I feel in my chest is because I have my focus on things other than him?  just a thought

knut

Matthew 10

I can't imaginge what the disciples must have been feeling, listening to what Jesus what commanding them to do.  On one had, they had just been entrusted with IMMENSE power.  If that were me, I would instantly be thinking about someone I knew that was sick, so I could test out my powers.....and hopefully, be the first of the disciples to use that power.  (what a rube, huh?)  The second part of the speech isn't so rosey.  I can see the excitement draining from my face.  "What did he say?  People are going to hate me and reject me?.....I don't really like the sound of that"
Like you talked about yesterday.  Standing in the face of GOD, and being sent out on a mission, would be completely amazing....completely beyond facebook worthy.    But, there's still that selfish tendency that I have that is really powerful.  Especially someone like me, that tends to avoid conflict, if at all possible.  Jesus is sending them into the conflict, and telling them its going to be extremely difficult.

Exciting and freightening all at the same time.

peace,
have a great weekend!
tp

Matthew 9

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

This is one of my favorite verses.  I paints a couple of really powerful images for me.  First one is that Jesus is so powerful and mighty that the mere touch of his clothing can produce miraculous events.  That's amazing to me.  Secondly, this woman who had been suffering for so long, and had probably been subject to the ridicule of the day, due to her condition....had so much faith in Jesus that she knew if she could just touch him......  There's almost a "humble-ness" about her approach.  She doesn't want the full attention of the crowd, or to bother Jesus too much.  But, if she can just touch his robe, she knows she'll get relief.  I love that! 
I remember hearing a sermon once about this verse.  The pastor was talking about the physical effort that it took Jesus to perform the miracles.  So, even though he didn't see the woman sneaking up behind him and touching him.....he could feel the flowing thru him into the woman.  This is consistent with God resting on the 7th, after working to create he universe.

Its funny reading thru these chapters.....its like a gatlin gun of stories.  From one to the next.  Miracle, after miracle, after miracle, after parable.  They come rapid-fire.  My "movie" mind is looking for more detail, and for more transitions.

later
tp

Matthew 8

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

this chapter also has many familiar details of some of Jesus amazing actions during his life.  This one struck me today as just a simple statement but then in reflection what a strong statement of what it takes to truly put Jesus first and follow him.  

Imagine what people would or were saying about this guy if he ran off and followed Jesus and left everyone else to tend to his own father's funereal.  Its his dad, I'm guessing his heart is crushed but Jesus is saying even taking time to bury your own dad is secondary to the work He is doing and if you are truly following him you need to be willing to put His priorities above all others.

So I need to recognize those moments I'm telling him I'll get to it after I do XY or Z and act whenever I feel his nudge to act---no hesitation.

knut

Matthew 7

14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.


There are lot of simple statements of truth to hold onto in this chapter like ask, seek, knock and getting the plank out of my own eye.  I chose this verse because it reminds me that Jesus is the only way to heaven.  In today's society this is definitely not the PC thing to say but I need to remember it everyday and make sure my kids know it as well. 

short and sweet today, getting back on the horse after the new year.  its time to ride.

knut