🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – You are so good to Your children. As we sit at Your feet today, teach us more about Your plan to redeem and restore us back to life as You intend. We have been so blind and so dull for so long. But You! You have the power to restore… reveal… heal… transform and make all things new. Let your Word speak new life to us today. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Where have we been so far? (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 16.)
The Transfiguration
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Points to Ponder: And here we see an immediate fulfillment of last chapter’s final verse. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Peter, James, and John, Jesus’ closest disciples don’t quite grasp the significance. They now see Moses and Elijah… who, by all accounts, should not be alive on earth at this time! Moses personifies ‘The Law’ for Israel. Elijah personifies ‘The Prophets’. Until this time in history, God has revealed His will to Israel through the Law and the Prophets.
Peter’s offer to make ‘three shelters’ here on earth, for all three… Moses, Elijah, and Jesus… is corrected by the voice of God Himself. God used to speak through the law and the prophets, He now speaks through Jesus. We are to listen to Him.
God clearly places Jesus in a position of priority over both Moses and Elijah.
This does not negate the Mosaic Law or the prophecies in the Old Testament, because Jesus said Himself, that He was here to fulfill the law. (Matthew 5: 17) When you understand the law, and the need for a spotless lamb as a sacrifice for sins, you start to put the middle jigsaw pieces together to see that the blameless, sinless, Jesus – the Son of God, is also the perfect spotless Lamb of God – the only one capable of being sacrificed for the sins of humanity. He knew what He faced and He did it anyway.
If this blows your mind a little, it should. I still remember crying when I realized that 2,000 years ago Jesus knew how bad I could be… and He still died in my place with all my guilt and shame placed on Him.
That’s a love my limited heart and mind can barely grasp…. but I want it. 💖
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Points to Ponder: How compassionate and loving is Our Lord Jesus! He comforts His disciples and answers their questions from Old Testament prophecies. In the unique clothing style and eating habits, John the Baptist should have brought the prophet Elijah to the minds of all the Jewish people. Those that see Jesus as the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies can recognize the fulfillment of the Malachi 4:5-6 prophecy in John the Baptist as well. But as many did not received Jesus as their own, they did not receive John the Baptist either. We read earlier that he was murdered by Herod. Jesus knew the suffering that He would face.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Points to Ponder: Oh boy, here we go…. Part of a Marianne Williamson quote was used in the movie, “Akeelah and the Bee.” It adequately hints to the meaning of Jesus’ words here:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
I think Jesus would agree with her statement, in part. But that brilliance that was a part of our created image has been marred by sin. It still calls to us. We can no longer access this on our own – that is what Jesus came to restore – to rule and reign with Him with the divine power that was intended for us. Ms. Williamson also missed Jesus’ condemnation of the generation in this section. He calls them wicked and perverse. Just because we were created in the image of God, the effects of sin are real and we must reckon with God’s plan for redemption.
Remember the transfiguration that just happened. The three disciples got a preview of what’s to be expected… for us! They were witness to the humanity of Jesus being transformed to the glorious divine image. Paul reminds us about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 – because of the sin of Adam, we all die… because of the work of Jesus at the cross, we are all offered eternal life… a restoration of what was lost in the garden.
Don’t overlook the two facts in this story: Fact #1: The disciples were unable to heal the boy. Fact #2: Jesus remarked on their lack of faith.
We cannot presume on the grace of God. The two biggest errors of all religion… being too legalistic (THOU SHOULDST!) or being too licentious (I AM FREE TO DO ANYTHING!) Both are wrong and far fall short of these Gospel stories.
We were made to manifest the glory of God that is within us… but not until we can walk in faith! God just told us to listen to Jesus! That limits those who are prone to be legalistic. Jesus repeatedly has compassion on sinners, but also tells them to ‘Go and sin no more!’ (John 5:14, John 8:11) And that limits those who are prone to take license and assume the unlimited grace of God.
When we are ready to humble ourselves… we are ready to find the ‘narrow’ way that leads to life. (John 14:6) But as long as we are convinced that we know best… i.e. not listening to Jesus… we may come close, but we will miss out.
If the Old Testament tells us the character of God, then we know He does not save all who were created in His image. There is a sobering reduction of humanity in Genesis alone. The concept of saving just a remnant of Israel is seen throughout all of the Old Testament from the time that only two of the first generation – Joshua and Caleb – left the wilderness to cross the Jordan into Jericho.
But enter Jesus and the reverse is the invitation… not just to save more of the Jewish people through the death of their Messiah, but to invite the non-Jews… the Gentiles… ME!!!! into that same offer of salvation. It is our choice as to how we respond to the invitation. Let me encourage you today… [Hebrews 3:13]… 🙏 Lord Jesus, I place my life in Your hands. I know I am a sinner and I accept You as my Savior. I believe You are God and You came to earth to die in my place. Help me make sense of all Your Words in Scripture because in it I read that You are the Son of God, the Father, and I am to listen to You.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
Points to Ponder: Jesus shares His future with the disciples – again. Peter doesn’t argue with Him this time. There are skeptics who believe that Christianity was made up hundreds of years after Jesus walked this earth. I wonder if they ever read the Gospels. Jesus never promises an easy life for believers here on earth. His disciples are confused, they’re grief-stricken and yet within 30 years they went to their own deaths, horribly, in order to defend the truth of the Gospel. Jesus died for us sinners… He did so willingly… He knew ahead of time… His own people rejected Him… a close disciple betrays Him… another denies even knowing Him… the rest scatter when He is finally arrested. There is very little heartache you have gone through, that He didn’t walk through as well.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Points to Ponder: As Jesus is The King, especially of The Temple, – He and His children are exempt. But we see here that sometimes it is a better choice to comply over causing offense. We’ve seen Jesus confront the Jewish leaders… but here, it is the collectors – servants of the temple, just doing their jobs. Jesus chooses the response of being gracious.
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Points to Ponder: We see Jesus calling a child and apparently, the child responds favorably – enough to be placed among Jesus and His group of disciples. (A note to all parents… teach your children about Jesus when they are young. You do them no favor by delaying the Gospel until they are “old enough” to fully understand and make their own choice. While you are neglecting to provide a Biblical worldview as an option for their young minds, the world is happy to step into your responsibility to provide any alternative that encourages their immature, self-focused worldview… take it from someone who tried to find the ‘right’ worldview for decades. It is NOT loving someone to withhold the truth from them.)
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Points to Ponder: Ok… let’s repeat that note to parents above, but extend it to all believers since all believers are born again as little children. If we are believers, we are growing and maturing. Others may be more mature and we seek their guidance. Others may be less mature and take note of the warning in this section… choose our words, thoughts, and actions, carefully… BE AWARE of those around you… are you building them up (yay!) or are you causing them to stumble (yikes!)
The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Points to Ponder: When a new or less mature believer is within your domain, how do you respond? I think ‘despise’ here is like ‘hated’ in the Bible. It is not an attitude or feeling, like our human emotions of love and hate, that is directed towards a person… it is a choice. (God loved Isaac, Esau He hated… God choose Isaac to father the nation of Israel and rejected Esau, even though God blessed the nation Edom – the descendants of Esau. Esau despised his birthright… for a bowl of stew!)
Jesus tells us here that we are to be aware of these little ones in our midst and act accordingly – we are to intentionally care for them. Their spirits are always in the presence of God.
Connect these two stories and we see that if one of them wanders, woe to us if we were the ones to cause them to wander away.
NOTE!!! If at this point your head is filled with a list of names that you think you caused them to stumble… stop… little one. You are not God and what makes you think you were the ‘more mature’ one! 🤣 Instead… pray. 🙏 Heavenly Father, forgive me for being careless around Your children. Open my eyes and soften my heart to see the opportunities You place in front of me to encourage other believers. Hold my heart, Lord, and teach me how to love others the way You loved us.
Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Points to Ponder: So much in this section. First – the Church is made up of sinners who have become believers at different points in their lives and at any given point, their maturity level varies. Second – if you are a believer, you are to join a local church and this passage tells you that you have given this same church the authority to hold you accountable to what is stated in Scripture… remember, ‘This is my Son, listen to Him.’ Third – you are to hold your Christian brother/sister accountable, as well.
There is an order and an escalation procedure to follow. Confront a brother or sister one-on-one, first, before enlisting others. This is kind and gentle since we don’t often see the plank in our own eyes. It is difficult to grow when others are afraid to tell you the truth.
Having said that, it is also a far cry from the actual ‘church-hurt’ that has been recorded throughout history… excommunication… scarlet letters… holier-than-thou leadership structures… and my favorite, lifting a brother or sister up in a great big prayer circle to deal with their sin – real or imagined – without having confronted them one-on-one first!
‘’If they will not listen’’… tell the whole church and treat them like a pagan or a tax collector! Okay, I find this hilarious as it is being written by Matthew… a former tax collector… who was treated with incredible grace and mercy from Our Savior Jesus. I am definitely not convinced that we are to treat them as outsiders and outcasts… unless we remember that we welcome outsiders and outcasts! This is a marvelous paradox that can only be resolved in the moment. There is no interpretation or instruction that will apply to all scenarios of ‘those who will not listen.’
The last two verses are fantastic. There is a spiritual connection for believers between earth and heaven. And when we pray… thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven… is played out right here. He works here on earth… through us. What we do here matters as it is ‘mirrored’ in heaven. What is bound (forbidden) or loosed (permitted) on earth by a believer is reflected in heaven as long as it is done according to His will.
Brother, sister!!! There’s power in these words!!! Almost too much to consider. Immediately someone will say… then how come my prayers aren’t answered. This is still immature thinking… God always answers prayers… sometimes it’s yes… sometimes it’s no… sometimes it’s not yet. Often, it’s answered without your knowledge. When the answer is no, it is either because He has something better in mind for you or that your request is not in His will.
If your prayers are outside of His will, then you are not growing closer to Him. You need to be around other committed believers. (Where two or three are gathered He is there.) And now we’ve circled back to the beginning of the passage… help a sister out! If her prayers aren’t being answered… if they’re not in the will of God… are you gently able to point out the fault?
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[i] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Points to Ponder: Forgiveness is essential to Christianity; it IS Christianity. When our egos want to puff up for extending forgiveness to some real or perceived monster that hurt us, we’ve only to look at the cross to deflate and annihilate our spiritual pride. There is such a thing as keeping realistic boundaries between a believer and a toxic non-believer, but beware… only God knows their heart. I behaved like a toxic non-believer long before God made me aware of the Truth.
God forgave me and erased all my debt. No man can take that away despite the garbage they want to throw at me. As people fight and claw around me, I know that my response to their behavior may be the only ‘gospel’ they witness… First, I try to stand strong and NOT join in! I remember they may be immature or lost. Next, I choose to act in a spirit of forgiveness, whether they ask for it or not. And I pray for them.
Clearly, Our Lord, expects us to remember what He has done for us on the cross. We are growing when we recognize that we can never forget what He’s done! ✝
Summary: In these chapters we see Jesus transfigured from His human form to a glorious form and we are reminded that He was first of the rescued from death – opening The Way for us to return to God. We too will see that eternal glory. But until then, we’re here in a broken world, as His ambassadors. These sections remind us of how we are to live the rest of our days here on earth.
🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – Thank You Father for Your Word even when it challenges us to grow. Strengthen us to be brave and courageous as we desire to lead others into Your Kingdom. Bring alongside us strong Christian brothers and sisters that seek to guide and encourage us. Open our eyes to those within our own church that will not listen, then guide our response to bring You glory. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- Chapter 1 – The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been God’s plan to restore humanity. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
- Chapter 2 – The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus. NOT ALL HAVE EYES TO SEE.
- Chapter 3 – John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus. IF WE ‘SEE’, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
- Chapter 4 – Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission – gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about God’s Kingdom. JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY.
- Chapter 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 1. Rethink everything! What it means to be blessed… what is our purpose… this was always the message of the Old Testament. You think you know right from wrong? Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but leering is wrong. Divorce may be legal but it was never part of God’s design – keep your promises – all of them… integrity matters to the people around you. Eye-for-eye? No! Learn to love your enemies.
- Chapter 6 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 2. Draw near to God, your father, in relationship. No showy religion when serving God or others. Pray to God, earnestly. Fast for a purpose. Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven. Don’t worry about the things of this world… He sees your giving… he sees your working… he hears your praying… he sees and knows what you need? Trust Him – Seek Him first; everything else falls into place.
- Chapter 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 3. Living it out as a disciple of Christ. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME… ALONE. 😉 Christian life is designed to be lived out in a community – connected to God through Jesus in order to connect to other believers. As this new life progresses, this life is designed to be generational. You start as a baby… you need to learn from your Christian siblings and your Christian parents. Don’t judge others, you’re still a child! Pray always… continually… He’s waiting to spend time with you! And be bold… try something new. Do something for someone else, that you would like. This is the way He told us to live – not everyone will be faithful, but you are in charge of your decisions. Building your life on the teachings of Jesus is akin to a house on a solid foundation.
- Chapter 8 – JESUS WALKS THE TALK. He teaches and He puts it into action – healing a leper, healing the servant of a Roman officer – nothing is outside of His domain. He heals those with fevers and those possessed by demons. People want a piece of the action, but He reminds them that He has no home here. If you want a piece of His Kingdom, you have to give up this one. (And if you still doubt the value of such a choice – Jesus spoke to calm a storm.)
- Chapter 9 – WHAT DOES HIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE? First and foremost – our sins are forgiven, completely. Religious formality has no authority over sin, Jesus does. We watch Jesus call the outcasts that religion often overlooks and bids them, ‘Follow Me.’ Jesus teaches us to rethink the motivation behind religious practices. Instead of becoming unclean by associating with the unclean, Jesus is Lord over all the corruption in life – He brings new life and restores the broken and unclean around Him. Everyone is hungry for the life that Jesus offers, except for the religious leaders.
- Chapter 10 – THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO WORK THE HARVEST. For a time, they are empowered to heal diseases, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits. All must hear the Gospel message of the Kingdom and choose for themselves. We are to go boldly and unashamed.
- Chapter 11 – THERE’S TWO OPTIONS… BEING A CHILD OF GOD OR BEING CHILDISH IN YOUR REFUSAL. He is Lord; we are not. Insisting on your own way is not only childish, but incredibly dangerous. Being a child of God opens up your heart and mind to learn from God.
- Chapter 12 – GOD’S CHOSEN SERVANT – behavior that is not always modeled by religious leaders. 💔 We are all tempted by the real enemy – The Tempter. We are either under the influence of Satan, doubting God or we are God’s children, turning our backs on Satan’s influence in this world and aligning ourselves with the will of God as revealed in Scripture.
- Chapter 13 – Parables for this pre-harvest age and parables for the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Chapter 14 – The horrific death of John the Baptist and Jesus’ response – feeding 5000+ and walking on water.
- Chapter 15 – A Gentile woman reveals more faith than the Pharisees and the disciples.
- Chapter 16 – The Pharisees demand a sign – Jesus calls them wicked but promises the sign of Jonah. God reveals to Peter that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus shares the details of His suffering, death, and resurrection with His disciples then has to rebuke Peter as Satan when Peter objects to the plan!
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