Matthew – Page 2 – Be Still…

Matthew 26:26-29 💙 Where Jesus Is

The setting was the upper room. Jesus was gathered with his dearest friends and followers. This would be Jesus’ last meal with them. Jesus knew what was coming, but the disciples did not fully understand. How fitting that it was the Passover feast, complete with a spotless lamb!

What would you have thought sitting at the table that night when Jesus said, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Jesus’ body? Seriously? If the disciples had been paying attention, they might recall how Jesus had been preparing them for what was to come. Jesus would soon be crucified. That, too, must have really given them pause to fully accept.

Matthew 6:25-34 💗 Focus on the Right Thing

Read Matthew 6:25-34

Our final theme will be “Seeking God’s Kingdom.” Whether we have been Christ followers our whole life or just for a short time, our homing device is set inside us, inspiring us to seek God’s kingdom. Where do we look? What are we looking to find? We’ll look for clues over the rest of the readings in this series.

In this reading, we are reminded we often focus on the wrong thing. We let the worries of the day crowd our head. It’s nearly impossible to be truly seeking God’s kingdom or even his will for our lives when our minds are clouded with things that shouldn’t matter. When is the last time you truly had a worry-free day?

Matthew 5:17-48 💙 Jesus Fulfills the Law

Read Matthew 5:17-48

“Living as God Desires” can be hard for some people when they try to be legalistic about the laws laid out in the Old Testament. It helps to understand the laws were put in place to help guide and protect people while drawing them into an obedient relationship with God. Jesus tells us in this passage, near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, that he fulfills the laws and writings of the prophets.

Can you imagine what people hearing those words the first time must have thought? That’s a bold claim. How does it work exactly? Jesus wanted us to know that God’s commandments are important, and we are not to forget them. It’s like Jesus “updates” them a bit here to make them more relevant to the people. He also spent a lot of time talking about a lot of other topics during his full sermon in Matthew Chapters 5-7.

Epiphany of our Lord 👑 We Three Kings of Orient Are

3 wise men silhouettes with a star in the sky

January 6 is traditionally the day Christians celebrate Epiphany. Its significance is to celebrate when the wise men visited our Lord Jesus as a young child. We’ve experienced Epiphany in new ways since moving to Mexico in 2016. Having a king’s cake with hidden figurines from the nativity has been a special treat for us! Read Matthew 2:1-12 for a Biblical account.

You’ll probably note that the text doesn’t say these men were kings, nor does it say there were three of them. Details like that should not keep us from seeing the beauty and wisdom of what is happening here. There is much to celebrate. These men saw a star. They were wise enough to know that it meant something significant had happened, and they were curious.

Day 4 🌲 O Holy Night

On the first day of Christmas, we looked at my husband David’s favorite Christmas carol. What’s your favorite? Hopefully it will be one of the next ones during our 12 Days of Christmas. Today’s song is my favorite and are these words ever powerful!

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!