👑 Matthew Chapters 23 – 24 🦁

🙏🏻 Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit – In these two chapters You remind us that ‘time’ as we know it, will end. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Let us open our eyes and ears to the truth that is shared in these chapters. We ask for Your help in doing this, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Where have we been so far?  (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 22.)

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A Warning Against Hypocrisy

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Points to Ponder: Key theme here is integrity.  Just because someone has a title… teacher, rabbi, father, etc., doesn’t mean they are ‘better’ in any way. Their authority comes from God.  If their lives are not aligned with His will, they are self-promoting. You can listen to their words… but find a better role model; you answer to God first.

If you do have a title, and who doesn’t… mom, dad, aunt, sister… remember, integrity matters. Throughout Scripture, God’s will is meant to be passed on generationally.  Scripture could be read and meditated on for a lifetime and still not be exhausted.   But it also needs to be lived out.  Role models are important – they are living testimonies.

Jesus has little to commend the religious rulers of His day other than their position in which they teach God’s law.  But they make little effort to understand or demonstrate the underlying concepts of love and mercy that God showed to the Israelites through their history.

Like the fig tree with beautiful leaves but no fruit, we are not called to look good.  We are called to serve others from a heart-felt reaction that shows God is good!  This is the amazing response of someone who has loved the Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul, all their strength. They are mysteriously transformed and empowered to love others.

The lesson here? Don’t just do good things because you think you’re supposed to.  You’re not fooling anyone, least of all God.  Ask Jesus to reveal more of Himself to you to further transform your heart to be more like Him. 

As a Christian, born into new life, we recognize that God is Our Father.  He is our teacher.  While we may have been blessed with great earthly relationships, God deserves the honor and the glory for such a blessing as we look around and realize that not all have been so blessed.  With a humble heart filled with gratitude, worship the giver… not the gift.  Your love for others should always be rooted in our love for Him.

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ^[14] 

¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

Points to Ponder: In seven woes or curses, Jesus calls the religious leadership ‘hypocrites’ six times. He calls them ‘blind’ five times.   In Luke 12:48, Jesus expands on the concept here… from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.  We are responsible to honor God, not like the person next to us, but with the gifts, talents, treasures, etc.  that He’s entrusted to us.

With that said, pray for your pastors and religious leaders, for the temptation to exalt themselves is great. The temptation to compromise on Scripture is great.  If a religious leader does this, they may be preventing others as well as themselves from entering the Kingdom.  What a horrible thought – it is no wonder that Jesus is so angry with them.

This is a marvelous section to consider – is there a reason you don’t like church?  Is it because of all the hypocrisy you can discern?  Well, good for you – you’re more like Jesus than you want to admit. You’re closer to the kingdom than you ever thought.  It is clear in this section that Jesus is angry with religious institutions that serve themselves and don’t bring new life to their congregations by introducing them to the author of life.

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ³⁴ Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

Points to Ponder: Jesus has used this term, ‘Brood of vipers’, before – He’s calling them the offspring of Satan with a throwback to Genesis 3:15.  We are definitely seeing the enmity between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the snake here! But then He begins the next statement with a ‘therefore’. How curious!!!

After asking how they will escape condemnation to hell, Jesus says therefore…He’ll send prophets… sages… teachers… even though He knows how cruelly they’ll be treated. This is an area I need help with… this seems to be a warning to the religious leadership of Jesus’ day that God’s wrath will pour out judgment on them specifically.  (We do know that in 70 AD the Roman emperor destroys Jerusalem and the treatment of the Jewish people is brutal.)

What I find so interesting is the ‘pivot’ point that seems to show itself here between God’s grace and God’s wrath. He tells us in Micah 6:8 to seek justice and have mercy… Now, after pronouncing the seven woes… seven being a Hebrew symbol of ‘complete’… the ‘therefore’ could mean that time’s up… the sins of the leadership has reached a tipping point and the wrath will be poured out.

But like the prophet Jonah to Ninevah, the ‘therefore’ also indicates that Jesus, in His mercy, will still send those who will preach the truth of God’s will to them… And like Ninevah, they would be spared if they would humble themselves and repent!  It’s not their sins that necessarily condemn them, it is their refusal to repent of those sins that condemns them.  They will not humble themselves and submit to the authority of God.  💔

It is our own stubborn wills that we must fight on a daily basis. If you don’t have a Christian buddy who will speak truth to you… get one!  Jesus calls these Pharisees ‘blind’.  You will not see your blind spots for yourself.  And those who are just like you? They won’t tell you.  

Even those that profess Christ have bought into the lie that ‘tolerance is loving’… that Jesus is love… that God won’t condemn anyone. This breaks my heart because in this section, that lie is clearly revealed for what it is… a lie.  Yes, God is love… Yes, God is merciful and full of grace… but God is also just. 

If something bad were to happen to someone I love… my natural instinct is to go ‘Mama-bear’ and exact the revenge that I feel they so deserve.  Instead, God calls me to love them and trust Him for the justice. (Christianity is not so easy, is it. Pray for His wisdom and strength to persevere.)

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[Psalm 118:26]”

Points to Ponder:  Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King.  He came to save the world, but not all will accept His salvation.  This is the second time Jesus references the death and ill-treatment of the prophets that have been sent throughout Israel’s history.  Don’t assume you get away with anything; we are in His Kingdom and under His authority.  ‘Books’ have been written. He knows.

We now live in a time of His grace – the Age of the Church – but this time will end. This time allows sinful humans to hear the Gospel message and be transformed into God’s children with their sins forgiven and remembered no more.  Done. Erased. Wiped clean. 

When you hear the offer… accept the offer… repent of your sins… you start over… with eternal life as a child of God.  But those that refuse His offer face the penalty of their sins and judgment time begins when He returns.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ² “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Points to Ponder: The disciples call Jesus’  attention to the magnificent temple. Jesus tells them ‘truly’ this temple won’t last. The temple was the heart of Judaic worship. This statement is huge!  The magnificent temple that Solomon built was destroyed by the Babylonians which ushered in centuries of exile for the Jewish nation.  For Jesus to announce that this will happen again… to this 2^nd temple… seems to spark something. There is significance in the disciples’ response – they seem to be asking two questions. (1) When will this temple be destroyed? And, (2) When will ‘this age’ end so Jesus’ Kingdom can begin?  (i.e., how long with this exile last?)

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Points to Ponder: This is a solemn account of our history.  In the almost 2000 years since Jesus made this announcement, the wars, the famines, and the false hopes continue.  Do not be deceived, He warns us. The end is still to come.

The only consolation I see here is the resemblance to ‘birth pains.’  When a mom holds her new born child, all memory of the pain endured fades rather quickly. 💖At least for me. I started later in life and had 3 children.  If I’d started earlier, I’m pretty sure I would have had 10!

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Points to Ponder:  (v9) This prediction of persecution and death was played out in history for all these disciples – yet still, none of them renounced their faith.  That is the strongest testimony to truth which I could not ignore. Yet, (v10) breaks my heart because many will turn away… many will betray and hate each other.  False prophets will rise and deliver a wicked lie and call it true.  As more and more wicked lies are embraced, love grows cold.  Ouch.

But don’t miss the message of hope here – standing firm to the end brings our salvation.  This gospel of truth about God’s Kingdom – about God’s love for us to send Jesus to die for us, redeem us, and restore us to new life – this message has been preached for almost 2,000 years now. And it is predicted that all unreached groups shall be reached within 10 years.

Are you still standing?

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ [Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

Points to Ponder: This prophecy, similar to the ones from the Old Testament, have both ‘a now and a not yet’ perspective.  His words proved true for the 70 AD temple destruction and they will be true when time as we know it shall end.

²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

Points to Ponder: Amen.   There are many verses we don’t want to consider, but we are thankful for the warnings.  If we don’t read them, we are not forewarned and we are not ready to stand firm when the wicked deceptions increase and others fall away.

²⁶ “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Points to Ponder: These last two verses bring to mind the division from Genesis 3:15 again. The offspring of the woman – the followers of Christ, still alive at this time –  know that when Jesus returns, there will be no mistaking Him for a counterfeit.  We will know for ourselves; His sheep know His voice. {Amen!}

But instead of feeding their souls on God’s Word, the offspring of the snake are distracted by many things… whatever those things are, they are congregating around death – like vultures feeding on a carcass.

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ [Isaiah 13:10,34:4]

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. [Daniel 7:13-14] ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Points to Ponder: The increase of deceptive wickedness… the falling away from Christian faith… the betrayal and hatred… the love of most growing cold… will be distressing. 

I suspect as that day approaches, many will have difficulty sleeping.  Anxiety and depression will increase.  Division among people groups will increase and people will start blaming each other for the quality of life growing more difficult.  This seems all too familiar today.  So… we ask ourselves… how well are we standing?

I, for one, would like to remind myself to start each day talking to Jesus… 🙏 LORD? I have not heard a loud trumpet call, so I thank You for the rest you allowed me.  I ask You for Your strength to get through this day. May Your presence guide me to see any opportunities You place in front of me to glorify You and invite others to Your Kingdom. Amen!

³² “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³ Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Points to Ponder: Not the fig tree again!  Remember the last lesson – Jesus judged the fig tree because of its lack of fruit! Now the very nature of the fig tree teaches us something about TIME.  Read on…

The Day and Hour Unknown

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Points to Ponder: Jesus clearly tells us that no one can predict the day or hour.  But life, as we now know it, goes on just as it had in Noah’s day.  A key difference is that in Noah’s day – only those on the Ark were saved – Noah and his family.  In this warning, I don’t interpret the one out of two as 50%… instead I see this again as the only division among people that matters – the offspring of the woman or the offspring of the snake. 

The wild thing is – Jesus will not return until the opportunity to hear the Gospel and follow Jesus has reached all people groups.  It is our wills that determine if we will choose to investigate the truth of the Gospel.  If we choose to reject the offer, then we cannot blame God for closing the banquet doors and leave us standing on the outside.

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Points to Ponder: Be ready!  How are we to be ready if we don’t know when we have to be ready?  Take note:  If you are a procrastinator… if you are habitually late… if you are too busy… if you have difficulty prioritizing… you need to pay attention here.

Maybe as the new year approaches, consider some new priorities. Or if you’re reading this after the new year 😜 maybe now is a good time!

Remember my favorite proverb on discipline!  Proverbs 12:1

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Points to Ponder: The faithful and wise servant not only remembers that he has a master, but is thankful for the master that he has.  The master has entrusted this servant with possessions and watches that the servant is faithfully using these resources to serve and glorify the master.  He doesn’t know when the master will return, but he’s already had a heart-transformation so that the return-time doesn’t matter!  Serving a good master brings unimaginable blessings to the servant.

Here’s the hard truth. We are all servants.  Everything we have comes from our good master – whether we want to agree with that statement or not.  Atheists will reject that and assert that everything they have is theirs and can be used in any way they seem fit.  At least that response is in line with their belief.

Others will try to straddle the earthly and the kingdom lives.  Some of their time is for God; the rest is theirs.  Some of their resources are spent on charitable endeavors; the rest on selfish pursuits. My heart breaks for these people the most – they cannot see that their endeavors are motivated by a sense of obligation to satisfy some requirements of a checklist religion; this is not scriptural.  They still think they are in control of their destiny i.e., they still maintain their secret title of ‘master of my own life.’  (I think this group can sense that there is something missing, but they are afraid to investigate because they know when they do, He will change their life.  That is Jesus, who stands at the door and knocks.)

A growing Christian will recognize that if there is time in our day… places we go… relationships we choose to keep… that are contrary to the revealed will of God… we are harboring sin in our lives and we pray for Him to intervene with the strength we don’t have.

This is a pruning process. And as we grow; we are continually pruned.  Don’t expect this process to ever end in our earthly lives.  Welcome these moments for the fruit produced is glorious. [Galatians 5:22].

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Summary: In these chapters we see Jesus begin to pivot – He has been preaching and teaching with compassion and truth.  But here, He makes sure that His disciples are not misled by religious leadership that is all show.   Anyone with a title, must still humble themselves under the only master we have – the only one that can bring us new life and welcome us into His Kingdom.

Jesus knows that His earthly ministry is drawing to a close. He also knows that the time for the leadership in Jerusalem is short.  He does not sugarcoat His message.  This prophecy of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem plays out brutally for the Jewish people in 70 AD.  They were warned – and so are we. We may not know when, but we know. Time will end. He will return. Will we be standing?

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🙏🏻 Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit – Thank You for Your Word. Let the truth of this message ignite a fire within us to refocus and rededicate our lives to honoring and serving You. Give us the courage and the strength to stand firm and boldly speak the truth to those You place around us. We love You and praise You.  Amen.

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Recap for Matthew

• 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!
• Chapter 17 – Jesus is transfigured; a few disciples get a glimpse. But it is beyond comprehension.
• Chapter 18 – Who’s the greatest in the kingdom? The humble child. We are given a few guidelines and warnings as to how we are to live this Christian life connected to other Christians.
• Chapter 19 – Can we divorce for any and every reason? No. But… but… stop and remember that the kingdom of heaven if for such as these… the children that come to Jesus… not the arrogant adults that justify their sinful, selfish behaviors that negatively affect others.  Even the ‘good’ people… the ‘rich’ people… those that seem ‘naturally’ blessed in this world don’t have eternal life without submitting to Jesus.
• Chapter 20 – there is only one Master – God. We are all servants. Whether we’ve been Christians for decades or days – we’re on equal footing… servants to the same master.  There is no hierarchy among the servants.  Humble yourself and serve… there’s no grumbling or complaining that can be justified.
• Chapter 21 – Jesus begins His triumphal entry into Jerusalem as a king… on a donkey. Matthew weaves in quite an assortment of Old Testament prophecies. Jesus asserts His authority and demonstrates it on a fig tree! 😊 There are two parables, the Two Sons and the Tenants, that are a clear warning to the religious leadership in Jerusalem.
• Chapter 22 – Another sobering parable for all listeners, regarding the Wedding Banquet.  No one gets to sneak in just because the original invitees refused to come.  ‘Wedding clothes’ are required. We are reminded that we are made in God’s image with the coin used to pay Caesar’s taxes… let Caesar have his coin… let God have His children. 💞 We are reminded that the marriage relationship is strictly an earthly relationship – it has an end date… until death do we part. Our priority is to love God first – get that vertical relationship straight, so you can properly love others.  (That is the great fruit He is looking for… love others right into heaven with you!  Bring them to Jesus to get properly clothed for the wedding feast!)  Time will end… Psalm 90:12 reminds us – So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

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