Daily Digest

Matthew 27:11-26

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

There are so many social dynamics at work in this scenario.  We have the chief priests and elders feeling so threatened by Jesus that they are willing to condemn an innocent man to a gruesome death.

We see the crowd being manipulated by the chief priests and elders to choose to release a murderer, Barabbas, instead of Jesus.

We see a weak leader Pilate who knows that it would be right to release Jesus and yet he bows to the crowd pressure.

And we have Jesus. Silent, dignified and allowing God’s purposes to unfold without rising up to defend Himself.

Before I get too judgemental on the other people in the scene, I need to remember that although the outcomes were not as extreme as we see here, I too have been caught up in these types of sins at one time or another. I have felt threatened enough to bring someone down with gossip and slander.  I have allowed pressure to sway me into doing something I knew wasn’t right. I’ve been part of the crowd.

All of this serves to remind us of how weak and self-centred we humans can be, and how much we need our Saviour Jesus every single day.

Father God, thank you that you are so gracious and loving, and that You accept us as Your children despite our weak and self-centred hearts. I am once again in awe of Your amazing grace.

Written by Shelley Witt

Matthew 26:69-75

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

I can imagine being Peter in this story. I can imagine the turmoil of emotions. Peter had spent three years with Jesus. He had seen Jesus do amazing miracles, but more than that, he had felt Jesus’ love for him. Peter’s life was transformed, from fisherman to disciple; from obscurity to one of the closest companions of the Messiah! I imagine that, despite the hardships and threats, Peter had felt privileged to be one of the people closest to Jesus. I also imagine that Peter had felt strong and committed, and felt that he would be prepared to die with Jesus and never let him down. Yet here he was. He’d given in to his fear and denied even knowing Jesus, let alone standing with him in his suffering and death. I would weep bitterly too.

Then I look at my own life. I am also privileged to be close to Jesus. I have felt his love. I have seen amazing miracles in response to prayer. But when I hear others ridicule him, do I speak up? When people use his name as an expletive do I say anything? Am I prepared to suffer rejection and ridicule myself, let alone physical persecution as Christians in some countries suffer? The answer is yes and no. Sometimes I speak up and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I’m strong and sometimes I, like Peter, give in to fear.

I note that Peter’s denial of Jesus happened before he was filled with the Holy Spirit. After that, he proclaimed Jesus boldly and many thousands became Christians as a result.

Jesus, please fill me afresh with your Spirit today. Help me to always proclaim you fearlessly. Amen

Written by Megan Cornell

Matthew 26:47-56

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

It can be hard to see but Jesus is in control in this situation of his arrest. Through his anguished prayer moments before he has given this situation to The Father, His Father. He faces injustice and betrayal knowing his Father is with him and this is the path he has determined for Jesus.

Jesus is a prisoner. He does not put up a fight. He even tells others not to fight on his behalf.

Jesus is suffering for me. As Isaiah 53 says – “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering.” This was God’s plan. Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer.”

There are situations in life where it doesn’t seem that God is in control. That is when I need to look to Jesus’ example, when I need to walk alongside Him as prisoner. That is the place I will find comfort from Him and be sure that I am in God’s will for me. That is when I rely on him, not myself.

Dear Lord Jesus, the betrayal by your disciple and the injustice of your arrest were no surprise to you. You must have felt so alone. Thank you for showing me how to rely on God in times which feel out of control and wrong. By your Holy Spirit I will walk with you, following your example as a prisoner, trusting our Father. Amen

Written by Claire Moore

Matthew 26:17-30

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Do your family celebrate traditions that go back a long way? My family has been in Australia for at least 7 generations, but we have Irish ancestry. At weddings and funerals, I’m always surprised at how many of the men dress in our family tartan. It’s a beautiful connection to our history and origins.

Here in this passage, we see Jesus and his disciples participating in an old Jewish tradition that their families had all been doing for over 1000 years – the commemoration of Pesach or Passover.

But in this section of scripture, Jesus brings new definition to the elements of the meal. He says that the bread and wine are not just reminders of the physical sustenance that their ancestors received in the desert when they fled Egypt, but the bread and wine were always elements that had been pointing forward to HIM. The wine pointed to His blood shed and the bread towards His body broken.

If your family doesn’t have a heritage in Christ, why not start one? And if you have a long lineage of faith in your family, what practical things can you do to pass that heritage on?

Lord, thank You that You started the tradition of communion so that we can remember you and share the heritage of faith that the disciples began on that day nearly 2000 years ago. May we also pass on our faith to those who follow us.

Written by Ps Justin Ware

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

As I write this, we are soon to give our Thanksgiving Offering (at our Anniversary Service) away to wonderful organisations who help change the lives of others.

I think of previous recipients and the wonderful stories that we have a privilege of being part of.  Vulnerable women finding “forever” homes for themselves which brings safety and security.  Young people given an opportunity to train and help build a future.  Connecting organisations, helping people assimilate into Australian society.  Opportunities of education and assistance that changes the life of people and where they understand and know that they are SEEN. 

This year in our purchase of another adjoining house to our facilities, I reflect on the sacrifice of people investing into our future building needs … keeping their eyes on the generations to come.

I am so very thankful to be part of a Church who thinks and looks outwardly and invests into a future Christian Community that will continue to build on what we have begun … who will still serve those in our community …

God loves His creation.

God loves people.

One day we will all stand before the King.  He will be on a throne … angels with Him … and He will judge everyone of us.

I sense the fear of God in my heart.  It is not what I did yesterday, or years before that will count … but how I respond every day. 

Help me, Lord, to continue to look out for those less fortunate than myself, for those in need.  Help me to love, be generous with all that I have – my time, my money, my possessions, my talents …  Keep my heart soft towards you and others.  Thank you, Lord, that you love us so very much.  I love you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

Matthew 25:1-13

¹ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Throughout the Bible, the marriage relationship is used as a picture of God’s relationship (or desired relationship) with His people. A common theme woven through Scripture is God’s unwavering, pursuit of His people into the relationship of eternal marriage.

In this Parable of the Ten Virgins Jesus places Himself as the bridegroom and urges His disciples to stay alert, because they do not know the day or the hour He will return and take them to the eternal wedding celebration.

We recognise that maintaining any healthy relationship requires intentionality and discipline.  Both in an earthly marriage and in our relationship with God, becoming complacent and distant from your beloved can be lethal to the relationship.

We must continue to stoke the fires of anticipation, expectation, and preparation for that future eternal life that we are promised as Christ’s bride.

I am challenged to live today with an eager sense of anticipation for the return of our Groom on a day yet to come. I am reminded that I am valued by the infinite price our Saviour Jesus was willing to pay for us on the Cross. We are invaluably His, and He is ours.

Help us Lord, to remain steadfast in that place of anticipation and preparation. Our Groom is coming back to take us home!

Written by Shelley Witt

Matthew 24:15-31

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ 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.

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.

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.

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.’

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. 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.

This is the middle of a difficult passage. It’s easy to get caught up in the rumours, false prophets, false Messiahs, chaos and brokenness and be overcome by confusion and fear. But Jesus isn’t the source of any of these things, and his return sweeps all of those things away.

Jesus makes it clear that he won’t be hard to find. (Don’t listen to rumours that he’s somewhere else). He can be found by all who seek him now (Isaiah 55:6). His return will be even more obvious than lightning that flashes across the sky. His return will be so unambiguous that even people who don’t want to see him return will recognise him.

There will be false prophets, even false Messiahs, who will try to deceive us. But there’s no deception from Jesus. The returning Jesus is the same Jesus who was teaching the truth in the temple courts – the Jesus who is the truth (John 14:6). His return restores truth to all creation. He restores humanity’s true purpose in relationship with God.

We shouldn’t look for Jesus in the chaos and brokenness that sin brings to the world. The same Jesus who was healing the blind and the sick is returning to bring complete wholeness to all creation.

We shouldn’t look towards Jesus’ return with fear or confusion but hope and expectation. We shouldn’t view his return as a cause for mourning but for joy at his return.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are returning to complete the reconciliation of all things that you began on the cross. And thank you, too, that you give us a part to play now, bringing your word of reconciliation to the world (2 Corinthians 5:16-20). Today, I want my life and my words to speak your clear truth, your words of hope and expectation, your plea to all people to be reconciled to you.

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Written by David Cornell

Matthew 23:13-39

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!

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.

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.’”

What a sobering passage to read. Here Jesus calls out the religious leaders of the time for the hypocritical ways in which they were living. These leaders were more concerned with the outward appearance of their religious lives and reputations, rather than a true transformation of their hearts. Their actions proved that they were busy trying to follow rules to perfection for the sake of superiority, rather than living in a way that promoted justice, mercy and the love of God. In doing so, they were making it hard for others around them who were seeking to serve God.

Jesus rebukes these leaders, yet He also shows compassion. The word ‘woe’ is used to express sorrow. Jesus is truly saddened that those in charge are not leading others well. We see His desire to bring them close to Himself, that they would cast off these legalistic and unhelpful behaviours and seek to follow Him with all their hearts. It is a true depiction of the duality of the truth and grace of Jesus.

I want to say that I can read this with a clear conscience but sadly I know that I too can get caught up in the outward expression of faith without having a correct heart on the inside. I pray that I would never be so caught up in how I look or what others think that I lose sight of the deep transformation Jesus wants to do inside of me, that I would be someone that cares more about loving others than how I am perceived.

Thank you, Jesus, that you care enough about us to call us to your self, even in the midst of our mess and mistakes. Help us to become more like you, that we would seek to be motivated by love, justice and mercy each day. Amen.

Written by Madelaine Tarasenko

Matthew 22:41-46

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁴ “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.” ’

⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

In this interaction, Jesus challenges the Pharisees understanding of who the Messiah is. In their interaction, Jesus suggests that the Messiah is fully God and fully man, which leaves the Pharisees speechless and perhaps uncomfortable with this notion.

Each one of us at some time will hold beliefs that God will challenge and shift. Let’s be open to allowing God to shape us, to let him be the potter who shapes and moulds the clay.

Thank you, God that you are the way, the truth and the life. When we are confronted and challenged by your Word, please help us to trust you and to be open to the work of your hand to mould us. Thank you that you shape us into the likeness of your son Jesus, that you help us to pursue righteousness. Amen.

Written by Ps. Andrea Molteno

Matthew 22:23-33

²³ That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. ²⁴ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. ²⁷ Finally, the woman died. ²⁸ Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹ But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

It’s interesting isn’t it – that these people decided to ask Jesus a tricky question to see if they could catch him out. What a strange idea to come up with – that there would be a family of 7 brothers who all married the same woman, one after another because the men died early. They wanted to prove their way of thinking was right and so they set a scenario that was unwinnable – one that Jesus couldn’t answer – or so they thought. Instead, Jesus had an answer. He made clear the scenario they were asking about didn’t matter – that God had plans that covered all situations. He also made clear that their fundamental belief in a lack of a living God was incorrect. He dealt with their trickiness so clearly that the people listening were amazed.

It is easy for us to fall into the same situation as these leaders. We want God to fit into the picture we have developed rather than seeing God for who He is – the richness of the picture that is painted through the Bible. We want what we think to be right, we don’t want to have to change in response to us growing in our understanding of God. So we can tie ourselves in knots as we talk with God trying to get Him to fit our picture. We need to be willing to learn and grow in our picture of God, to be willing to hear how we might have a picture that is not quite correct and to be focused on seeing God for who He is – the creator of all – and that this picture grows in richness as we grow in our relationship with Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for the picture of how well Jesus knew you. He could respond easily to queries about you – even strange ones. The picture painted here of a relationship between the father and the son that is strong, clear, well understood, filled with love and understanding is wonderful. Help each of us to work to build such a relationship with you. Help us to be willing to learn and grow every day. Amen

Written by Therese Manning

Matthew 22:1-14

¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

In order to describe the coming Kingdom of God, Jesus paints a vivid picture of a royal wedding. I imagine something similar to the extravagance of the British Royal Weddings of the past decade or so.

In this story, however, the guest list is uninterested in attending! Some are even violently opposed to celebrating. Then the king in the story invites commoners to come to the wedding instead. Not surprisingly, many people show up.

What is Jesus trying to teach me?

I believe he is saying that there are many who reject the invitation to join in God’s Kingdom. In fact, there are some that are opposed to it. But God is not dissuaded and invites people of all backgrounds to join in His Kingdom.

But the story doesn’t end there. Sure enough, some poor bloke turns up to the wedding banquet in the equivalent of stubbies, a singlet and thongs… he is a little underdressed. So the King ties him up and boots him out into the darkness…. Rough!

What is Jesus teaching me with this final part of the story?

I imagine the wedding attire would have been costly to purchase. Buying a suit or dress for the wedding would have been a serious investment. God’s Kingdom is not an ‘eat and run’ situation. I can’t rock up and tell God that I have a few other priorities to attend to as well. I need to go all in, invest in following Jesus, and turn my back on all the other options.

“Lord, it is easy to get absorbed with the parties and priorities of this world. Lord, you call me to be dedicated to your priorities. You have invited me to an everlasting party. Where I am not invested in your Kingdom, rearrange my priorities so that I am worthy of your party!”

Written by Andrew Mellor

Matthew 21:23-32

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

What a double whammy for the chief priests and elders! They are highly respected people in their community. They expect to get answers when they ask questions, especially of someone teaching in the temple courts! Yet Jesus recognises the falseness of their question and their answer. This discourse shows that the leaders were not genuinely enquiring, but were trying to trap Jesus and find a way to oust him (or worse). Jesus catches them in their own game and refuses to answer unless they give an honest answer to his question too. His apparent lack of respect towards them would have angered and humiliated them.

But Jesus doesn’t stop there! He uses a parable to demonstrate that listening to him, understanding that we are all sinners, and repenting get us into the kingdom of God, not our position in society. In fact, those of a higher status, like the chief priests, find it more difficult to humble themselves and believe. When he tells them that tax collectors and prostitutes – the lowest in society – would be more likely to enter the kingdom of heaven than they were, their humiliation is complete.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Who I am, how important my job is, how nice my home is, what my cultural background is, how much respect I have garnered from society – none of these things matter. All that matters is accepting that I am a sinner and falling on Jesus’ righteousness and mercy for my salvation. That fact not only opens the door for everyone to come to Jesus, but it also creates a wonderful equality in the family of God.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for making a way for all of us to enter the kingdom of God. I pray for the body of Christ worldwide to understand and celebrate that there is no hierarchy among us. Help us to reach out to everyone with your truth. Amen

Written by Megan Cornell

Matthew 21:12-17

¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“ ‘From the lips of children and infants

you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

¹⁷ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

God has spoken to me about Jesus’ authority through this passage.

This is an account of Jesus’ activities after he had entered Jerusalem – think Palm Sunday. He is hailed as a king by the crowds. Interestingly his priority is to go to the temple as opposed to making speeches and stirring up a rebellion. His actions and words in the temple that day declared him as king – he fulfilled prophesies, and he showed his authority.

He uses this authority to restore God’s house and to restore people – physically and spiritually. Restoration is what God is all about. That is why he sent Jesus to redeem and save us.

Jesus is still in a place of authority – at the right hand of God. His victory over death and sin has assured that.

What does it mean that Jesus has authority over my life? What does that look like? I have been confronted to assess my life in the light of these questions. Jesus’ authority as my Lord and Saviour, God, has to impact everything such as my finances, priorities, attitudes. It demands sacrifice. It probably even demands accepting the authorities God has put over me (at work and in society) even if I am critical of them.

It means a life submitting to the one who created and rescued me. A life of worship of a wonderful, mighty Lord who reigns over all. There is no doubt he is worthy.

Dear Lord. How I wish I was in the temple that day to see you set everything straight, to show your majesty and reveal yourself as the Messiah. Thank you so much you have revealed yourself to me and changed my life. You are the only one worthy of my praise and devotion. Amen.

Written by Claire Moore