Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” -Matthew 28: 18-20
Today’s lent devotional covers Matthew ch. 27 and 28. Matthew 27 begins with the decision to crucify Jesus. In this chapter, we can see that Jesus was beaten, stripped, humiliated and crucified. Jesus went through a very painful death. Jesus did not only die on the cross, but sin died with him and when he rose again is when repentance and forgiveness began. Even when he was tormented, he prayed for the people who crucified him. That is a perfect example of pure love and forgiveness. The beauty in pain is that, even if we suffer for a certain amount of time, there is always a prize waiting at the end. With pain comes gain. Our relationship with God is what makes us complete. His purpose was fulfilled by dying on the cross for us. Whatever our purpose is, no matter how painful it might be, are we ready to let God fulfill his purpose in our life? During this lent season, let us all learn to love, pray and forgive those who persecute us. Even after the lent season, we should maintain what we have learned and keep persevering to be a good example of God’s love and forgiveness. When it seems like the world is out to get you, when it seems like no one is on your side, when it seems like even your close friends and family have turned their backs on you, you know that God still cares about you and for you. He proved it. He was not only willing to die for you; he actually did! You won’t find another person in this world who loves and cares for you that much! God is love and his love is unconditional. He didn’t love us because we are love-able or perfect. God loves us because HE is love. He sacrificed his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins. The crucifixion of Jesus is precious, but he can’t be precious to you, if you think he is dead. The resurrection of Jesus is just as crucial as the crucifixion of Jesus. Matthew 28:6 says “The Angel said to Mary and the others ‘He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying.’” There is a great reason for following Jesus. He cannot fail. Sin, death, hell, evil or Satan cannot defeat his purposes. He will win! That is a good reason to trust him and follow him. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection defeated sin. Believing that Jesus rose from the dead, as the Lord of the Universe, with all authority in heaven and on earth, then believing and following Jesus as our Lord is the most important, urgent and crucial thing in our life. This is why Jesus came, was crucified and rose from the dead with all authority and promised to be with us to the end of the age - to create a people whose sins are forgiven, and whose hearts are full of the love of God, and who are so reassured by Christ, that they spend their lives with risk, sacrifice and love to help others know and enjoy the greatness of Christ forever and ever. Is this not what you were made for? Is this not something that you think is worthy of full acceptance? - Christina Raju
Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. -Matthew 26:31-35
In Matthew Chapter 26 we read about the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All of us are very familiar with many of the events that occur in this passage, but let us spend some time focusing on Peter’s denial of Jesus. Jesus said “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” A flock of sheep will wander off without a shepherd; similarly, Jesus foresees the disciples running away after his crucifixion. Then Peter responds, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Peter’s faith can be seen as strong and unwavering at this instance, he is even willing to “…die with [Jesus]” for his faith in the Lord. Similar to Peter, many of the other disciples also claimed that they would die before disowning Jesus. It was only a matter of days before each of them went back on their word. By reading Matthew 26:69-75 we see Peter does in fact disown Jesus three times and he is immediately filled with remorse. I think we are all very similar to Peter in this occasion; many of us are willing to show our strong faith and love for Jesus Christ during retreats, at church, or even with other believers. But when someone questions us or when the opportunity comes for us to share our faith, we quickly shy away. Similar to the disciples and how they were over-confident and believed they were safe from sin, if we think of ourselves to be beyond the reach of some sins, even if it is small, then we are ready for a fall. Nowadays we are always worried about others think about us; like Peter, we are willing to go against our faith to fit in with the crowd. As it says is James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” In this country we are given freedom to spread the love and life of Jesus Christ without any consequences. So this Lenten season let us not only build on our faith but also take action and spread Gospel to those all around us. God Bless.
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. -Mathew 24: 32-35 (ESV)
Matthew chapters 24 and 25 are not unfamiliar chapters to most of us. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temples and the arrival of the final judgment days. We read familiar parables of the ten virgins and the talents. We even learn lessons from the fig trees. Quite frankly, behind the book of Revelations, these two chapters of the bible used to cast a dark cloud over my faith, when I was not as spiritually strong. Jesus describes the destruction and the devastation of the final days of judgment with such dark details that it made me second-guess the purpose of acting on my faith in the first place. As time went on and I matured mentally and spiritually, rereading this passage opened my eyes to aspects of the second coming I would’ve never picked up on earlier. I found beauty behind the destruction Jesus described. Despite the desolation that is foretold, there is a shimmer of something glorious that we all can grasp a hold of: hope. Though Jesus is warning us what there is to come, he is also laying out for us the simplest advice he can give to us, so that we can avoid being part of the destruction. His advice? Stay Awake. Other versions of the bible will say “be aware” or “be ready”, but the English Standard Version uses the phrase “stay awake”, which I absolutely love.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” -Mathew 24:42-44 (ESV)
When Jesus advices us to stay awake he is asking us to be aware and to become active physically, mentally, spiritually, and most importantly prayerfully. He goes into the parable of the ten virgins. Five of whom were wise and were proactive in preparing for dark times; the other five were not as prepared. As they were waiting, darkness came and they fell asleep, they awoke when they heard the bridegroom coming from afar. While the five wise virgins were prepared with oil for their lamps, the other five virgins were left scrambling to purchase oil and missed the mark to meet with the bridegroom. When they arrived at the marriage feast they found the door to be shut. As they pleaded for the bridegroom to open the door, his reply was, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ (Mat. 25:12) Following was the parable of the talents, two servants made use of the talents they were given and made more; the third servant buried his and ended up having what he was given get taken away. The master was furious because the third servant did not make good use of what he was given; instead he buried it and made excuses as to why he did not put his talents to use. The common theme behind these two parables is that we do not know when our master is coming. When he does arrive, we must be ready for him and be prepared to answer to him for our actions. Stay Awake! Be cautious of false prophets and false teachings. How? The Word of God has been provided to you to learn. Knowledge from our Lord will allow you to cast away the temptations of submitting to false teachings. Do not be discouraged when you are being persecuted because of your faith. Jesus tells us that persecution is inevitable.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. -Matthew 24:9-13
Stay Awake! Realize that calling yourself a Christian does not automatically get you the golden ticket into heaven. You must be proactive. I cannot put it in any better words than the Word itself.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” -Mathew 25:34-46
Throughout his ministry, Jesus constantly stated that those who looked after those who were lowly than them will be greatly rewarded. Do it with humility and love and God will surely recognize you for it. Be aware of those who need assistance, whether it is monetary, food, shelter, clothes, or even prayer. Stay Awake! Be aware of the fact that with every second that goes by, that the end of times gets closer with each second. Though it may not be in our lifetime, we still will have to answer to the Lord our God when the time comes. Likewise, it can happen at any second, even while you are reading this. Do not fall into the temptation to assume that because God is not here yet, you can act the way you’d like and repent later when you feel the time is right. Remember that God is always aware of our lives.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” -Matthew 24:48-51
There will be no prep time, nor a rehearsal, nor a redo button for anything. You will have to answer to the Lord as you are. So make sure that you are living a life that you would not be ashamed to have to answer to in front of our Father. As this Lent season progresses, let ourselves progress as well! We, as Christians, tend to slumber all too often and let our guards down. Though the destruction described in the bible is scary and dark, we do not have to be part of that darkness. If we stay awake we will realize when the darkness is rolling upon us and we will be aware of where our light is. If we slumber and wake up in the darkness, there is no telling if we would be able to find our light in time. Application: Some questions to ask yourselves: Where do you slumber in your personal walk with God? Where can you be more awake? What can you use to help keep your world lit? **On a personal note, ‘Be Still’ by The Fray, was playing in my mind as I read this passage and meditated on it. It gives me comfort to know that even when darkness rolls upon us, He is there with us.**
“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” -Matthew 22:37-39
Throughout the next couple of chapters we see Jesus continue to teach the people of the temple through his responses to the questions of the Pharisees and priests. We can break down the chapters into several different subsections based upon the particular question that is Jesus is asked or the lesson that He is teaching the crowd. Through this devotional I wanted to focus on a couple sections within these chapters that I found particularly applicable. The first sections is “The Parable of the Wedding Banquet” located at the beginning of chapter 22. Through this parable, Jesus tells the crowd about the kingdom of heaven in relation to something that they could relate to - a wedding banquet. Jesus uses the image of the banquet to show us that our Father has prepared a magnificent place for us in heaven; yet so many of us, like those who are invited to the banquet, ignore his affection for us. But Jesus continues to teach us that even though we may turn our back on God, He will continue to pursue us because He loves us and wants us to join Him in eternity. Likewise, Jesus continues his illustration to show that Heaven is not a place for those who are “perfect” but for those who are broken like those at the street corner. Jesus tells us that God pursues the broken, and uses them as a vessel for his work. No matter how messed up or hopeless we may feel, God promises us that in Him we are restored and endlessly loved. Lastly, the parable ends with the verse 14: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” The should be a wakeup call for all believers; although all of us are invited into His kingdom, if we do not truly accept the Lord and do his works, we - like the man who is thrown into the darkness - will not be admitted into His kingdom. The second section I want to focus on is the section titled “The Greatest Commandment”. Many of us have grown up memorizing Matthew 22:37 for memory verse competitions and Sunday school exams, but what does it really mean to apply this verse in our lives? Jesus tells us that to love the Lord your God is the first and greatest commandment, but how many of us would sacrifice everything we have to live out this life? As Christians we have grown to know that we are unconditionally and completely loved by God, yet we fail to reciprocate the same kind of love. We continuously run away and blame our perfect God when something goes wrong. We should find hope in the promise that the bible tells us in James 1:12: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” So during this Lenten season we should inspect our lives and really ask ourselves if we are really following this commandment and truly loving our God. Application: Jesus continues to teach us about God’s unending love for us daily through the simple blessings that he provides for us, so we must ask ourselves if we are like the man who is thrown into the street, those we ignored the invitation of the king, or like the people on the street who were welcomed into the banquet? Throughout this Lenten season I encourage explore these couple of verses and apply the lessons that Jesus is teaching His people.
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. -Mathew 21:12-19
The verses above represent the story of Jesus cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree. Jesus curses the fig tree and causes it to wither away because the tree bears no fruit. All throughout the Bible, we can see many analogies between God’s people and nature. The idea of bearing fruit is used many times as a symbol of blessing and prosperity. It is used in this passage to represent the spiritual condition of God’s people. If a tree is known to bear good fruit, it can be compared to a man/woman who has good faith, has shown his faith through his deeds, and can be therefore granted salvation. Before the cursing of the fig tree, Jesus is cleansing the temple. In this story, we can see Jesus is very upset with those in the temple. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Jesus was angry with these people because the temple is supposed to be a place where they were supposed to worship God - a place that is to be kept holy and sacred. However, the people there used it as a place of business – there were money-changers and people selling pigeons. Jesus’ frustration from visiting the temple can be seen in the passage where he curses the fig tree. He is not pleased with the faith of the people of Israel. Although they may outwardly seem to be living a life worthy to God by attending the temple and partaking in the traditions, they are not seeking a genuine relationship with God - they were using this place to sell and buy rather than worship God. The fig tree that bears no fruit can be seen to represent the people of Israel who did not live a life worthy of God’s calling because they were not seeking a true relationship with God. We can use this story and apply it in our own lives by simply analyzing ourselves and our walk with God. Are we truly seeking a relationship with God, or are we merely going through the motions of attending church and calling ourselves Christian? Let us use this Lenten season to understand what God asks us to do – to seek and pursue a relationship with Him, so that our lives may glorify Him.
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” -Matthew 17:5-7
The next few chapters contain a considerable amount of wisdom that Jesus communicates to his disciples. Some of the most crucial foundation of Christianity is told in these chapters and I suggest reading it carefully multiple times to apprehend these life-altering lessons. To truly understand the beginning of this monumental passage we have to go back to the end of Mathew 16 to set the stage for the purpose of the Transfiguration. The previous few chapters encompass the theme of Jesus reassuring the apostles’ unsteady faith. This can be seen just six days before when Jesus speaks to the disciples about his death and Peter says “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” In Peter’s mind an all-powerful God would never have to die, especially at the hands of mere men. The disciples’ questionable faith of not fully trusting that Jesus is the true Messiah leads to the Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the high mountains where Jesus transfigured before them. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him." (Matthew 17:2-3) I think the significance of showing Moses and Elijah is to demonstrate to the disciples that Jesus now takes precedence to the law (what Moses represented) and the prophets (Elijah). This was a crucial event in the disciples’ walk with Jesus because for the first time they truly got to see that this man was not just any prophet but the true Messiah. All the prophets that came before him were paving the way for Jesus, the Son of Man. God said to them “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The entire objective for the Transfiguration was meant to strengthen the apostles’ faith for the challenges they would later endure. This event is significant in our lives because it conveys to us that Jesus is in fact the bridge between God and men, and the purpose of his life was to become the Son of Man to die for our sins, so we could spend eternity with our Father in Heaven. Application: The remaining parts of the readings are radical teachings that Jesus wanted us to live by. When the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God?", He replied, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." He later reiterates the idea that “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” We need to put aside the idea that we are in competition with each other to see who is the greatest Christian. Instead, focus on humbling ourselves before our Savior & others who God puts in our lives. As easy as it is to type this, it is a daily struggle to apply this ideology to real life. That is the beauty of the Gospel; we are not meant to do this by our own power, but rather with God’s help. We have to continually ask God for the strength to obey his teachings & not be afraid to take up the cross. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) - Arly John
But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? -Mathew 16:8-10
Within today's read are two stories separate of Jesus providing beyond human comprehension for His greater glory. We all remember Jesus feeding a large crowd... but do we think about how he did the same thing twice in a short period of time? Similar circumstances, similar results. The feeding of the crowds was clearly for His glory - it allowed Him to extend his teaching while giving the crowds a witness to His power. But when faced with another situation involving a lack of bread, the disciples failed to remember the incredible providence Jesus showed just a short time ago. Too often we also forget how Jesus provided for us in the past, even when the circumstances are the same. Do we not yet perceive? The big picture is this - God has a divine plan and purpose for you and I, and he will give us everything needed for this plan in its due time without regard to human limitations.
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. -Mathew 16:15-17
This is a turning point for the Gospels, when for the first time the disciples realize that the man they have been following is not merely just a man, but the Messiah. This climax is critical to the story because the Jews at the time couldn't just believe in anyone as their savior - many had come before claiming the same thing. So what made this man different? As Jesus replies, it was nothing of their own "flesh and blood" that showed them, but it was "the Father who is in heaven" who had revealed it. This has profound implications for us as well. I remember joining a group with a few friends of mine to help sort out their faith by bringing together people of different religions and debating topics based on each perspective. This is how we often believe Christianity works - we want to rationalize God down to our perspective and make an informed decision. But at the surface, what about the essence of Christianity is rational? We are called to give up our very lives for our "unseen" Creator. Jesus highlights here that it takes the grace of His divine revelation to initiate our response to Him. Application: 1) How can we continually remind ourselves of the acts of divine blessing in our lives? Write down some of these expressions of grace from God you received this week. 2) How does God's revelation to you impact the way you respond in faith? Say a short prayer of thankfulness for His relentless pursuit of your heart. - Ben Abraham
“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” -Matthew 13:8
When I was a kid, our teacher gave us a small packet filled with seeds and encouraged us to go home, plant the seeds, and watch it grow. That whole week we had been learning about plants, so I remember being excited when given these seeds. Immediately, upon arriving at home, I took the seeds to my parents, and I told them I want to plant these seeds. My dad gave me a pot with some soil in it, and I put the seeds in. He told me that I must take care of it, be sure to water it, provide adequate sunlight, and if given the proper care, the plant would grow. I did everything that my teacher mentioned, as well as my dad, but when I awoke the next morning, nothing had changed. I remember asking my dad if I messed up, and he told me that planting a seed is easy, but it takes time for it to grow. Even if we aren’t seeing the growth, changes are taking place, and eventually, we will see the fruit of our labor. In the Gospel according to Matthew, we see him portraying Jesus as a teacher. He was constantly teaching, sharing, and impressing upon their hearts kingdom principles. For our time and context, we realize that Jesus is teaching us what it means to have a personal relationship with Him and to live a life of holiness. In chapter 13, each section begins with, “The kingdom of heaven is like…,” and the parables that came after were contextually related and easy to grasp for those whose hearts were good soil. Each passage provides us different truths regarding kingdom living. It’s easy for our hearts to not be receptive to the Word of God. Sometimes, it may land in our laps, but we are reluctant to live it out. We want to live comfortable Christian lives, but the truth is, there is no such thing. In Matthew 7:24, Jesus says that it’s not enough to just hear it, but also to put it into practice. It’s not enough to know about Jesus, but to also live in the Spirit, and to do that, it means to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him. In chapter 13:45, He likens the kingdom of heaven to a merchant trying to find a pearl. He finds ONE pearl, and he sells everything he has to buy this one pearl. It’s illogical from our perspective, but that’s what life with Jesus is like. When you understand what Christ has done for you, then nothing else matters. In Philippians 3:8, Paul writes, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Are you willing to consider everything a loss compared to knowing Jesus? The seed of the Gospel has been planted in your life, but will it grow into a fruit-bearing plant? Prayer: Lord Jesus, the seed of the Gospel has been planted in my life. May my heart be fertile soil, where it takes full growth, and produces fruit that reaches out and touches the lives of those around me. What is more, I count everything else as loss, that I may grow in knowing Your surpassing greatness. Amen. - Mat Stan Samuel
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” -Matthew 10:37-39
When you look across the bible there are a lot of stories and verses that we overlook and sometimes even forget. When I was studying this verse, it helped me remind myself why we are here. This is a great reminder that we should never fear man, but fear God. We all go through life trying to impress people, families, or peers in our schools or workplaces. We sometimes love those things more then we care about what God wants from us. As it says in this passage, when you love something more then God, Jesus says that person is not worthy for him. Being a disciple of Christ means you are forgetting what you want and you take on your cross. We must have an understanding that God is our life, when we lose our lives to Christ is when we ultimately find our lives. Lets not let our fear control our choices on following Christ, but lets look towards the cross that Jesus hung on to find our answers and the example of true love.
Hey everyone, my name is Asish Mathew from St. Paul’s Mar Thoma Church. And there’s not much time, and I have a lot to cover, so lets just go straight into it! The passage for today’s meditation is taken from Mathew 7-9, and here’s just a little bit of context. So Jesus gets baptized and starts his ministry at the age of 30, and from there after fasting for 40 days and nights Jesus gets tempted in the wilderness. Jesus gives up the worldly fame and worldly glory that the devil offers Him and continues on in his ministry. Moving forward we get to Mathew 5 where we receive the Sermon on the Mount, and this is where Christ illustrates the upside-down nature of the Kingdom; what I mean by that is that it says the poor in spirit are blessed, the meek will inherit the Kingdom of God, and so on. So its kind of a new thing for us to hear. So we get to Mathew 7 and its the final stretch of the Sermon on the Mount, and I’m pretty sure we can all recall certain things from the Sermon on the Mount - the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, the Golden Rule, and what I wanted to get to today was the subheading “Ask, Seek, and Knock.” John Piper said this:
When you pause to consider that God is infinitely strong and can do all that He pleases, and that He is infinitely righteous so that He only does what is right, and that He is infinitely good so that everything He does is perfectly good, and that He is infinitely wise so that he always knows perfectly what is right and good, and that He is infinitely loving so that in all his strength and righteousness and goodness and wisdom He raises the eternal joy of His loved ones as high as it can be raised—when you pause to consider this, then the lavish invitations of this God to ask Him for good things, with the promise that He will give them, is unimaginably wonderful. - Ask Your Father in Heaven (John Piper - Desiring God)
So knowing this, how do we fall into that tragedy of prayerless-ness? We are invited to pray in this passage three times, and I guess you could call them commands to ask Him what we need. In verses 7-9 it actually says,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened”. - Mathew 7:7-8
So ask your Father for what you need, seek your Father for the help you need, and knock on the door of your Father’s house so He will give you what you need. Ask, seek and knock. So at the end of His teaching, the audience was astounded and recognized that Jesus spoke with an unmatched authority, and after completing the sermon, Mathew begins recounting events in Jesus’ ministry. If you just read the subheadings of some of the stuff in the chapter, it says: - The Cleansing of the Man with Leprosy - Jesus Heals Many - Jesus Calms the Storm - Healing of Two Demon Possessed Men - Jesus Heals the Paralytic - A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman - Jesus Heals the Blind Man and the Mute So that’s a lot of stuff in these next few chapters and you can just see how much Jesus did in such a short amount of time. So Mathew 8 shows Jesus’ authority over sickness, nature, demons and paralysis. And then Mathew 9 demonstrates His authority over disabilities and death. So the concluding summary of miracles in chapter 9 also contains another declaration of Christ’s authority, and it says we must ask the Lord to send out workers to demonstrate Jesus’ authority over these needs. “The workers and few and the harvest is plenty,” so we need to go and make workers and spread Jesus’ authority. So I suggest you read all three of these chapters because there is just so much in them and it is hard for us to cover them in such a short amount of time. So with that I just wanted to share with y’all a song “Stay And Wait” by Hillsong United that Christo, Lydia and I are covering. Thanks for listening! Stay And Wait Hillsong United Who spoke the Earth and sky to form Who sets the sun and calls the dawn Who breathed me out of dust to life With the will to trust or run and hide I will stay should the world by me fold Lift up Your name as the darkness falls I will wait and hold fast to Your word Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You Who loved me through my rebel way Who chose to carry all my shame Who breaths in me with endless life The king of glory Jesus Christ I will stay should the world by me fold Lift up Your name as the darkness falls I will wait and hold fast to Your word Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You God of wonder and God of grace Let my soul stand always to praise You Fix my eyes on Your perfect way And I'll never look back I will stay should the world by me fold Lift up Your name as the darkness falls I will wait and hold fast to Your word Heart on Your heart and my eyes on You Who lifts the poor and heals the blind Who trampled death for all mankind Who stands for all with arms stretched wide My King forever Jesus Christ - Asish Mathew
First off, I just want to thank God for this opportunity He has given us to come together and get more in depth in his word. For those that read Matthew chapters 5 and 6, you know it is is a bulky passage with many take-aways; however, this devotional is mainly going to be Matthew 5:38-48.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” -Matthew 5:38-48
At first glance, some of Jesus’ advice may seem downright foolish: Give to everyone who asks (5:42), love your enemies (5:44), turn the other cheek (5:39), don’t worry about clothes or food. Can such ideal situations ever work in the “real,” or visible world? Many of us have read this passage or have heard of other instances where Jesus said to love others who have wronged you. But how many of us live by this command everyday? We become hesitant or never forgive others causing friendships to break. We may forgive, but sometimes feel as if we deserve more from the the other person than just a “I apologize for my actions.” However, God is never hesitant with us. God showed His perfect love for us by sending His only begotten Son for the salvation of us sinners. Jesus did not waiver when God sent Him, instead, Jesus proclaimed: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42)." There is nothing we can do to repay Him. The minimum that God wants from us is a loving relationship with Him. This lenten season, let’s remember to dive into the Word of God deeper, letting go of past mistakes, and looking onto the future. Let us also strive to be Christ-like and make amends with people we may not get along with. In Genesis, on the sixth day, God created man in His own image. Which means, we have some of the greatest qualities that come from God Himself: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (Galatians 5:22).” When we come in contact with others that may have wronged us, instead of having hatred or despise them, show them love and peace that God has gifted us with. Let us break our obsession with safety, security, thriftiness, self-righteousness (just to name a few). Instead, let us depend on the Father, letting God take care of the personal injustices that come our way, trusting God to look after our daily needs. The message of the Kingdom is this: Live for God rather than for yourself. Let us remember this passage as we continue with Lent over the next few weeks. May God bless us all.
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. -Matthew 2:10-11 NLT
The Magi were Gentiles who came from the east and sought to worship the king of the Jews. The star indicating his birth sparked their interest, but instead of following the star, they came to the only place where a king would be found- the palace. When they re-focused their journey on the star and the prophesies, they were led to Bethlehem to the house where the child was found with his mother. They were so joyful that their pursuit came to fruition that they could not help themselves from bowing down and worshipping Him and offering Him the best out of their treasure chests. Their gifts were not gifts for a child- but offerings for a Holy God and King (Exodus 30:34, Psalms 72:10). The Magi teach us what true worship is like in its purest form - pursuit of God, reverence for His presence, and offering of ourselves to Him. Often, we as "seasoned" Christians diminish the holiness of our God and cheapen grace. We take worship for granted and forget to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). This lent season, let us focus our hearts on pursuing God. Let our desire for pursuing Him be the words of his scriptures and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Let the outpouring of our hearts be true worship - worship that is joyful, reverent, holy, and respectful for our King of Kings. - Pearl Rajan
