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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 (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 (10/14): 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 (10/5): Matthew 6:25-34.

Oct5

Read and Believe in Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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Matthew 6:25.

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

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

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Matthew 6:26.

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

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

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Matthew 6:27.

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

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Matthew 5:28-30

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

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

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

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

Then Jesus brings them back to His Kingdom.

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Matthew 6:31-33.

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

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

God knows all of that. Trust Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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Matthew 6:34.

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

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But also, we are not to be PRESUMPTUOUS.

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

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/30): Matthew 6:1-4.

Sep30

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Beware of practicing your righteous deeds before other people in order to be seen by them…” Matthew 6:1

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REVIEW – Jesus has been teaching the crowd on the mountainside that those in HIS kingdom are righteous. They carry their obedience to the Law beyond the “letter” (the actual words) to the very heart of the Law and their God. Don’t do the least you can to obey the Law; instead, go beyond what you can to show love for your Father in heaven and to all people.

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Matthew 6:1-2.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.”

Remember, Jesus is not saying these people were righteous. Even the uber-righteous-acting Pharisees fell FAR short of what God required. See Matthew 5:20. Jesus is talking here about righteous acts, the things they did, and WE do, that make us “feel” like we’re not so bad after all.

In this section (6:1-21), Jesus talks about giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting. Any or all of these can become a way to pump up our pride. Beware, because our “righteousness” comes only from the Lord.

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“Thus when you give…” Yes, we are to give to the needy. God WANTS us to do this.

Deuteronomy 15:11 “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’“

It’s not THAT we give our money, but HOW we do it, that Jesus calls attention to.

“…sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues (Can you imagine that?) and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”

Jesus condemns giving our “alms” blatantly, boastfully, drawing attention to ourselves when we drop a dollar (or a hundred) in the offering plate or hand a coin (or a five) to a homeless man. Do we make sure someone is watching first? Do we wave our offering about so people look our way?

Beware, Jesus says, for you have your reward right there in the moment. No “treasure” is stored up for you in heaven for this selfish, prideful act. If man sees and approves of your actions, God usually does not.

So how ARE we to give to the poor, to missions, to the work of our church?

In secret.

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Matthew 6:3-4.

Jesus says, when you give, don’t let “your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

What does that mean? Are we talking about husband and wife here? No, giving is actually something that a married couple should share.

Jesus implies you should give so discreetly that you don’t even mentally congratulate yourself or dwell on your own generosity. Keep your giving to the needy, or tithing to your church, a secret. (Okay, your church treasurer knows how much, but that’s another discussion.)

If you do this, YOU will feel better (guaranteed), and your heavenly Father (the One who really counts) will reward you. He SEES either way you give, but when you give “for His sake alone,” He will reward you.

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What kind of reward? You won’t know. OR…maybe you will. We have found that when we are faithful to the Lord in giving – in obedience and to please Him – He blesses us in so many ways we can’t keep up.

Read Malachi 3:10. Really! Do it right now!

And if you have time, read Philippians 4:14-19 too.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/28): Matthew 5:33-37.

Sep28

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“.” Matthew

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REVIEW – Last time, Jesus taught about adultery and divorce in His kingdom of heaven, where humility, gentleness, mercy, and purity of heart should be found. Betrayal in the form of unfaithfulness should be the ONLY reason for divorce, and even then, it would be better to confess your sins to one another (James 5:16), forgive, and be reconciled.

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Matthew 6:33-36.

“You’ve heard it said by those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn‘.” (See Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21, 23.)

In other words, if you make a vow to God or to another person, fulfill it quickly and completely. That’s pretty easy to understand. If you say you will do something, do it. Be honest and honorable.

Now you may have been “less than honest” in the past, so others no longer believe your promises. What are you to do?

In this case, Jesus says not to multiply your sins. “Do not take an oath, either by heaven or the earth, or by Jerusalem.” (to make it sound like you are really, REALLY sincere this time) For these are holy to God. Instead of making your vow or promise more sure, you are profaning the things of God.

(Isaiah 66:1 quotes the LORD saying, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.” Psalm 48:2 says that Jerusalem is “the city of the Great King,” referring to God, not David.)

Jesus says you aren’t even to swear “by your head,” for you can’t make one hair white or black. (Well, today, you CAN by using hair dye, but He means that when you swear, you can’t.)

And no one will believe you more if you “swear by your grandmother’s grave,” or your “class ring,” or by “crossing your heart,” or by “linking pinkie fingers.”

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Matthew 5:37.

So what is the solution for someone who sincerely wants to live in the light of the kingdom of heaven?

Jesus makes it simple. Just say “Yes.” Or “No.” And mean it. “Anything more than this comes from evil. (the evil one).

Start now; it may take a while for others to believe your promises. Like the LORD, your word should be true. Always.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/25): Matthew 5:27-32.

Sep25

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“But I say to you….” Matthew 5:28a

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REVIEW – Last time, Jesus began a series of “heart understandings” about the Law. The overt action may be murder, but in the heart and the mouth is where it begins. Anger, insults, and degrading name calling is just the beginning. Jesus said these are just as worthy of judgment as the final act of murder.

HIS followers are to go and reconcile with the offended person before doing anything else. Only then can the law “clean” us to worship our holy God. He warned if we don’t come to terms with the other fellow (or gal), things will get very, very bad.

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Matthew 5:27-30.

As before, Jesus first calls their attention to the Law. “You have heard that it was said…” reminding them of the 8th commandment. (Exodus 20:14) “You shall not commit adultery.”

That’s pretty clear.

But once again, Jesus tells them, that this gross sin begins inside of us with the eyes and the mind (imagination). Inside, where no one else can see or condemn… except God.

“But I say to you… everyone who LOOKS at a woman (or man) (and this could also include pornography) with LUSTFUL INTENT has already committed adultery in his heart.”

A look, an imagining of sexual delight…or violence…and the sin is committed. The thought, the continual contemplating and adding to the scenario, is as the deed. Wow. And the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. Yes, you know it. Eventually the deed WILL be done, or at least attempted (with that person, or another one).

How serious does Jesus take this?

VERY!

He says if you find yourself looking with lustful delight, causing you to sin … gouge out your eye!!!

Now that is serious!

(And, if it keeps happening with the other eye, I think He might say, gouge that one out too!) What is being blind compared to being separated from the Holy God?

SIN IS SERIOUS. It is an affront to God. ESPECIALLY for a believer, a follower of Jesus.

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.“ 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

Jesus carries the remedy further with, “And if your right (dominant) hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to lose your members than your whole body … and go into hell.”

I believe Jesus could also mean by your ‘right hand’, that you are to eliminate every sinful deed you are prone to do or accomplish. It’s not just a leud man patting or pinching a woman’s bottom at the office. The “right” or dominate hand represents your strength. Cut it off if it causes you to sin!

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Matthew 5:31-32.

“It was also said,” (Jesus continues) “whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.”

God gave this provision to Israel for the welfare of women.

Husbands who no longer wanted their wives – for some little thing they did or didn’t do, or because the man had lusted after another, younger, prettier woman – could just kick them out to manage on their own. Often their father would not accept them back into the family house, and without resources, they would eventually die or become a prostitute.

To save them from this, Moses required unhappy husbands to write their wives a certificate of divorce. That way, she could legally become the wife of another man. It was a concession, and NOT God’s perfect plan. But it rescued the unwanted wives.

But notice Jesus’s heart-understanding of this concession. “But I say to you, that every man who divorces his wife – except on the ground of sexual immorality – makes her commit adultery.” (either by prostitution or marrying another man while still married to the unhappy one). A man was not to simply “divorce” his wife for every little thing that bothered him, or even something big. Reconciliation is always the first step.

It’s God’s way. After man sinned in the garden of Eden, God could have thrown us away and created a new world. But no, He provided a way (Jesus’ death) that we could be reconciled to Him.

Our Lord is so kind. For women (or men) today, this means that if divorce occurs because of unreconciled unfaithfulness (the first option is always to seek reconciliation, as with the first of Jesus’ saying about someone offending you), the divorced one is free to marry again.

It’s NOT God’s perfect way. There will be complications with possessions, finances, and the children (who are often hurt most). But God’s heart of love, SO loves His children, that He allows this, though I believe every divorce grieves Him.

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.Do you wonder, like me, how the people on the hillside received Jesus’ words. Were they confused, perplexed? Did the more learned of them go back in their minds to see the Torah’s writing, and nod at this new wisdom? Was there fear, or joy, in their heart? Did they now long for the kingdom of heaven this Jesus was preaching?

Or was that first stirring of disappointment rising. Reconciling? Sexual purity? What did that have to do with the Messiah freeing them from Rome?

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.(NOTE: for those who read my closing thought yesterday, yes I did go to my husband, confess my offense, and ask forgiveness. And he gladly, quickly, forgave me. What a relief! And my prayers to God came so much easier afterward! Thank You, Jesus. Your heart-teaching is what we need every day.)

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 (9/22): Matthew 5:1-12.

Sep22

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“And He opened His mouth and taught them.” Matthew 5:2

NOTE: I’m sorry this is late to post. My Internet was down for most of the day.

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REVIEW – Last time, we saw an overview of Jesus’ beginning ministry. He was teaching, preaching, and healing all who came to Him – huge masses of hurting, needy people from all over the area. He taught in synagogues, in the streets, from boats, and on hillsides. He offered hope for healing and health. He also offered hope of heaven. How many saw that? How many received it?

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Matthew 5:1-2.

“Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain…”

Perhaps Jesus wanted to escape the masses who only sought relief from their pain and discomfort. Maybe He wanted to speak more closely to those who heard Him talk of heaven and a kingdom beyond the here and now, and wanted more.

“…and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.”

“To see a rabbi “sit down” meant that He was about to teach. Our teachers usually stand in front of a class, but Jewish teachers sat. “Students” would then gather around Him to listen, and possibly ask questions. For Jesus, this was like a “Closed until 2:00pm” sign on the doctor’s office door. He would “see” patients later.

There were many “followers” (disciples, if you will) at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Most were superficial, and we’ll see Jesus eliminate the insincere with probing questions (See Luke 14 and Mark 10) and later with His “hard teachings”. (See John 6)

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Matthew 5:3-10.

We know this section as the “Beatitudes.” (The be-attitudes; the attitudes for Christians to have and exhibit.) I had to memorize them as a child in Sunday School. I even learned how to sing them. But how well do I know them as Jesus meant? How many of them do others (or Jesus) see in my life?

“Blessed are…” The word means “happy, fortunate, blissful.” Jesus was describing the “well-being” that belongs only to the faithful. This is entirely different from the world’s happiness, which comes (fleetingly) from riches, fame, power, and leisure, etc.

Jesus shows us eight (or nine) of these things that cause blessedness for believers, but which totally boggle the minds of unbelievers.

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“…the poor in spirit,” Humility, spiritual bankruptcy. To be ‘poor in spirit’ means to be acutely aware that you are lost and hopeless apart from God’s grace. THIS is how we first come to Jesus, acknowledging our sin and helplessness to save ourselves, looking to Him as the only way to salvation and eternal life. “…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Yep, that’s the way to get in!)

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“…those who mourn,” This is the “godly sorrow” a true seeker of God experiences. It’s a real sorrow that leads to repentance without regret. (2 Corinthians 7:10) When a fresh believer is on their knees (or face) before God, weeping over past sins, they will soon sense true forgiveness flooding their soul. “…for they shall be comforted.”

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“…the meek,” This is not weakness or timidity, but gentleness and Spirit-empowered self-control. Jesus claimed that HE was gentle (meek) and lowly in heart (See Matthew 11:29), and yet He made a whip and drove out merchants and moneychangers from the Temple.

(Take a few minutes here to read Psalm 37:1-11. It describes how to become a “meek” believer.) Yes, the Lord will give you the desires of your heart, because your heart is His. “…they shall inherit the earth.” And the Psalms passage adds, “…and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

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“…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” This means seeking God and HIS righteousness, and NOT trying to be good or do good things in our own strength (which is impossible anyway for more than a few minutes). Self-righteousness was the main problem of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. They thought they needed nothing but their own knowledge and willpower to stand righteous before God.

Remember the parable Jesus told about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? WHO was the one righteous in God’s sight? Not the one who bragged of all his good deeds, but the one in his poverty, confessed his sin and begged for mercy. Jesus said, HE went away “justified” or “righteous” in God’s sight. I know his heart was filled with joy as he rose from his knees and went home. “…for they shall be satisfied.”

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“…the merciful.” These are the people who consistantly give others “a second chance,” who “give others the benefit of the doubt,” and who, by remembering the rich mercy with which God loved and saved them… easily and generously give it to others. James 2:13 tells us that “judgment is without mercy for those who show no mercy.” So lets direct our hearts always to the tender mercies we received and can give out. “…for they shall receive mercy.”

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“…the pure in heart.” Wow, this certainly can’t be accomplished in our own strength. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it?” Jesus taught that all the wicked things that come out of our mouths originate in our hearts. PURE in heart? Who can do it? No one. Only Christ. He has promised that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” (1John1:9) Praise God.

“…for they shall see God. And truly, THESE are the only ones who will SEE God.

Revelation 22:3-4 says, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it (New Jerusalem), and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face... “

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“…the peacemakers.” We know who these rare people are. They are filled with the “wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. They sow peace and receive a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:17-18). These are those who love their enemies and pray for them. And “…they shall be called sons of God.” Why? Because Jesus, God’s Son, made peace between His Father and us by His blood on the cross.

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“…those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.” Whoa, that doesn’t sound right. This is not persecution because we are fools or sinners or do stupid things. The persecution here is for Christ’s sake, because we are one of His, because His life and light show out from us to a dark world. Those in darkness do NOT like light and try to extinguish it. We may be martyred, but Jesus promises we will be with Him in glory. “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

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And then, it’s as though Jesus turns from those sitting all around Him on that hillside, and looks straight out at US. You and me.

And He says, “Blessed are YOU when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely ON MY ACCOUNT. Rejoice and be glad, for YOUR reward is in heaven…”

He repeats the previous beatitude, making it personal to us. Then it seems He speaks to US as well as to the crowd of followers around Him.

“…for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Believers who love and follow Jesus, we are in good company! And one day we will stand with those prophets we read about in the Old Testament and receive the rewards Jesus spoke of. AND… a crown of life.

Persevere!

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