Category: Matthew

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.

Continue reading “Matthew 23:34-39 – Slippery Slope”

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.

Continue reading “Matthew 23:13-33 – Blind Guides”

Read Matthew 23:1-12

None of us like to be criticized. The next couple readings are going to focus on Jesus’ criticism of the religious leaders he is encountering. It would be easy to lump all Pharisees into one pot and assume they are all corrupt or misled. That would be devastating to Judaism and to the Jewish people. So when we read Jesus’ words, we need to remember he is calling out what he sees. Also, this is Matthew’s account, his remembrance of Jesus’ words.

How do you handle criticism? It can hurt. In most cases it’s helpful to consider the source. Do you have a level of trust already built up with the person pointing out your faults? We all have “haters”, too. You know those people who are never happy, who want to project their own failures onto you. Who like to dwell in the negative. Even still, it can sting a little to hear that you aren’t appreciated, or that something you’ve done or said is flat out wrong.

Continue reading “Matthew 23:1-12 – Criticism”

Read Matthew 22:41-46

The Pharisees have been peppering Jesus with all sorts of questions. Now it’s time for Jesus to have a turn. What do you think about Jesus’ question? Talk about trying to “trick” or “trap” them. I don’t know if it was that as much as it was he wanted them to think. He wanted them to step outside their comfort zones and stop just “going through the motions.”

What was the Pharisee’s response to the question of whose son is the Christ? “The son of David.” That would be an easy enough answer based on the prophecies found in Scripture. But then Jesus challenges them with David’s words of Psalm 110, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” How can it be that David would call him Lord if it was his son? I’m a bit perplexed, and so, too, were the Pharisees. They didn’t have anything to say.

Continue reading “Matthew 22:41-46 – Who is Father to the Messiah?”