Matthew – Page 7 – Be Still…

Matthew 24:29-44 – End Times (Part 3)

A rainbow after the storm, a re-bloom after a fire, a surge of energy after an illness. Beauty from ashes will be all around us. “And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Can you just picture the indescribable beauty? To see the Son of Man returning is what we are all looking forward to. Will we see it in our lifetime?

I don’t know about you, but I want to be one of the “chosen ones” gathered in that day. We are not meant to know precisely “when,” not even Jesus knew. (If he did, he didn’t let on.) But Jesus did give us a glimpse of what we can expect to see before it happens. Just like we can see other telltale signs in nature when God’s creation experiences a rebirth, we can be watching for his return.

Matthew 24:15-28 – End Times (Part 2)

Read Matthew 24:15-28

Jesus continues to answer his disciples questions about end times. They didn’t realize what they were asking. When Jesus spoke of the temple being demolished, they wanted to know when. That opened up a whole “can of worms” so to speak. Jesus didn’t leave it at the one answer they sought. Why? Because the answer was so much bigger than that simple question.

The destruction of the temple was only the beginning of what would be a continuous movement for years toward the end times. We are living in the end times. So were they. We need to keep in mind all of this is in God’s timing. Everything, not just the end times.

Matthew 24:1-14 – End Times (Part 1)

Read Matthew 24:1-14

Over the centuries, people have been enthralled with end time prophecies. Books have been written, movies produced, and lots and lots of predictors have tried to calculate when Jesus will return. This passage in Matthew is the beginning of several glimpses of the future. I tend to trust these because it comes from Jesus directly (via Matthew’s remembrance). Over the next few readings, we’ll take a deeper look at what Jesus is saying here.

We see that the disciples, too, were curious. They wanted some answers. To understand where their questions come from, it might do us good to consider some context. These men were expecting the Messiah. Their expectations had been that the Messiah would come to establish his kingdom. Jesus had just triumphantly entered Jerusalem–remember the donkey? They also expected that an Elijah-like forerunner would come to pave the way. Jesus identified this as John the Baptist.

Matthew 23:34-39 – Slippery Slope

Read Matthew 23:34-39

Jesus continues his rant and it seems to be intensifying a bit. Jesus talks of the prophets sent by God. Were they welcomed and applauded? Were they listened to and honored? No. According to Jesus’ account they were flogged, killed, or run out of town. God’s messengers were not given a welcome by any stretch of the imagination. Their treatment did not go unnoticed. There will be consequences.

How is it that they would take the heat for all godly people of all time? That seems a little unfair, doesn’t it? Maybe you’ve experienced injustice in your life. Maybe you were blamed for taking cookies out of the cookie jar when you know it was your younger sister or brother? When we offer to take the heat for someone, it is an entirely different story.

Matthew 23:13-33 – Blind Guides

Read Matthew 23:13-33

You’ve heard the saying, “the blind leading the blind.” Maybe today’s reading is a source for that? Jesus’ rant continues. Often we, too, follow blindly without giving much thought to our actions. We get used to a routine, a pattern of doing things. Over time, these patterns can become traditions that lose their meaning and focus. Likewise, it has happened to these religious leaders. They have taken a common belief or action and let it morph over time to something that is not right.

What sorrow awaits. This is a phrase that repeats itself over and over. That doesn’t sound like sunshine and roses. Jesus is disgruntled with these people. They are missing the point and have twisted the law. It is not clear how and why that happened. But when you are more concerned with what is ON the altar rather than the altar itself (just one example) there does seem to be something amiss.