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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (11/3): Matthew 14:13-21.

Nov3

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“We have only five loaves here and two fish.” Matthew 14:17

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REVIEW – Sin and guilt will drive a person crazy. That’s what happened to Herod Antipas. Involved in great sin, he arrested the outspoken John the Baptist to please his adulterous wife. But that wasn’t enough; she wanted the baptizer dead, so Herod had John executed – a “holy” man, in Herod’s own estimation, a “prophet” to the people – for speaking the truth. And how Herod regretted it. Now he was haunted by stories of another “prophet,” a “messiah” who performed miracles too. Surely this was the Baptizer come back to life to haunt him!!

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Matthew 14:13-14.

After burying John’s body, his disciples came to Jesus and told Him what happened. When Jesus heard this, He “withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself.”

John was Jesus’ cousin, but more than that, he was the prophesied “forerunner” of the Messiah. He prepared the way for Jesus by warning the people, preaching repentance and baptizing them as they confessed sin and repented, and then finally by identifying Jesus as “the Lamb of God” who would take away the sins of the world.

John had served God well. He had been faithful. He had graciously and without jealousy pointed his followers to “One greater.” And he had been martyred. Jesus couldn’t help but be reminded of His own death in the not-too-distant future. And so, He went alone to a quiet place to mourn John and pray.

But, as always, the crowds eventually found Jesus. They poured from nearby towns, bringing their sick and needy. Jesus “had compassion on them” and healed their sick.

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Matthew 14:16-20.

Towards evening, Jesus’s disciples came to him and (as if Jesus did not know) told Him, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Jesus answered calmly, “They don’t need to go away; YOU give them something to eat.”

Silence.

Finally, one of them said, “We have only five loaves (rolls) and two fish.”

“Bring them here to me.”

Jesus had the disciples sit the crowd down on the grass. (in groups of 50 and 100, Luke 6:40)

When all were seated and quiet, Jesus looked to heaven and blessed the food.

Then He broke it and gave it to the disciples to distribute. He kept breaking and handing it out. They kept going through the crowd and feeding the people.

They all ate UNTIL THEY WERE FULL.

Then the disciples collected up the leftovers and found they had twelve baskets full. (These were small baskets, holding just the amount for the disciples’ own dinner.)

Five small loaves and two tiny fish (a boy’s lunch, John 6:9) fed 5,000 men plus women and children until they were FULL, and were enough for the disciples’ meal as well.

A miracle, indeed.

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(John 6:14-15 tells us the crowd was so amazed by this miracle that they decided to make Jesus king so he could feed them always for free. Jesus, perceiving this, immediately sent the disciples away in a boat, firmly dismissed the crowd, and went up the mountain (finally alone) to pray and possibly to grieve John’s passing.)

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (11/2): Matthew 14:1-12.

Nov2

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“The king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he commanded it to be done.” Matthew 14:9

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REVIEW – Jesus finished up in Capernaum by telling His disciples three short parables about His kingdom. It was as precious as treasure and as valuable as a fine pearl to those whose hearts were open and seeking. It was also like a net gathering in many true seekers, as well as the charlatans. The end-of-the-age judgment would reveal who the genuine righteous were.

Then Jesus made a disheartening trip to His hometown of Nazareth, only to be rebuffed as “that kid who grew up among us.” Sadly, He could do very few miracles there because of their unbelief.

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Matthew 14:1-2.

“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus (His miracles) and said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.'”

Why would Herod say this? Why did he now think that Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead?

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE, plain and simple.

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Matthew 14:3-5.

Why had Herod arrested the Baptizer? He didn’t like John preaching about his incestuous, adulterous marriage to his sister-in-law.

Herod had stolen Herodius from his brother Philip. And, by the way, she was actually a niece to both of them (daughter of their half-brother Aristobolus). John’s accusations and condemnation constantly irritated the “happy couple.” Herod also feared that John “could” cause a rebellion among the Jews because of his marriage.

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“King” Herod Antipas (one of Herod the Great’s sons) was given by his father the territories of Galilee (west of the Sea of Galilee), and Perea (east of the Jordan River beginning about 30 miles south of the Sea of Galilee, and extending nearly halfway down the eastern side of the Dead Sea.

He had two palaces: one in the north, closer to Galilee, where he probably first heard of John, who had been baptizing there. Herod’s other massive fortress, palace, and citadel was at Machaerus, perched on an impenetrable conical mountain on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea.

It was probably here, in a deep dungeon carved into the rock summit, that they kept the imprisoned John the Baptist after his arrest.

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“Out of sight, out of mind,” may have been Herod’s idea in arresting John and sending him to Machaerus. His acid accusations were silenced, but he was still alive. Herod even had conversations with John now and then. He feared killing John because the people believed (rightly) that he was a prophet.

But Herodius simmered inside, carrying a huge grudge over John’s accusations.

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Matthew 14:6-11.

Matthew describes briefly what happened to John. (Mark and Luke give the same accounts.) It seems that life in a deep, dank hole was not enough for the wicked, scheming Herodius. She wanted him dead and sought every opportunity to have him killed. Her opportunity came finally at Herod’s birthday bash.

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After a day or so of feasting and drinking by Herod and his guests, Herodius had her beautiful, sexy daughter “dance” before the king. Salome knew what to do and did it well, as seductive eyes and movements mesmerized her stepfather.

Finally, the music stopped, and the limpid Salome slowly moved away from Herod, long fingers traveling along his arm or knee…. She slowly made her way back to her mother’s table and received a wicked smile and nod.

The male guests at Herod’s birthday party went wild, begging for more, but Herodias wisely demurred on her daughter’s behalf.

The guests howled in protest, and finally Herod spoke.

“Whatever you ask me,” he vowed to Salome, “I will give you – up to half my kingdom.”

The crowd roared. Salome conferred with her mother, then announced loudly and clearly, 

“Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”

Herod had turned icy cold, his face as white as a sheet. John the Baptist? The prophet? They wanted him to behead John? And… bring the bloody evidence here as proof?

“The king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. Immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.” (Mark 6:26-28)

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John’s disciples learned of the atrocity, took John’s body and buried it. Then they went to Jesus and told Him what had happened. Matthew 14:13 says, “When Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself.”

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And now Herod had nightmares, thinking John, the holy man he had killed, had returned from the grave in the form of this miracle worker, Jesus.

After that, Herod tried hard to hear Jesus for himself and see some miracle by Him. But even when Pilate sent Jesus to Herod in a 3rd mock trial, Jesus remained absolutely silent and motionless, though Herod dressed Him up as a mock-king and taunted him.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/28): Matthew 13:24-43.

Oct28

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“.” Matthew

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REVIEW – Jesus began a season of speaking parables to the crowds instead of straight kingdom preaching. His reason? Israel did not WANT to hear, believe, and receive the kingdom of heaven that Jesus was offering. They wanted His physical healings, but weren’t interested in spiritual wholeness. They saw His miracles, but didn’t accept Him as their Messiah.

So, like the seed falling on hard-packed ground in the first parable, eaten by the birds before it could take root, Jesus’ clear preaching was taken away and replaced with parables to “tickle” their ears. Jesus told His disciples this was prophesied in Isaiah 6:9-10 as a judgment on Israel.

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The scary thing is that the Holy Spirit will only strive with people for so long; then a person’s heart will be TOO hardened to turn. (Genesis 6:3) God’s Spirit patiently convicts, warns, and pulls people toward repentance, but God does not let people persist in rebellion forever without consequence.

If you feel a heavy conviction or fear that God has stopped working in your life, the fact that you still care, feel a tug on your heart, or desire truth often shows the Spirit is still active and inviting you to turn to Him. “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6)

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(In 13:16, Jesus tells His disciples that THEIR eyes “see” and their ears “hear,” so THEY are blessed! “Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what YOU see and did not see it, and to hear what YOU hear and did not hear it.” I would say that YOU and I are among those blessed like the disciples.)

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Matthew 13:24-30.

Then Jesus speaks another parable to the crowd, which He later explains to His disciples.

“The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

While his men were sleeping (normal rest, not negligence), the farmer’s enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat (then went away).

All the plants came up and began to form heads of grain. (Wheat heads stand tall pointing towards the sky, while the “darnel” (weed) heads angle downward.)

The workers immediately saw the problem and went to the farmer. “Didn’t you sow good seeds? How then does the field also have weeds?”

“AN ENEMY HAS DONE THIS!”

“Should we go through and pull out the weeds and burn them?”

“No,” said the farmer, “for then the wheat will be rooted up too. Allow both to grow until harvest. Then go through, pull up the weeds first, and burn them. Then gather the wheat into my barn.”

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This parable also made no sense to the crowd, many of whom were farmers. They couldn’t believe that “the enemy” was “in” the kingdom of heaven. No, the Messiah would rule supreme. There would be no enemy in the true Messiah’s kingdom. (This Jesus didn’t know what he was talking about…)

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Matthew 13:31-35.

Then Jesus told two quick parables, again about things familiar to the people, but deceptively hard for them to understand.

First, His kingdom was like a tiny mustard seed. (Mustard seeds in the Middle East are black and about the size of grains of salt, not like the ones we see in our pickle jars.) When these seeds are planted in a garden, they grow very big, seeming like a tree compared to the garden herbs around it. The tree-plant is so large that “birds of the air” come and make nests in its branches.

Okay, the people “kind of” nodded. They’d seen how big the tiny mustard grows, and they’d probably seen how birds come and nest in it. (After all, mustard seed was often mixed with other grains and fed to pigeons!) But how does this “picture” the Messiah’s kingdom?

(Jesus is prophesying that His kingdom will grow from a small beginning and spread far, so Gentiles will be part of it. The term “birds of the air” often spoke of other nations around Israel. They would come into the kingdom and find security and sustenance too.

Nope, these Jews did NOT picture that!

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Second (and similar) is the parable about a portion of leaven that a woman worked into flour.

They’d all seen the result of that in their own kitchens. That bit of leaven caused the whole batch of dough to rise into many loaves of delicious bread.

So, duh, what’s the rest of the story? They are bewildered. And they disperse, scratching their heads. “What does He mean?”

Jesus did NOT mean for the leaven in this parable to represent sin, as it often does in the Bible. Like the other parables, it represents the kingdom of heaven and shows how it will start small and (eventually) spread from … Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria … to the uttermost parts of the world.

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Matthew 13:36-43.

Later, after Jesus left the crowds, He and the disciples went into the house where they were staying.

“Explain to us the parable of the seeds of the field,” they asked. And Jesus did.

“Once again, the farmer (sower) is Jesus, and the field is the world.

But this time, the good seed is “the sons of the kingdom,” while the weeds are “the sons of the evil one.” The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil.

The harvest is the close of the age; the reapers are angels.

Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather all who cause sin and all lawbreakers out of His kingdom and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.”

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“He who has ears, let him hear.”

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/22): Matthew 12:1-21.

Oct22

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” Matthew 12:7b.

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REVIEW – After denouncing the local cities Jesus had been ministering in for not being receptive to Him or His message, Jesus turned from fiery judgment to a gentle and lowly offer. “Take MY yoke upon you and learn from Me. MY yoke is easy, and MY burden is light. You will find REST for your souls.”

The “rest” Jesus speaks about here points to a permanent condition in God’s grace, apart from the constant striving to do good works.

And this seems to lead directly into today’s reading and two incidents that happened on the Sabbath, the Day of REST.

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Matthew 12:1-2.

As Jesus walked away from the town with His disciples (who had returned from their missionary outreach), they passed through some grain fields. The disciples were hungry, and as they walked, they plucked heads of grain to eat.

(In Deuteronomy 23:25, God permits satisfying immediate hunger this way. However, harvesting grain for profit on the Sabbath was forbidden.

It seems the Pharisees, “the teachers of the law,” didn’t know the difference! “Look,” they said to Jesus, “your disciples are doing what is NOT LAWFUL to do on the Sabbath.”

Sheesh! Talk about showing their ignorance!

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Matthew 12:3-5.

Jesus catches them in this error by presenting two scenarios, showing that using holy things to satisfy man’s hunger (and not PROFIT) was okay with God.

1) Before David was king, he and his men were running for their lives from the crazy King Saul; they arrived at the Tabernacle and requested of the priest that they might eat the “shewbread” that was weekly set before the LORD in the Holy Place.

This was meant only for the ministering priests, but Ahimelech, the priest, was on David’s side and, after learning that he and his men were ceremonially clean, got the bread for them to eat. (He later lost his life for that when Saul heard about it and massacred all the priests in the area.) (1 Samuel 21-22)

Sabbath laws were not meant to restrict acts of necessity or mercy. They were to benefit man and glorify God.

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2) Jesus also cites the priests in the temple who continue to carry out their duties on the Sabbath, which in other circumstances, “could” be seen as work.

Jesus adds, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here,” speaking of Himself.

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“And if you had known what it means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.'”

Jesus had used the “quote” before in Matt. 9:6, when the Pharisees were condemning Him for eating with tax collectors and “sinners.”

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Samuel used a similar version to King Saul when he had disobeyed God: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Hosea 6:6: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

And Micah 6:6-8: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?? — He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.“

Hearts, not hands, are what God is interested in. Attitudes, not performance.

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Matthew 12:9-14.

Jesus walks on and then enters their synagogue. Then, almost to drive his point home, He heals a man with a withered hand. There. Inside the synagogue. In front of their shocked, angry faces.

“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath? He asked them.

Will you not help your sheep if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath? Of which is more valuable? A human, made in the image of God, or your animal that you keep for your own profit?

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The healed man left the synagogue with Jesus, rejoicing at his restored hand. Meanwhile, these biased, envy-filled Pharisees “went out and conspired against Him, how to DESTROY Him.”

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Matthew 12:18-21.

Jesus was well aware of their evil machinations and withdrew from there. However, many followed Him for what He could do for them.

And Jesus healed them ALL, confirming the prophecy about the Messiah in Isaiah 42:1-5.

Matthew says this proved that Israel’s chosen Messiah did not come with political agendas, military campaigns, and great fanfare. He would not try to stir up a revolution.

Instead, he came with gentleness and meekness. He would restore and rekindle those the “world” thought were useless. He would show tenderness and compassion to the lowest, the weak, and the lost.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/21): Matthew 11:20-28.

Oct21

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

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REVIEW – Yesterday we saw a message from John the Baptist (in prison) reach Jesus and Jesus’ unusual answer. The fiery “voice in the wilderness” had proclaimed a Messiah of fire and cleansing. But from what John could learn from his deep dungeon, Jesus was a Messiah of compassion, tenderness, healing, and hope. Israel was corrupt and sinful; where was the judgment?

Jesus sent a message through John’s disciples, in the only form the Baptist would fully understand. Jesus sent him ‘scripture in action.’ He showed John that His healing of the sick and disabled, cleansing of lepers, freeing the demon-possessed, even raising the dead, and preaching good news, did in fact fulfill the first part of Isaiah’s prophecies of the Messiah. (from Isaiah 29 and 35). In the second coming, there would be fire, judgment, and wrath.

Once John heard that report, he KNEW Jesus was indeed the Messiah of Israel.

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Matthew 11:20-24.

(Remember that while the disciples were on their missionary trip, Jesus was also “teaching and preaching” in the cities of Galilee.)

Despite the extraordinary exclamations about his healings, the people did NOT follow Him as Messiah. People then (like today) wanted what they could GET from God and weren’t interested in what they could GIVE.

Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, all cities around the Lake where Jesus centered His ministry, came under judgment for refusing to repent and follow Him. (Later, when Jesus spoke directly to His “home townies”, He would include Nazareth in the condemnation.)

Then that chilling judgment. It would be worse for these (the cities that had experienced Jesus in person and rejected Him) than for Tyre and Sidon, and Sodom. (Ezekiel 26-28 and Genesis 23:3-5)

Wow, I think I might have shaken in my boots to hear that judgment! But then again, except for God’s grace, I probably would have dismissed Jesus’ words and walked away too.

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Matthew 11:25-27.

After their earlier degrading taunts and name-calling of Jesus, and his vivid judgment on their cities, Jesus saw fit to warn them further, via a spoken-aloud prayer to His Father.

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the “wise and understanding” and revealed them to “little children”; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. “

A sure slap in the face for those stuck-up know-it-alls, who had called Jesus a “glutton and drunkard.” (The very Son of God!!)

The precious news of salvation and redemption, of God’s great love that led Him to send Jesus to die, the grace and mercy He showed us through Jesus… these pearls and treasure boxes of gold… were to be revealed only to those with child-like, faith-filled hearts.

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Matthew 11:28-30.

Then this familiar and precious passage:


“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

This beginning echoes the Beatitudes (Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble), the ones who mourn (about their sin), the meek (not proud), the merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers…).

Jesus isn’t calling people who are simply tired of working and need a vacation in the Bahamas. He is calling those with a heart’s longing for Spiritual rest and peace with God to come to Him.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your SOULS.”

Not only will Jesus help you, support you, and share your “journey” in this life; He will also save you from endless, fruitless efforts to “save” yourself by trying to keep the works of the law (which no one can do).

Resting in Jesus means faith in the very means of His Salvation (His death on your behalf and His resurrection, which shows God’s acceptance of His work).

Come to Him, believe in Him, trust Him! “For (His) yoke is easy and (HIS) burden is light.”

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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): 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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