Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/14): Matthew 9:1-17.

Oct14

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13b

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REVIEW – As Jesus left the crowd to sail across the Sea, two men ran up and pledged to follow Him. But they were soon found to be all talk and no commitment. On the SE shore of Galilee, Jesus found two more men, desperately consumed by demons who were tearing them apart. Jesus freed them from their possession, and they spread the news of Jesus’ work throughout their land. Two men on opposite ends of Jesus’ journey, so different in their background, current life & possessions, and dedication to Him.

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Matthew 9:1-8.

Back across the Sea, Jesus entered Capernaum again, and immediately some people brought a paralytic to him. When Jesus saw THEIR faith, He turned to the man on the bed. Seeing his deepest need, Jesus spoke aloud, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

How did the paralyzed man react to this inner cleansing? We’ll never know, because right then some religious leaders stepped forward and accused Jesus. ‘This man is blaspheming!”

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do YOU think evil in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Rise and walk’? “But that you may know that the Son of Man has AUTHORITY on earth to forgive sins…” And here Jesus turned to the cripple and said, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

And the no-longer-paralyzed man got up and went home (healed and forgiven!). When the crowds saw this (no mention of the religious leaders’ reactions), they were afraid and GLORIFIED GOD, who had given men such authority

The religious leaders thought they had no sin; they practiced a righteousness far beyond what God asked… at least in their own eyes. Jesus had not come for such men (or women) as these. They were the kind of pompous men who had already “received their reward.”

No, Jesus had come to save those who recognized their sin and helplessness, personified in the paralytic whose sin tormented his mind. Their seeking Him and their faith received a “reward” from Jesus: forgiveness of sin and relief from their body’s pain.

Who went away from this scene rejoicing, do you think?

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Matthew 9:9-18.

Then, just like that, Jesus walked past the Roman tax booth where Matthew sat, stylus and scroll in hand. Had HE witnessed the paralyzed man healed and forgiven? Was his heart also wretched with sin, with betrayal of his people and his God? Did his eyes meet Jesus’ as the Son of God approached? Were Jesus’ words filled with tender compassion?

“Follow me,” Jesus said.

And Matthew rose (left all) and followed Him. (Just like the fishermen before him.)

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Like another tax collector saved by the Lord Jesus (Zaccheus), Matthew held a dinner party to honor his new Master and invited all his tax-collector friends. “Listen to this man! Hear his healing words! He has come from heaven for men like us! He will forgive!”

What a joyous dinner!

But outside, some grumbled. They were the very ones who griped at the paralytic’s forgiveness. “Why does this man eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (They might have smelled that good lamb roasting and the garlic-onion-lentils … and were a bit jealous.)

Jesus heard and answered them with a couple sayings of the day. “‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, only those who are sick.’ Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the “righteous”, but sinners.”

Did they read up on what the ancient Rabbis had said, or did they simply disregard everything but their own disdain of this simple Teacher from Nazareth?

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Matthew 9:14-17.

Another accusatory question, this time from John the Baptist’s disciples. “Why do WE and the Pharisees fast, but YOUR disciples do not fast?” (First of all, why were John’s disciples partnering with the uber-strict Jewish leaders? John had once called these self-righteous men “a nest of vipers!’)

All Jews were required by God to fast ONCE PER YEAR, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). That’s it, barring a national emergency.

Over the years, tradition and rabbinic law added 5 or 6 more to commemorate tragedies like the destruction of the Temple and exile to Babylon, etc. The Pharisees fasted ONCE OR TWICE PER WEEK to “parade” their piety. God NEVER asked for this.

(Now there is nothing wrong with your fasting and praying for special reasons in your own life. Do this in private and as unto God. Matthew 6:16-18)

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Jesus answered them with three illustrations they would recognize. (But would they understand?)

1. No guest fasts as long as “the Bridegroom” is with them. (Jesus). But when the Bridegroom is “taken away from them,” then they will fast (and mourn). Jesus is hinting at his own execution.

2. Again, take a favorite old robe with a big rip in it. (The Pharisee’s old way of striving to please God by works.) You don’t stitch a new piece of material to it. Everyone knows that wool shrinks at the first few washes. The old garment is dormant, but the new piece will shrink and tear the robe even more.

The Pharisee’s old way of striving to please God by works must give way to the new, living way of faith that Jesus teaches.

3. The new wine, which expands as it ferments, will not work in an old, stiff wineskin, but will tear it so it cannot hold the precious drink of joy. New wineskins (a new way of faith) are needed to hold the new “saved by faith alone” teachings Jesus brings.

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Now whether they understood these illustrations is debatable. Some might see that Jesus was showing them a new way, prophesied by the prophets of old … and follow Him. Most will have their thinking confused, and their anger magnified.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/13): Matthew 8:18-34.

Oct13

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever You go.” Matthew 8:19.

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REVIEW –

The Sermon on the Mount revealed that no one could enter into Jesus’ kingdom of heaven by being “good” or doing “good works.” All of them (and we) are sinners, and no matter our attempts and desires to live righteous lives, we can’t. Not even the uber-pious religious leaders could. There must be another way. The desperate leper and the important Centurion pointed to it. It is by faith in Jesus.

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Matthew 8: 18-22.

From His descent down the mountain until late that night, Jesus had been non-stop meeting the needs of the sick, disabled, and demon-possessed, with only a short meal break that Peter’s mother-in-law made.

Early the next morning, Jesus hoped to escape the crowd for some quiet time with His disciples and headed to the boatyard with them. But the masses followed him, with outstretched hands and loud pleas. As Jesus stepped into one of the boats (possibly Zebedee’s), a man called out.

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Perhaps the man even followed them toward the boat. But Jesus stopped and said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Whoa! The man must have hesitated and thought about that. Did he really want to give up his nice home on the hill beside the Sea, with the wonderful view? Did he want to give up his daily meals and nightly bed? Um… nope. He turned back.

Jesus hesitated again when another man ran up and said to Him, “Let me first go and bury my father!”

“Follow me … and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Wow, that sounds harsh. But in this case, the man’s father wasn’t even dead yet. He probably was still in good health. What the phrase “bury my father” meant was that the man wanted to go home and make sure he got his inheritance when his father did die. THEN, with his inheritance settled, he’d go find Jesus… Or maybe not.

Jesus was asking which was more important to the man. His “stuff” or Himself.

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Matthew 8:23-27.

Jesus finally climbed into the boat with the others, and maybe John and James pushed off before jumping in too. They began rowing out of the harbor into the blue Sea of Galilee. The peace and quietness was wonderful.

Maybe Jesus commented on the things He’d just said to the would-be followers. Maybe He commended these men for leaving “all” to follow Him.

Eventually, Jesus’ exhaustion took over, and He lay down on the bench at the back of the boat. The men rowed on, talking in low voices so as not to disturb Him.

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And then the storm arrived. That deceptive Sea!! A bit of wind and then a gale. A ruffle on the water, and then it was pouring over the sides. They rowed hard and bucketed out the Sea. And the Sea began to win!!

“SAVE US, LORD! WE ARE PERISHING!” they screamed over the noise of wind and water.

Jesus woke up. (By their calls, not by the storm.)

As the wind whipped His hair and robe, and the water drenched Him, He called, “Why are you afraid, O ye of little faith?”

Then He turned and spoke to His creation, perhaps scolding it as He would a child. “Stop it, now!” Instant obedience. “Yes, Master.” And there was a great calm.

Of course the disciples were “totally wowed!” “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?”

They were about to learn a bit more about the power in His Words.

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Matthew 8:28-34.

Eventually they pulled ashore in the country of the Gadarenes, at the South-Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. The people of Gadara were Greek-influenced Gentiles (hence the pigs, later). The land in that area was mountainous and came sharply down to the sea. Archaeologists have found several graveyards there.

They had barely had time to pull the boat onto the land and secure it when a pair of demon-crazed men came running and screaming towards them out of the tombs.

WHOA!! The disciples probably wanted nothing more than to get back into the boat and push away… facing a storm rather than these crazies!!

(NOTE: Mark and Luke mentioned only one demoniac. He was probably more aggressive than the other.)

Jesus stood firm. He was the Son of God; who or what did He fear? The super-aggressive demoniac slid to a stop bare inches from Jesus, squirming and contorting and growling.

Finally he shouted, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

He writhed and twisted but finally screamed out, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

“GO!” said the Lord of the Universe.

The Legion of demons (between 4,000 and 6,000) left the tortured men, clamored into the pigs, and promptly drove them down the steep hill and into the deep end of the Sea.

The disciples stood aghast, the boat’s rope still in their hands.

The herdsmen yelled with fear, threw down their staffs, and fled into the city, returning with a crowd. The crowd had heard all that Jesus had done from the shepherds, ESPECIALLY what happened to the demon-possessed men.

They begged Jesus to — no, not to stay and teach & heal them — but to LEAVE!

And so He did, returning to Capernaum. (Matt. 9:1)

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Jesus had come all that way to minister to two men. Just two. But in the other Gospel accounts, we know that the miracle was both seen and told throughout the region by those two. TWO devil-possessed men, converted by the power of Jesus’ word, evangelized a REGION. (Read Mark 5:18-22)

Compare these two men with the wannabe followers who had earlier turned back. (Vss.19-22)

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/12): Matthew 8:1-17.

Oct12

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such FAITH.” Matthew 8:10

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REVIEW – We finished the Sermon on the Mount, and saw Jesus preach all the way from the “blesseds” to ‘I never knew you: depart from me, you workers of iniquity.’ Jesus reasoned in such a way that astonished the people. He taught them as one with authority. (Which He had, as God.) He taught that to enter His kingdom, they had to be perfect! Or….

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Matthew 8:1-4.

As Jesus came down from the mount, a great crowd followed Him. But I bet they split away at once when they saw a leper approaching.

YIKES! Let me out of here! They ducked and pushed away, fearing contact with even just a thread of the contagious man’s rags. The most feared disease, and here he was, RIGHT THERE!! What would the Master do?

Well, He didn’t flinch. Even as the man came right up to Him and knealt down. “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Notice the words. Not, if You CAN. No, this man had faith in Jesus’ ability. He knew this righteous man was perfectly able to cure his leprosy. No doubt.

But WOULD He? Would Jesus have compassion on this … leper? The very disease that pictured the grossness of SIN in the Bible. This man wanted to be cleansed. He knew Jesus could. He came in FAITH.

AND JESUS STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHED HIM…

The Holy Son of God TOUCHED this leperous man. (It pictured Jesus stretched out on that cross, vulnerable, enduring the SIN’s contagion of all of mankind. Willingly.)

Did the crowd, standing afar, gasp? Did their eyes bulge? Did they cover their opened mouths with their hands in horror?

But up close, Jesus answered the man. “I will. Be clean.” And instead of disease being transferred to Jesus, health and cleanness flowed into the man. Before his eyes (and those of the crowd), the white patches disappeared; the missing digits, ears, and nose were reformed, until the man was whole.

Stunned silence from the crowd.

“See that you say nothing to anyone,” cautioned Jesus, “but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” (The priest would inspect him, accept the offering, and declare the man clean.)

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Matthew 8:5-13.

From there, Jesus and the massive crowd entered the town. A Roman Centurion came to Jesus with a request. He had a paralyzed servant at home, suffering terribly. In FAITH, he simply stated his need.

Now, normally, this Roman soldier would have been hated and avoided by the Jews, much like the leper. But THIS Centurion loved the Jews (Luke’s gospel tells us), and he had even built the beautiful synagogue in Capernaum for them. But this gave him no “worth” in his own eyes.

When Jesus said He would come to the Centurion’s house to heal the servant, the man said, “No, he was not worthy.” He recognized Jesus’ authority. He stated he was a man with authority too, and when he told soldiers to do something, they obeyed. He said to Jesus, “Only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

SUCH FAITH!

Jesus marveled at it. He told the crowd, “With no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

Then Jesus paused to give them a mini “fire and brimstone” sermon. “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven … while the “sons of the kingdom” will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!”

(And what was the difference? Faith in Him.)

Then Jesus said to the Centurion, “Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.” And it was.

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Matthew 8:14-17.

I’m sure, for a respite from the “maddening crowd,” Jesus slipped into Peter’s house. He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a ferocious fever. He touched her. The fever left. She got up and prepared a meal for them all. Wow! That evening, the people brought many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast them out with a word. He healed all who were sick.

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Matthew recalls and points his readers to Isaiah 53:4-5: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Isaiah was prophesying the time when Jesus was crucified, bearing the guilt and curse of sin on the cross.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/12): SPECIAL. (Regular study follows)

Oct12

SPECIAL recap and thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount before today’s Reading in Matthew 8 (next blog post).

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“For I tell you, ‘unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’.” Matthew 5:20.

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At first glance, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount seems like living a “good” life with all the blessings that follow. In fact, Jesus’ first words were “Blessed are…” Then He looks at the crowds and says, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” Later, He assures them that their Father knows all their needs and will supply them.

Jesus’ kingdom sounds pretty nice. Let’s all join!

But look deeper. Jesus says the “blessed ones” are only those who humble themselves, mourn for their sin, seek God and His righteousness, are merciful and peacemakers. And especially, they are ‘pure in heart‘.

Salt may be diluted with the dirt around it and become useless. Light can be hidden.

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HIS kingdom people must not only avoid murder, adultery, flippant divorce, and casual oaths. No, they must not be angry with a brother, or even call him a derogatory name. They must not look on a woman with lust in their hearts. They must hold marriage sacred, as well as the oaths they make. And Kingdom people must LOVE both their friends AND their enemies, even to the point of graciously praying for them.

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Jesus says they must be PERFECT, even as their heavenly Father is perfect. PERFECT!!!

They must not be like the Pharisees and “practice their righteousness before others.” NO! If they want to enter the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness must EXCEED that of the religious leaders who make a show of following the ‘letter’ of the law but miss its heart altogether.

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Those who desire to enter Jesus’ kingdom must have their treasures and their hearts in heaven. They must FIRST seek God and HIS righteousness.

They must not be hypocritical in their love and service to others; they must be humble.

They must be givers. They must trust God for everything. They must do only good to others. They must enter at the narrow gate and walk the hard way.

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Then Jesus cautions the people sternly. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” “On that day, I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me.'”

From blessed to outcast. Why?

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This is the Gospel.

God is holy. He cannot look on sin. (Jesus was born of a virgin, was identified by God as “His Beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased,” and did not sin with any temptation the devil threw at Him.) Jesus is sinless, holy, and God.

But humans from the Garden of Eden are sinful. It’s our nature.

God pronounced a death sentence on sin, so we are doomed without a savior, because there is NO WAY we can be perfect. See Romans 5:23 (For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God).

God allowed Israel to substitute an animal for that death. If they killed a lamb, goat, pigeon, or bull and presented the blood to God, He would “overlook” their sin. The blood represented the creature’s life. But it was temporary.

God promised a Savior who would take away the sin of the world. That Savior was to be Jesus. He would be killed, like that sacrificial animal bearing our sins, and lifted up on a cross, there to be forsaken by God. Why? Because Jesus represented all the sin of every person who would believe on Him through the ages. HE, the sinless Lamb, became sin for us. (2 Cor. 5:21) And God looked away.

But God also ACCEPTED this sacrifice as the atonement for our sins. And He proved His pleasure in the work of His Son, Jesus, by raising Him from the dead and later welcoming Him back into Heaven and onto His throne.

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This is the Gospel. Holiness. Death. Faith. Atonement/forgiveness, Eternal Life.

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In studying John, we saw repeatedly that anyone who came to Jesus in faith would not be lost, and He would raise them up (resurrection) on the last day.

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Soooo, what has this to do with the Sermon on the Mount?

The sermon proves to Jesus’ followers that THEY cannot save themselves in any way.

The standard is PERFECTION; their righteousness had to be GREATER than the Pharisees’. Impossible to do by themselves. They needed a Savior. And they needed to BELIEVE in Him.

NEXT… we will see that the first thing Jesus does when He finishes the Sermon and comes down from the mount is highlight two individuals who exhibited FAITH.

Without FAITH, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6.

For by grace you have been saved through FAITH. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works. Ephesians 2:8-9.

For with the heart one BELIEVES and is justified… Romans 10:9a.

Therefore, since we have been justified by FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1.

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So, to sum up. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount showed Israel their sin and their hopelessness before a holy God. Then He would show Himself as “the Way.” (Nobody comes to God except through Jesus and His death.)

People could believe on Jesus before the cross. They would have to see their need as a hopeless sinner, and Jesus as the Way.

Later Jesus would tell them that He was the Good Shepherd and would “lay down His life for them.” He would also tell them that “No one TAKES my life. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back up again.”

And several times, Jesus told His close followers that in Jerusalem He would be tortured and killed, but He would be raised on the third day.

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Read and Believe in Jesus.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/9): Matthew 7:24-29.

Oct9

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and DOES them will be like a….” Matthew 7:24.

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REVIEW – Jesus warned about false prophets: sheep in wolves’ clothing, thornbushes and thistles, and diseased trees. All examples from agriculture and farming, which His listeners knew well. Jesus said all of these would end up “in the fire.”

To make it clear whom He was talking about, Jesus described people who, although very pious, dynamic, charismatic, and talented religious leaders, lacked one thing. They did NOT do the Father’s will, which was to believe in Him. In their last terrifying moment of trusting in these “pious works,” they will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you. Depart from Me.” Faith in the Son, and not good works, is the key to Christ’s kingdom.

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Matthew 7:24-27.

Jesus gives one more illustration about two house builders.

One man was wise, perhaps experienced in all that could go wrong in home building, and now knew the best way. He dug deep until he hit bedrock.

Then he laid the foundation for his home. The walls, floors, and roof now sat steady and strong on that base.

Another man, perhaps new at the trade, or maybe one who had not learned from previous fails, began construction right away.. He smoothed and leveled a base for his house on the packed dirt.

Then he built a beautiful, multi-storied home that made many around him envious.

Then the builders moved their families into the houses they built and began living the good life.

Then it began to rain.

Perhaps not a Noah-like rain, but a steady downpour. Rain poured from the two homes’ roofs and ran in rivulets down the driveways. The water ran clean from the first house. Dirty water, then mud growing thicker and thicker, flowed from the second home.

Foundations were revealed.

At one house, solid blocks reached far below the surface, while at the other, the dirt beneath the blocks was quickly eroding away. The second house began to tip and sink.

Then, hurricane-like winds began beating on the houses, causing windows to shudder in one and the tipping to increase in the other.

Finally, with one great gust, the beautiful house built on the “sand” leaned all the way over and, with a horrendous roar, fell, crushing walls, windows, and the furniture inside. The debris twisted, broke apart, and the floodwater carried it away.

When the wind receded, the rain stopped, and a bright rainbow appeared in the clear blue sky … the house on the rock stood still.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock.”

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.Matthew 7:28-29.

“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for He was teaching them as One who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

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Think back over the last 14 studies on the “Sermon on the Mount.”

Remember all that Jesus taught this crowd of “followers” about His kingdom, which was “at hand,” there and NOW.

This was certainly not the “kingdom of the Messiah” they had expected (freedom from Rome and a utopia on earth). His kingdom seemed difficult to enter and exist in. Who could do it? And yet, He taught with such authority and knowledge of the Scriptures…

Some stayed to follow and hear more from Jesus. Others faded away. “It’s too hard.”

Which will we be? Standing steady, or falling away?

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Challenge: Go back today or this weekend and reread Chapters 5-7 of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount. What stood out to you? What “convicted” you? What made you love Jesus more?

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/8): Matthew 7:15-23.

Oct8

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven….” Matthew 7:21.

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REVIEW – Do to others what you would like them to do to you. (Showing kindness first.) They may not always return the “good” back to you, but Jesus says this is the “gist” of the entire Law of God. And God demonstrated this in Jesus, sending Him to bear the wrath we deserved when we were still despicable sinners. Many people will not return God’s love and kindness with gratitude and belief. Instead, they will reject Him.

Many people will also choose the wide gate and easy way that leads to destruction. Some, a few, will take the narrow gate, thank God for their salvation, and walk the hard path. They will probably experience hate and martyrdom along the way, but will receive that promise of eternal life.

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Matthew 7:16-20.

Jesus then cautions them about false prophets (messiahs, preachers, televangelists). These may preach the “easy, wide, prosperous” way to God, but Jesus calls them “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” In other words, they might “look” like true Christians in a crowd, but take off that fake piety and there is a ravenous wolf-soul underneath, who wants to make YOU a child of hell, like him.

A ravenous wolf and a hungry, roaring lion both come from God’s arch-enemy. The devil wants nothing more than to lead people away from salvation in Jesus. He wants slaves to “works,” not free people of faith. And he doesn’t care if they are torn apart and devoured in the process. If he can’t get to Jesus, he will attack us, Jesus’ followers.

Beware! Be aware!

How? Jesus says you, if you are discerning, awake, and watching, will recognize them by their “fruit.” Yes, be a fruit inspector!

Women, and maybe men, shop for produce in the market. We pick up an apple, a tomato, an onion, or a bag of plums. We check them for bruises, rotten spots, and more. If we find slimy leaves on the lettuce or mold in the bottom of a box of berries, we put them back. We disregard them, turn our backs, and walk away. If we find a lot of this rot, we may even shop somewhere else.

Be that picky, that aware, that discerning in those who teach you – even on this blog!! Compare always with the Bible.

A market collects the rotten food and tosses it into the garbage bins to be hauled off. In Jesus’ time, they chopped down a diseased tree or vine and threw it into the fire.

If you can, take a few minutes and read Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1-13.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words…”

“Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true…”

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness…”

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Matthew 7:21-23.

And now comes the scary part.

Jesus tells them, those listeners on the hillside, that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Not the false prophet. Not the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not the slicked-down, grinning, gold-jewelry-bedecked TV evangelist, not even that sweet school teacher.)

He continues, “But (only) the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

“Not even the ones who say, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” Nope. Not even those ‘miracle workers.’

Jesus says He will look at them and say… “I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (or iniquity).”

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So… What IS God’s will?

John 6:40 – Jesus told the crowds at another time, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life.”

The fake believers are the ones who depend on their works to save them, not on faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. They reject Jesus’ sacrifice and offer of eternal life. They want to do it “their way.” THESE are the ones who will be turned away.

And yes, some of these false witnesses, in Jesus’ time (think Judas), in our time, and in the tribulation to come, WILL (and did) PERFORM miracles and try to deceive the very elect!!

But God sees hearts, whether they are true or false. “I never knew you,” Jesus says.

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But Jesus DOES know His own.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28

Praise God!

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/7): Matthew 7:7-14.

Oct7

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

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REVIEW – We saw several “Don’ts” in yesterday’s study. “Don’t judge your brother’s failings before taking care of your own.” “Don’t give holy things to dogs.” “Don’t give ‘pearls’ to pigs.” (And the day before, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” and “Don’t be anxious.”)

No one likes to be given all these restrictions. They feel like heavy burdens, like “THE LAW.” But they are for the good of the ‘Kingdom dwellers.” Today Jesus will show his listeners on that hillside the good and better way … even if it is quite narrow.

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Matthew 7:7-8.

“ASK, and it WILL BE given to you … SEEK, and you WILL FIND … KNOCK, and it WILL BE OPENED to you.”

As if they didn’t hear correctly, Jesus repeats this. “For EVERYONE who asks receives, and the one who seeks, finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.”

Did those people sit there dumbfounded, mouths half open? Did they ask themselves if these promises were honest-to-goodness true? In our day, we (or at least kids) might ask, “Is this Man a ‘genie with three wishes to grant?’

But Jesus is speaking of the goodness, kindness, and grace of His heavenly Father to those who come into His kingdom. To those who believe His gospel. To those whose hearts have been changed.

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Matthew 6:9-11.

Jesus gives examples from THEIR world, showing how this love, to a minor degree, works in their families.

“Which of YOU, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (They look around at each other and shake their heads. Not me!)

Or, “If your son asks for a fish, which of you will give him a snake?” (Moms are aghast at THIS thought and frown at Jesus. No way!)

“No! You, who are evil (compared to the Lord God), know how to give GOOD gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ASK?”

You can almost see hope spreading through the crowd. Yes… God might answer our prayers. Jesus says He will. Can we believe it….?

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Much later, Jesus’ brother James repeats this idea in his letter. See James 1:17 says, “EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is NO variation or shadow due to change.”

God doesn’t change His mind. He is not ‘wishy-washy’ with His promises. What He says, He does. We can trust Him. So, Jesus says, ask Him, seek Him and His goodness, knock on the doors of heaven. HE WILL answer!

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Matthew 7:12.

“The Golden Rule.” You’ve probably heard it many times. It sounds glib, easy to do… but is it?

“So, whatever you wish that others would do to YOU, (you) do to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus says this “rule” is the gist of all the principles in the Old Testament.

At another time, He would tell them that to “Love God supremely, and others as yourself” was ALL the Law.

Jesus puts this “rule” as a positive statement. Whatever (good) you wish to be done to you … do that to others. (Of course, it doesn’t always follow that if we treat others well, they will respond back in the same way. But we have learned that our Father, who sees our good works, WILL reward us.)

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The Golden Rule was not new. Rabbis wrote it before Christ; you can even find it in Hinduism and Buddhism!! (Whoa!) BUT they always wrote it in the NEGATIVE. “What is hateful to yourself, do NOT to someone else.”

THINK ABOUT THAT. How is it different from what Jesus said? IS there a difference?

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Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate…’

“… for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are MANY, for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are FEW.”

Wide and narrow,

Easy and hard,

Destruction and life,

Many and few.

Two ways to heaven and eternal life are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, through Christ alone. This is true salvation in GOD’s way, and its reward is heaven. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness. This is MAN’s way. It leads to hell.

Jesus emphasizes the difficulty in following Him – it’s like taking up a cross and being crucified!! (Matthew 10:38-39, 16:24-25) “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

True salvation is by grace alone, but it’s not easy. It involves knowing the truth, repenting, submitting to Jesus as Lord, and being willing to obey His word and will, wherever that leads. Not easy, but glorious.

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In this last section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus will continue to show the division between true believers and those who are “just coming along for the ride.” It will get quite serious…even scary.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/6): Matthew 7:1-6.

Oct6

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1

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REVIEW – Jesus told his followers not to be anxious, worried, or scared about their future supply. Why? Because their heavenly Father knows they need food, clothing, shelter, etc. Aren’t the birds fed every day? Aren’t the flowers of the field wonderfully clothed? And these are tiny, transitory things compared to us humans made in His image. No, keep your eyes and desires on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek to honor God first, and “all these things will be added to you.”

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Matthew 7:5.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Doesn’t this speak to all of our hearts? (It does to mine.) In this passage, judging means criticizing or condemning someone, looking down on them with a superior attitude, and, in the process, usually puffing ourselves up.

“I” wouldn’t ever do THAT!” we say. “I’m not a gossip like THAT woman,” we whisper to one friend and then another.

Oh, my!

Jesus cautions His followers that with the same “measure” we give out judgment, WE will be judged.

(I am sometimes so critical of others that this statement makes me tremble! Thank You, God, for confession and forgiveness through Jesus!)

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Jesus goes beyond our inner thoughts, and even beyond voicing our opinion of others. What if we try to help them “get over” their gossiping, or gluttony, or lustful imagining, or snobbishness? We might go to them with “welf-help” books or even point out specific Scripture verses. We may tell them that God will bless them if they stop doing such-and-such…to no avail.

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye,”

Jesus says we must first humble ourselves and remove those glaring sins from our own lives by true confession and repentance. After that, on an equal level, we can gently lead the person to the way of the cross and to overcoming sin.

Like Jesus, Paul, in Galatians 6:1, tells us how to approach a brother (or sister) in sin. “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

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BUT! Not ALL judging is wrong for a believer.

In John 7:24, Jesus tells us, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” This is discerning moral and Scriptural truth. (Jesus was speaking to the people and religious leaders who tended to believe “man’s” teaching over God’s Law.

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Matthew 7:6.

“Do not give to ‘dogs’ what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before ‘pigs,’ lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

Now, what in the world does Jesus mean by these cautions? Who are ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs,’ and what are your ‘pearls?’

“Pearls” here refer to the truths of the Gospel, the precious message of Jesus our Savior. The wonder of our sin, God’s love, and Jesus’ sacrifice, and the sweet hope of resurrection and heaven. These are the “pearls of great price” that believers hold in their hearts and want to share with others.

But… Jesus says NOT to give this message of hope to “dogs” and “swine.”

If you remember Jesus’ healing of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter (Mark 7:24-30), you will remember Him saying that it was not right to “throw the children’s food to the dogs.” This gentile woman agreed, but countered that “even the dogs under the Master’s table eat the crumbs that fall.” Jesus was pleased with her faith and healed her daughter.

From this story, we see that “dogs” are what Jews called Gentiles. “Pigs” also represent Gentiles to the Jews, but here speak of all the people who are completely hostile, disrespectful, or closed off to spiritual truth.

Jesus warned His listeners against forcing precious truths onto people who will not appreciate them and may even attack the messenger. (This is a wise caution for us today as we witness the Gospel to our friends and others. But we can PRAY for them.)

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When Jesus taught on earth, before His death and resurrection and the birth of the church at Pentecost, the gospel message was to go to the Jews first. When Jesus later sent out His own disciples, He told them to go to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

BUT, before Jesus ascended, He told his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come in power to witness; THEN they were to go to all the world and preach the Gospel.

Paul’s well-known verse repeats this. Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/5): Matthew 6:25-34.

Oct5

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33.

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REVIEW – What is at the CENTER of our thinking, our vision, and our emotions? Jesus said they should be on things “above,” towards the light, and on God.

“Where your treasure is, there will your HEART be.”

“If your EYE is healthy, your whole body will be full of Light.”

“LOVE and serve only one Master: the Lord God.”

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Matthew 6:25.

“Therefore… Jesus connects those “heavenly” ideas above to the down-to-earth worries we all have. He says that if our hearts are devoted to things above, our vision is centered on the light of truth, and we love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies… then we should not be anxious about anything.

Jesus instructed us to pray simply, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If we pray sincerely and with faith, why should we worry about food or anything else?

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Matthew 6:26.

Jesus tells his followers (sitting on the hillside and us too) to Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are YOU not of more value than the birds?”

As His listeners looked up and spotted some sparrows or gulls, they might have nodded slightly in agreement. “Huh, I never thought about that.”

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Matthew 6:27.

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his lifespan?” We today would probably agree totally, and in fact know that anxiety and stress can actually subtract hours, days and years from your life.

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Matthew 5:28-30

“Consider the lilies of the field how they grow…” Surely this crowd glanced around at the flower covered hills, and perhaps even picked a small daisy or scarlet poppy growing by their knee to look at it closely.

“…they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” More nods as they really look closely at the intracacies of the flowers around them.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Perhaps foreheads are wrinkled in consternation as they consider the velvety petals of the flowers compared to the roughspun material of their own tunics and robes. There’s a bit of doubt there as they doubt they’d ever have robes like Solomons. Perhaps their faith WAS small.

Then Jesus brings them back to His Kingdom.

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Matthew 6:31-33.

Since God takes such good care of His world – from the tiny birds that flit in the air to the fields of flowers covering the hills around Capernaum – “Therefore, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS! ”

“Don’t say, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear?’ for your heavenly Father KNOWS that you need them all.”

God knows all of that. Trust Him.

“But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added to you.”

Take care of the things God has called you to do… first. And He will take care of the things you need. No problem.

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.“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness, Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS as the light and your justice as the noon day.” Psalm 37:3-6

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:31.

Again, Jesus is pressing them to look up to the things of God.

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Matthew 6:34.

“Therefore (the third time He uses the word in this section, Jesus is building on each truth, taking them deeper into the heart of God), “…do not be ANXIOUS about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

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But also, we are not to be PRESUMPTUOUS.

James 4:13-14 – “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead your OUGHT to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'”

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/2): Matthew 6:19-24.

Oct2

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

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REVIEW – Jesus finished a triad of ways you can honestly serve God rightly. He also showed how to turn them into ways to boast about yourself.

What is your REAL motive in giving to the poor? What does your prayer life look like? If you ever fast, who knows you are doing it? Jesus wants to make sure His disciples’ motives for these duties are pure, and not selfish and self-aggrandizing.

Give your offerings, pray, and fast “as unto the LORD.” Do them in secret so people don’t see and praise you. God will reward you in lasting ways you can’t imagine.

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Matthew 6:19-21.

Have you, or do you know of anybody who has ever had their home burglarized? A car stolen? A purse or wallet snatched? It’s disheartening! You get mad! That was MY stuff!

Have you ever left a tool or some garden equipment out over a season, only to find it rusted, dull, and useless when you wanted to use it? Now you will have to go somewhere and spend more money. Disheartening! You might even get mad.

Or when the weather cools, and you take out a wool blanket or sweater that you stored over the summer, only to find it full of holes? Disappointed, disheartened, and … well, can you get mad at a moth?

If this sounds familiar in any way…

Then you know what Jesus means in these verses. Our “treasures” are vulnerable to theft and decay, even if we take uber-good care of them. This earth, everything on it, and we ourselves are not built to last HERE.

Do you know this old song?

"This world is not my home,
I'm just a-passing through.
My treasures are laid out,
Somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me
From Heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home,
In this world any more!"

It came from these verses in Matthew.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be.”

Where our treasure is…

What kind of treasure can be stored up in heaven for us? It may relate to these earlier verses in chapter 6 (4, 6, 18). “And your Father who sees in secret will REWARD you.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

That’s the treasure, the reward we should have our hearts set upon. So when we die, our desire will immediately fly to heaven.

Jesus told a parable (Luke 12) about a rich fool who built more and more barns to store all “his stuff”. Then one night God said his time was up. Then who got all that treasure? You can load all your gold into your coffin, but it isn’t going to heaven with you.

This actually leads into the next two verses…

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Matthew 6:22-23.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If that light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

If your eyes (your heart) are focused on heaven and the things of God, and pleasing Him, then they are healthy, and you will see and live in “the Light.”

But if your eyes are “sick” and focused only inward on YOU and YOUR STUFF and all the PLEASURE you can get for yourself in the here and now, then your heart is full of darkness. And THAT darkness can be truly great.

And that leads us to the next very familiar verse.

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Matthew 6:24,

“No man (or woman) can serve two masters, for either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You CANNOT serve God and money.” (earthly treasure)

Try it. It doesn’t work.

If you love money, okay, let’s just say “like” the money YOU earn, you will not give it up easily except for yourself. It’s yours; you worked hard for it. You want to spend it…on yourself. It becomes your master.

And if you lose it in a bad investment, or it gets stolen, you are left with nothing. And you get MAD, disheartened… etc., etc.

Or, if God asks you to give to the needy, or even if you see a friend in need, you will keep that money hidden behind your back or in a cookie jar, and you will tell the needy person, “I’m so sorry. I just don’t have anything extra at the moment.”

You can’t love your hard-earned wealth, be devoted to it, carefully save every penny, and put it into wise stocks or a 401-K, and also give freely and generously to the needy or the Lord’s work.

Jesus is asking His followers on that hillside (and us) to guard our hearts, our eyes, and our money. Send our “treasure,” whatever it might be, on to heaven. Love Him, not our stuff, our money, or ourselves.