In Luke 14 and 15 Jesus teaches through many parables. The very first lesson of Luke 14 is about the Sabbath. The Pharisees had made many rules and regulations regarding the Sabbath and turned it from its intended day of rest and rejuvenation to a day of stressful and seemingly impossible restrictions on the Jewish people. They had made it clear the Sabbath rules were more important than spiritual matters and miracles, and here in Luke 14 we see Jesus again address this matter.
Jesus healed a man and then proceeded to tell the Pharisees how hypocritical their Sabbath laws and actions were. He pointed out that they’d of course save a son or even an Ox if he were injured on the Sabbath, but that they get angry when Jesus performs a healing miracle on the Sabbath. These moments in scripture lead me to reflect on my own heart and intentions about my personal Sabbath day of rest.
How do you take a Sabbath day of rest, and what might you need to change about it?
Jesus then goes on to teach in parables about the value of humility and generosity. What struck me also is that these parables also teach on the importance of heeding God’s invitation to Himself. We are all invited to the table, but if we decline His invitation we deny His blessings, provisions, and a relationship with Him. Eventually, there will be no more invitations.
What stands out to you in these parables about who Christ is and your own relationship with Him?
As sons and daughters of the King of kings we can find much in common with these parables. The parable of the prodigal son, for instance, has 2 examples of sons that we can learn from. One, the younger, is the prodigal most can relate to in some way. We can be encouraged in that God is like the loving father who welcomes his prodigal son back with love and joy when he returns with a repentant heart.
The other son is often overlooked but serves as an important example as well. Whenever I read this story, I pray that my heart is not like the older brother who was feeling bitter and entitled, and in this seems to harbor unforgiveness toward his repentant brother. Not only this, but this son displays that he serves his father with ill intentions. He only seeks what he can gain and is bitter at what he feels is a lack of reward for his service. I pray I serve my Heavenly Father with a heart of grateful service and not fall into the bitterness this son displays toward his father.
What encouragement do you find in these parables today?
Be encouraged that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you, cares for you, and rejoices with you when you come to Him in repentance and humility. Blessed are those who show generosity, forgiveness, and kindness to others, and who encourage others to draw near to our Heavenly Father who is ready to forgive and restore His lost sheep.
Take time to pray on these lessons and meditate on them, remembering who God truly is and who He calls you to be – His child whom He loves.
As we read Luke 12 and 13 this week, there are many important lessons for us to meditate on and apply to our lives. Jesus is teaching in many different cities, and tensions are rising all around Him. His disciples are with Him, and the Pharisees continue to push back against Jesus. At the start of Luke 12, Jesus gives a blunt warning not only to the disciples who traveled with Him but also to us today – beware of hypocrisy. Guard yourselves, and beaware that everything hidden will one day be fully revealed. God is not fooled by us.
He goes on to say that we should not fear people who can kill the body. The only fear we should have is of God. Fear is mentioned quite a few times in this chapter, but not every time does it mean the same thing. What Jesus is saying is to not be afraid of people lest they be displeased and do harm to you, but to fear God in this way. He then continues on with the exhortation to not be struck with fear and seized with alarm because God counts us as more valuable than even the sparrows.
We are to fear God in a way that is in awe and respect, but also in a way that we do not want to displease Him. We do not, however, need to be in fear and alarm toward God. When we feel anxious or afraid, Jesus invites us to look at His creation and see how God provides for all, then recognize that He provides and cares for us, too.
What does this passage teach you about the fear of the Lord?
In the same conversation, Jesus then proceeds to explain that not only should we not be afraid of people, and that we should desire to please God and trust Him to provide for us, but that we also should not be afraid or neglect to acknowledge Jesus before others, nor should we blaspheme the Holy Spirit. We should likewise be careful against greed and set our desires on the Kingdom of God and Heavenly things.
What does this passage teach you about who God is?
God continuously provides for all of His creation and wants us to trust Him to lead, guide, and provide for us. He wants us to use what He blessed us with to be rich toward Him and generous toward others. We must be careful not to store up treasures for ourselves and neglect our duty to hospitality and generosity. Becoming too focused on earthly wealth is a sure way to lose focus of the true treasure we have in Heaven.
In fact, Jesus explains to us that the cure for anxiety is to have faith and trust God to provide and to be generous with what He does provide. Seek His Kingdom, and do what is pleasing to Him.
How can you focus more on the Kingdom and less on earthly things this week?
How can you be rich toward God and generous with the blessings He has given you?
In all of this, we can learn how to better prepare for Christ’s return, the time of which we do not know. He calls on us to be prepared, to have faith, to trust God’s provisions, and seek His Kingdom. We must do the job He has given us to do and be found doing it when He returns.
What steps can you take to prepare for Christ’s return so that you may walk through the narrow door before it shuts?
This week’s readings gave me quite a lot to think about and I hope the same will be said for you. We catch up with Jesus in Luke 10 when He sends out 72 disciples in pairs to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near, and to perform miracles in Jesus’ name by the power Jesus granted them.
The very beginning of Luke 10 is a wonderful example of what we can be praying for, and also helps me to align my heart with the Lord. Jesus tells them that the harvest is abundant but the workers are few, and encourages the disciples, as well as us now, to pray that workers will be sent out into the harvest. We should pray likewise over how we are to be workers in the harvest.
Take some time to pray for workers to be sent out into the harvest, and for your own part in working the harvest.
The next part is a needed reminder with this prayer. We are not responsible for the response of others to the message of the gospel. Just as Jesus tells the disciples to shake the dust off their feet, we too should do likewise. Our responsibility and calling is to proclaim, and it is the responsibility of the hearers to hear and believe. If they do not, that is up to the Lord to do His will with them.
When the disciples returned, Jesus encouraged them not to praise the works they did in the name of the Lord, but to praise the fact that their names are written in Heaven. Another valuable lesson for us today. Be humble and give all the glory and credit to God, rejoicing in that He chose us and made us part of His family. Our reward is in Heaven. Jesus then gives another beautiful example of prayer.
What does this passage teach you about prayer?
After this, someone asks a series of questions that help us to learn more about how to inherit eternity in heaven, and likewise how God calls on us to love. To inherit eternity with God we are to love God with our whole selves, and also love our neighbors as ourselves. The question seems to be asked often who counts as our neighbor, and Jesus actually gives us that answer. He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, and then asks who in the story is the neighbor.
What does this teach you about who your neighbor is and how to love them?
I love seeing this passage where the man given his sight rebukes the Pharisees. We so often put religious teachers and scholars on a pedestal and don’t correct people we have been trained to think know more than we do. This man, though, boldly proclaims what he has been taught from scripture and believes about Jesus despite the Pharisees’ power and responses. Sometimes we need to be reminded that God gives wisdom to those who truly desire it for the right reasons, and will be with His people. This man given his sight is an incredible and inspiring example.
Who in your life has inspired and encouraged you to be bold in your faith? Explain.
After Jesus teaches us to love those who show us mercy, He moves on to stay with Mary, Martha. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to Him, while Martha was distracted with hosting. Martha in her distraction misses Jesus’ teaching, and scolds Mary, asking Jesus to make her help.
How does this story apply to your own life?
In John 10:22-42, Jesus explains that His sheep hear His voice, know Him, and follow Him. His sheep are in His protection. He also explains to those who have seen many of His miracles and still don’t believe that He and the Father are one. He also explains that if they won’t believe by His words, they should believe by His works. This struck me as an example of faith and works. Works that are evidence of faith have power to plant seeds for the gospel. For Jesus, He did miracles by the power of God to bring some to belief, and some believed simply by His words. Likewise is still true about the workers going out to harvest. Some that we meet will be convinced by the works we do in His name, and some by the Word we proclaim in His name. Those who hear and recognize Jesus will know and obey Him.
In John 7 and 8 this week, we read some important narratives between Jesus and those who sought to kill him. John 7 begins with Jesus addressing his brothers’ unbelief in Him, and tells them that His time to appear in public is not yet come, but that theirs is always at hand.
This got me thinking. What does it mean that our time is always at hand? The word here for time means a time appointed by God to appear publicly. To me, this says our time to publicly proclaim our faith and believe in Him is always at hand. Our time to repent is also always at hand.
What does this speak to you, that our time is always at hand?
As the story continues on,Jesus makes a point not to judge according to outward appearance, but according to righteous judgment.This companions with the teaching that we will be judged according to the measure we judge by. Judgment should not be based on human standards but godly standards, and not for human reasons, but instead with godly intentions. These standards and measures are found throughout God’s Word, and we can learn them as we grow in our relationship with the Lord and His Word.
Another thing this passage got me thinking about is that we tend to judge what others are doing and assume we know if the work someone is doing is for God or not. This passage is a great reminder that only God knows the heart, and only God truly has the right to judge, but we have the responsibility to come alongside one another as fellow sinning human beings to grow in faith and godliness together.
When Jesus later makes a promise that those who believe will have living waters run through them, He is promising the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers after He ascends to Heaven. By the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we learn to become more like Christ and allow Him to change our hearts to align with Him. He is the light of the world and anyone who believes will be given His light, and will no longer walk in the darkness of sin, ignorance, unbelief, and condemnation.
Is there someone in your life to pray over confronting about their sin? Explain.
Throughout John 7 and 8, Jesus is making the point that those who believe in Him will be blessed, will be given understanding, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, and also will be children of God. Those who truly believe will live like it, following Jesus’ teachings and commands, and truly following His ways. To be a true disciple of the Lord, you will continue in His Word. Anyone who is of God will obey God because they love God. If you truly believe in Jesus, you will believe His Word, and do what it says.
How does this truth about being a true believer change your perspective?
Matthew 18 is filled with some important instructions and lessons for all believers. It is an uncomfortable chapter for many people, but oftentimes we must get uncomfortable in order to grow.
The disciples came to Jesus to ask who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus teaches that the way to greatness is found in humility and service. He adds that the way to Heaven is by childlike trust and dependence in God. He continues on to explain that anything in your life that causes someone else or yourself to sin should be cut off.
How can you humbly serve others in the Kingdom? Explain.
Not only are we to be humble, trust in the Lord, depend on Him entirely, and serve God and others, but we should cherish new believers, those who are “like children” in the faith, and exercise Kingdom authority not by controlling others but by this humility and service we are called to. We should rejoice when the lost are found. It is important to note that what comes next is part of this same conversation. Oftentimes, this chapter is split up and much of the context is lost. Matthew 18:15-35 should be read in the same context as part of the same conversation as Matthew 18:1-14.
As Jesus explains the value of new believers, humility, service, trust, and dependence He also explains the correct process of disciplining fellow believers in the church. Notice that this is a responsibility given to believers as a whole and is not reserved for pastors and church leaders alone.
Jesus rejoices when a lost sheep is found, and now explains that if a brother or sister in Christ sins we should confront them privately about it first. If they do not heed the warning, we should bring 1 or 2 witnesses along to talk to them. If they still do not listen, then we get the church involved. If they still continue in their sin, we are to cast them out as if they are Gentiles. All of this should be done with the intention, hope, and desire to lead them to repentance. We should all have a heart of service and humility that desires to see a believer in sin repentant and restored.
If discipline occurs under the instruction and Lordship of Jesus, the Lord sanctions it. All discipline should be prayerfully considered and handled, never done with bitterness or resentment, and again always done with a heart and intent to lead them to repentance. If it is for the Lord, it should be brought to the Lord and led by the Lord in order to be blessed by the Lord. And if we are to be right with the Lord, we should bring any discipline received to the Lord to be led by Lord in the correction of the Lord.
Is there someone in your life to pray over confronting about their sin? Explain.
Just as we are given instructions to prayerfully handle discipline in the church, those receiving the discipline should do likewise. We see in Matthew 18:21-35 the importance of forgiveness, and again noting it’s relevance to the lesson of humility, authority, and discipline. We should never hold a grudge. Remember in 1 Corinthians 13 we read that love does not hold an account of wrongs. We should not hold an account of wrongs, nor should we fail to forgive. If we fail to forgive others, the Lord will bind us in our unforgiveness. He forgives freely those who earnestly seek it and we are to do the same.
Is there anyone in your life you are harboring unforgiveness toward? Any grudges you need to forgive and release? Explain and pray for help.
This week we catch up with Jesus as He takes Peter, John, and James up a mountain to be alone and pray. Here, Jesus transfigured and “shone like the sun” in all His glory and suddenly Moses and Elijah were with Jesus, talking with Him. Peter here cracks me up and reminds me so much of myself in those nervous moments you don’t know what to do so you just say whatever comes to mind.
Peter interrupts Jesus’s conversation with Elijah and Moses by telling Him “it’s good we’re here”. How often do we have those types of thoughts? “Wow God, it’s good I’m here so I can help You!” When really, we were there because He made it so – not by mere coincidence. Peter’s reaction reminds me that it’s so important to remain humble and remember God places us where He wants us for His purposes.
When was the last time you knew you were exactly where you were meant to be? Explain.
After Peter, John, and James totally miss yet another miracle, they decide to ask Jesusabout a prophecy regarding Elijah. In Matthew, we read that Jesus tells the disciples that Elijah had already returned before Jesus as prophesied but he was not recognized, and they understood that Jesus was talking about John the Baptist. With this, Jesus also tells them that the Son of Man will suffer and be raised from the dead.
Describe a time God clarified something for you that you had been confused about.
Later, Jesus is brought a boy who has an evil spirit. The disciples were unable to cast the demon out, for which Jesus rebukes their unbelief. He tells them that if they do not have faith, they will not be able to do it. If they have faith the size of a mustard seeds, the smallest of all seeds, then nothing will be impossible for them.
Having faith is one of the biggest challenges we face a lot of the time. Our unbelief is often what hinders us. By growing in our faith and dependence on God, and growing in our belief that all things are possible through Christ, we can accomplish whatever it is God presents for us to do.
When was the last time you found yourself lacking faith? How can you grow in your faith and dependence on Jesus in these times?
The disciples later argued about which one of them was greatest, and Jesus’ response is one we need to remember. So often we, too, wonder about who is the best, the greatest, or even the worst. We try to put ourselves first, but in doing so we push ourselves to the back of the line. Jesus reminds us that it is the least who are the greatest, meaning it is those who are humble and don’t seek their own glory or status who are the greatest. Humility is a trait we all need to learn and reside in.
Describe a time your pride needed to be humbled.
The disciples then told Jesus they had told someone not to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. This comment makes me think of all the different ways God uses people to accomplish His divine purposes. Where one person is called to serve the Lord and spread the gospel in one manner, the next person is given a totally different means to accomplish the same goal.
Describe a time someone glorified God and shared the gospel in a way that differed from your own calling. What did this teach you?
This week we meet back up with Jesus and the disciples after Jesus has just fed another multitude, this time 4,000, with 7 baskets leftover. Last time it was 5,000 with 12 baskets leftover, which happened in Jewish territory, and this time it happens in gentile lands. Jesus is showing the people that He came for the Jews and the Gentiles alike.
After He feeds yet another many thousand people, the disciples head out with Jesus. Jesus gives a warning to beware of the teachings and example of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but the disciples again miss the point. They also miss the miracle of Jesus feeding another many thousand people…again.
Jesus and the disciples then carry on a very important conversation we can learn several things from. Peter confesses his belief that Jesus I truly the Messiah, and Jesus praises the fact that Peter did not come to this because of man, but because God has revealed it to him and he believed it. This is what we are all called to.
Jesus then explains the importance of holding onto this belief in faith. Those who want to truly follow Jesus must be willing to give everything up for Jesus, even their own life. This is both figurative and literal. Some will be faced with a literal life and death decision for their faith, but all of us are faced with a decision to die to our old selves and allow the Jesus to fill us with Himself giving us His spiritual life. As we go through our life growing in faith we should become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. This is a tough concept for many of us, but is well worth every ounce of pain, suffering, and discomfort for the promise ahead.
How has Christ transformed you and your life to bring Him more honor and glory?
The other main point that struck me in these passages is Jesus’ first reference to the Church. This is a passage that can be controversial for some. Based on the surrounding passages as well as the rest of scripture in context with this passage in Matthew 16, I believe Jesus is telling the disciples that He is the Rock on which the Church will be built, and that our faith in Him and testimonies build up the church. We read throughout the New Testament about Jesus as the chief cornerstone and the testimonies of the prophets and apostles are the foundation built upon Christ the rock and cornerstone.
Our testimony and witness to the world matters. Sharing the gospel and living in God’s truth help to build up the Church on the cornerstone, rock, and true foundation of Jesus Christ. Just like it was vital for the disciples to go out into all the world and proclaim the gospel to build up the early church, it is still the responsibility and privilege of followers of Jesus today to do likewise in the ways God calls, leads and provides for us to do.
How do you share your testimony and the gospel with others?
What impact have others had in your life by sharing their faith and testimony?
This week as we dive into the gospels, we head into Matthew 15 and Mark 7 where we catch up with Jesus and one of His conversations with the Pharisees. John the Baptist has recently been beheaded, the Pharisees are hunting for ways to entrap Jesus, and Jesus has just performed the miracle of feeding the five-thousand with the loaves and fish.
The Pharisees here call out the disciples for not holding to the traditions of the elders, as they call it. In the Jewish culture, tradition was extremely important. They all held to the traditions that had been passed down from generation to generation. One such tradition was a ceremonial washing of hands before eating. To us washing hands before eating sounds simple enough, especially in a world over two years into a pandemic, but in this time it was ceremonial – not just for washing the dirt and grime off of your hands. The Pharisees were not talking about physical cleanness but were pointing out that the disciples were not holding to a tradition for ceremonial cleanness.
Do you have certain traditions you and/or your family follow? Describe some of them and where they came from.
I love Jesus’s response here. His responses are always an opportunity for us to learn something. Here, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they are touting that the disciples are not following a man-made tradition, yet the Pharisees are not upholding God-given commands. They are choosing to put their own traditions over God.
Thinking about your own traditions again, how do these traditions coordinate with God’s commands for your life? Are they complimentary or contradictory?
Jesus’s response to the Pharisees should cause us to evaluate our own routines, traditions, and intentions behind them. We should take the time to filter all of our habits, routines, and traditions through God’s Word to make sure they don’t take hold a higher place in our lives than God’s commands, but also to ensure they don’t contradict God’s Word.
We have to be willing to put aside man-made for God-commanded. Our intentions matter, and keeping God first takes intention and effort. Our intentions are known by God, and if our intentions are wrong it will come out of our hearts. If our heart is misaligned and not founded on Christ our hearts are defiled and that will flow out of us.
What areas of your life do you need to realign with God’s Word and commands?
Right after this, we see the gentile woman come to Jesus and beg His help. This image is so important at this moment in the story. The Pharisees, those who the Jewish people looked to for spiritual wisdom and guidance, were just called out for being “blind guides”. Now we see Jesus praise a gentile woman, an outsider, someone the Jewish people would have seen as an enemy of God in those times, praised for her faith and her child healed of a demon.
Jesus seeks to save ALL who will come to Him and have faith in Him. No matter your background, family, experiences, or sins He wants you to come to Him, trust in Him, and receive salvation through faith in Him.
Take some time to consider what you have not felt like you can bring to God. What is stopping you from trusting Him fully? What burden feels too heavy to be forgiven? Pray over it this week.
This week we take a leap into John chapter 6 which is packed with some off Jesus’s more complex and difficult teachings. We see just how difficult this can be, not only for us but for the people Jesus was speaking directly to, when many of His disciples stopped following Him because what He was teaching them was too difficult for them to comprehend. I want to start out today by encouraging you to press forward! As difficult as some things are to grasp, Jesus also teaches us within this very same lesson that it is by His Holy Spirit that we are given understanding. Lean into the Holy Spirit today, and let’s explore this complex chapter.
We begin with John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, which we discussed last week from the other 3 gospel accounts. What really gets complicated is the people’s response after they were fed by the miracle of Jesus. They went to the other side of the water to find Jesus. Here are several key takeaways from this passage.
We should not chase after earthly things.
We cannot work for eternal life – it is a gift to those who believe.
Jesus is the only way to be eternally satisfied and provide for our spiritual needs.
Those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life.
God invites everyone to believe, but only some will believe and be given spiritual life.
If we seek to be satisfied by anything but Christ, we will never be truly satisfied.
What stands out to you the most in these key points from this week’s reading? Why?
The most difficult thing about this chapter is the idea of Jesus as the Bread of Life. This is where most of Jesus’ disciples bailed on Him because this was too difficult for them to understand and they did not believe.
When we take communion, we take of the bread as a symbol of Jesus’ body broken for us, and drink of the wine or juice as a symbol of His blood spilled for us. Some believe these to be literal blood and flesh, and some see this as figurative. But here is the main point most can agree on – when we take the wine and bread, we do so in remembrance and honor of the sacrifice Jesus made for ourselves – us, you, me, each of us individually, and all of us entirely.With this, we are reminded, and our appreciation and love for Him should be rekindled and grown as we take time to remember His sacrifice for our sake and what He saved us from.
What are your beliefs about communion? How often do you take communion, and why do you personally do so? Reflect on this, and take some time to pray over this.
This Bread of Life in the original language is referring to spiritual life through faith and dependence on Jesus that results in eternal life through Jesus. When we choose to believe and have faith in Jesus, the Son of God, and depend on Him, we are given spiritual life that gives true satisfaction. He satisfies our spiritual needs while we are trusting Him to guide and provide for our physical needs. Jesus wants our faith and dependence and He will satisfy us forever with true spiritual life.
What do you understand or wish you understood better about Jesus as the Bread of Life? Take some time to pray over this and reread this chapter in multiple translations.
This week we will read Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17. In these passages, we begin with the devastating death of John the Baptist. John the Baptist had been beheaded by King Herod, who scripture tells us regretted this deed. He made this decision out of pride and an obligation to an oath. This story reminds me of the many Proverbs that talk about oaths and how we should take oaths very seriously, never making a careless oath.
When was a time you made a promise or oath you later regretted making?
What happens next really struck me today. Reading this story in conjunction with the following passages puts matters into a different perspective than reading each piece on its own. Moving forward, we see Jesus find out about John’s death. It is important to know that Jesus knew this was going to happen, knew the way, the reason, the timing, but still we see that Jesus left to be alone when He found out.
When Jesus left to be alone, He was bombarded by more people seeking His help and healing. Instead of telling them to go away, or that He would come back, or anything like that we read that He had compassion on them and tended to them. Jesus wanted some time alone, but we see Him set the example that sometimes we need to keep pressing forward and keep serving God’s Kingdom.
Have you ever wanted to be alone, but life demanded your full attention anyway? How did you respond?
We see here that Jesus took time to heal people, and to spend time with them and teach them. He took full advantage of the opportunity He had to teach the crowds that swarmed Him, with compassion and patience. Then, as the day pressed on toward night, we see what the disciples were up to.
They, not understanding John’s death themselves, were surely still mourning him, and were very likely exhausted from the long day of ministry with Jesus. They wanted to send the people away. Jesus’s response here is a massive lesson for all of us.
While the disciples were ready to call it a day, Jesus told them to feed the people themselves. While the disciples were likely mourning and exhausted, ready to be alone with Jesus, He called on them to serve these people instead of sending them away. In Luke’s account, Jesus compared the crowds to sheep without a shepherd. They, with obvious doubt, brought Him 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, and Jesus blessed them, broke them, and had the disciples distribute them. At the end, 12 baskets of leftovers remained.
Two things I don’t want to miss here. One, how Jesus sees the same people the disciples want to tell to go away and not deal with anymore. He sees them with compassion, humbles Himself, and helps them. Secondly, Jesus delegated responsibilities to the disciples, asking them to also humble themselves and help these people in faith. He not only showed compassion and patience, but asked His followers to do likewise.
Do you tend to see people as a nuisance you don’t want to deal with, or with compassion, as those we can help and serve?
The disciples, having completely missed the miracle of the loaves and fish, were told by Jesus to take a boat to the other side of the water.Jesus finished up with the crowd, and then He took time to be alone with God in prayer now that the people were tended to. After a while, He walked out onto the water and asked Peter to come to Him there. Peter begins to sink, and we read that not only is this due to Peter’s doubt, but in Mark 6:51 we see another reason. Because they had missed the point of the miracle of feeding the people, their hearts were hardened, and they were afraid.
Take some time to reflect on miracles God has done in your own life and thank Him for being there, providing, having compassion and patience with you, and reaching His hand out to you as if to Peter in the water.
Throughout Matthew 9 and 10 several key things happen. The first is Jesus healing a paralyzed man and telling him that his sins are forgiven. At this, some of the scribes thought Jesus was a blasphemer because only God can forgive sins. I love what happens next. Don’t miss the lesson here – Jesus calls them out for their thoughts and the evil in their heart. Jesus is showing them that He knows their every thought, their intent, and the condition of their hearts. They were inwardly accusing Jesus of blaspheming, and Jesus responded in a way that proved His divinity and authority.
How does this lesson convict or encourage you? Why?
Jesus then tells the paralyzed man to get up, pick up his mat, and go home – and he did! Now many of the people saw this and gave glory to God in their amazement. In every situation there is something to learn. We can even learn from the experiences of the critics and doubters. Here we get to see Jesus prove His divinity to the scoffers, and can praise God for the incredible works done knowing that the same Christ who performed these miracles and discerns the very thoughts and intentions of all people indwells every believer who has faith in Him.
What does knowing Christ indwells you mean to you?
Jesus goes and to perform many more miracles, and every time we read about these miracles we can be reminded of His glory, power, authority, and great love for mankind. He came to save us, and when He accomplished the works on the cross and ascended to Heaven, He gave His Spirit to those who would believe in Him.
ater, after Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him the Pharisees question his companionship. Jesus again has an important lesson to teach us. He came to save those who recognize their need for a Savior. He came for the broken sinners like you and me who know that we cannot be enough, but that He is.
Reflect this week on what Christ has saved you from. Remember how He has shown up before, and pray over areas you are currently struggling and holding onto.
Throughout Matthew 9 and 10 one lesson is particularly prominent. We see Jesus questioned, doubted, mocked, and read about many seeking to entrap Him. We see so many difficulties He faced in His earthly ministry, and then He goes on to give us some needed encouragement. Jesus tells us that those who have faith in Him have no need to be afraid. He will always provide for His people. He wants us to take up our cross, to pick up every burden and sin, and carry it to the cross, and lay it down where it has been put to death. Recognize that His sacrifice is enough. We can find rest in Him as we lay it all down at the foot of the cross.
What are you holding onto and struggling to lay down at the cross? What can you do to take steps forward in faith?
We pick up this week in Matthew 8, finishing up the second half in verses 14-34. Here and in Mark 4:35-41 we read about Jesus and His disciples taking a boat across the sea. While crossing, Jesus slept but a storm came that terrified the disciples. They woke Jesus wondering if He cared about the raging storm.
This story is one that sticks with me and every time I read it I am reminded that Jesus is with me in every storm. Not only is He with me, but He isn’t worried – so neither should I be. He has authority over every storm, knows every storm, and is with me in every storm. I don’t have to worry, but only have faith in Him before, during, and after each and every storm I face in my life.
Are you in the midst of a storm in your life? Think about past storms you have been through, and describe how Christ was with you, even if you didn’t know it at the time.
We also read again about the parable of the sower, as well as the bowl an the lamp, growing seed, and the mustard seed. In all of these parables we get to learn vital lessons as believers. The Kingdom of God is equated to a seed that is sown, and that grows over time until harvest. It is also equated to the smallest of all seeds, the mustard seed, that starts out tiny, but over time it grows into the tallest and most fruitful plant in all the garden.
How do these parables speak to you today? What is this teaching you in this present season of your life and faith?
One thing that stands out to me in all of these passages this week is that Jesus teaches each of us according to what He knows we are ready for, and He gives each of us the understanding we need at the time and in the way He determines is best for us. He did this with the disciples, and He still does that for us every day.
Jumping into the story of Jesus casting out the Legion of demons, I am always struck by this story in a new way every time I read it. Reading all of these parables alongside this story today I am reminded that, just like the demon possessed man whom Jesus healed, He heals us of our many afflictions. Again just like this man he healed, he does not immediately call us all home to dwell with Him but instead commands us to take our testimony out, plant seeds for the gospel, and participate in growing the Kingdom of God before the time of the harvest comes.
What are you doing in your life right now to grow in your faith?
We are all called to go out into all the world and share the gospel, and we are all given a testimony to share. Our testimony is powerful because it has Jesus’ fingerprints all over it. We should constantly be thanking Him for all He has done, humbling ourselves as we remember how much we have needed and still need Him, and planting seeds around us so that others may come to know Him and experience the healing power of Jesus through faith as well.
What can you do in your life right now to plant seeds and share your testimony?
We don’t have to have it all figured out. Jesus grants us the understanding He knows we need and are ready for, and the understanding He gives us He wants us to use. What we use will be measured, and we will be given more understanding according to the measure we use. If we fail to use the wisdom granted to us, He will take it away.
Let the light of Christ shine from you and your life and encourage others everyday.
This week in Matthew 13 and Luke 8 we will read through many of Jesus’ parables, as well as some of the miracles He performed. These passages give us several important explanations that will help us understand much of Jesus’ teachings throughout the gospel accounts.
When Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower, the people are confused and the disciples ask Him why He teaches in parables. Jesus explains, both plainly to them in private as well as in further parables, that those who truly seek God’s wisdom with an honest heart and right intentions will receive understanding from God. Those who seek with ill or wrong motives, who hear and see with hardened hearts, closed eyes and ears, will not understand.
It is important for us to soak in this lesson because as people of God we need to check our own hearts and seek God’s help and guidance. We need to be growing in righteousness with the help of the Holy Spirit, and not fall backward and wither up like the seeds sown on rocky, thorny, or bad ground that all get swallowed up. We need to be growing strong roots in Christ every day so that when the storms come, like in Luke 8:22-25, we have strong roots of faith clinging to Jesus, our firm foundation, and not being swept away by worry and panic like the seeds planted in thorns.
What stands out the most to you from the many parables in today’s readings? Why?
As believers, it is vital that we be watchful, and that we listen carefully to all that the Lord has to say and instruct us in. We learn to listen by being in the Word of God regularly, growing strong roots in scripture, and that we do so with an honest heart. One of the biggest lessons we should take away from Jesus’ teachings throughout the gospel is that our intentions make all the difference in the world. If our intentions are not right, we will lack. If our intentions are right, we will be blessed.
Another thing that stands out to me in this week’s reading is that again we see many paths being described and explained, but also yet again we see only one path that leads to salvation. The only way to salvation is through Jesus, through Him sowing the good seeds, growing sturdy roots in Him, and through strong and growing faith in Him.
In what ways have you grown in your faith, and how has this impacted your life?
It is important to stop and remember where we started, where we have been, and where the Lord has taken us so far. Looking back to remember all He has done in and through us and our lives, what we can see, is so helpful to our faith. I constantly stop and remember and thank God for all He has saved me from and all the ways He has helped me to grow and learn along the way. Our readings this week are a perfect reminder to check your heart, evaluate your roots, and reflect on how far you have come with Christ.
Reflect on some of the trials you have been through, and notice from where you are now how God showed up. What are some things you see God was with you in that you maybe didn’t see as much while you were there?
Matthew 12:22-50 and Luke 11 are filled to the brim, overflowing with vital truths for all believers to know and understand. Picking up at Matthew 12:22 and Luke 11, we jump right into Jesus responding to the Pharisees accusing Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Satan rather than of God. This particular passage is one that can be very difficult to understand, so I dove into some keywords in Greek to help me understand Jesus’ responses.
The very first thing to notice is that verse 25 begins with “knowing their thoughts” indicating, and reminding us, that Jesus knows the thoughts and innermost heart and intentions of us all. He knew the thoughts and intentions behind the Pharisee’s words and actions. He goes on to teach that those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, also translated as “grieve the Holy Spirit”, will not be forgiven. This is often referred to as the “unforgivable sin”. Throughout Jesus’ explanation, He points again and again to the heart and intention of a person.
When someone who knows the truth but slanders or speaks in an injurious way of the Holy Spirit, they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This is a sin against spiritual knowledge. This is to say, someone who has known the truth but denies it and slanders it, not only in word but in their very nature and character, they are guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Putting it more simply, this is to know yet still choose knowingly to reject and slander the truth in the way you speak and live.
Moving forward, Jesus continues on to explain the difference between good and evil fruits. Good is to be of excellent character and nature, and bad is to be rotten, corrupt, worthless, evil, and unfit for use. Good fruits come from those who are of good character, and bad fruits come from those of corrupt character. He then explains that we will be either justified or condemned by our words, but digging into this more Jesus is saying that we will be justified of condemned not only by words but by the very nature of our soul, thoughts, lives, and words.
What about this passage stands out the most to you?
Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24-26 drive the point home that those who are not filled with God are leaving room for things of Satan. If we, like the Pharisees set on their Jewish traditions over truth, focus on earthly things over eternal things, we will remain empty, refuse regeneration, and be filled with things opposed to God rather than of God. If we are not filled with God, having faith in Jesus and filled by the Holy Spirit, we are easy pickings for satanic influences.
What is the importance of this passage to you?
This passage strikes me as a vital passage about spiritual condition and spiritual warfare. If we refuse God, disobey God, deny His truth, reject His Son and salvation, blaspheme His Holy Spirit, fail to repent, remain in our stubbornness and sin, we are destined for destruction. The beautiful thing is that we see in Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 11:28 that those who have faith in Jesus, who hear the truth and believe, and who obey God will be blessed. Not only will we be blessed, but we will become a part of God’s own family.
We see the Lord’s Prayer again here in Luke 11, which we also read in week 10. I’d like to touch on this a little bit more today, though. It is always important to read and study again even parts we have read 1,000 times. I have been working on re-memorizing the Lord’s Prayer as it is given in Matthew, and here we see a simpler rendition of it. For me, this has been an incredible lesson about how to pray.
Give glory, honor and thanks to God
Focus myself on heavenly things and God’s will in my life over my own desires
Request God’s provisions in my life
Confess and repent of my sins, and forgive others as well
Request God’s help, wisdom, and guidance in my life
The ultimate focus becomes acknowledging God’s will in my life and placing full dependence on God in all matters.
What does the Lord’s Prayer mean to you? I encourageyou to memorize it this week.
This week we are exploring Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 7. Right off the bat we get to read about Jesus healing the leper. I love this story because this man living with a terrible disease came to Jesus in faith that Jesus could heal him but was humble enough not to assume Jesus would be willing.
So often in my life I have come to Jesus knowing He could heal my brokenness, but submitted myself to His will, whatever that may be. Sometimes our idea of how we want to be healed or helped is different than God’s way and we need to be willing to submit to His ways and timing in faith. His ways are always better than our own.
Describe a time in your life you trusted God’s will to be done in your life even if it meant you would continue to suffer.
When we call on Jesus in faith, trusting in His power and plan, He will do miracles in our lives. It won’t necessarily look like this leper who was literally healed of his leprosy in a moment, but our faith can move mountains in our lives and in our hearts. We give Him our faith and allow Him to have power over us and our lives for His divine plans and purposes.
We see this again with the faith of the Centurion. This Centurion made it clear he was a leader of men and understood what it meant to have great authority. Yet this man in such a position was humble enough to call upon Jesus yet not assume himself so great as to be worthy of Jesus’ help or presence.
Jesus then tells the people, and therefore us, that there will be many gentiles, those not born of the line of Abraham, not of Jewish heritage, who will come to Jesus, but that there will be some born of Abraham’s line who are not truly faithful to God and will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. This teaches us that anyone can come to Jesus, and that He wants true repentance and faith, not lip-service or false faith. Christ came to save ALL who would come to Him in faith.
What difference has faith and repentance made in your life? Why is it important to remember this?
Later in Luke 7 we see Jesus bring a widow’s son back to life. This is such a wonderful story and reminder of God’s power. We also see that this was to bring God glory – not just to help the widow and restore the boy.
We must always remember that all we do should be to glorify God, and that what He does is for His glory. This is a blessing that we get to be a part of His plan and participate in bringing Him glory so that others may also come to Him and likewise bring Him glory through their faith.
Describe a time in your life God was glorified in a way you did not expect.
Jesus reminds us through this chapter of Luke that those who are not offended by Him, those who come to Him in faith, those who truly repent, those who seek and receive His forgiveness are those who bring God glory. Those who have been forgiven much love much.
Those who fail to repent, who remain in their unbelief, do not know the forgiveness and love of God because their hearts remain hardened against Him. Those who have been forgiven the most are more grateful and love God deeper than those who harbor or deny their sin, or who don’t have as much to be forgiven of.
How have you experienced or witnessed the reality of Jesus’ statement that those who are forgiven much love much?
I am a wife, mom, writer, crafter, and above all, a Child of God. I love to study the Bible, fellowship with other Christians, and serve God. I am thrilled to invite you to join me in seeking to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Living Water of Christ, which is what Water On Thirsty Land is here to do.
