Daily Digest

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Can you imagine being one of the Jewish people in the crowd, seeing Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey? You would know the cultural and historical significance of what he was doing. He was fulfilling an ancient prophesy that Zechariah had spoken some 500 years earlier to indicate the actions of their coming king. No wonder the crowd was excited and praising him – something great was about to happen.

Jesus would also know the significance of this event.  

Yet before it happened, he found an opportunity to include his disciples. He gave them details about the donkey and what to say. He spoke to them and then they went. I see this as taking steps of faith and curiosity to see what would happen. And it happened exactly as he had said. How assuring is that.

So, whether it be a 500+ year old prophesy, or words spoken to you directly by Jesus, or a sense we have when we read His word or someone speaks a God-given word over us – it is more than information. Rather, it is an invitation to bear witness and participate in what God is about to do.

How cool is that. Thank you, Lord!

Written by Gab Martin

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Surely, if I do something amazing for God, I should be rewarded with honour, and a special place in His kingdom right? I mean the parable of the talents basically says if I’m faithful with little, He will entrust me with much, right? 

“Not necessarily” says Jesus in this passage! 

The bottom line here for me is clear. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. But this isn’t just His unique way of life… He expects us to follow him in his self-denying service to others! 

Lord, thank you that you make it clear and plain how you expect us to live our lives in service to others. Please continue to help me to serve you and serve others humbly, all the days of my life. 

Written by Ps Justin Ware 

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

This beautiful scripture is again about a farmer, in fact a vineyard landowner who employs people to work for him.  Those who begin the day with work and those who join in later in the day.  The reward in wages is the same no matter how long they worked for and no matter what job they are given.

Jesus is soon to head to Jerusalem.  He is challenging the disciples (and us) about comparison, jealousy, favour, attitudes that could tear them apart rather than work together for the Kingdom.

We can look around the world and even in our locality and find people who “seem to have it easy”.  Maybe they have no financial issues, maybe no health issues, maybe no challenges – that we can see!!  Then we see others who seem to suffer continually.  However, God always looks at the heart.  He looks at how we respond.

In Romans 12 v 15:  We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep.  Comparison is an ugly disease, an enemy of the Gospel of Jesus. 

Prayer:  Lord, help me to look at the heart of people.  Help me to better walk the journey with others.  Help me not to be awed or jealous by peoples’ circumstances and blessings but help me to respond with grace.  Keep my radar as to how to better love like Jesus did.  Amen. 

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

I love the way that Jesus interacts with all the people present in this story.  He isn’t afraid to be counter cultural, to demonstrate the Father’s heart of love towards all people.  Children included.  Jesus rebukes the ones who think they are doing the right thing in order to ensure that all know the love of God, know that they are welcome, know that they belong and matter. This demonstrates the nature of God.  His arms are open.

As we reach people with Jesus, we are reaching them with a God whose arms are wide open, who loves them whole heartedly and welcomes people in.  Who has paid the price for the many and the one.  This shapes our approach to reaching people, it shapes who we reach and how we reach. 

Jesus, thank you that you model what it is to welcome people into your family. Thank you that you live with your arms open towards humanity. Help me today to have eyes to see the people that you want me to reach with your love.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Written by Ps. Annique Botta

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 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.”

V35…forgive your brother from your heart.

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of forgiveness. Wholehearted forgiveness. The “master” in this story Jesus is telling, forgives a massive debt “completely”. He responds with mercy and forgiveness for the entire, enormous, life-crippling debt. There is now no longer anything owing. He is free.

The absolutely mean spirited and greedy response of this free man to his servant, stands in stark contrast to the actions of his master.

I live in the Kingdom of God.  A Kingdom of extravagant forgiveness and freedom from debt.

It is my culture.

Lord God – you have mercifully and completely forgiven me.  Fill me afresh Holy Spirit – I need your help.  May Your kingdom come here on earth as in heaven – through me, as I forgive as you do.

Written by Ps. Linda Quinn

1 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. 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. 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.

There is a lot of great wisdom in this passage, it’s almost hard to know where to begin. One of the many things I can observe here is the emphasis and importance Jesus is placing on humility. We all know about humility and we talk about it as something we desire. Humility does not tend to come naturally; I think for most of us it is a daily and active choice to choose to be humble.

As Jesus’ disciples begin to ask which is the greatest among them, Jesus is quick to answer, but perhaps not as they expected. He does not rank them, based on their skills or personality. Instead, He goes on to talk about how important the small, vulnerable and lost are to Him, using the illustration of children and sheep.

The great thing about this is that although most of us have probably dreamt of being lauded and applauded at some stage like the disciples in this passage, the reality is that all of us can relate to feeling small, vulnerable and lost in one way or another. While we may be humans sometimes full of pride and our own grandeur, we are also all like sheep who have gone astray, in need of a Good Shepherd who can seek after us and care for us, as Jesus does. I love that Jesus doesn’t try to suppress us or keep us small and insignificant, but rather conveys that we are so important to Him that He will continue to seek us – all of us – that we may know Him. It’s not about our greatness, it’s about His great desire to be in relationship with us.

Jesus, thank you that you are so interested in and want the best for us. You love to provide for us, not seeking to make us small, but longing for us to recognise our own need for you that cannot be filled any other way, no matter how great we are on our own. Help us to approach you with humble hearts, knowing you are always eager to hear from us. Amen.

Written by Madelaine Tarasenko

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.” 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.

Have you ever had the role of being a Manager or Teacher? In these roles you would be required to instruct and educate employees and also you would be required to review their performance.

Even if you have not had one of these roles mentioned above, it is likely that you have been in a position where you have been taught by someone, like being a student at school. Can you remember being taught?  A particular school subject may come to mind or perhaps a teacher that was encouraging. Sometimes I wonder if I was a good student, did I listen to the details? Did I demonstrate what I was taught? Did my Teachers ever become frustrated with me?

Jesus, the ultimate Teacher, chose his disciples carefully. In this verse, it becomes very clear that Jesus is quite frustrated with the disciples, indicating in verse 17 “How long shall I put up with you?” and verse 20 “Because you have so little faith”. Jesus’ humanity is shown very clearly here, rebuking the disciples. Also the students’ (the disciples’) humanity is on show.

Everyone is behaving like human beings, making it feel more real. The disciples had clearly missed the lesson on understanding the authority that Jesus had bestowed on them in Matthew 10:1, “to drive out impure spirits and heal every sickness and disease”. But still the disciples were chosen on purpose by Jesus, there was no mistake. They were chosen because they were imperfect, because, yes, they would make mistakes along the way.

Dear God

Thank you for your disciples. Thank you for choosing men who were not perfect and needed plenty of guidance and instruction. Thank you that we in our contemporary society can relate to the imperfection and the struggle to apply your teachings at times. Thank you for your endless forgiveness and enduring love.

Amen

Written by Susannah Ware

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Earlier in this chapter Jesus tells Peter that he will be the rock on which the church will be built – that Jesus has big plans for him. Now in this passage, Peter is trying to get Jesus to stop speaking about what needs to occur next because he cannot believe that is what will happen to the Messiah – for Him to be killed.

Often we get confused about Jesus and why He answers our prayers the way He does or why the world is full of bad situations where good people get hurt. Just like Peter, we think we know how God should organise things, how Jesus should save us from what we don’t like etc. But God knows way more about what is going on than we do and He has better ideas and plans. We may not like those ideas or those plans but He promises that we can trust they will work for good in all of us.

In the second half of this passage, Jesus asks us to trust Him, to believe that He knows best, that He loves us beyond our imagining, that He wants us to join Him in bringing His ideas to life even when they don’t make sense to us and, as a result, we will become who we were created to be.

Lord, thank you for the examples in the bible of people getting confused, misunderstanding your intentions or just plain missing the signs about what will happen. Thank you because that is what we do too. Help us to be reminded that you are God and that we are not, that you have ideas and plans that we may never be able to understand and that we can trust you 100%. Thank you for your love and that your desire is for each of our souls to be saved. Amen.

Written by Therese Manning

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” 8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus was tempted to give up on parables and metaphors! However, I think the reason the disciples and the crowds were hard of hearing is because they simply were not attuned to the spiritual frequency Jesus was communicating on.

The disciples seem to be worried here about immediate and physical concerns, like food in their belly. Jesus was concerned with the state of their heart and soul.

I can be just the same as the disciples, my mind occupied with things of the ‘flesh’, ignorant to more pressing spiritual concerns.

Jesus’ warning to the disciples is for me as well. I need to be careful of the teaching that I am ‘ingesting’. Teaching spreads and becomes pervasive. The Pharisees and Sadducees actually had completely different theologies, yet both groups had lost any sense of true humility and intimacy before God in Worship. Their teaching was devoid of the Spirit of God.

“Lord, help me right now to become aware of any teaching that is becoming pervasive in my life, but not of your Spirit – wherever it might be coming from: friends, TV, the internet, etc. 

[Pause to allow God to speak].

“Lord, may I be pervaded by your voice, and may the Scriptures be the source of life teaching for me and my family. Amen”

Written by Andrew Mellor

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” 33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” 34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” 35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

I know you’re thinking, ‘didn’t we just read this in chapter 14, surely Matthew isn’t repeating himself?’ This miracle of feeding the 4,000 is quite different from the 5,000 even though we don’t hear quite so much about it. It’s taking place in a different location, very likely a crowd that is mainly non Jewish who have been with Jesus for days, many miracles had already taken place in their midst, and this time the disciples had the bread & the fish.

I’ve thought about the disciples in this passage and verse 33. It seems that they had forgotten how Jesus had come through for them previously and how like us they are! Even though the location, the faces, the situation had all changed, they didn’t seem to believe or have the memory that Jesus could provide for them, that he could do another miracle, that he cared for them in the same way as he had before.

I know that I stress and worry over the next big thing in my world and yet Jesus has always been there, provided and cared even though the situation is different from the last time. This passage has reminded me to trust Him, to remember how Jesus has responded in the past for me, to relax into his love and care for me, to do what I can do and allow him to do the rest.

Thank Jesus that you are always there for us and even though circumstances alter you do not. You walk with us in each and every situation. Jesus, remind us through the Holy Spirit of your goodness.

Written by Suzie Hodgson

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Well who wants to hear these words of Jesus, “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”.

We love some of Jesus words and then we gloss over others, particularly those words that may be difficult to understand or sometimes simply don’t fit with our preferred view of Jesus.  Yet here He is, saying some hard truths.

So what do I do with this? I need to listen; I need to let these words chasten my heart.  Where do I give Jesus lip service?  Is it to do with the way I treat others the way I speak about others, or the sin I turn a blind eye to because, let’s face it, I like my sin, just as you do yours. I wouldn’t get trapped in its snare if it were not a temptation to me!

So let’s get bold, let’s get obedient. Where are you honouring Jesus with your lips but, in truth, your heart is far from Him? Where are you more reliant on the opinions of men than on God’s Word?  As I ask that question, various things come to mind that I recognise may be a snare to me!

Father, give me the grace of repentance that I may change and follow you unencumbered by the opinions of men and women and truly following your Word, will and ways.

Written by Ps. Richard Botta

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

I like it that this passage begins with Jesus being tired. He wanted to withdraw and go and pray. He knew that spending time with his Heavenly Father would refresh him. In this way, Jesus reveals the importance of spending time with his Father.

But a lot more revealing was about to happen. In this well-known story, we see that Jesus performs an amazing miracle: the feeding of the 5000+ people. This has always spoken to me about God’s amazing provision: our Heavenly Father has way more than we need.

But to me this time, Jesus has revealed the truth about my Heavenly Father’s heart towards me. As one who was often dismissed by her father and told to go away and not to be a nuisance, it echoes the words of the disciples, “send them away” (v15). Jesus’ response? Nope. Don’t send them away. Actually, tell them to sit down and stay a little longer – we’re going to have a meal together.

How awesome is that and how opposite to my experience!

Lord Jesus, thank you for not giving in to your humanity but choosing to reveal the heart of my Heavenly Father. Help me to walk in this truth and not my previous experience.

Written by Gab Martin

54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

What I believe about who Jesus is, really matters. I remember hearing apologist Dan Paterson grouping the possible thoughts about Jesus under these headings:

Lunatic: Jesus didn’t mean any harm, he was just crazy. He made some bold claims, but couldn’t back them up. This idea is not true. Multiple eyewitness accounts, including some reliable sources outside the bible verify that Jesus did back up his claims. 

Liar: Jesus made bold claims and backed them up, but it was all illusion and trickery. He did it to gain fame and power. This idea is also clearly false. The teachings of Christ did not elevate himself and He knew at least 3 years before His death that His mission was to die on the cross. His disciples, including his brothers who knew him since He was a child, followed Him so passionately that they laid down their lives for His cause in the years after his crucifixion. 

Legend: Jesus didn’t really walk the earth. His story is just myth and fable. This belief about Jesus is actually quite recently emerging. Through history, secular, non-christian, academic and practical historians have remarked on how strong the evidence is that Jesus truly walked the earth. 

Lord: Jesus was the Son of God and Messiah. He is worthy of worship, and He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. I must live my life according to His commands and teachings. This fourth option should be the response of anyone who investigates the claims of Christ fully. 

But it seems that people in Matthew 13, and people today like to take a fifth path: Likelihood. It’s easy to figure that it’s not likely that God would send His Son to Nazareth. It’s not likely He would do things the was Jesus did. It’s not likely that simply believing in Him will save me from sin and death. 

The reality for me is that even though I have faith, I can also fall into a sixth category! 

Lazy: Even though I submit to Him as Lord, I fall short of being fully devoted as His follower. 

Lord, help me to live my life in full devotion to You. And help me to lead others to understanding of your truth. 

Written by Ps. Justin Ware 

36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Having done an Agricultural Degree, I understand the concept of sowing and reaping.  When you sow a crop, it may not be perfect conditions, it may be too dry, it may be too wet, however if you sow nothing – you reap nothing.

What we do, how we spend our time, how we spend our money, all have far reaching consequences.  If we choose to sow to this world, we will reap nothing of eternal significance, however if we choose to sow to His Kingdom, we lay foundations far greater than what we will ever know.

What if Paul had never gone church planting, what if Peter had never gone to Rome, what if the disciples had not left their businesses and spent time transforming their communities and other places in the world.  What if Charles and John Wesley had not answered the call of God, what if William Wilberforce had not used his position in parliament to end the English slave trade, what if John Newton had not got saved and written Amazing Grace?

I remember the story about the South African potato farmer, Angus Buchan, who dared to believe God rather than his circumstances.  Once a hard drinking farmer, he met Jesus.  His future transformed forever.  He is now still a farmer, BUT also an international evangelist, holds healing rallies in his 500 seat auditorium on his farming land, he has set up AIDS clinics, and travels to share his faith in Jesus.

In 2022, WHAT IF YOU AND I …………?

Prayer:  Lord, this world is so very broken, we look around, we listen to the news, and we see so much wrong.  Lord, we pray that you would use us this year to bring about a revolution for Jesus in our Community.  Lord we know your Kingdom overcomes the world.  Use us we pray.  Amen.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta