Matthew 6: 1-18 CSB Teaching about Giving to the Needy 6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Teaching about Prayer and Fasting 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Our Bible chapters, verses, and breaks are there for us to find a passage quickly and to help make sense of the what is being said as well. But Jesus actually said all of chapters four through seven in, what is called now, the Sermon on the Mount. So what we read today flows from what we read yesterday as well. Rather than saying- "you have heard it said...but I say to you" Jesus now gives warnings. He starts with, "Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." While salvation is NOT a reward for our good deeds, they will be rewarded IF they are done with the right motive or attitude like Jesus said in yesterday's passage as well as today's. In today's it says there will be loss of reward if we are not careful as to why we do what we do and where it is to be done. In secret, Jesus says. This may not always mean that what we do is a secret but why we do it remains between us and God. Jesus starts with warning and instructions on giving then naturally instruction on receiving which includes prayer and fasting. Fasting is not something I do often, usually only when invited to fast with a group for a particular time and need. We pray individually on our own and privately as Jesus said. Jesus had a real thing against hypocrisy as most everyone does. A friend a worked with in the past would call hypocrites- Hungry, Hungry Hippos. This is an old game we played as kids and is a fitting description of hypocrite- relentless and self-serving. Ask Yourself:
Have great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good!
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Matthew 5:21-43 NLT Teaching about Murder 21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny. Teaching about Adultery 27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Teaching about Divorce 31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. Teaching about Vows 33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. Teaching about Revenge 38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. Teaching about Love for Enemies 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. It is easy to compare ourselves to someone else and feel better or even justified in our behavior but what about our attitude? What is the attitude of our hearts even when we obey God? Jesus continues to teach His disciples, and anyone listening concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. In the portion we read today, over and over Jesus says- "you have heard...but I say to you." Jesus speaks with authority but he is not changing what the word of God says, He is bringing us to the heart of what it says and not just what to do. There are times that taking a life, separation from a spouse, making promises, punishing law breakers, even how to treat a neighbor but Jesus again turns our idea what is good, not so much upside down, but rather to what good was intended o be from the beginning. This devotional is short but of great value when we consider what a disciple, a follower of Jesus, is and how we are to live in light of God's truth in what do and in attitude. Ask Yourself:
I know it's easier said than done, but at we have God's standard, grace, and Spirit to do what He calls us to. Have a great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good! Matthew 5:1-20 NASB The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes 5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Disciples and the World 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. As a reminder, we are following the outline of the Gospel of Matthew according to the Bible Project. This would put us in the second of seven sections were calling The Announcement of God's Kingdom. Today we read the start of the Sermon on the Mount. It actually stretches from chapter 5 through to chapter 7. It is called the sermon on the mount because Jesus preached this sermon from the mountainside. Jesus often found higher ground to address larger groups of people. It is the longest recorded single message of Jesus. It also says that Jesus addressed the crowds but that His disciples came to Him. We know that Jesus was about to teach because Matthew tells us that Jesus sat down. Unlike us who are used to teachers standing up to teach, this is the position from which Jewish teachers do so. Verses 3 to twelve are referred to as the Beatitudes. I've heard it said that is because they are the attitudes that ought to be. These beatitudes show us that Jesus' Kingdom operates completely different the the way people usually think. He turns everything upside down. The things that usually make people sad He says, in His kingdom they are good--blessings--because they lead to greater things. This world should not completely satisfy us because it is cursed by sin. From the Beatitudes, Jesus goes on to explain how the life of a disciple in this world will look and the purpose of a disciple. We are to be salt, a preservative in Jesus day and light. Light both exposes and highlights. We are to like Jesus full of grace and truth. It's hard to share truth but ultimately we want to highlight Jesus who came to do what we could not. He took our sin, shame and penalty on the cross and give us His righteousness. Which is the answer to that disturbing question that should arise in someone's head after reading the last verse; “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Knowing the Pharisees and their desire to keep the Law this should cause us say- then who can be saved? Which is exactly what Jesus' disciples asked Him after He said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for a rich man (someone who believes they have all they need already) to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus answered the disciples- For man this is impossible but with God nothing is impossible. Jesus did the impossible by living a perfect life and dying a perfect death. He was raised to new life and He gives that new life to us so that we can live out the attitudes that ought to be in order to be a salt and light to the world. If you find yourself frustrated and unsatisfied, this is not a bad thing. Allow it to lead you to Jesus who is the only one who will truly and eternal satisfy us. Have a great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good! Matthew 4: 1-11 NLT 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.” 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
As you consider these questions look at what the devil first asked Jesus. He tempted Jesus at his weakest point but also to His greatest strength. Jesus, after fasting/not eating for forty days, was hungry and the devil tempts Him to eat though He made that commitment to not eat during that time. But the devil also questions His identity. The devil says if you are the Son of God. We read from the beginning that it was the Spirit of God that led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This would be Jesus opportunity to do what Adam and Eve did not. They disobeyed God and chose for themselves what they believed was best but we see Jesus denying Himself and doing what was right. Jesus obeyed God where Adam and Eve failed. When the tempter came to Eve she knew the word but still added a bit to it. Jesus immediately proclaimed God's word to the devil and did so all three times. He could have easily said depart from me and the devil would have, knowing very well who He is. But as an example to all who would come to believe, Jesus resists the devil in the power of the Holy Spirit with the word of God. Don't ever think you're strong enough to come against temptation on your own. If Jesus didn't, how much more should we follow His example. Notice also at the end that angels came and took care of Him. Angels are mentions 19 times in the book of Matthew. I'm not entirely sure how and when God has His angels help us as believers but I do know that cares for us. It was the Spirit of God who led Jesus to be tempted to prove- in other words, show or reveal- who Jesus is- The promised Snake Crushing King. Ask Yourself:
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:1-5 NLT We fight from victory not for it- Jesus won the victory for us. So let us both rest and battle in the Lord by His His Spirit. Have a great day, Love Ones, and God bless you real good! Matthew 3: 13-17 CSB 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” Anyone who has been baptized will not forget it. Your nervous, a bit scared, and excited knowing this is step of obedience you can clearly identify. That feeling like finally reaching the top of the rollercoaster and not being able to see over the top knowing what comes next. You fully trust the person baptizing you and you let yourself go backwards. Then, that immediate rush as you are let down and quickly brought back up. That first breath of air you take in and that smile that follows. I have had the privilege of both being baptized and baptizing adults, students, and children and it's the same every time. :) At its core, baptism is about identification. John's baptism identified people with their sin, we are baptized to be identified with our Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus had no sin and couldn't identify Himself with Himself. Jesus was identified by God His Father and identified with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. At Jesus' baptism all three persons of the Godhead or Trinity were present. Jesus tells John “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” It was right for both of them do what was God's will. Jesus did not only die for our sin, He also fulfilled all righteousness perfectly on our behalf. It is what God demands- perfection. Knowing we could not fulfill it ourselves, God sent His Son to live that perfect life and die that perfect death on behalf of sinners. But he did not stay dead, He was raised from the dead. Baptism itself is also a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. As the body goes into the ground and is covered so we go into the water but we do not stay there we are raised again. So it will be for all who trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin. At death our soul goes to be with the Lord and He will raise our bodies on the last die. So, like Jesus, we will be in a glorified body for eternity. BEFORE Jesus does a single thing (concerning His mission and ministry) God the Father declares that He is His beloved Son and that in Him He is well pleased. From the language of the passage today it would seem that only Jesus and maybe John heard the Father. Jesus was about to start His ministry and hearing the Father and knowing the Spirit of God was upon Him to do all that the Father calls Him too must have felt empowering and just plain good. As a follower of Jesus we find our acceptance before God the Father in His Son Jesus Christ and we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for everything that God wills to do through us. Ask Yourself: Am I trying to win God's favor by what I do? Do I know I am loved in the Son and am fully loved and accepted in Him? My prayer is that we as leaders model this for you in what we teach you and what we do. We should not be trying to win God's favor, we should know that followers of Jesus are fully loved and accepted because of what Jesus did for us- living a perfect life, dying a perfect death and was raised from the dead. God is good. Knowing this should give us confidence to walk worthy as a child of God. Have a great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good! Matthew 3: 1-12 NLT 3 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” 4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Just believe, and you will be saved. Sounds simple enough. Some would say that is the core of the Good News. Others would argue it leads to easy belief when people do not even know what they are actually believing. The question remains, believe what and what would I be saved from? These are things that anyone would need to know if they are to believe and be saved. John the Baptizer has always been one of my favorite people to have lived in Jesus time. He was clear, bold and unapologetic in his message. Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. John's message was from God telling people to repent. To repent means to have a change of mind that leads you in a different direction. It's a 180 degree turn around. So John is saying if your mind is changed concerning your sin, turn from you know to be sin and turn to Jesus. Clearly John is talking about Jesus because that is whom the passage is about. It may say turn to God but the prophet Isaiah, that he is quoting says, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Lord being in all caps tells us that he is speaking of Yahweh- The I AM, the Self-Existing One. Yet Matthew says this of Jesus who John is to prepare the way for. How is he preparing the way? By calling people out on their sin and they show an outward sign of their inward reality. To show they have changed their minds- turning from sin and and turned to God they confess (agree with God) their sin and are baptized. This identifies them with their sin and prepares them for the Messiah- the Snake Crushing King Jesus. He specifically calls out the Pharisees and the Sadducees. This may have been because they were just there to see what he had to say and make sure that his message lined up with theirs. When tells them, Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. He was NOT saying do good things to be saved. He was saying that IF we have truly changed our minds that it would naturally lead to different different. Repentance by the way is not a one and done, but a lifestyle. We are to continually repent- change our minds, turn from and to God. Our minds are renewed by His Spirit through His word. There's more to say about the passage below but I'll leave it here with this question- Is your mind being renewed? Do not be fooled it is all the time. the other question would be- what is going into your mind is is causing you to turn to God or away from Him. There is no such thing as simply entertainment. Everyone come to us with ideas and wants to inform us through their medium- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. TikTok even the games we play inform us in way or another. Be careful who you allow to lead you and where they are leading you. As always feel free to lost your questions, comment, or complaints below. Have a great day and God bless you real good! Matthew 2:13-21 ERV 13 After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.” 14 So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and the mother. They left during the night. 15 Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This gave full meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: “I called my son to come out of Egypt.” 16 Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. 17 This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A sound was heard in Ramah-- bitter crying and great sadness. Rachel cries for her children, and she cannot be comforted, because her children are gone.” 19 While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream 20 and said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are now dead.” 21 So Joseph took the child and the mother and went to Israel. 22 But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he went away to the area of Galilee. 23 He went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophets. God said the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Many years ago I heard the phrase- "Where the finger of God points, the hand of God provides." I will never forget this saying. I see it in today's passage. God sends Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt until Herod dies but doesn't send them penniless. The gold, frankincense, and myrrh they received from the wise men sustained them during their time away from home and family.
Have you ever wanted to be given clear direction from God? As good as that sounds it doesn't mean things were easy for Joseph and Mary. We often choose what is best and even easiest for us but that may not be what God has planned. An angel of God told Joseph exactly where he was to go and when to return. This did not mean it would be easy for Joseph and Mary. They moved to Egypt [about 400 miles away] where they didn't speak the same language and they had no family nor friends to support them. Not to mention Jesus could have been up to 2 years old by this time as our passage indicates today. Although the choice to move to Nazareth seems to have been made entirely by Joseph and even out of fear. Either way God was in even that choice. Three times Matthew makes it clear that what was happening was told beforehand by God. Herod was a very nasty evil individual. This is written of him in gotquestions.org- He had his wife’s brother Aristobulus, the high priest, drowned in the swimming pool in his palace. He put to death 46 members of the Sanhedrin. He killed his mother-in-law. He also had his wife Mariamne murdered along with two of their sons, as he considered them potential rivals with legitimate claim to the throne because of their Hasmonean lineage... Augustus Caesar is reported to have said, “It is better to be Herod’s dog than one of his children.” When placed in this context, the incident in Matthew 2 does not seem out of character. To read more click here > www.gotquestions.org/Herod-the-Great.html Whenever I read about the slaughter of the innocent back in Moses day as well as in today's reading, I am a puzzled as to why God would allow that to be. I am not God and do not want to put words in His mouth or make excuses for Him so rather than trying to explain why I just thank Him for His amazing grace. He preserved His servant Moses through whom He delivered His people Israel from Egypt. It was through those preserved people that God would provide the world that Snake Crushing King. Ask Yourself:
Allow that question to sink in a bit. What may God be preserving you for? Count your blessing today and recognize the hand of God on your life. Have a great Loved Ones and God bless you real good! Matthew 2:1-12 ERV 2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem. 4 Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5 They answered, “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea, just as the prophet wrote: 6 ‘Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are important among the rulers of Judah. Yes, a ruler will come from you, and that ruler will lead Israel, my people.’” 7 Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.” 9 After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 They were very happy and excited to see the star. 11 The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way. This is such a familiar story for so many but we usually don't hear or read it when it's warm and sunny outside. The account of Jesus birth is told in greater detail in the Gospel of Luke but, like I mentioned on Sunday, each Gospel account has a unique perspective. The Gospel of Luke highlights Jesus as the Son of Man whereas the Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus as the Promised Messiah and King- that Snake Crushing King we talked about on Sunday. Remember we are in the first part of our series where Matthew connects Jesus to the Old Testament. Although the Old Testament will be alluded to or quoted throughout the Gospel of Matthew, in the first 3 chapters Matthew's goal is for his readers to know that Jesus is the the promised Messiah and King. The genealogy in the opening of the book lets us know he is from the line of Abraham and David showing us that Jesus is the blessing of Abraham and the promised King from the line of Judah that will rule forever. In today's reading there are three wise man that come form the East. When I was small, I only knew them as the Three Kings. Many Puerto Ricans today celebrate the birth of Jesus in very special way. On January 6 they celebrate Three Kings' Day. The night before they prepare a box by filling with a treats for the Three Kings and straw for their camels. In exchange the Three Kings leave them presents. Three Kings Day is also known as Epiphany which means the manifestation which is a fancy word for the appearing. It is a celebration of God appearing or arriving in flesh- Jesus. Below is video if you want to a little more about Three Kings Day. Remember the video is informational but not intended to replace what the Bible actually says. For that we read our Bibles. The Bible does say the wise men came from the East to the house where Jesus was. Strange, the Gospel of Mark says there was no place for Jesus and that he was placed in a manger- which is a feeding trough. We can make sense of this by remembering that Matthew's intention in writing was to connect Jesus to present Jesus as the Messiah and King of Israel. This is why he mentions that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah, as the Old Testament said He would. He also says that the wise men worshiped [King] Jesus and gave Him gifts. Could you even imagine the look on Mom's face? She was told that Jesus is the Son of the the Most High but up until then all they had was grief and hardship since the news up until this moment. What a great encouragement this must have been for Mary and Joseph. Consider This:
Herod says to the wise men that he wants to worship Jesus but we'll come back to Him in the next few days. For today consider the blessing of Jesus birth, not only as the King of Israel but of the world. Do you know Him as King? How will you worship Him today? What gifts can you bring Him- time. talent, treasure? Have a great day, Loved Ones, and God bless you real good! Matthew 1: 18-24 Easy to Read Version 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened. His mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph. But before they married, he learned that she was expecting a baby. (She was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.) 19 Mary’s husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to cause her public disgrace, so he planned to divorce her secretly. 20 But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.” (Immanuel means “God with us.”) 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord’s angel told him to do. He married Mary. 25 But Joseph did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And he named him Jesus. So how would you react if your fiancé came back from a long trip to visit her aunt and she was pregnant? If you were a person in their small town what would you think of her? The Bible doesn't tell us if Joseph, her fiancé, saw her for himself or if someone told him they saw Mary with "a belly". All we know is what it says, he learned that she was expecting a baby. Joseph decides he is not going to marry her but is told that his wife never was with another man, that it was through the Holy Spirit that she was with baby, that he should marry her, and give the boy the name Jesus. Matthew the Gospel writer also tells us that all this happened to fufill what was promised in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. This boy would be called Immanuel, God with us. So this left Joseph with a decision- would he listen to the voice of those who could only see the outside and how things look or the voice sent from God explaining the inner workings of God Himself in their lives personally and accept the responsibility of caring for the Son of God even before starting their own family. Joseph chose the second option. God was not promising him easy, but He was promising him God with us- Jesus the Christ, that snake crushing King promised so long ago. Ask yourself:
Everyday we have choices to make. They may not be life changing choices like Joseph made but they will effect our life for good or bad. As followers of Jesus, in the end our goal is to do just that- follow Him. Know what God is saying through His word but listen also to the voice of others who may understand the word of God a little better than we do. Have a great day, Loved Ones and God bless you real good! |
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