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Matthew 9:18 – While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

Matthew tells us only that this man was a ruler, but Mark and Luke give more information.� They tell us that he was a ruler or elder of the synagogue named Jairus.� His daughter was 12 years old and she was his only child.

Jairus falls at the feet of Jesus and intercedes for his daughter.� At this point, one cannot help but compare him to the Roman centurion we looked at in Matthew chapter 8.� The centurion also interceded for one he loved (his servant), but while Jairus' faith required that Jesus come to his house and lay a hand on his girl, the faith of the centurion was willing to believe that Jesus could heal from a distance with just a word.

The good news is that Jesus does not refuse anyone who comes to him with sincere faith.� Even though the faith of the Jewish ruler was feeble compared to his 'heathen' counterpart, Jesus still honors his prayers and encourages him to expect a miracle.� This is a lesson to all of us.� Sometimes life seems overwhelming but don't let your faith waiver!� Don't let the enemy tell you that all is lost!� God still hears and answers prayer today!

Matthew 9:19 – And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

Consider this for a moment:� Jesus was actually at a banquet when the disciples of John the Baptist came to ask him a question.� While he was speaking to them, Jairus came to beg for his help.� So, Jesus immediately leaves the banquet and follows him.

Read that verse again.� Did you see any mention of grumbling or complaining?� Was there any heavy sighing or rolling of the eyes?� Did Jesus ask Jairus to wait until the cake was cut and coffee was served?� Was there any mention by Jesus that his plans had been interrupted?

From God's point of view, a cry for help is never an interruption.� What is our point of view?� When someone needs us, are we irritated because it interferes with our plans, or do we remember that we are here on earth to be salt and light in the kingdom of Heaven?

Matthew 9:20 – And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,

Here is another example of faith and action rising up together to claim a miracle.

This poor woman had been ill for 12 years.� Let's stop and consider that for a moment.� What were you doing 12 years ago?� What age were your kids?� Where were you living?� What were you doing 10 years ago?� How about 5 years ago?� Take a couple of minutes and list some of the major events that have transpired in your life in the last 12 years.� Then consider that this pitiful woman was sick that entire time!

In addition, Mark's gospel (Mark 5:25-27) tells us that the woman had suffered greatly, going from doctor to doctor, but none of them could help.� She spent all the money she had trying to find a cure.� Despite all that, she was getting worse, not better! �On top of that, she was now impoverished.� You can picture misery and depression overwhelming her.�

How about those around us?� Perhaps you can restore hope to someone who is desperate for a miracle by introducing them to Jesus.� I am sure we won't have to look too hard to find hurting people.

So, she goes out in public and she finds Jesus, who is literally being thronged by crowds of people.

Modesty prevented her from speaking of her disease in any kind of public way; certainly it could not be discussed in front of a crowd or with a man she did not know!� Thus we see her coming up behind Jesus and probably reaching through the crowd to touch the hem/fringe of his garment.

The garment in question was possibly a prayer shawl, but more likely a traditional upper garment.� It was a single piece of cloth with a hold in the center, where you put your head.� There were four corners with a tassel attached to each corner.� The tassels themselves were made in a very precise way and had specific meanings associated with them; they were a regulation from Old Testament times (see Numbers 15:37, Deut 22:12, etc).� So, the thing this woman actually touched was one of the tassels.

Matthew 9:21 – for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."

Some scholars are of the opinion that her faith was great because she believed Jesus to have such an overflowing fullness of healing virtue, that the very touch of his garment would cure her.� Other scholars are of the opinion that her faith was small, because although she believed in the power to heal, she shrank away from Jesus, fearful that he would reject her.

You see, it does not matter how much faith you started out with.� The centurion, the Jewish ruler and the woman with the issue of blood all had varying levels of faith, but Jesus responded positively to each one of them.

Think about it - he didn't stop and pull out a special thermometer to measure their faith index.� He didn't compare the amount of faith they brought with the miracle they needed to see if they could pay the price.� Instead, he stooped down and met each one of them at whatever level of faith they were on.� He then increased their faith by answering their prayers.

Are you ready for the best part – you also have a measure of faith!

Romans 12:3 - �God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

That's right – you too have what it takes to approach God in faith and receive a miracle.

Let's consider an example.� Suppose you are applying for a job that you are well qualified for, but there are 49 other applicants for this one position.� One option is to give up and not even apply.� Another option is use your faith.

Pray about the situation.� Tell God that you are going to put your best foot forward and ask him to give you favor.� Then, take a step of faith and apply!� Go to the interview in a spirit of faith and watch what God will do!

Matthew 9:22 – Jesus turned, and seeing her said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well."� And instantly the woman was made well.

Jesus silenced her fears, granted her request, commended her use of faith and sent her away in peace, all because of her faith.

Why do you think God preserved this woman's testimony in the scriptures?� I believe it is an open invitation for us to approach him in faith just as she did.� I believe God still honors faith today.

If you take a minute to think about it, you will discover that faith is astonishing. �There is nothing else like it in the universe.� It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. �You can never use it up; as you use it, it actually increases and multiplies.

Why not use your faith today?�

Matthew 9:23-24 – and when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." �And they laughed at him.

After healing the woman, Jesus continues until he reaches the ruler's house.� When they arrive, they find music and a crowd making a 'commotion'.� While it sounds weird to us, it was perfectly normal in that culture.

They would also sing the virtues of the deceased, recount their life accomplishments and speak of their beauty.� Mournful music was used as a part of the grieving process.� Other displays of grief included tearing your garments, refusing to anoint yourself, not taking a bath, and scattering ashes in the air.� For a common person, this lasted 8 days.� If you were a king or other distinguished person, it lasted an entire month.

So, there was nothing unusual happening when Jesus arrived at Jairus' house to find flutes playing and a crowd making a commotion.

The unusual part was when Jesus declared in front of the crowd that the girl was not dead, but sleeping.

When the crowd heard that, they mocked him, because they knew for sure that girl was dead!� So what did Jesus mean when he used the term 'sleeping'? �'Sleeping' is used many times in scripture to refer to the death of our flesh [see 2 Peter 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, Acts 7:60, etc].

As you may recall, there was a subset of Jews called the Sadducees.� They did not believe in the resurrection.� They thought that once a person died, they ceased to exist.� It is likely that Jairus, his family and his friends were Sadducees.

When Jesus says the girl is 'sleeping', he is declaring that she has NOT ceased to exist.� He affirms that her body is dead but also teaches that her spirit was still alive and that she would one day be raised up again.

Matthew 9:25-26 – But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.� And the report of this went through all that district.

Again, Jesus was teaching that we do not cease to exist when our body dies.� Our spirits still live while the body waits for resurrection from the dead.� Now, if Jesus was going to completely tear down and destroy the belief that life ceased to exist at death, then he needed to prove that with signs and wonders.� Otherwise, who would believe him?

The only acceptable proof in this case was for the girl to be raised to life, so that is exactly what Jesus did.� Her resurrection not only demonstrated the truth of his teaching, it proved that Jesus alone had power over death.

Consequently, the crowd at Jairus' house became a cloud of reliable, unbiased witnesses to the power of Jesus to resurrect the dead.� Nothing like this had ever happened before, and they spread the truth of this message far and wide.

So let me give you some encouragement:� Jesus can resurrect more than just dead bodies.� He can bring marriages back to life. �He can bring newness to your finances.� He can restore what addiction has taken.� He can breathe new life into your ministry.� Anything that can die, can be brought back to life by the power of Jesus!� I encourage you to seek him today for the resurrection of what you have lost.

Let me give you some relief:� There are some people who say that they are not worthy to receive a miracle from God.� How utterly ridiculous!!� If you are a child of God then you are a co-heir with Jesus and God is ready and willing to give you all you could ask or think!� So give yourself a break. Get rid of your negative 'unworthy' guilt feelings and start seeing yourself as God sees you – as his beloved son or daughter that he cannot wait to bless.

Let me give you some strength: �Sometimes our situations look overwhelming.� We all reach a point where we start to despair because we know we are out of options.� I am sure the woman with the issue of blood felt that way.� I know there are times when I have been in that same place. But when you are at the end of your options, that is when God can come in and begin to move the mountains.� The scripture says:

Matthew 21:21 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it shall be done.

So don't give up!� When you combine your faith with action and offer them up to God, he will move on your behalf!

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Hello!� If you are a regular follower of this bible study, you were no doubt expecting a lesson on the second half of Matthew chapter 12.� However, in light of the upheaval we are currently experiencing, I wanted to take this opportunity to give us all something to think about.� We will get back to Matthew next week.

Unless you are living off the grid right now, you have no doubt heard about the Coronavirus, aka, Covid 19.� This strain of the flu is quickly spreading around the world; it has the potential to cause death in the elderly, the young, and people with other serious health concerns.

Since there is currently no cure, the best recourse is to avoid getting the virus in the first place!� The best way to do that is to avoid contact with other people.�

Sporting events, entertainment venues, restaurants and even churches have temporarily closed their doors.� Nursing homes are on lock down.� Traveling has been curtailed or banned altogether in some places.� All these cancellations have resulted in a disruption of the economy.

All of this is happening before our very eyes – literally.� We live in an age where information, pictures and opinions are thrust in front of our faces within seconds of an incident occurring.� The pandemic and its ripple effects are being broadcast minute by minute. �The sheer volume of information is overwhelming and much of what is being reported is bad news.

But before you become dismayed, remember this:� most of this information is coming from the world, and thus has the world's perspective on it.� As a Christian, you have a different perspective.� Everything that happens in this world and everything that happens to you must be filtered through God's promises.�

Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

Dismay is defined as 'to disable with alarm or apprehensions; to terrify'. The world is indeed terrified and alarmed.� It should worry about the virus, because mankind has no cure.� Not so for the Christian.� While we can and should be prudent in our actions, we rest in the promise of God that he can either keep us safe from the pandemic, or heal us:

Psalm 91:1, 5-6 - He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty� You shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Exodus 15:26 - �for I am the Lord your healer.

The world says there will not be enough supplies for a quarantine period, so you should rush out to the grocery store to get food and toilet paper.� Have you been to the grocery store recently?� The shelves are quite bare!� Again, while the Christian should be prudent in what they do, they should not worry, for God provides what we cannot provide for ourselves:

Matthew 6:31-32 - Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, How shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

The world fears what will happen in the unknown future.� They worry about the economy crashing and the loss of jobs and how they are going to make ends meet.� But as Christians, we have the assurance that God has a plan for us:

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

What does all this mean?� Does it imply that you will not get sick or not run out of bread and toilet paper or that you will not suffer any financial loss?�

NO!

It means that whatever happens to you, God will walk through it with you.� It means that your circumstances were approved and allowed by your heavenly Father!�

Isaiah 41:13 - For I the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not; I will help you.

God's number one priority is not for you to be comfortable during your temporary stay here on planet earth.� His priority is to ensure your eternal good; to make you into his image and likeness; to prepare you to rule and reign with Him for eternity!

Revelation 20:6 - Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Here is a truth you need to understand: �

God may completely protect you from anything associated with this virus, or He may allow it to touch you in some way.�

• He may use this virus to create circumstances that will mold you into his image, or draw you closer to him. �
• He may use this virus to create opportunities for you to minister his love to others (the bible says that the world will know us by our love for one another).�
• Perhaps God will use the circumstances of this pandemic to grant you a chance to lift up his name, so that others will come to salvation in Jesus Christ.�
• It is even possible that God will use this illness as the vehicle that transfers you from earth to your heavenly reward. �

No matter what happens, you should take comfort in knowing that God is in control of all your circumstances.� Consider the words of King David:

Psalms 139:16 – Your [God's] eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. �

In other words, God knew the exact number of your days on earth, before you even existed in your mother's womb.� Therefore, He knew you would be alive during the Covid 19 pandemic. Clearly, he has had lots of time to prepare! So know this:� whatever you experience during this pandemic, God is going to use it for your eternal good!

At this point, I hope we have established that we do not need to be afraid, because God is in control.� We can control fear and operate in faith by focusing our minds on God.

Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.

As you well know, you can focus your mind on God by praise, worship, reading the word, prayer and the encouragement of others.� You know what to do – so just do it!

Now� let's get to the part I want us to consider.� Jesus says that we, the church, are the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14 – You are the light of the world. �

We are priests of the Most High God, called to display the love of God to a lost world.� Therefore, it is time for us to change our perspective.� It's time for us to move from a place of fear to a place of faith. �It is time for us to take our focus off of ourselves, and place it on kingdom business. Instead of reacting to what we see and hear through the media, it's time to become proactive in searching for ways to display the light of Christ to the world around us.�

So, here is the real question facing the church:�

I will share a few ideas with you, but obviously, this is not an exhaustive list.� God may whisper new ideas into your ear.� If so, please share them with the rest of us!

One: �Share your supplies.� The world is hoarding certain commodities.� Let's be different.� Is there someone on your street or in your family that needs a loaf of bread?� Share the bread and gain an opportunity to witness for Christ.� Remember, Jesus not only preached the gospel, he fed and healed people. �

Two:� Offer a service.� Can you cut hair? �All the salons have been closed; if you can give a haircut to someone, you can gain an opportunity to share the gospel.� What service can you offer?

Three:� Be positive.� When those around you are speaking in fear, speak of the peace you have in Jesus.� No amount of money can buy peace.� You can introduce people to Jesus who will give it to them for free!

Four: �Exhibit grace in the midst of adversity.� As we already pointed out, God may allow this pandemic to touch our lives, but we can meet that challenge in a way that lifts Jesus up and honors his name.� When we do so, it draws people to him.�

Five:� Stop the griping and complaining.� Rejoice in the Lord always!� Real joy does not come from circumstances but from Christ living in you.� Start acting like it!

So let me give you some encouragement:� Regardless of what happens to you during this pandemic, you are firmly in the hand of God.� Instead of trying to avoid adversity, turn to the word and prayer to find out what God may be accomplishing in your spiritual life. �Let him show you how to react in a way that will bring him glory. �

Let me give you some relief:� How often have we wished for a chance to get out of the 'rat race' so we could slow our lives down?� How often have we lamented that we don't have more time to become closer to the Lord?� Well, here is your chance!� �Right now, normal activities are temporarily suspended.� Why not use that time to get closer to the Lord?�

Let me give you some strength: This pandemic did not catch God off guard.� He not only knew it would happen, he knew you would be involved in it.� Let's use it for good!� Let's use it to strengthen our relationship with Him.� Let's use it to reach others for the gospel!

If this post has been a strength to you, please share it with someone else!� Post it to your Facebook page for others to see and be encouraged. Write in and share your experiences with us as we navigate this crisis for Christ!

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Matthew 9:1 – And getting into the boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

At the close of chapter 8, after Jesus set the demon possessed men free, the people of the town asked him to depart from their city.� What a sad commentary!� In other towns the people flocked to see demonstrations of the power of God.� In this one, they wanted nothing to do with it.� They wanted to remain bound in their sin.� They were satisfied with the status quo.� �

It is the same with us today.� God does not force himself into the life of anyone.� If a person wants Jesus to leave him alone, Jesus will do so.� But be assured that He desires to be a part of your life.

Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock.� If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus is knocking on your door right now�will you open to Him or send him away?

Matthew 9:2 –And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed.� And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."

This passage seems a bit confusing, doesn't it?� There can be no doubt that the man and his friends were looking for physical healing.� So at first glance, Jesus' response to the paralytic seems to be something different than what the man was requesting.� But what He is really doing is using this situation as a teaching moment for mankind.

In this instance, Jesus begins the man's healing by revealing its root cause – sin.� The sorrows and sufferings of human life are the consequence of sin.� People who don't know God often blame him for the suffering they see in the world. But God is not the author of the terrible suffering and injustices we see in this generation. Man brought these situations on himself when he rejected God and allowed Satan to have spiritual authority over the world.

When Jesus came to earth, he came to destroy Satan's hold on mankind by providing atonement for sin.� Because of his death and resurrection, we are reunited to God and the works of the devil, such as sickness and disease, can be destroyed.

1 John 3:8 - � For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus used this man's healing to reveal a spiritual principle to us:� Because sin is the root cause of all evil, our first step towards relief is to restore our relationship to God by asking Him to forgive our sins.� �We must be in right relationship to God before we can seek relief from the bondages of Satan.� Once we are a child of God, we have the right to ask our Father to intervene in our lives and destroy/remove the effects of sin which include sickness and disease.� This is a lesson the world does not understand.

The paralytic and his friends demonstrate a second spiritual principle for us:� Faith and works go hand in hand.� Both are required to see a miracle.

The men had faith to believe that Jesus could heal, but faith is only part of the key to unlocking a miracle.� You also need action.

James 2:17 – So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

What action did they take?� They packed up their friend, left home, and went to find Jesus.� They could have given up when the saw how big the crowd was, but they didn't.� Instead, they took their friend to the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus (see Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26).� Their faith and actions worked together to ignite the miracle.

Look at other miracles from the Bible and you will clearly see this principle:

Assuming that faith was present, what action did the people take when Lazarus was raised from the dead?� They rolled the stone away from his tomb, even though logic told them his body was already rotting.

Assuming faith was present, what actions did people take when Jesus turned the water into wine?� They had to fill the jars with water and take a cup to the master of ceremonies, even though it was still just water at that point.

Assuming faith was present, how did Naamen get healed of his leprosy?� He had to physically go and dip himself 7 times in the Jordan.

Take a moment to recall some of your own spiritual experiences.� Start with your own salvation.� Remember when you felt the powerful draw and conviction of the Holy Spirit?� Isn't it true that you took some action to receive Jesus?� It might have been raising your hand in a church service, or standing to your feet to show your commitment, or praying with an evangelist who was giving an altar call on TV.

Whatever the situation, it was your faith mixed with action that produced the miracle of your salvation.� What other examples can you give?

Matthew 9:3 - And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming."

One of the definitions of blasphemy is the application of divine attributes and prerogatives to anyone other than God. �(This was the basis for most of the charges of blasphemy that the Jews brought against Jesus).

For example, the Jews correctly believed that only God could grant people eternal life.� So in John 10:28-33, when Jesus tells the Jews that he will give his sheep eternal life, he was revealing himself as the Son of God.� Since the Jews believed he was just a man, they accused him of blasphemy.

The Jews also correctly believed that only God can forgive sins.� So in our current study, when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic man, he was in essence saying he was God.� Since the Jews completely rejected the idea that he was God in any way, shape or form, they once again accused him of blasphemy.

Incidentally, according to Old Testament law, the punishment for blasphemy was death (see Leviticus 24:16).� This is the law the Jews referred to when Jesus was before Pilate:

John 19:7 - The Jews answered him [Pilate], 'We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God'.

Essentially, it was the charge of blasphemy that the Jews stood upon to have Jesus crucified.

Matthew 9:4 - But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?"

In order to know a man's thoughts, you would need the ability to search his heart.� These are things that only God has the power to do.� So simply by asking this question, Jesus once again reveals to the Jewish leaders that he is indeed the Son of God.� This second revelation of his person seems to have completely gone over their heads.

The Jews had already made up their minds about who the Messiah should be and how he should act.� Since Jesus did not fit their preconceived ideas, they rejected him despite all the evidence he presented to them, which proved that he was God.

What about you and me?� Do we have preconceived ideas about how God should act or move in our midst?� If the Holy Spirit moves in a way that is new to us, will we embrace His divinity and yield to him?� Or will we be modern day Pharisees and reject him despite the evidence that He loves us and wants to do a good work in our lives?

Matthew 9:5 – "For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven', or to say 'Rise and walk'"?�

Jesus' authority in the physical realm demonstrates or bears witness to his authority in the spiritual realm.� Since he is God, it is equally simple to forgive sin and to heal.

Matthew 9:6-7 – "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" – he then said to the paralytic – "Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home.

As we look at this encounter between Jesus, the paralytic and the religious leaders, it is easy to perceive that there is more going on than just a physical healing.

Why did Jesus heal the paralytic in this manner?� Because he wanted to do more than just heal this man's physical ailment.� He wanted to teach us all that the greatest and most amazing miracle is the forgiveness of sins. �It trumps every other miracle.� As amazing as healing is, it only lasts until we die, but forgiveness of sin has eternal ramifications.� It's a miracle that God has prepared for each and every one of us!

Also, keep in mind that restoration of our relationship with God is the first step in breaking all other bondages and attacks of the enemy.

Matthew 9:8 – When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Take another look at the miracle of your salvation.� Then take a few moments this week to give God glory for it!

Matthew 9:9 – As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

I don't know about you, but the Internal Revenue Service is not one of my favorite government branches.� However, it is possible to dislike the IRS as a nameless, faceless government entity without attacking anyone who works there on a personal level.

This was not the case back in the time of Matthew.� Back then, the Romans would levy taxes against all people, including the Jews.� But you didn't just send them a check in the mail or give them your debit card.� There were real people who collected the taxes.

So tax collectors had a reputation of being greedy cheaters.� People didn't like them.� To make matters worse, the Romans would often employ Jews to be tax collectors.� It was bad enough paying taxes to the overlords you despised, but to have one of your fellow countrymen cheat you as well was adding insult to injury.� The Jewish tax collectors irritated the other Jews just by existing!

So here we find Matthew, the writer of this gospel, being employed as a tax collector.� Now to be fair, he may very well have been an honest one; we don't know.� However, just by being a tax collector, he would have been despised and outcast by his fellow Jews.

The scripture says he was sitting at his tax booth.� This indicates that he was probably located on the road between Damascus and the seaport of Phoenicia.� So in addition to personal taxes, he probably collected custom taxes from imports and exports.

Now let's take a look at the really important part of this verse.� Jesus passes by his tax booth and calls Matthew to follow after him.� So Matthew got up and went.

Did you see the important part?

Matthew did not hesitate; he simply went where he was led.� He did not ask Jesus for all the details about where they were going and what was going to happen.� He didn't tell Jesus that he wanted to think about it first.� He did not stop and call his friends together to discuss it with them.� He didn't worry about what others might think.� He simply got up and followed Jesus.

Sometimes when God calls us to do something, we hesitate.� We want to know how it will work, who will help and where the money will come from.� We want make long term plans and discuss them with other people.� When all the while, Jesus just wants us to step out in faith and follow where he leads.

Oftentimes when we hesitate we suddenly find hundreds of reasons why things won't work out.� We invent many excuses for not doing what Jesus asked us to do. �Soon fear sets in.� Next, we begin to look at how unqualified we are to do the work.� At this point, we talk ourselves out of doing whatever it was.� We question whether we heard God's voice at all!�

Know this:� Hesitation is the crack that allows Satan to come in and derail our ministry before it even starts! �Don't give him the chance – when Jesus calls you, remember Matthew and step out immediately!

Matthew 9:10 – And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.�

How much time elapses between verses 10 and 11?� While the biblical account appears as though the feast was on the same day that Matthew was called, this is probably not the case.� Then (as now) it took a lot of time and preparation to organize a large successful feast.� It may have been as long as 2-3 months between Matthew's call and his banquet in honor of Jesus.�

One possible (likely) scenario is that after Matthew's conversion, he handed his business off to others.� It may have been the occasion of his 'retirement' which prompted this feast.� The party afforded him an opportunity to honor his new master Jesus, while at the same time introducing many other tax collectors and sinners to the savior.� Thus we see a desire to highly esteem Jesus and bring salvation to his friends.

Interestingly, the word 'sinners' is a generic term used to describe people of ill repute or low moral character; it probably included heathens/Gentiles as well as Jews.� To invite Jewish sinners to this feast was shocking enough for the Pharisees, but to have Gentiles present as well – it was unimaginable!

Matthew 9:11 – And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

To eat and drink with someone implies intimacy with them.� The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of seeking out the company of the wicked.� The inference is that since Jesus is a companion or friend of the wicked, he too was a wicked man and therefore not who he claimed to be.� They believed that Jesus should separate himself from the wicked, not have fellowship with them.

Their accusations were also a sneak attack on the new disciples.� By questioning the motives and actions of their master, the Pharisees were attempting to plant seeds of doubt in the mind of the disciples.� Since the Pharisees could not contradict or defeat Jesus, they may have been seeking to destroy his ministry by turning his disciples against him.

Matthew 9:12 – But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Jesus firmly and immediately put a stop to the Pharisees attempt to discredit him and drive a wedge between him and his disciples.

In the physical realm, a doctor is among sick people not because he himself is sick, but because he is ministering to the sick.� In the spiritual realm, Jesus is among the spiritually sick not because he himself is spiritually sick, but because he is ministering to the spiritually sick.

In fact, this was the supreme reason Jesus came to earth!� He came to rescue us from hell.� He came to take slaves and make them sons and daughters of the kingdom.� He came to take our scarlet sins and make them white as snow.� He came to give us beauty for ashes and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.� He came to bear our shame and reproach, clothing us in his righteousness.� He came to transform us into a new creation; old things having passed away and all things have become new!

Yes, the publicans and sinners at that party were spiritually disgusting, but no more so than you and I and the Pharisees!� All have sinned and come short of the glory of God; thanks be to God that Jesus came to die for the sins of us all!� Unfortunately, the Pharisees were so consumed by pride and hypocrisy they did not recognize that they themselves were also sick!

Matthew 9:13 - Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'� For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, a scripture the religious leaders should have been very familiar with.� In this passage God reminds his people that he is more pleased with acts of kindness and benevolence than he is with the outward compliance of religious duty.�� Throughout scripture we see that God is always more interested in what is in your heart (including your motivations), than your actions.

True, the Pharisees were outwardly holy/compliant.� They tithed and they fasted and they never missed a religious sacrifice or feast.� But for all that, they were still far from the kingdom of heaven because their hearts were not right before God.� They were full of hypocrisy and pride.� This was evident in their actions; they had no interest in helping other sinners become more righteous, in fact they did all they could to condemn those who were already lost.�

Sadly, by thinking themselves already righteous, they did not recognize that they too were in need of Jesus.� So while the sinners they scorned received eternal life, they lost it!� How do we react to the lost?� Do we have compassion for those who need the savior or do we distance ourselves from those who are spiritually sick because we don't want to be associated with them?

Matthew 9:14 – Then the disciples of John came to him saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not fast?"

At this time, John the Baptist was in prison.� That left his disciples in a state of transition.� Would John be released from prison or should they follow Jesus, whom John himself named as the Messiah?� It is most likely that at this vulnerable time the Pharisees approached the disciples of John in an effort to turn them against Jesus.� They are probably the ones who first approached John's disciples asking why Jesus and his followers did not fast.�

Again, they were up to their old tricks – trying to sow seeds of doubt about Jesus into the hearts and minds of those who were truly seeking God.� They were probably attempting to have the disciples of John join their 'side' in their conflict with Jesus.

You know, there are no questions too hard to bring to God. If someone tells you that God is unjust or cruel for some reason, or you think he failed you for some reason, why not ask him about it? �If we approach him humbly and respectfully, earnestly seeking the truth, God will answer us just as Jesus took the time to answer John's disciples.

Matthew 9:15 – And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?� The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."

Jesus gave an answer that was tailored specifically to John's followers.� It builds on John's words in chapter 3 verse 29:

John 3:28-29 – You yourselves bear me witness, that I [John] said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.'� The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.� The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice.� Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

Jesus is the bridegroom, while the church is his bride.� Since weddings are seasons of rejoicing, those who are with the bridegroom do not fast or mourn; that would be totally inappropriate actions for a wedding.� However, when the bridegroom is absent, then the wedding guests will mourn.

So, since Jesus was with his disciples, it was a period of rejoicing not mourning.� Once Jesus returned to heaven, there would be plenty of occasions for fasting. �Stated another way, the disciples of Jesus were not yet under a dispensation that called for fasting. �

Matthew 9:16 – "No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and a worse tear is made."

This illustration demonstrates the difference between the Old covenant (the old garment) and the New covenant (the unshrunk cloth).� The Jews were happy with the old garment/covenant because it was familiar and comfortable. In fact, it was all they had known since their nation was formed.� Also, the Jews as a whole were under the false impression that religious life should always manifest itself in precisely the same way in every generation.� As a result, they were reluctant (to say the least) to accept the new and amazing blessings God had in store for them.�

But Jesus makes it plain that the two covenants could not be successfully combined.� Therefore, Jews and Gentiles alike needed to accept the new covenant and embrace the new move of God in their generation.

Matthew 9:17 – "Neither is new wine put into old wineskins.� If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed.� But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

Back in the day, wine containers were made of sheep or goat skins.� When new, they could stretch and expand with the fermentation process of the new wine.� But over time, they would lose this flexibility and become stiffened with age.� If you tried to contain new wine with old wineskins, the disaster would be total – the skins would burst and the wine would be lost. �

In the same way, the old wineskin of Judaism had become hardened and inflexible over time.� It was made even more narrow and stiff by the efforts of the Pharisees and rabbis.� There is no way that Judaism could contain or hold the fresh power of Christianity.� It was not pliable enough to hold unlimited quantities of grace and forgiveness.� It was not flexible enough to contain the power of the Holy Spirit being poured out into every man and woman who wanted it.� Total access to the presence of God by sinful man was enough to shatter it.� Only a new wineskin could hold all that God is doing in the church age!

So let me offer you a little encouragement:� God never contradicts his word. That is a fact.� However, that does not mean that he can never move or manifest himself in a new way.� The religious leaders back in Jesus day often missed the move of God because it was not the same as it had been in the past.� Like the healing of the paralytic, they rejected it because it was not what they expected.

Isaiah 43:19 – Behold, I [God] will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?

What about us?� Can we allow the Holy Spirit to move in a new way in our lives and church services?� I encourage you to yield to the move of the Spirit, even if it is new to you.� Release yourself to Him and experience the new things he desires to do for you and through you!

Let me offer you a little relief:� God has not changed; He is still in the miracle business.� The healing of the paralytic did not drain all his power!� Take a moment right now and remember the miracle of your salvation.� Then consider this:� If God was willing to give up his only Son for you, why would he withhold any other good thing from you?� If he has already given you his best and most precious thing, why would he refuse you something of less value?

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Psalms 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor.� No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

That thought should really strengthen your faith!� Now take that faith and add some action to it.� Expect God to move in your situation in miraculous ways!

Let me offer you some strength:� Jesus is our bridegroom and he has promised to return to earth and take us to himself.� Sometimes, in the course of life's difficulties and disappointments, we forget this promise.� Sometimes we grow weary in the battle, but right now take a few minutes and strengthen yourself through praise and worship.� You are on the winning side!� One day, God will fulfill all the promises he made; one day he will take us to be with him where there is no more sin, struggle, pain or tears!� Hallelujah!

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Matthew 8:18 – Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

Why would Jesus walk away from the crowd?  There may have been multiple reasons:

Though Jesus was the true Son of God, he was also limited by his humanness.  He could not minister 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  He had to have some time to eat and rest for the sake of his physical body.

Going to the other side of the lake was one way to curb the enthusiasm of the people.  You see, the crowds loved the ministry of Jesus. They loved the physical things he could provide (food, healing) and they recognized his authority.  They were so enthralled, they sometimes wanted to make him king, which Jesus could not allow.

Finally, there were opportunities on the other side of the lake to heal and share the gospel message as well.  Jesus could not just stay in one place for three years.

Matthew 8:19-20 – And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

The request of the scribe to follow Jesus seems like a holy and righteous one.  Why do you suppose Jesus did not encourage him to come?

Scholars feel that Jesus saw his request as a sudden impulse, rather than a well thought out, calculated decision.  The scribe may have been carried away by the excitement of the moment, and if that was the case, he did not yet have the depth/root in Christ to continue.  He would have fallen away from the faith during times of persecution or danger or hardship.  To allow the scribe to go on the road with Jesus would have been tantamount to setting him up for failure.

God never sets us up to fail.  He has a perfect plan for every life.  The scribe needed to mature spiritually; he was not yet ready for the next level. As he matured, he would have the opportunity to reach the people of his home town with the gospel message. Perhaps that was God's plan for his life all along!

Only God knows the future for certain.  Sometimes we don't understand why things happen the way they do, but we can be sure that God is always at work in our best interest.

Matthew 8:21-22 – Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

The prior example showed a disciple (the scribe) who was attempting to rush into ministry without being called.  In this case, the disciple has delayed stepping into ministry long after the call has been given.

Why has he delayed?  Either his father is already dead and he wishes to remain at home to pay his last respects, or (more likely) his father is very old but still alive and the disciple wishes to remain with him until death.

As in the case of the scribe, this appears to be a righteous and noble thing to do, but Jesus steers him in a different direction.  In fact, Jesus was admonishing this particular disciple to follow him immediately.  Why the urgency?

Consider this:  If he delayed any longer, he may have become entangled with other responsibilities or situations at home that he could never have foreseen.  These added cares may have prevented him from ever stepping out into ministry.  If this was his time to step out in faith, then to delay meant to risk certain failure.

Again, I want to point out that God has a perfect plan for each individual and He does not set us up to fail.  He sets us up to be victorious, but we need to listen to his voice and obey what we hear.

The admonition to step into immediate service in the kingdom is followed by another strong statement; namely, to let the [spiritually] dead bury the [physically] dead.  In other words, the disciple who has a call on his life needs to step out immediately and begin to labor.  Those who pay no attention to spiritual things can take care of the routine duties of life.

Matthew 8:23-24 – And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

The sea in question is the sea of Tiberias also called the Sea of Galilee. It is an inland lake at the foot of mountains.  Because of its location, it is subject to sudden, strong squalls.

Meanwhile, a sudden squall kicked up and threatened to sink the ship.  This combination of events provided an opportunity to test the faith of the disciples.

Matthew 8:25-26 – And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."  And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?"  Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

How did they do in the trial?  Well, Jesus isn't exactly patting them on the back saying, 'well done', is he?  In fact, Jesus chastises them a little, wondering at their lack of faith.

What could they have done differently?  For starters, it was certainly okay for them to recognize that there was a problem. When difficulties arise, they should never be ignored.  But once they first saw the problem, they should have reached down, grabbed their faith, and then prayed, believing that God was listening and watching over them.

Instead, they recognized the problem, and then kept looking at it until fear took over and faith was totally banished from their lives.  Then, in desperation, they woke Jesus up to help them.

Here is a truth that you might find helpful:  The more you look at your problems, the bigger they become and the smaller God and his power seems to be.  However, if you train yourself to concentrate on God as soon as the problem surfaces, it will cause your faith to rise up and your problems to shrink to an appropriate size.

Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment�

When you exercise your faith in prayer, you touch the throne of God and he comes to fight your battles for you!  In this way, no weapon of the enemy can succeed against you, unless you allow it!

Mathew 8:27 – And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

This was obviously not the first miracle the disciples had seen.  We know they had witnessed Jesus healing many people.  But this miracle was different. No man could ever command the elements of nature, yet Jesus had just done it!  It was a demonstration of Jesus' dominion over all of creation. This miracle created wonder, amazement and reverence for Christ.  It more fully revealed the divinity of Jesus to his disciples.

Matthew 8:28 – And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.

After safely arriving at the other side of the lake, two demon possessed men meet Jesus and his followers.  They are described as 'coming out of the tombs'.  In our day, that evokes images of zombies rising up out of the ground, but that isn't what Matthew meant.

The New Testament Jews buried their dead in caves or man-made excavations in the sides of hills.  These were located far from cities.  This means that the demoniacs were taking shelter in one of these caves. Jewish law decreed that to touch a dead body made one ceremonially unclean.  No Jewish person would ever have gone into a burial chamber unless it was absolutely necessary.  To actually dwell in one would be a sign of insanity.

They are also described as being exceedingly fierce; they were often bound with chains and fetters which they broke off.  This suggests that they were uncontrolled, had exceptional power and their thoughts and actions were evil.  No wonder everyone avoided them!

Matthew 8:29 – And behold they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God?  Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

The fact that these men immediately recognized Jesus as the Messiah, plus the strong fear that they displayed, are regarded as convincing evidence that they were indeed under an evil supernatural influence, as opposed to just being afflicted with some ordinary disease/illness.

The phrase 'what have you to do with us' should be interpreted as 'what right, rule or authority do you claim over us'.  This likely refers to the scriptures which state that at the end of the world God will judge the fallen angels (demons) and send them into everlasting torment.  This is again evidence of a spiritual interaction, rather than just a physical one.

Matthew 8:30-31 – Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.  And the demons begged him saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."

Here we find evidence of the limited power of Satan.  A whole legion of demons did not have the power or authority to stand again Jesus, indeed, they did not even try.  Neither did they have the power or authority to destroy a herd of simple creatures (the swine).  While Satan's hatred is infinite, his power and authority are not!

Matthew 8:32 – and he said to them, "Go."  So they came out and went into the pigs and behold the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.

God does not perform evil at any time.  Yet, God will sometimes, as in this case, permit Satan to perform the evil he desires to do.  God will then use the evil actions of Satan for his own purposes.  Thus, God's authority over them is again displayed.

God allowed him to do so, then used the destruction of the swine as a test.  God's miraculous power to restore and heal had been clearly demonstrated.  Which would the townspeople value more – the swine or the healing of the demon possessed men?  Which did their hearts follow after – money or the power of God? 

Some may be tempted to complain that God allowed the townspeople to suffer loss.  However, the spiritual lessons learned here have been ministering to mankind for hundreds and hundreds of years!  This was a much better value to mankind than the few physical meals the pigs could have provided to the Romans of that day.  Spiritual life is eternal; physical life will pass away!

Matthew 8:33 – The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon possessed men.  And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Curiosity about these events led the people out to see Jesus.  But sadly, they did not want to be a part of the kingdom of Heaven.  They could have listened to Jesus teach.  They could have brought out their sick and afflicted for Jesus to heal.  They could have repented, entered into the kingdom of Heaven and in turn sent out messengers of the good news/gospel message, but they did not.

What held them back?  Perhaps it was the love of money and possessions.  Perhaps they loved the comfort of the status quo, and did not want anything to change their routine.

Do you have fear about the power of God moving on your life?  Do you fear the moving of the Holy Spirit?  Are you afraid to let God minister to you in a supernatural way that you have never before seen or experienced?

If this is an area where you experience trepidation, let me offer you this scripture:

Luke 11:11-13 – What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

The working and manifestation of the Holy Spirit are a gift and a blessing to our lives.  The Holy Spirit is not out to embarrass you or make fun of you.  He is there to bring the transforming power of God into your life.

We know that Jesus healed people by the power of the Holy Spirit.  So, consider the demoniacs.  Was the Holy Spirit there to mock them or embarrass them?  Of course not!  Did the Holy Spirit bring the transforming power of God into their lives?  Yes!  Were they better off before or after their encounter with the supernatural touch of God?  I think most of us would agree they were better off after the touch of the Holy Spirit.

Will you open up your heart and life to a new move of the Holy Spirit?  God guarantees that it will be a good thing!

So let me offer you a dose of encouragement and relief:  Maybe God is NOT calling you into a foreign mission field.  Maybe he is NOT calling you to quit your job and go into full time ministry.  That is okay! It doesn't mean that you don't have value in the kingdom of Heaven. It doesn't mean that there is not a plan for you.  It doesn't mean that other people are better or more devout believers than you are; it just means that God has something perfect for you right where you are!  God needs people to serve him in the workplace and in the community as much as on foreign soil.  So don't be upset or feel inferior if God does not call you to a public work.  Minister where God has placed you!

Let me offer you some strength:  Are you the person that others look to for guidance and help?  Are you the one who must stay strong in the midst of crisis because your friends and family are depending on you to hold it all together?  That is an enormous and important load to carry.

Thankfully, you don't have to bear that burden with just your own strength.  The working of the Holy Spirit and his supernatural move upon our lives is a gift and a blessing.  Let go of your fears.  Be open to a move of the Holy Spirit that you may never have experienced. He will strengthen and equip you to be victorious in life.   The Holy Spirit will fill you with strength and wisdom so that you can help others!

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Matthew 8:1-2 – When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

In the New Testament scriptures, leprosy is a somewhat generic term that can refer to any skin disease. However, in the Old Testament, it meant something more specific.

In ancient times, leprosy was a deadly, incurable skin disease which was characterized by smooth, shining, depressed white patches of skin.  The hair within the skin also turned white.  The disease causes the flesh to be anesthetized to pain, and thus a person could injure themselves severely and not even notice it.  The disease also caused wasting of muscle tissue, loss of hair and destruction of the bones and joints especially of the hands and feet.

• The person had to move out of the camp.  This meant they were separated from their fellow man. 
• The person was considered unclean and was no longer allowed in the temple area.  This meant the person was cut off from God. 
• The person had to call out "unclean, unclean" anytime they were walking around and approached another person.  Since there is no cure, the leper was essentially dead while he still lived, and the crying out was a kind of mourning.
• [You can read the specifics of leprosy in Leviticus 13].

Of all the miracles that Jesus performed on earth, why do you suppose Matthew recorded this one?  Is it beneficial for us today?  Don't we have modern medicine to cure leprosy now?

It is easy to see why Matthew included this miracle when we consider that leprosy is symbolic of sin.

Sin is an incurable disease that we cannot heal.  It anesthetizes our conscience and deforms our lives.  It shuts us out of fellowship with our fellow man and it cuts us off from the presence of God.  When we are under the curse of sin, we are dead even while we live!

The leper in this narrative acknowledges that Jesus has the power to heal him, if he will.  What is Jesus response?

Matthew 8:3 – And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean."  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

When you read the New Testament you can't help but notice that Jesus heals in many different ways.  Sometimes he spits and makes mud, sometimes he touches or speaks or has you stretch out your hand.

If I were going to heal this leper, I would probably have yelled "be healed" from about 100 yards away!  But Jesus doesn't do that, does he?  He chooses to do something very interesting – he touches the man with the incurable, contagious disease. 

If we carefully read the request of the leper, we can see that he believes Jesus has the power to heal him, what he doubts is whether or not Jesus will do so.  By asking this request, the leper is risking rejection by God.  But we see that without hesitation, Jesus declares his love and concern for this individual by not only saying 'I will', but also by touching him.

The same is true for us.  We know that Jesus died and rose again; he is certainly capable of forgiving our sins.  Yet many people doubt that Jesus will forgive them.  If that is you, pay special attention to this passage of scripture.  There is no sin too horrible or black or disgusting for Jesus.  He wants to stretch out his hand of love and forgive you right now!  Just take a lesson from the leper – approach him humbly and simply ask.  He will not turn you away!

Matthew 8:4 – And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them."  

Jesus came not to overturn the law, but to fulfill it.  Thus, it was proper that the leper should go to the priest to be declared clean, according to the law.  This set in motion a couple of different things.

First, it gave the former leper a chance to witness about the healing he had received.  His testimony was confirmed by an impartial third party - the priest- therefore it was a fact that could not be disputed by those who tried to discredit Jesus.  It also afforded the cleansed man an opportunity to bring an offering of thanksgiving to God.

Second, it allowed the former leper to legally return to his people and the temple.  No longer was he cut off from God and man.  No longer was he dead while still living.

Third, it provided an opportunity for the cleansed leper to be obedient to the commands of Jesus.  God places a high value on obedience; he considers it much more valuable than sacrifice.

The spiritual implications for us are obvious.  When Jesus forgives our sin, we should be willing to bear witness to that fact.  We should be forever singing his praise and worshipping him for what he has done.  Because our sin has been forgiven by the blood of Christ, we are no longer cut off from man or God.  In fact, we can enter into God's throne room any time we wish!  No longer are we dead in our trespasses and sin.  Even though we have trials and tribulations in this life, we are safe in the hands of Jesus.

Matthew 8:5-7 – When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."

Matthew immediately records another healing by Jesus, though this one is far different from the leper.  In this instance, the request is being made by a centurion, a military man with authority over 100 soldiers.  This man was a Gentile, stationed in Capernum for the express purpose of keeping the Jews in line with Roman policy.

Given this, we might have expected him to ignore the plight of his servant altogether, to seek help from ordinary physicians or even turn to witchcraft.  Instead, we are surprised to learn that he seeks relief from the true God of Israel.  He may not have fully understood that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God, but he did understand and believe that the power of God flowed through Jesus.

His belief prompts him to seek Jesus for the healing of his servant, who is suffering badly.  Even the heathen come to Jesus to unburden their souls!  And as in the case of the leper, Jesus has compassion on the sinner and readily agrees to come and touch him.

Matthew 8:8-9 – But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go' and he goes, and to another, 'Come' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this' and he does it.

Not only did the centurion believe that the power of God flowed through Jesus, he understood that authority in the spiritual realm is parallel to authority in the natural realm.  In the Roman army, the centurion had men over him in authority.  At the same time, we know he had 100 men under his authority.  Likewise, Jesus was submitting to his Father's authority while sickness, disease and every other form of evil had no choice but to submit to the Son of God.

Matthew 8:10 – When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

What is the definition of faith?  Faith is belief in the truth of what is declared by another resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity.  It is confidence or trust in a person (or thing) resting solely on that person's authority, rather than proof.

In other words, it means believing what Jesus said simply because he was the one who said it!

Instead, they were constantly asking Jesus for a sign to verify or prove that he was the Son of God.

What about you?  Is your faith more like the Pharisees or the centurion?  Do you believe the promises you find in the Bible and live your life accordingly?  If not, why?

Matthew 8:11-12 – I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Here Jesus represents salvation/entrance to the kingdom of Heaven as a feast or banquet.  The 'sons' are the Jewish people, who felt that their status as descendants of Abraham was enough to get them into the kingdom.  Those who come from the 'east and west' are clearly Gentiles.

Jesus reveals two important truths here:

One, entrance to the kingdom of Heaven is not based on physical family lineage.  Contrary to popular belief, Jews were not guaranteed entrance to heaven just because they were descendants of Abraham; something else would be required.

Two, Jesus begins to reveal that God's ultimate plan is to include the Gentiles in the plan of salvation.  Those who were not physical descendants of Abraham could still be admitted into the kingdom of heaven.

To us, this seems normal.  We grew up with the understanding that God accepts anyone into his kingdom as long as they turn to the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of sin.  But this was a radical concept for the Jews back in the days of Jesus.  The separation between the Jews and Gentiles was so great, only the Spirit of God was wise enough and strong enough to unite the two groups together into a single church/body of Christ.

Matthew 8:13 – And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed."  And the servant was healed at that very moment.

The servant received his healing; the centurion received an answer to his prayer and a confirmation of his faith.

Matthew 8:14-15 – And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.  He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Peter invited Jesus to his house.  Jesus willingly came.  When Jesus entered this situation, the first thing he did was to bring peace and healing to all that were in the house.  Peter's mother-in-law was immediately healed of her fever.  She responded to that healing by ministering to Jesus and his disciples.

Do you have situations in your life that need the touch of Jesus?  Why not invite him in right now?  He will bring peace and healing when he comes.  You can then glorify his name through praise and worship.  You can also testify to his goodness by assisting others who may be enduring the same fiery trial.

Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Sickness and difficulties can happen to anyone, even to people of faith who are diligently serving God.  We can't stop the trials from coming, but we can always turn to Jesus in our times of need.  He is a very present help in the time of trouble.

Matthew 8:16-17 – That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases."

Why do you suppose they waited until evening to seek out Jesus?  The answer lies in the way the Jews counted their days.  We hold that a day begins and ends at midnight.  For the Jews, the day begins and ends at sunset.  Since no work could be performed on the Sabbath day, the Jews waited until sunset or the end of the Sabbath, to bring the sick to Jesus.

Those who took the time to come to him were not disappointed.  He healed every sick person who came. Now is a good time to mention that these healings were not limited to just physical ailments.  Jesus also healed (and continues to heal) emotional scars as well as mental ailments including, but not limited to: fear, anxiety and depression. All of our healing, as well as the forgiveness of our sin, was foretold in Isaiah 53.

We should note that Jesus most often combined teaching with ministry (healing).  People were more than willing to listen to the teaching, knowing they would also have their physical needs met.  In this way, Jesus ministered to them both spiritually and physically.

This is a good model for us as well.  If we want to share the gospel with people in our community, we should look at combining that message with hot meals, clothes, groceries or after school programs.  When we meet a person's physical needs, they are more receptive to the gospel message.

SO LET ME OFFER YOU SOME ENCOURAGEMENT:  When Peter invited Jesus to his house, it was not for the purpose of healing his mother-in-law.  Her sickness was not life threatening.  In fact, we might say it was just a normal part of life.

But as soon as Jesus was given access to the household, he brought peace and healing to all that it contained, even this woman's minor ailment.  You may have some things in your life that you don't feel are worthy to trouble Jesus about, but remember – he is interested in everything that has to do with you.  He can and will bring peace and healing to even your littlest troubles.  I encourage you to invite him to abide with you and see what happens!

LET ME OFFER YOU SOME RELIEF:   You may have some ugly 'leprous' things in your life and you may feel that you need to clean some of those things up before seeking Jesus.  But let me offer you some relief – Jesus is willing to accept you right now, leprous spots and all.  There are some things that you will never be able to heal in your life.  You need Jesus to do that, so call upon him today, just as you are.  He is waiting for you to call upon him, and he is not afraid to touch lepers!

LET ME OFFER YOU SOME STRENGTH:  Who did Jesus heal?  All who came to him, of course!  You may be timid about coming to Jesus for forgiveness and healing.  You may be afraid that he will reject you.  You may be uncertain if he will hear and answer you.  You may be concerned about his ability to do the impossible, but let me give you the strength and confidence you need to move ahead – Jesus healed ALL who came to him.  He did not turn anyone away!  And his power never decreases.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever, so be strong in the Lord.  Let your faith grow and expand.  Show him that you believe by asking him for what you want and praising him for what he has done!

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Matthew 7:15-16–Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

Sometimes we assume the word 'prophet' to mean a person who foretells future events, but that is not the only definition.  People who were accepted as public religious instructors were also considered prophets. 

What made a person a false prophet?   A prophet/teacher was considered false for any one of these reasons:

• Assuming the role of religious leader/teacher without a call from God
• Putting forward his/her own thoughts and ideas as being from God
• Teaching any false doctrine

What effect did false prophets/teachers have on the church?  Through false teaching, Christians were fooled into turning aside from the true faith and believing something false.  These false doctrines caused believers to become spiritually confused or bound by lies, and consequently rendered them ineffective in the Kingdom of God.  Worse yet, some of these doctrines could cause Christians to fall away from their faith in Christ.

Second, the teachings and leadership of the false prophets often brought them undue honor and prestige. They acted like they were the only ones who could hear from God and know what to do.  At best, they were limiting the true relationship between the believer and God.  At worst, they were a wedge that cut believers off from God and caused them to lose their faith.

Let's look at an example.  In the old covenant, all men who were part of God's chosen people had to be circumcised.  However, when Jesus came to fulfill the law, he declared that circumcision was no longer something to be done in the flesh.  Instead, circumcision was a spiritual act; all the people in His kingdom would be circumcised in their hearts by cutting sin out of their lives.

Romans 2:28-29 – For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.  But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

But we find that many false prophets and false teachers were still insisting that any man who became a Christian had to be circumcised in the flesh.

This false doctrine caused a rift between the Jews and the Gentiles, which threatened to split the church in half.  It created an atmosphere of distrust among the believers. It was a rejection of the new covenant that Jesus paid for with his blood. 

False teachers were also big into self denial and mortification of the flesh.  They tended to be very rule oriented; they felt that every single law must be stringently observed through their own willpower. How tiresome!  Have you ever determined not to do something "ever again" only to find yourself doing it a day later?  That's what happens when you try to rule your flesh by willpower alone.

Sadly, they missed the blessing that Jesus gave us through the new covenant – the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who changes our hearts.  Once our hearts and minds have been renewed, our outward actions naturally change too.  We don't have to focus all of our energy on obeying every law through sheer willpower because our new nature will prompt us to do the right thing on its own.

Jesus says that false teachers are like wolves disguised as sheep.  That is, they appear to be innocent, helpful, loving and knowledgeable about spiritual things, but in reality, they are full of deadly evil.  They are hypocrites who mislead and destroy sincere believers.

So, how can a Christian keep from being fooled by these false prophets and teachers?

Matthew 7:17-18 – So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Comparing spiritual leaders/teachers to fruit trees may seem a bit strange, but it makes more sense if you have some background information:  In scripture and in Jewish phraseology, fruits are symbolic of works.  Jesus is telling us that the way to determine which teachers are false and which are true is by examining their fruits, or works.

So if a person comes along claiming to have spiritual authority, take a look at their life.  Do they have joy, peace, holiness, patience, gentleness and love for mankind?  Do they give God the glory for what they are accomplishing? Do they care for the poor and the lost?  

However, if you look at the person's life and find anger, pride, envy, slander, greed, unforgiveness, bitterness or other evils you can safely conclude they are a bad/diseased tree.  Therefore, both the teacher and the teaching should be rejected as false.  Have no part with them!

Matthew 7:19-20 – Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Hmmm� some of these words seem familiar�where did we heard them before?  That's right – they were already spoken to the Pharisees and other religious leaders by John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:10 - And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

People who bring forth diseased fruit (anger, envy, pride, etc) will someday be cast into the fires of hell, because they are not true children of God.  That is why John the Baptist warned the Scribes and Pharisees to repent and seek the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 7:21-23 - Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

You see, it is not enough to just claim God as your father or Jesus as your savior.  It is not enough to just have knowledge of God in your head.  You could study the scriptures for years on end (like the Pharisees did), but if it is just a series of facts floating around in your brain, it is of no value.  [Even Satan acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God, but he is still going to be cast into the fires of hell].  Why?  Because it takes more than just factual knowledge to save your soul.

In the same way, anyone who has the ability to speak can verbally profess Jesus as Lord, and even teach (prophesy) his word, but that does not mean they are true children of God.  The true child of God doesn't just teach or profess his name, they sincerely strive to do the will of God.  True Christians have actions that align with their words.

At the end of time, Jesus will assume his rightful role as judge of mankind.  At that time, there will be people who will claim to be servants of Christ because they taught his word (prophesying), cast out demons and performed miracles.  However, Jesus will refute their claims, saying that these people were never his true children.  Jesus then reinforces his point by giving the parable of the wise and foolish builders (see below).

Jesus has given the analogy of the tree and fruit to identify false teachers and show what their judgment will be.  He now gives us the parable of the wise and foolish builders to show that the 'doers' of the word are different from just 'hearers' of the word, and all of us will be held accountable for our own spiritual condition.

Matthew 7:24-25 –Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Matthew 7:26-27 – And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Jesus has packed a lot of teaching into this short parable.  Here are some lessons we can take away from his teaching:

Each one of us is responsible for building our own house.  We cannot rely on others to do it for us.  You cannot rely on the faith and salvation of your parents, grandparents or anyone else.  You must be a disciple of Christ yourself.

Jesus is the rock.  He is the only one who can pardon sin through his shed blood and thus he is the only true foundation that you can build your spiritual house upon.

1 Corinthians 3:11 – For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Hearing the word is NOT building upon it.  Building is acting in faith based upon the words you heard.

When you hear that Jesus forgives sin, you must act in faith to receive that forgiveness for yourself.  Subsequent to your salvation, the Holy Spirit will enlighten you to the way God wants you to live.  He will then assist you as you bring your mind, will, emotions and actions into conformity with God's principles for your life.  This is how you build upon the foundation of Christ.  Building a house in the natural world does not happen overnight, especially if there is only a single builder.  So it is with your spiritual house – you build it day by day; it is established slowly over time as you constantly work at it.

However, those who did not build upon Jesus will have no hope in the storms of life.  They will have no comfort, no peace, no joy and no satisfaction when trouble comes.  They have no eternal assurance to lean upon when death comes to claim them.

As you consider these teachings of Jesus, examine yourself and make sure that you are indeed building by faith upon that sure foundation!

Matthew 7:28-29 – And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Scribes and Pharisees were the teachers of the Jewish nation.  However, they spent their time teaching mostly the traditions of their forefathers, not the word of God.  They also allowed useless and trivial disputes to occupy much of their time and attention.  As such, they were of little use to the spiritual growth of their fellow Jews.

Jesus, however, came speaking the true words of God.  He came in authority, confirming his doctrine with miracles.  Jesus showed that he had the authority to explain, enforce and change the ceremonial laws of the Jews.  He cut right through the foolishness of the Pharisees, revealing the truth like a breath of fresh air.  This authority was astounding to the Jews.

So let me offer you some encouragement:

It is true that there are many false teachers in the world, but you don't have to be fooled by them!  Jesus has given you the tools to pick out the bad 'apples'.

First, take a look at their fruits.  If they are good, that is a positive sign.  Next, listen to what they are teaching.  Does it line up with the rest of scripture?  That is another good indicator.  Finally, remember that Jesus says his sheep know his voice and they will not listen to the voice of another (see John 10).  So pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about a particular teacher.  If God approves him, that is the best recommendation of all!

Let me offer you some relief: 

Even a very fruitful grape vine will produce some sour grapes once in a while.  In the same way, you and I are not perfect.  Once in a while we are going to 'blow it', or act according to our flesh instead of our spirit.  When that happens, ask God to forgive you and move on.  Don't let Satan stop you in your tracks because you made a mistake.  If your life is showing a definite progression towards fruitfulness and good works, you are on the right track.

Let me offer you some strength: 

We are going to experience storms in this life.  They come in many different forms, including sickness, tough financial breaks, relationship problems, and many other things.  When those storms come, the person who has built their life on the solid rock of Christ Jesus WILL prevail!  We will go through those trials comforted, supported and protected by our Heavenly Father.  Hallelujah - His strength is made perfect in our weakness!

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Matthew 7:1-2 – Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

As we noted in a prior post, the Sermon on the Mount is recorded in chapters 5-7 of Matthew.  We now come to the final parts of that sermon.  This section begins with a lesson on how to conduct ourselves in reference to the faults of others.  This lesson was certainly applicable to the Scribes and Pharisees because they were full of pride and conceit.  They believed that they were more righteous and therefore better than 'regular people'.  As a result, they were quick to harshly judge others.  They didn't allow the facts or the true motivations behind a person's actions to stand in the way!  In fact, they would pass judgment without even taking those factors into consideration!

First of all, there are different types of judgment, and not all of them are included in this teaching of Jesus.

There is judicial judgment which happens in a court of law.  Jesus is not forbidding that kind of judgment.  In fact, several places in scripture God instructs judges to judge correctly/justly [for example, John 7:24].

There is judgment that occurs between those in authority and those under authority.  For example, if an employer finds that one of her employees is stealing, she may certainly bring judgment on that individual by firing them.  This is not the kind of judgment Jesus is forbidding.

A Christian may also judge the acts of another in the sense that they are obligated to discern good from evil and correct one another in love.  Jesus is not forbidding this kind of judgment either [Galatians 6:1].

And by the way, let's not forget self-judgment.  The person who can examine his own life and make righteous judgments is to be commended, not condemned.  This type of judgment is actually good.

The type of judgment that Jesus is forbidding here is rash, instantaneous judgment of one person toward another which frequently stems from our own jealousy.  It is done without love and is often peevish, harsh and unjustified.  This type of judgment is eager to find fault with people and then condemn them.  It is suspicious of the motives of people and looks for controversy and heresy.

For instance, in Mark chapter 2 we find the Scribes, Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders condemning Jesus for eating at the house of a known 'sinner', Matthew the tax collector.  They immediately passed judgment on Jesus, labeling him as a base, vile sinner himself!  They wondered why Jesus would even eat dinner with these people.

Clearly, the religious leaders did not stop to investigate this situation.  They did not meet with Jesus privately to ask him why he was having fellowship with sinners.  They did not give Jesus any benefit of the doubt.  They did not stop to consider the good that he was doing. Instead, they were eager to find fault with Jesus.  They were eager to find controversy in the situation and accuse him of wrong doing.  In a spirit of jealousy and pride, they publicly condemned his actions.  We know their judgment was harsh and unjustified, for Jesus was NOT a sinner like the tax collectors. 

Unfortunately, every person (including you and I) is born with an inherent tendency to judge this way, so we must guard ourselves against it. 

Why is it so wrong to judge in this capacity? Judgment is an act of sovereignty; it is a level of authority that only God has the right to exercise.

Why is it so wrong to judge in this capacity? Judgment is an act of sovereignty; it is a level of authority that only God has the right to exercise.  Only God can truly judge the thoughts and motivations of a person's heart at any moment in time.  If we step into this realm of judgment, it is the same thing as sitting down on God's throne and usurping his rights and authority!

To make matters even more intense, if you do step in to judge someone, God will forgo mercy and judge you with the same level of harshness and severity that you used towards your brother.  I don't know about you, but I want to stay far, far away from this kind of judgment!

So if you see a situation that looks like it might be wrong, stop and investigate before you do anything else.  You may find out that you were wrong about the situation.

Matthew 7:3-4 – Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye', when there is the log in your own eye?

In this verse, the word 'speck' could also be translated 'splinter'.  The comparison between a splinter and a log is obvious – the log is billions and billions of times bigger.  Jesus is using this illustration to demonstrate the size of the sins we are so quick to judge in others as compared to our own shortcomings.  Just for the sake of clarity, your sins are the size of the log, whereas the other person's sins are the size of the splinter!

This illustration reveals several truths to us:

Truth #1:  Make sure that you are not indulging in the same areas of weakness as the sister/brother you are so quick to judge.  Before you publicly condemn someone for gossip, you better check yourself and make sure that you are not guilty of the same offence!

Truth #2:  Remember the incident of the woman caught in adultery?  We find the narrative in John chapter 8.  The Scribes and Pharisees caught a woman in the act of adultery.  They brought her before Jesus and demanded that she be stoned, because that was the sentence pronounced by the law [wow�no mercy there!].  Clearly, they were judging her.

What did Jesus do? He stooped down and wrote something in the dirt.  The scriptures do not tell us exactly what was written, but what if Jesus was writing out the sins of her accusers?  That would certainly give them pause, wouldn't it?  Jesus further calls attention to their sin with this statement:

John 8:7, 9 - And as they [Scribes and Pharisees] continued to ask him, he [Jesus] stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."  But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was let alone with the woman standing before him.

So we see that finding fault in others for their transgressions is a sign of hypocrisy when we ignore the transgressions in our own lives.  Don't be that person!  If you feel you are qualified to pass judgment on someone else, stop and "write in the dirt"� take an honest look at yourself and make sure you are not ignoring or minimizing your own short comings before you confront someone else about theirs.  If the Scribes and Pharisees had done that, they would not have been publicly embarrassed by Jesus.

My guess is that if we take time to examine ourselves, most of us will be so busy cleaning up our own lives that we will not have time to judge others!

Matthew 7:5 – You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Truth #3:  If you are able to take a realistic look at your own faults, it will create compassion within you for the mistakes of others.  While sin should be dealt with and removed from our lives, compassion will keep us from crossing the line between restoring our brother and reckless judgment.

Truth #4:  One of the great benefits of acknowledging and dealing with our own sins is that it gives us the experience to be a comfort to others.  If you have been delivered and restored from a spirit of greed, you are in a good position to help restore someone else.  Admit your mistakes, deal with your sin, and allow your experience to be of good use in the Kingdom.

Matthew 7:6 – Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Imagine this scenario with me, keeping in mind the stereotype of a pig:  You are walking outside on a day filled with warmth and sunshine.  [This being winter time in Ohio, you will need your full imagination!!]  You are wearing a set of extremely beautiful and valuable pearls.  These pearls were a gift from the one you love the most and they are extremely precious to you. In fact, they are your most prized possession and you wear them everywhere.

As you wander the countryside, you suddenly smell a most horrible odor.  As you hold your nose and walk in another direction, you soon come to a wooden fence.  On the other side of the fence you find the source of the odor – a pigpen!  There are the greedy pigs, wallowing around in the mud and actually enjoying the filth.  They eat anything and everything that comes their way, without discernment or self control.  All they want is more!

Jesus is using this proverb to teach us a lesson about sharing the gospel message.  The pearls represent the whole gospel message.  The swine (and the dogs) represent men who are corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene and otherwise delighting in sin.  They have no regard for the value of the gospel.

Certainly we are to share the gospel message with ALL unbelievers.  However, there are some who will violently reject the message, and we need to use discretion and discernment in dealing with them.

If we continue to present them with godly wisdom, council and instruction it will not help; it will only enrage them.  There are people who hate the gospel so much that any sign or hint of it will not only repel them, but stir them up to abuse the message and the one who shares it.  These people should only be approached after prayer and with the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.  So, as a general rule, we are to preach the gospel to all men and see whether or not they are worthy of more.

The purpose of this proverb is to instill within us a measure of reverence and discretion as to the preaching of the gospel and statements of spiritual experience.

Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Let us now consider the act of prayer.  Prayer is the privilege of every Christian.  It is a form of communion with God.  It's like meeting at His house to discuss matters of concern in this life.  While we recently discussed this issue when looking at the Lord's Prayer, we will review certain aspects of it here.  If Jesus wants to emphasize an issue, then we will too!

Asking, Seeking and Knocking are three different forms of petitioning God for what we want or need.  These phrases are not passive but active.  They imply earnestness, diligence and perseverance on our part.  However, they come with the promise that our efforts will be rewarded – God will answer!

1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we desired of him.

However, this is to be interpreted as a general statement.  There are things which will nullify the promise of receiving what you ask for.

Matthew 7:9-10 – Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

Are you a parent?  If your 17-year-old asked to borrow your car, the answer may very well be 'yes', because for them, it would be a good thing.  Likewise, God desires to give you what you ask, as long as it is beneficial for you.

Now if your 7-year-old asked to borrow your car, I am guessing you told them 'no', because you care for them and you deny requests that are harmful.

God is the same way.  He sees all things and when we ask something that is detrimental or damaging for us in some way, he will deny the request, the same as any loving parent.

If Father God says 'no', then we should be mature enough to realize that the thing we thought was 'bread or fish' was actually a 'stone or scorpion'.   Rather than acting like spoiled children and accusing Father God of being mean to us, we need to accept his decision and rejoice in his care for us.

Matthew 7:11 – If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Human parents are imperfect and sinful.  They can be churlish, hateful, unjust and evil.  Yet, God has placed a compassionate inclination in the hearts of parents to provide and care for their children.  They will readily give good gifts to their children when asked.

How much more will Father God, who is perfectly good and perfectly loving, bestow blessings on us, his children?  We should never doubt him as we come to him in prayer.  He desires to give us good things!

Matthew 7:12 – So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This verse is probably familiar to many people, even non-Christians.  It is universally known as 'The Golden Rule'.  It is not complicated or difficult to understand, but actually living this way can be very difficult!

It seems to be natural for us to favor ourselves while at the same time taking unfair advantage of others.  As discussed above, we have a tendency to be quick to judge others without compassion.

However, we must retrain ourselves to think and act a different way; a way that pleases God and fulfills the spirit of the Law and the Prophets.  We do this by loving our neighbor as our self.  We do this by putting ourselves in their place, and directing our conduct and decisions according to what we would want.   This will take practice and work, but it will please our Heavenly Father, which we all desire to do!

So, let me offer your some encouragement:

Don't ever allow your enemy to tell you that God does not hear your prayers or that He is incapable of answering your request.  That is a lie!  Likewise, don't fall for the lie that says God does not want to give you good things.  He delights in blessing you, so meet him in earnest prayer!

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.

Let me offer you some relief: 

God loves you, more than any earthly father ever could.  He is not going to trick you. He is not going to give you evil things when you ask him for good.  So put aside any fears you may have regarding spiritual gifts, especially those found in 1 Corinthians 14.  If you are unsure about these gifts, go to God in prayer and ask him to reveal the truth to you.  Ask him to give you one of gifts. You can rest assured He will give you something amazing!

Let me offer you some strength: 

Judging others is a tendency that we are all born with.  Right now, it may seem like an automatic response that you cannot control, but that is not true.  It is possible to renew your mind with the word of God, and once your mind has been changed, you will respond differently. Keep that mouth under lock and key until you have control of it.  Whatever you do, get off that throne of judgment, because you have no right to be there!

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Matthew 6:25 – Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Overall, Jesus is commanding his followers to trust in their loving heavenly Father for their daily needs.  What does that really mean?  We can best explain it by first examining what he is NOT saying.

The Holy Scriptures fully support both the idea of work and the principle of providing for our families.

Genesis 2:15 - And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.

1 Timothy 5:8 - But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

So, let's be clear on this.  Jesus never forbids us to work for our daily needs like food and clothing.  He never forbids us to prudently plan for the future.  If you need training or schooling to make a good living, by all means invest in that.  Once you have a job, by all means start a retirement fund or a college fund, pay off your house, give generously to God and make other sound financial decisions.

Likewise, Jesus never forbids us to use common sense.  So make a reasonable family budget and stick to it.  Use some self control in your spending. Live within your means.  Plan so that you can not only take care of your own daily needs, but help others.

Now that we know what Jesus is NOT saying in this verse, what is its true meaning?

What Jesus is forbidding in Matthew 6:25 is anxiety over daily needs. What exactly is anxiety?  Webster gives this definition:  Concern respecting some event or thing, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness.

If you are working and doing your absolute best to live prudently but you are still so worried about food, shelter and clothing that you can't think of anything else or you can't sleep at night, you have the anxiety that Jesus is speaking of.

If you are so worried about a dip or drop in stock market that you can't enjoy the company of your family and friends, then you have the anxiety that Jesus is speaking of.

If you are glued to the news 24/7 because you are frightened or obsessed about the next economic disaster, then you have clear signs of anxiety!

Why does Jesus forbid anxiety over daily needs?  First of all, if your mind is constantly disturbed and troubled you won't be able to focus on anything other than your problem.  This renders you incapable of prayer, praise or faith, which make up the lifeblood of all Christians!  You need to recognize that this kind of anxiety is actually a hidden fear that God is not good father and that he is either unwilling or incapable of taking care of you.

Stop and think with me for a moment.  Only one of the following two statements can be true in your life.  Which one is it?

1. God loves me.  He gives me the power, strength, ability and opportunity to meet my needs and the needs of my family.  He will provide for me when I cannot.
2. God claims he loves me, but deep down, I doubt it.  I don't trust him enough to believe that he will make up for any lack that I might experience.  Therefore, I must provide for myself strictly through my own strength.

He would love nothing more than for you to doubt the love and provision of Father God.  Here's why:  that seed of doubt takes the burden of provision off of God and places it on your own shoulders. It makes you solely responsible for your earthly provisions, and the only strength you can tap into is yourself. 

That is a very heavy, debilitating burden that you were never meant to carry; it will fill you with anxiety. It will choke your spiritual man and leave you with nothing except the cares of this world.  If you submit to that yoke of bondage, it will destroy you very quickly.  Wouldn't Satan just love that?

However, as a Christian, statement number one should be true in your life.  When you are wise and diligent with what God has given you, then be still and trust in him.  He will make a way.  You can live in peace knowing that God is carrying the burden of your daily needs, and he has resources for you to tap into that are beyond your comprehension!

Romans 8:32 – He [God] who did not spare his own Son [Jesus] but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Do you understand what this verse is saying?  God sacrificed Jesus so that we could be set free from sin and made joint heirs with Christ.  Because of this sacrifice, we share in all that Jesus possesses! If God was willing to give us something as precious as the life of his Son, why would he withhold something as trivial as your daily provision?  That wouldn't make any sense, would it?

We looked at the fact that Jesus does not want us worried about daily necessities because that is a burden we were not meant to carry.  So what are we meant to do?

God has created you and I for a much higher purpose than just worrying about food and clothing.  We have been created to be in fellowship with God at all times.  He has designed us to be kings and priests in his kingdom.  We were created to rule over the earth.  We are to join Jesus in destroying the works of the devil – and so much more!

Jesus is cautioning his followers not to get caught up in the needs of daily life, because it is easy to get stuck there.  If we constantly worry about those things, we will never reach our true calling and destiny in Christ.

So take Jesus advice - don't sweat the small stuff!  Do you part and live in faith; God will take care of the rest.

Matthew 6:26 – Look at the birds of the air:  they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?

Now Jesus is going to reinforce his point with several practical examples.  He calls their attention to the life around them.  God's love and care for the birds is easy to observe.  They are well fed and housed, despite the fact that they do not work or store up provisions for the future.  They do not experience anxiety regarding their daily needs, even in the cold winter months.  Instead, they live lives that fulfill the purposes God has created them for.  And they sing joyfully and beautifully while they do it!

Does God love the birds?  Of course, but at the same time, God places a higher value on mankind than on fowl.

Luke 12:7 – Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

Since that is the case, it would be foolish to think that God would provide for the lesser of his creation (birds), while ignoring the needs of his own children (men).  Therefore, do not have anxiety over your daily needs!

Matthew 6:27 – And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Picture this:  You get up and go to work.  At work, they made you dig a hole five feet deep, five feet wide and five feet long.  So you spend all day doing your best job on this hole in the ground.  You went home tired and muddy, but with a good feeling, because you did a good job.

The next day, your boss told you to fill the hole back in with the earth you just dug up.

Would you be feeling good about work?  My guess is no!  I know that by the third time I was told to dig the same hole, I would be angry for being forced to perform a back breaking, useless task!  No one wants to do a useless job.  It is frustrating and demeaning and it makes no sense.

Here is the lesson to be noted: Anxiety is not only needless, it is also useless, just like digging the same hole over and over!

If you can't add to your lifespan by worry, then why do it?  There is no benefit; it will only result in frustration.  Instead, why not place your trust in God and spend your energy joyfully praising his good name and enjoying what he has given you?  Why not move on to doing useful things like fulfilling the destiny God has already laid out for you?  That is where you will find peace and fulfillment.

Matthew 6:28-29 – And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Once again, Jesus points his followers to the life around them.  Flowers are even lower in the created order than birds, yet God still has his eyes upon them.  They do not work or toil, yet they are beautiful in appearance because God has ordained it.  How much more will God clothe his own children?

Matthew 6:30 – But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

The historical context of the verse is this:  Back in the day, poor folks used to have clay ovens.  They would heat these ovens by burning grass and twigs either inside them or below them.  Once the oven was sufficiently hot, thin pieces of dough were spread on the inside of the oven and quickly baked.

Did God know that his beautiful plants were going to be burnt up in the ovens?  Of course he did, yet he still chose to 'clothe them magnificently' or make them beautiful.

So here is the point:  If God gives beauty and glory to disposable things which have very little value, how much more will he take care of his children, who are precious in his eyes, and designed for important services in the world?  Are you getting the point yet?

Matthew 6:31-32 – Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

The heathen nations were anxiously concerned with the basic necessities in life (food, water and clothing).  This is not surprising, since they are without a heavenly Father that they can trust to supply their needs.

The Jews, however, were well acquainted with the providence of God.  So in these verses, Jesus is giving a slight rebuke to the people of God.  The Jews looked down upon the heathen as being ignorant of God and his ways, yet they too were anxious for the very same necessities!  How then, were they different than the heathen?

What about you?  Are you different than the 'heathen' or are you still anxious about your needs?

1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

God's people were carrying a burden of anxiety and worry, when they should have been casting their cares on God and trusting in him to meet their needs.

Let's not make the same mistake.  If you have done all you can do to meet your needs, then trust God to make up any lack that you have.  You will be surprised at what he will do!

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

As Christians, we have more important things to be seeking after than food and clothing.  We need to seek the lost and introduce them to Jesus.  We need to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit so we have the power to minister to those who are in bondage to Satan.  We need to seek God's will for our lives.

Here is a guarantee that will set you free to seek God:  Jesus promises that if we seek him first, the daily necessities will come.

Matthew Henry puts it this way in his commentary:  "O what a blessed change would it make in our hearts and lives, did we but firmly believe this truth, that the best way to be comfortably provided for in this world, is to be most intent upon another world!" 

Matthew 6:34 – Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Part of the definition of anxiety is concern/fear of something that is future or uncertain. 'Tomorrow' clearly fits that category.  Satan wants to bait you into spending all your time and energy worrying about things that God already has under control, or worrying about things you cannot change.

Don't take the bait!  Be prudent in your affairs, then trust God.  Spend your life seeking God, and he will take care of you!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God loves you more than you know or realize.  Never doubt that!  Use the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 to reassure you of his love.  Based on the knowledge of that love, start to make some changes.  Recognize when you are trusting in yourself, then stop and turn it over to God.  Even if the change occurs little by little over time, that is okay.  Begin to trust God at whatever level you can, then build on that trust until it is complete.

Let me offer you some relief: 

Are you overwhelmed and plagued with anxiety about life?  You don't have to be.  Make some prudent plans for the future, then when trouble or problems come, seek God.  Let Him make up the difference in what you lack.  YOU were NEVER designed to carry around those heavy burdens, so LET THEM GO.  Cast those cares upon God, and let him worry about your provision.  His supplies are unlimited!

Let me offer you some strength: 

Perhaps you are guilty of being anxious (my guess is we are all guilty to some degree), but you don't have to stay in that mindset.  God is bringing it to you attention right now, because the time is right for you to deal with it.

It seems like a scary thing to do, but the rewards are rich and eternal.  God would not ask you to do something that you weren't capable of doing.  So start today.  Give him your concerns regarding provision, then willfully set your mind on spiritual things.  Praise Him.  Worship Him.  Pray for others.  Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Mind the things of God, and He will take care of you!

You have the strength to make the change – and Jesus will walk with you every step of the way!

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We continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount.  In our last post we noted an important truth that Jesus was teaching the people:

The true Christian is not to perform acts of righteousness in such a way as to bring glory to themselves.  If they do, they have no reward from God.

Jesus then gave three specific examples to his listeners.  Last week we studied gifts to the poor and prayer.  This week we will look at fasting.

Matthew 6:16 – And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Our first question should be 'what is fasting'?  Generally, it means to voluntarily abstain from something (usually food) for a time, as a token of penitence or grief for religious reasons.

In a religious context, the deep sorrow is caused by sin.  A person extremely troubled and grieved by sin would experience a loss of appetite, which resulted in a fast.  Because of the grief they were experiencing, people who fasted had a sad countenance.  Often, they did not wash or put on clean clothes.  As a result, it was fairly easy to spot people who were fasting.

In the old covenant (Old Testament Law) God had appointed one day each year for the Israelites to fast.  It was the Day of Atonement, the day that the priest shed blood and put it on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people.

Now fast-forward to the time of Jesus.  The religious leaders had taken the concept of fasting and made it an art form!  They made it a tradition to fast at least two times a week (Luke 18:12), sometimes more.  During their fasts, they put on sackcloth instead of regular clothes and they put ashes on their heads instead of the usual ointments.  Thus, you could easily spot them anywhere they went.

The Scribes and Pharisees had lost the true meaning of fasting.  No longer was it grief for sin, or a time set apart for reflection upon God.  Instead it became an empty ritual of self discipline, as well as a source of pride.  This kind of fasting made them hypocrites, because they were only seeking the praise or admiration of other men. 

Jesus warns his listeners that when you fast this way, you have received the only reward possible – the empty admiration of men.  

Matthew 6:17-18 – But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who s in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Now Jesus speaks of true fasting.  When one of his followers fasted, they were to dress, wash and otherwise appear normal.  He or she was to hide their inward contrition or mourning from the world.  They were to open their hearts and express their grief and sorrow only to God.

Jesus promises that even though men are unaware of your sacrifice, God sees and honors it.

This might be a good time to reaffirm that God always sees what is in our hearts – ALWAYS.  So keep a careful watch on what you allow your mind to dwell upon, because those are the things that will determine the thoughts and motivations of your heart.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

By way of summary, we see that the religious leaders had taken spiritual or true religious acts (giving to the poor, prayer, fasting) and corrupted them!  They continued to perform the outward acts, but their hearts were centered on their own glory, not the glory of God.

Jesus is calling his followers back to true religion – to make sure that our hearts and motivations are pure before God as we perform these actions.  In this way, our service will bring glory to God.

Matthew 6:19 – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

What is the historical context of this statement?  Back in the times of Jesus, wealthy people accumulated and kept their treasures at home.  Treasure could include (but is not limited to) gold, silver or brass in the form of dishes, goblets/glasses, utensils or coins.  Richly ornamented articles of clothing and jewelry were especially desirable.  Hence, moths, rust and thieves were the principal dangers in losing your fortune.

We've all heard the phrase 'you can't take it with you', and this sums the idea up pretty well.  Earthly treasure is just that – earthly.  Since your life is short (average American lifespan of 75-80 years), you only have that long to enjoy it.  After you die, all your earthly treasure will go to someone else, or even worse, the government.

Matthew 6:20-21 – but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus implies in these verses that every man will have his treasure.  You can certainly have earthly treasure, and you will need at least some of it in this life for obvious reasons.

But Jesus commands us to lay up eternal or heavenly treasures.  Treasures in heaven are durable and lasting; they are eternal.  They do not wear out or disintegrate and are not subject to being stolen.  They never lose their value.

Here's the catch:  both earthly treasures and heavenly treasures are earned during your time on planet earth.  So you get to decide how much of each you will pursue.  And whatever you pursue the most, your heart will pine after.

How do we earn heavenly treasures?

I Corinthians 3:11-15 – For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Now don't misunderstand the scriptures.  You CANNOT earn your way into heaven by good works.  There is only one way to be reconciled with God, and that is through the blood of Jesus.  But once you are reconciled to God, you can store up treasure in heaven by obedience in performing good works with a sincere heart.

Most of us seek out opportunities for earthly gain then dedicate ourselves them, whether that be a job or a business, etc.  Why not keep your eyes and heart open for opportunities to do good works – they are all around you!  Train yourself to look for them; ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you and soon you will have all you can handle.

Matthew 6:22-23  – The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

In the physical realm, the eyes direct the rest of the body as it walks.  Imagine that you are on a busy city street and in the distance you see an art museum (or an ice cream parlor if you prefer!) and you decide to walk there.  As you walk, your legs, feet and arms move where the eye directs.

  Your eye will steer you around puddles or rocks or broken glass.  It will assist you in stepping off the curb without falling and stop you when traffic is coming.  All the while, the eyes keep the body steadily moving toward the ultimate goal, the art museum.  Eventually you arrive there and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, courtesy of your eyes.

Something similar happens in the spiritual realm.  Your 'spiritual eyes' or your heart, lead your spiritual man around as he walks through life.  Your heart can be set on one of two things:  either light or darkness.  These are mutually exclusive; your heart can only be set on one.

Darkness represents misery, adversity, death and alienation from God.  In short, darkness is being in a state of sin.

Light represents joy, peace, life and citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven. In short, light is being in right relationship with God, through the blood of Jesus.

In this teaching, Jesus once again emphasizes an important truth:  God is looking at the heart of individuals, and whatever is in your heart will manifest in your life.

Case in point:  the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day.  They performed good works (fasting, prayer, giving to the poor) and had religious training, yet their hearts were far from God.  Their hearts (eyes) were set on darkness.  Eventually, they fell into anger, jealousy and bitterness.  They wound up lying and plotting in order to crucify Jesus and they honestly thought they were doing the right thing!  That is what happens when your heart is focused on darkness.

However, if your heart is set on God, it will manifest in good works that bring glory to God.

Case in point:  the apostle Paul.  Early on, he too was walking in darkness as he performed empty works.  However, he eventually came to be in a right relationship with God.  As a result, the focus of his heart was changed.  From that moment on, his heart was set on the light.  Even harsh circumstances, persecution and imprisonment did not shake his faith.  He went on to write the majority of the New Testament and his witness for God reached to the highest echelons of his day! What a magnificent witness for God!

What is your heart focused on?

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.

 The concept that "no man can serve two masters" was not a new idea.  It was a proverb that was not only very common back in the times of Jesus, but it was also universally accepted as being true.  Jesus takes this common truth/proverb and applies it to the topic of riches.

This is not to say that good Christians are poor, or that those who are rich in worldly goods cannot properly serve God.  Every Christian is a steward of the blessings that God gives them.  Some Christians are well able to be good stewards of vast amounts of worldly goods; to others it would be a snare.

The best thing you can do is to remember that you don't 'own' anything.  Rather, you are a steward of all the people, time, money and goods that are under your authority.  So put God on the throne of your heart, and steward your blessings according to his laws!

Let me give you some encouragement and some relief:  Do you have a difficult time fasting?  Or are you one of the multitude of people who cannot fast for medical reasons? If so, I want you to know that fasting is still possible for you!  While fasting is traditionally food, nothing in the Bible says that you can't make a substitution.

I am a dedicated coffee drinker.  I once felt that I needed to fast before God for a spiritual breakthrough.  I fasted all coffee for 30 days, and God answered my prayers.  I have also fasted other things that I greatly enjoyed and God has honored those fasts too.

When choosing a non-food fast, make sure the item or activity is something that will truly be a sacrifice for you.  Here are some suggestions:  Stop watching TV for a time.  Stay off your phone for 24 hours.  Commit to read only your Bible for a specific time period.  Stop shopping for a time.  Whatever you decide, make sure you spend your extra time in prayer and seeking God.  He will see into your heart and reward you!

Let me give you some strength:  We have seen over and over in the last couple of posts that God is very interested in the state of your heart.  Sometimes, we do things out of a desire to do good, but they are misunderstood by others.  Sometimes, we do things out of a desire to do good, but they blow up in our faces or people reject them.

When that happens, you may be tempted to quit reaching out to others.  But rather than quitting, stand strong!  Even though you may feel embarrassment, remember that man is looking on the outward appearance, but God is looking at your heart and its motivations.  Just because man rejects your goodness, that doesn't mean that God does.  Continue to stand strong and bring glory to his name!

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Matthew 6:1-  Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Again, this is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus was on the mountainside teaching his followers the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. His teachings were radically different from the legalistic rules laid down by the Scribes and Pharisees.  The minds and hearts of the Jews were stirred up by these remarkable teachings.

Chapter six offers some very practical advice on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Jesus begins his instruction with a summary statement in verse one: 

The true Christian is not to perform acts of righteousness in such a way as to bring glory to themselves.  If they do, they have no reward from God.

Jesus then uses the rest of the chapter to give specific applications of this principle. 

Matthew 6:2 – Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Here is the historical context of this verse:  In the time of Christ, there were Jews that went to the intersections of busy roads, where large assemblies were usually held.  I know that sounds strange to us, but remember, there was no social media or live streaming back then.  People had to actually meet in groups to exchange ideas and information!

In essence, they were hypocrites because they claimed to be giving out of devotion to God, but they were really interested in their own glory.

There is some dispute over the phrase 'sound a trumpet'.  Scholars disagree over whether this was a literal event or whether it is a metaphorical phrase.  In either case, the meaning is the same – Jesus was condemning the act of making a show or spectacle of giving to the poor with the intent of obtaining glory for one's self.

The Bible makes it clear that it is our Christian duty to perform good works and assist the poor.  It also tells us that there will be rewards for doing so.  Jesus confirms that in this scripture.  Now here comes the interesting part: Jesus points out that there are rewards that come from men and there are rewards that come from God.

Which rewards do we want?  Which rewards are best?

I guess the answer depends on what you are looking for.  The Scribes and Pharisees were definitely looking for the appreciation and praise of men and possibly a reputation for being charitable. Since they got what they wanted, I suppose they were happy with the results.  As a bonus, their reward came in the form of instant gratification, which we all love.  But, I can't help but wonder�did they cheat themselves? Is the shallow, fleeting praise of men really that satisfying and fulfilling?

If we take a moment to look at the rewards of God, I think we may prefer that option!

Matthew 6:3-4 – But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

If you want to be rewarded by God, you should give generously, quietly and humbly out of obedience and love for your King.  When you do, God takes notice.  And he doesn't just see the action you performed, but also the motivation and love behind it.

Contrary to what some people think, God is anxious to bless you. Unlike the rewards of men, God's rewards endure not just for this life, but for eternity.

Psalms 41:1-2  – Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

Revelation 22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I don't know about you, but I feel this is a much better blessing than the empty admiration of men!

Matthew 6:5 – And when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

The hypocrites manifested the same spirit about prayer as gift giving: it was done in public places solely for public approval. They were not communing with God; they just wanted other men to see how pious and religious they were.

Here is the historical context:  The Jews of old observed specific, regular hours of prayer. You can find evidence of this in the scriptures. 

So basically, the hypocrites took great pains to be in a public meeting place such as a market or the city gates or at busy intersections at the specified times of prayer.  This gave them the opportunity to stop and "perform" the act of prayer.  "Perform" is the right word; they were putting on a show for their fellow man.

Obviously, Jesus is not condemning the practice of prayer.   It is the clear duty of every Christian to pray.  Prayer is communication with Almighty God, our creator, savior and protector.  It is a like a free will offering, dedicated only to him, and given with the utmost desire to know, love and serve Him alone.  Prayer is an admission that we are dependent upon God for all things.  It is not a thing to be trifled with.  When we sincerely come before God and offer heart-felt prayers, we are assured that God hears and answers.

Proverbs 15:29 - The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

To pray is to enter into the very presence of God.  What an astonishing gift! Before the sacrifice of Jesus, the throne room of God was shut; no man or woman could enter in.  Millions of people who desired intimate fellowship with God died without ever having the slightest chance of gaining access to Him.  But when Jesus died, the temple veil was torn in two; the way was open for us to freely enter God's presence.

Do you enter into intimate fellowship with him through prayer?  If not, why?  You might want to ponder this question before you get to heaven and meet up with one of those Old Testament saints who was denied access. Your shame for spurning this gift would be monumental.

Matthew 6:7-8 – And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Empty phrases (your translation may say vain repetition), refers to idle babbling or using the same words over and over with no purpose, almost like a chant.  This was a tactic often employed by the worshippers of Baal (see 1 Kings 18:26-29).

This is different from repeating yourself in true prayer; Jesus prayed multiple times in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup would pass from him but his prayers were not vain.  Often times when we are moved by our circumstances we too may pray for a situation multiple times as we fervently seek the Lord.

Jesus also warns against using 'many words'.  This does not mean that long prayers are forbidden.  Jesus himself prayed all night on some occasions (Luke 6:12).

They also believed that the more they begged, pleaded or cut themselves, the more likely they were to receive a favorable answer.  Sadly, they did not understand that false gods are deaf and powerless, no matter how much they might cry out!

We cannot let that kind of wrong thinking enter into our prayers. Prayer is not designed to inform God of our circumstances. Nor do we need to beg him for assistance. Jesus reassures us that God the Father is already intimately acquainted with our circumstances.  He knows our needs, wants and desires.  He can see the motivation of our hearts and our love for him.  He already knows our weaknesses and strengths.  He already has the answer to every question and the solution for every problem we will ever face. We should seek him in prayer at all times and in all seasons.

Prayer causes us to humble our hearts as we acknowledge our dependence on God.  Prayer increases our faith, because in prayer we focus on the power of our God, not the difficulty of our problem.  We should come to God as his children – in simple faith and words, trusting that he will answer and take care of us.

Matthew 6:9 – Pray then like this:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

The portion of scripture in verses 9-13 is often called the Lord's Prayer.  Sometimes we pray using these exact words, although there is no record in the scriptures of Jesus or his disciples praying this verbatim.  Rather than being a prayer itself, it is a pattern or a framework for the way Jesus wants us to pray.

Our first thought is that God is our Father.  Just like a good earthly father, he is there to teach, guide, protect, provide and love us. He wants us to be victorious in life.  He wants to have an intimate relationship with each one of us.  His goodness towards us knows no limits.

Secondly, God is in heaven, which speaks of his boundless power.  Heaven in his throne and the earth is his footstool.  Everything in heaven and earth are subject to his authority.

So, as our prayers commence, we are quickly reminded that we can place confidence in both the goodness and power of God.

We are to 'hallow' his name.  To hallow means to make holy, or to revere.  Therefore, our prayers should start with the praise and worship of God.  In fact, praise is what ushers us into his presence.

Psalm 100:4 - Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

As we praise his name, we are again reminded of his great power and faithfulness towards us.  As he is exalted, our faith rises while our problems shrink!  We have the confidence to approach him with our concerns, knowing that he loves us and he will work all things together for our good.

You don't need to wait until prayer time to praise his name – you can do it all throughout the day.  Try it.  You will be surprised how you will feel his constant presence with you.

Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of heaven began with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The preaching of the gospel expanded the kingdom outside the borders of Judea.  The inclusion of the Gentiles in the plan of salvation caused the gospel to spread over the known world.  This kingdom is still growing and will continue to expand until it encompasses the uttermost parts of the earth.  So, when we pray 'your kingdom come' we are praying for the gospel message to be advanced and spread throughout the world.

As a side note, we can and should do more than just pray.  We can personally share the gospel with others.  We can be involved in ministries that spread the gospel through radio, TV and social media.  There are almost limitless opportunities to share the gospel.  Are you involved?

To pray for God's will to be done 'on earth as it is in heaven' is to pray for the whole world to be in perfect conformity to the will of God.  What is God's will?

The revealed will of God is that men should love, obey and desire his law.  His law should become the basis for all our actions as well as our inward thoughts and motivations.  God's law is perfectly obeyed in heaven, and his true children most ardently desire and pray that it may also be done on the earth.

Obviously, this is easier said than done, so praying for our own lives to conform to his law should be a continual exercise.  Here's another thought:  You can't obey his laws if you don't know them, so take time to read the Word!

The object of the first three petitions (hallowed be they name, thy kingdom come and thy will be done) is that God's name should be glorified, and his kingdom established.  These are more important than our personal wants, and they should be first in our requests before the throne of grace. However, God graciously allows us to make requests on our personal behalf as well.

Matthew 6:11 – Give us this day our daily bread,

Daily bread refers to all that we need to sustain life, including food, shelter, clothing, etc.  We are instructed to ask daily, so that we remember to depend on God and not on ourselves.  We ask God to 'give' it, because it is not something that we can earn, but a blessing that God freely bestows upon us.

Matthew 6:12 - and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

In this verse, debt refers to sin.  We must ask God to forgive our sins because we could never pay the price for them.  As Christ has freely forgiven us, so we must forgive those who sin against us.

I recently posted a three part series on forgiveness. Please refer to those posts for a more detailed discussion and explanation of forgiveness.

Matthew 6:13 – And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

What is meant by the phrase 'lead us not into temptation'?  We know that God does not tempt man to sin.

James 1:13-14 – Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

However, God will allow us to be tempted by Satan or by our own lusts.  These temptations are a form of testing for our faith and obedience.  They produce many good and valuable results in our lives including humbleness, trust and dependence on God, conforming us to the image of Christ and displaying the glory of God to the world.

Temptation may also be defined as trial, affliction or anything that tests our virtue.  Trials and afflictions have a fringe benefit – they draw us closer to God.  In times of testing where do you automatically turn?  To your heavenly Father, right?  So trials actually bring us closer to God, which in turn strengthens and sharpens our faith and obedience making us even more mature in Christ.

Therefore in this part of the prayer model, the Christian is to pray for special protection and strength during heavy trials or strong temptations to sin, which are definitely going to come as a matter of everyday life.

Part of this prayer of protection should be that we are delivered from evil.  Based on what we just concluded, we would not expect God to completely remove temptations and trials from our lives, because that would deprive us of needful growth.  However, God can deliver us from evil by removing the temptation when it becomes too difficult for us to bear, by providing increased strength to fight against it, or by lessening its impact.

We can also take comfort in the fact that someday Jesus will remove all evil and sin from his kingdom.  In that day, we will truly be delivered from all evil.

Matthew 6:14-15 – For if you forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Here is a truth presented in both its positive and negative aspects.  God has stated his desires twice; if he asks us to do something once we should listen, how much more attention should we pay to a command that is given twice?

In fact, this requirement to forgive others is constantly presented throughout the scriptures.  At some point, it must have irritated the disciples, because Peter asked how many times he was required to forgive someone.  He felt that 7 times was ample.  To this, Jesus responded:

Matthew 18:22 – Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."

God's free and unconditional forgiveness of our sin through Jesus is the basis of our relationship with him.  How then, can we not forgive our fellow man?

When we need forgiveness, we want to be pardoned, and treated as if the offence had never happened.  We do not want others to gossip about us or treat us badly.  We should be willing to do the same for our neighbors.

For a more complete study of forgiveness, please consult my three prior blog posts on forgiveness.

In the meantime, let me give you some encouragement:  The trials and temptations you now face are not a punishment but a gift in disguise.  They draw you closer to Christ and strengthen your faith.  Keep your eyes on Christ during these trials.  Pray to him for deliverance and strength to stand. Remember that God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able to withstand. You can come through this trial better off than when it began!

Let me give you some relief:  I sincerely hope that you are not comparing yourself to other Christians.  Sometimes we look at others and think that they are spiritual giants who are either perfect or never have struggles with family, life or faith.  We sometimes put them on a pedestal and think we can never be as 'spiritual' as they are.  This is wrong thinking! Give yourself a break! All Christians have struggles and failures, including the one that you think is perfect!  You can be encouraged by their show of faith, and you can take comfort when you face the same kind of trial as they did, but you cannot feel inferior or condemned by their victory.  Those feelings are a burden that Satan wants you to pick up and carry, because it will eventually burn you out.  Don't take the bait!

Let me give you some strength:  Sometimes, the Christian life can be hard.  Sometimes you pray, but things don't change immediately.  During those times, don't give up hope!  Galatians tells us not to be weary in doing well, because in due season we will reap a harvest, if we do not faint and give up.  So if you are in the midst of a protracted situation, DON'T GIVE UP!  Stay the course!  Praise be to God, victory is on the way.