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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/16): Matthew 10:1-20.

Oct16

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Do not be anxious about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.” Matthew 10:19

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REVIEW – As Jesus ministered in Capernaum, the crowd followed; people with illnesses were brought to Him, and seeing their faith… He healed them all. A few days before, Jesus had healed those demon-filled men in Gadara. In response to questions, He taught about His kingdom. It was almost as if He was giving His disciples an “example.”

At the end of yesterday’s reading, we saw a brief summary of His work. 1) He went throughout all the cities and villages, 2) teaching and proclaiming the Gospel of His kingdom, and 3) healing every disease and affliction. He saw the people as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion on them.

Then, He spoke specifically to His disciples. 1) The harvest is great, 2) the laborers are few. 3. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. And in today’s reading, Jesus does just THAT.

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Matthew 10:1-5a.

Jesus now specifically calls twelve men from the many who are still faithfully following Him to be His Apostles (sent-out ones). He gives them divine authority to do the very things He has been doing, because this will be their work after He is gone – to spread the Gospel, followed by signs and wonders as proof of their apostleship.

They will have authority over DEMONS, and power to HEAL every disease and affliction. (If you read through Acts, you will see this happening too.) At the end of today’s passage, you will see that they will have the Holy Spirit’s help in WHAT to say and HOW to say it.

See how Matthew lists the disciples in pairs. Did Jesus send them out this way? (If so, it’s very interesting to consider who went with whom.) Or was this simply an easier way to memorize their names?

  • Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
  • James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,
  • Philip and Bartholomew,
  • Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector,
  • James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus,
  • Simon the Zealot. and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

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Matthew 10:5-15

Jesus sent these men out FIRST to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Even later, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, went to Jews first, then the rest of the world.

They were FIRST to preach that the kingdom had come (in Jesus). They were to HEAL the sick, RAISE the dead, CLEANSE lepers, and CAST OUT demons to verify their message. And they were to go only where the message was accepted. They were not to receive pay, only ‘room and board.’ If the people rejected their message, they were to abandon that work and go on to another.

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Matthew 10:16-20.

This warning and challenge from Jesus will stretch far beyond the days in which He spoke them, into the time after the Church’s birth at Pentecost, and even into our day.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves … so, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.”

And then comes the encouragement and promise.

“WHEN they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

That was probably more than what they wanted to hear as they set out in pairs for the towns in Galilee. But certainly, as these men later scattered throughout the then-known world (and were martyred for their Lord), they would remember Jesus’ words and stand with faith and courage.

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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): 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 (10/1): Matthew 6:5-18.

Oct1

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6

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REVIEW – The first of Jesus’ three warnings against hypocrisy in a believer’s life was about charitable giving. Yes, this is a good thing. Many people are needy and poor, and a believer who has been blessed by God with so great a salvation, not to speak of material things, should be willing to bless others with their help and finances.

But the WAY we give is also important. Jesus condemns those who make a show of it, who want people to see and praise them for it. These folks get their reward right then. God’s way is to give secretly and humbly. HE will see this and reward us.

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Matthew 6:5-8.

“When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.”

Jesus warns us against hypocrisy in prayer. It’s hard to imagine this sin showing up in such a sacred action as communing with our heavenly Father, but Jesus says “when,” not “if,” it does. We’re sinners, so I guess we should expect our hearts to be tempted in this way. So how can we tell if our hearts are not right, even when we pray?

“They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners…”

There’s nothing wrong so far. We can stand to pray in church and Bible study meetings; we can even stand on a street corner and pray. Before the broadcast media we have today, street preachers often prayed and preached on street corners. It’s not the action, but the heart attitude.

“…that they may be ‘seen’ by others.”

Seen by others as ‘pious’. Seen by others as way ‘more righteous’ than any of them. Seen and even praised for their ‘dedication to God’. THIS is what Jesus condemns. This is what will NOT be rewarded.

“But when YOU pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who SEES in secret will reward you.”

Let’s make our prayer time private, between only the Lord and ourselves. Others need not see or hear our groaning, weeping, confessing, or thanking God. Alone with the Lord, we can pour out our hearts’ longings, fears, and disappointments. We can earnestly intercede for a friend or family member. We can also engage in joyous, exuberant praise.

See how honest this is? If we look for man’s praise, we could never speak to God in this way. (And He won’t respond anyway.)

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.What is the other way that Jesus says we are hypocrites in prayer?

“When you pray, do not “heap up empty phrases” as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard (by God) for their “many words.” Do not be like them.”

This is basically being in love with our own words. When we do this, we are really praying to ourselves, admiring how we say it, marveling at our lofty, theological speech, how beautiful and poetic it sounds. And if others hear these “great” words, all the better!

Example: The Pharisee’s prayer in the temple in Luke 18:9-14:

“ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”

This man was praying to himself, and to the people around him, while the “tax collector,” whom he considered a great sinner, prayed off in the corner to God alone. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Whose prayer was “rewarded?” Jesus said it was the tax collector who went home justified.

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Matthew 6:9-13.

Then Jesus teaches His listeners, those who are following Him, His disciples… HOW to pray. “Pray then like this:”

The following words are so familiar to us, we could probably recite them in our sleep. But Jesus says this is the WAY believers are to pray. (NOT the actual same words.)

Notice first, the prayer begins with praise to our Father in Heaven, unlike how that Pharisee began.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” Hallowed means “holy,” set apart. Psalm 111:9b says, “Holy and awesome is His name.”

We might begin our praying with these words. Dear God (or Father in heaven), “Your name is holy and awesome!” Then continue with the praise for Him that wells up in your heart.

If you need help, many of the Psalms praise the Lord beautifully, including more in Psalm 111. “Great and wonderful are Your works.” “Your righteousness endures forever.” “You are gracious and merciful.” “You remember your promises forever.” “Your word is trustworthy.” “You sent redemption to your people (Jesus).”

You could spend an hour this way in praise – in your room, with the door shut, alone with God.

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“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Before you put ONE REQUEST into your prayer, acknowledge that you willingly submit to all God’s purposes and plans for your life – for HIS glory.

Remember how Jesus prayed in Gethsemane? “Nevertheless, not MY will, but YOUR will be done.”

Remember also Roman 8:28. Perhaps even pray it: “Father, I know that, because I love You and You have called me according to Your own purposes, all things will work together for my good, even the things I consider trials. I trust You in this and submit to Your perfect will.”

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NOW that our minds and spirits are willing for God’s will in our lives, we can offer our requests, both for ourselves and for others. We can also confess our sins against Him and others, assured that He will hear and forgive, for He has promised. (1 John 1:9)

“Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts (sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

See how THIS humble prayer is so opposite the prideful, boasting words of the Pharisee?

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

We KNOW, that our holy God does NOT tempt us to do evil. (James 1:13), but He WILL allow situations where evil is present to tempt us, teach us, and strengthen (or humble) us.

Remember Job (Job 2:9 – allowing Satan to hurt Job in every way but death).

Remember Peter. (Luke 22:31 – allowing Satan to “sift Peter like wheat.”)

Of course, we don’t WANT these trials and may pray not to experience them, but God knows what is best for our spiritual growth. He may allow trials that hurt and seem like evil, but KNOW that He is faithful and…

“He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to ENDURE it.” And ultimately HE will receive the glory for our growth in holiness.

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Matthew 6:14-15.

Then it seems, Jesus goes back to expand on one point in that sample prayer. Forgiving others. “Or else… God will not forgive you.”

Yep, that’s a hard one. WE feel hurt, defiled, ridiculed, belittled, etc., etc., etc. WE want revenge. We do NOT want to forgive others (in our natural flesh). Even as believers, who have been washed in the cleansing blood of Jesus, totally forgiven and bound for heaven, even now, we often hold grudges.

Jesus warns against this, saying if we do, God will NOT forgive us.

WHAT? Does He take back our salvation, our assurance of heaven? NO! That eternal forgiveness is sure.

As with Jesus at the last supper with His disciples, they had been “washed” (saved by faith in Him). They needed only the dust of the world cleaned from their feet. DAILY sins need to be confessed. Grudges need to be released. Reconciliation needs to be made. This clears our heart, and God “washes our feet” so to speak.

Oh, and that feels so good. To be clean!

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Matthew 6:16-18

The third Christian duty – fasting – can also be corrupted by our pride.

Like with giving and praying, our fasting from food (or even other things that are important to us) for the sake of spending more time with our Lord, should be NOT visible to others. We shouldn’t go around with a gloomy face, a hungry look, drab clothing … so that people ask whats the matter, or assume we are fasting and praise us for our “holiness.”

This would be disgusting to God, I would think. No, as with the other things, our fasting should be a secret and precious thing shared only with our loving Father.

Self denial is personified in Jesus.

Let us look to Him always, who, “though he was in the form of God, did ot count equality with God a thing to be grasped,but made Himself nothing taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of man. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.” Philippians 2:6-8.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/24): Matthew 5:17-26.

Sep24

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“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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REVIEW – True disciples of Jesus are “salt” and “light” to the world. Our manner of life, our “attitudes,” and our testimonies should cause others to thirst for Jesus. And by not hiding our faith, either in the world or in our families, we can show others how to find Him.

It’s not that His followers SHOULD BE salt and light; we ARE salt and light. So let’s allow Him to shake us out of our comfort zones, remove our timidness and fears, and change us into bold witnesses for Him.

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Matthew 5:17-20.

The Law.

Does Jesus teach “the Law”?

Now that the Messiah has come, do we ignore the Law?

What was/is the purpose of the law then, and now?

Right off, Jesus makes one thing clear to His listeners. He has NOT come to abolish (get rid of, or nullify) the Law.

Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law. Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one ‘jot or tittle’ will pass from the Law until ALL is accomplished.”

NOTE: Jots and tittles were the tiny marks that made up the Hebrew letters (like the dots over the i’s and j’s, and the crossing of the t’s in English).

Jesus fulfilled the “moral law” by keeping it perfectly.

Jesus fulfilled the “ceremonial law” by being everything the types and symbols pointed to.

And Jesus fulfilled the “judicial law” by exhibiting God’s perfect justice and ‘paying the wages’ of OUR sin on the cross.

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“Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be called ‘least’ in the kingdom…” and “…whoever does and teaches them will be called ‘great’…”

Don’t ignore God’s law: obey it humbly, and teach it rightly.

And then that shocker!

‘Unless YOUR righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will NEVER enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The people saw and heard the religious leaders brag about keeping the last speck of the law (no, going over and beyond it!), and how they paraded their good deeds before all the ‘lesser’ people, even thanking God that THEY were not like those nobodies. How could anyone keep the law better than they?

Jesus saw right through the Pharisees’ shiny facade to the filth and defilement (pride, greed, hate) in their hearts. He would later call them out, comparing them to ‘whitewashed tombs’. No, the people of HIS kingdom were to exhibit true righteousness, which comes from acknowledgment of sin and godly repentance.

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Matthew 5:21-26.

‘You have heard that it was said…”

And now Jesus begins a section of “explaining” the heart and truth of the Law – those parts of God’s word that the Pharisees didn’t “get.” He begins the next six sections in Matthew five with these or similar words, then gives the text from Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

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“…You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” (Exodus 20:13)

Then, Jesus goes deeper into God’s law, revealing the heart attitudes that come BEFORE the act of murder.

“But I say to you that everyone who is ANGRY with his brother… whoever INSULTS his brother… whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to judgment, and… even the hell of fire.

WOW! Why?

Because those are “murder” in your heart and mouth. It just hasn’t come out in actions.

How often have I been angry with a loved one, insulted them, or called them offensive names!!! Jesus says these are worthy of judgment as much as murder. HIS kingdom is one of meekness, mercy, purity of heart, and a desire to reconcile with others. THIS is the heart of God behind the law.

So what is Jesus’ resolution to these angry attitudes towards others?

Don’t keep on going like nothing is wrong while you seethe inside (or perhaps plot violence!).

Jesus says to “reconcile with your brother and quickly come to terms with your accuser,” and only THEN can you come before Him with a “pure heart” and make your offerings. He will accept them now.

And you won’t end up in the hangman’s noose or in prison with a life sentence.

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(Oh, boy, has this smacked me in the face! I was recently very angry with my husband. I insulted him and called him a fool, in so many words. It has weighed heavily on my conscience. THIS is NOT how I must live in Jesus’ kingdom. Today, when he returns from work, I will apologize, ask for his forgiveness, and reconcile with him. And THEN I will go to my Heavenly Father and do the same.)

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/23): Matthew 5:13-16.

Sep23

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13.

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REVIEW – The “beatitudes” began Jesus’ well-known Sermon on the Mount. Here He was speaking to His disciples or followers. He’d taken a break from the “healing” side of His ministry and began teaching those seeking His kingdom. Jesus taught the attitudes found in His disciples’ lives. All the attitudes, of course, are mirrored in HIM.

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Matthew 5:13.

“You are the salt of the earth.” How are believers, followers of Christ, the “salt” of the earth? Consider what salt does.

We first think of the flavor that salt adds to our food. Veggies and meats seem “bland” without it. We even sprinkle salt crystals on desserts! People on salt-free or low-salt diets can testify to this aspect! Salt enhances our appetite. It can also make us thirsty and send us to the faucet (or water bottle).

How can our lives glorify God and make people hungry/thirsty for the gospel?

In Bible times (and today), people used salt to preserve food. Salted fish was a staple in people’s diets. Preserved in salt, fish could be kept for those times when the nets were empty. Today, non-Jews eat salt-preserved meats like ham and lunch meats. Some veggies are preserved in brine too.

Christians can sometimes preserve or delay judgment on a nation or a town. Think of how Abraham interceded with God over the wicked city of Sodom. If there were ten righteous people in it, God told Abraham He would not destroy it. Sadly, only one was righteous: Lot lived there, and you know how that ended.

How can our lives and bold testimonies help to preserve our nation or family?

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One other aspect of salt is that it can cauterize a wound and promote healing.

Our lives lived for the Lord Jesus alone can sometimes lead us to hurting, injured people. Our words – even spoken in love, but truthfully – can often cause more pain. But it’s temporary if the person repents and turns to Jesus.

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“But if the salt has lost its savor…” Now, in reality, salt cannot lose its saltiness.

But in the area around the Dead Sea where a lot of salt was mined, the heavy mineral content could leach into the condiment, making it bitter. If that happened, they threw the useless “salt” out into the roadways. It would at least kill weeds. In snowy parts of the world, it is used to melt snow and ice on roadways and help to prevent accidents.

(Father, keep me pleasing to the “taste” of those around me, and help my life and testimony to draw others to seek You.)

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Matthew 5:14-16.

“You are the light of the world.”

Just as Jesus is “the Light of the world,” so should His disciples be. He clearly taught people the way to the kingdom. His “light” revealed His sinless life as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. His light revealed the “way” to the Father – by believing in His death to pay for our sin, and His resurrection to give us hope.

Our words and lives should do the same … show others the Way.

Notice that in these verses there are two kinds and two places for the light.

The first: “A city set on a hill.” Now, a city in the woods may be hard to find, but not one at the top of a hill. Anyone can see it. And if that city is full of light, it is visible for miles, even (or especially) in the darkness.

This should be us and our testimony. Not hidden, but an open testimony of what Jesus has done for us, shining out to the world around us.

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The second: “A lamp in a house.” Jesus tells us that no one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket or bowl. What would be the point? No, we put a candle on a lampstand, a mantle, or in the center of the table, so it lights the whole room. Likewise, in our homes and families, and even in our occupations, no one should be unaware of our salvation.

If not by words of testimony, at least by the “attitudes” we live by and the good works we do for His sake. These too will glorify God.

As we do not hide a little clay lamp under a bowl, we should not hide the glorious truth that Jesus has saved us from our sin, the wrath of God, and has promised us an eternity with Him.

What light! Let it shine out! Surely our families will want to learn about it and come to Jesus too!

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/14): Matthew 3:1-12.

Sep14

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“…and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Matthew 3:6

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REVIEW – Quite a while has passed since the last reading. Joseph brought his family back to Nazareth and settled there. Matthew says nothing about that time. Luke tells of one incident when Jesus went with his family to Jerusalem at age 12 and astonished the teachers by his questions and answers. (Luke 2:38-52) But that’s all we knew.

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)

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Matthew 3:1-6.

About 30 years after Jesus’ birth, a man who looked much like the prophet Elijah appeared on the scene. It was John, Jesus’ cousin and the son of the priest Zacheriah and Elizabeth. He became known as John the Baptist because that is what he did. He was also a mighty preacher.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” was his sermon topic.

Matthew tells us that this John was one who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'” (Isaiah 40:3-5) He was preparing the way for Jesus to begin His ministry.

And John indeed DID look like Elijah. He wore a “garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”

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(NOTE: I have eaten fried grasshoppers while on a short mission trip to Africa. They are like crunchy little twigs and taste like … grass.” I suppose there is protein in them, and many Africans catch and eat these often. But… also I’ve read that the “locusts” mentioned “could” be the pods of the locust tree, which are very much like carob. “Food” for thought.)

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Matthew tells us that people from Jerusalem and all Judea went out to hear John preach and were baptized by him in the Jordan River… confessing their sins. True repentance, or a change of heart, DOES produce a willingness to confess sins.

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(NOTE: John’s baptism had its roots in Jewish purification rituals, but did require repentance. Jews of that day who were baptized by John were ‘saying’ that they had been as Gentiles and needed to become the people of God genuinely. (This was an amazing admission!) John’s baptism is different from Christian baptism, which symbolizes the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. See Romans 6:3-5. Here, John was preparing hearts to meet the Messiah.)

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Matthew 3:7-10.

However… not all Jews who came to hear John preach were interested in a change of heart. John recognized the legalistic Pharisees and the liberal Sadducees who came to “check him out” as the hypocrites they were.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Seeing their superior looks and stances, John continued.

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children of Abraham. Even now … the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire!”

This shocked these religious leaders. They believed that the wrath of God was coming only upon the Gentiles.

Then John really gives it to them, and to anyone else who came only “to see the show.”

“I baptize you with WATER for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. HE will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire!”

Whew! John truly was a “fire and brimstone preacher.”

Note the three types of baptism John mentions: with water, with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. 1) John’s baptism with water symbolized cleansing. 2) All believers are Spirit-baptized. 3) Because fire symbolized judgment, this was probably the “baptism” upon the unrepentant.

The picture of the Messiah’s “winnowing fork” tells of the separation between believers and those who reject Him.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/4): John 21:15-23.

Sep4

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“What is that to you? YOU follow me.” John 21:23.

REVIEW – Back in Galilee, seven of the disciples decide to go fishing – their OLD occupation – while they wait for Jesus. This effort yields zero fish. Then Jesus appears and basically tells them how to do their job. They obey, and this time the reward is a humongous catch of fish. (Lesson one: without Jesus, we can do nothing. But submit to Him, and our efforts will be fruitful, 30x, 60x, or even 100x.)

Jesus had prepared some bread and grilled fish for breakfast. He could have multiplied His small amount to feed them all, but He asked the disciples to bring some of the fish THEY had caught to the meal. He finished cooking them, broke the bread, and passed around this “familiar” meal. (Lesson two: Jesus can use whatever we willingly give Him to further His Kingdom and bless others.)

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John 31:15-17.

After breakfast, no one left the circle; instead, they turned toward Jesus, perhaps expecting Him to give them more instruction. They all learned something that morning; it’s true, but it was to Peter that Jesus directed His words.

“Simon, son of John (bar Jonah), do you love me MORE THAN THESE?” (Notice that Jesus uses Peter’s “old” name, meaning he was “walking in the flesh, not the spirit.” Peter remembered how he had at one time boasted that, “Though THEY ALL fall away because of you, I WILL NEVER fall away!” Matt.26:33)

“Yes, Lord, You know that I love you.” Did he feel the hot stares of the other disciples on him? Did he glance around at the other disciples for confirmation? All were silent. But they HAD heard.

Jesus didn’t contradict Peter; He instructed him, “Feed My lambs.” Peter’s mission was to care more for OTHERS than for himself.

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Then Jesus continued. “Simon, bar Jonah, do you love ME?”

“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Peter said, perhaps more quietly. Was he remembering how he’d once, twice… three times denied Jesus? Swearing that he did not even KNOW his Lord? I can imagine Peter squeezing his eyes closed as tears began.

“Tend My sheep,” Jesus instructed, challenging Peter to be a good shepherd over those he would lead, as his Master was.

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And then, for the third time, came that stinging, probing question, “Simon bar Jonah, do you love me?”

Peter, grieved perhaps as much as when he’d heard the rooster crow and remembered Jesus’ dark prediction, may have fallen to his knees at this point. “Lord … You know everything! You KNOW that I love You!”

Peter’s true humility and sorrow for his denials are revealed. Jesus knew it, but now the other disciples had witnessed it. He grew tall again in their estimation, although he was bowed low at Jesus’ feet. The others could now trust him to lead them again.

I imagine Jesus gently smiling as he reached out and pulled Peter to his feet. “Feed my sheep.” And I imagine Peter nodded.

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John had now shown the THIRD thing he wanted to make clear in this “epilogue chapter” – Peter’s reinstatement into leadership. That done, he was ready for that pesky rumor. The FOURTH thing he needed to do was reveal how the rumor started, then refute it.

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John 31:18-23.

After Jesus finished calling out the veracity of Peter’s love, and seeing Peter humble himself for ready service, He led him apart for a different revelation. Best friend John followed quietly along.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, Peter, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”

Jesus said this to show the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. (imprisonment and crucifixion – stretching out his hands)

Perhaps Peter was thinking about Jesus’ words to them in Matthew 16:24-28. Read them now as Peter might have been recalling them….

  • Matthew 16:24 – “Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me.
  • 16:25 – “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
  • 16:26 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
  • 16:27 – “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done,
  • AND THEN…..
  • 16:28 – “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Wait, what? What did Peter just remember???

Walking with Jesus on the beach of Galilee, after breakfast and a difficult but sweet time of restoration, Peter remembered THOSE WORDS?

He looks at John and says to Jesus, “Lord, what about THIS man?”

Oh, no, that not-so-friendly competition raises its head. If Peter is destined to die, crucified, what about John? Will he suffer that death too? Or will he be one of those who…?

Then Jesus speaks the words that someone heard and spread as a rumor. “If it is My will that he remain until I come…what is it to you? YOU follow me.”

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Of course, Jesus was not promising that His beloved disciple would live until He returned. Jesus’ point was for Peter to ‘mind his own business.’ Peter was to accomplish Jesus’ will for HIS life, and not look at others’. Keep your eyes on Jesus, Peter! Follow in His steps.

By telling how it started, John hoped to quell this rumor.

By the way, Peter lived 30 more years and was martyred in Rome by crucifixion, hanging upside down. John lived 60+ more years and suffered torture and exile. God preserved him to write the book of Revelation; then he died a natural death of old age.

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John 21:24-25.

John then attests to the fact that it is HE, JOHN, who has written this. He is a WITNESS of these things. That should settle it. And then, before he lays his quill down for the final time, John’s mind is filled with many, many other things he could write about Jesus. Then he “waxed poetic.”

“Were every one of the things that Jesus did to be written… I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

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“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.“

The famous last stanza of the classic Christian hymn The Love of God, written by Frederick M. Lehman in 1917.

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Next up, The Gospel of Matthew.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/1): John 20:19-29.

Sep1

Read and Believe in Jesus

“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

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REVIEW – Jesus has risen from the dead. God is satisfied that Jesus has opened the WAY for sinful mankind to be saved. His beloved Son has obeyed to the last detail. Now there is only the regathering of His scattered disciples, their assurance, and their commissioning for their future work, and then His ascension.

The women were the first to hear the good news. Then Peter and John witnessed the empty tomb and believed. Mary Magdalene saw the Master with her eyes and heard Him speak to her. Now Jesus will appear to and encourage more of His disciples in Jerusalem before going to Galilee.

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John 20:19-23.

On the evening of that first day (Sunday), when the disciples were still hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews (Would they arrest THEM as well?), Jesus came to them, right through the walls.

He stood before them and necessarily said, “Peace be with you,” because they were obviously terrified.

(Yes, back in Galilee, they thought He was a ghost when He came walking to them on the water, but this was different.) He looked like the Jesus they knew, but He also didn’t. And how did He get inside their house? No one had opened the door.

(From the account of the two men on the way to Emmaus when Jesus joined in their walk, we know that Jesus could keep His identity hidden and reveal it whenever He chose. He could also vanish at will. See Luke 24:15-16 and 30-32.)

To calm and assure His anxious disciples, Jesus showed them His hands and His side, as proof that He really HAD BEEN crucified. The bloodless wounds were still very visible. They were shocking, but they also reassured the disciples, and the men could finally relax and be GLAD to see their Lord.

Again Jesus spoke peace to them, and then He commissioned them to the work that He himself had begun – to spread the Good News, first to His people, and eventually to the entire world. “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

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(Luke’s account reads, “Then He opened their eyes to understand the scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”)

(Matthew’s familiar account reads, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…'”)

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John 20:24-25. Sadly, Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them. We know from earlier scriptures that he loved Jesus as much as the others, but he feared losing Him. So when Jesus spoke of His death, he didn’t want to “hear” it. Possibly, he was off by himself, tucked into a ball of intense grief. And so when he heard the account of the others seeing and talking with Jesus, he just couldn’t believe it.

And then, that famous proclamation: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side … I will never believe.”

(I wonder how often, later, he cringed when he thought of those words.)

But Jesus knew just how to deal with this hurting disciple (no more rebellious than Peter!!). Eight days later – oh, what a long time for Thomas to wait! – Jesus came and stood among them again – the doors still being locked.

“Peace be with you,” he said to all of them, and then to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side. (Thomas’ exact words) “Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

And Thomas’s overpowering, debilitating grief collapsed. “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

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