Matthew 22:15, 17-22

April 24, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words … ‘Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.”‭‭ (Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭15‬, ‭17‬-‭22‬)

This true story from the Bible is instructive for us today. First, we see that the motive of the question was to entangle Jesus in his words. The question is a trap question. At least they thought it was.

Second, we should see that Jesus was aware of what they were doing. Not only was he able to satisfy their question, but he also caused them to marvel.

Third, we should pay attention to Jesus’ words and not just the effect of them. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus pointed out two domains, Caesar’s and God’s. Both touched the lives of the Pharisees, though they would have said their devotion was solely to God’s kingdom. The use of the coin to make his point was brilliant. The Pharisees couldn’t dodge it because they used those coins in daily life.

Like the Pharisees, our daily lives intersect the same two domains. The question I face is, which domain do I give more of myself to? Which has the greater effect on me? I belong to God. But do I render myself more to Caesar or to God? I’m afraid that I may live as though I belong to Caesar.

Father, help me evaluate my heart and my allegiances, so that I appropriately render to you what is yours. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament

Matthew 21:4-5

April 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”’” (Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬-‭5‬)

These two verses are Matthew’s effort to explain Jesus’ entering Jerusalem on a donkey to the reader. I think Matthew is doing more than giving us a parenthetical explanation, though.

He is making a theological point by referencing Zechariah 9:9, which was regarded as a messianic prophecy. Jesus intentionally rode into the city on a donkey at Passover to signal at least two things.

First, the animal represented humility and nobility. Humility is likely easy to see. However, the nobility may be more challenging to recognize. It seems to me that Jesus is making a natural connection to Solomon, the son of David, riding a donkey immediately following his inauguration as king in 1 Kings 1:33-38. Jesus was signaling his connection to David (2 Samuel 7).

Second, Passover was an annual feast that commemorated God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. On this Passover, God was providing a much more significant deliverance for all who would receive it. That deliverance is still on offer: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬)

Father, please help me to see these types of connections in your word. Please use them to help me see your glory. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Matthew, New Testament, Prophecy

Matthew 20:25-28

April 22, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭25‬-‭28‬)

This lesson is as unpleasant for a modern reader as any lesson that Jesus taught.

Here is the setup: The mother of James and John had asked Jesus to seat her boys at his his left and right sides in his kingdom. In other words, she wanted her sons in seats of authority. The other disciples were angry when they heard about the request.

Here is Jesus’ response: Jesus said his kingdom is different than worldly kingdoms that seat people in positions of power to rule over people. In that type of kingdom, power is status. The higher one sits the greater he is.

In contrast, in Jesus’ kingdom the way to the top is lowliness. Those who are “great” in the kingdom are humble servants.

Here is the model: Jesus, the creator of the world (Jn 1:3, Heb 1:2), humbly took on human flesh, and entered into his creation “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (20:28)

Here is the challenge: Can I resist my own pride and the value system of my culture, which feeds my pride, to be a servant to others? If I want to be great in Christ’s kingdom, I must.

Father, help me grow in humility. Help me to delight in serving others. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, humility, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament

Matthew 19:13-15

April 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.” (Mt 19:13-15)

I’m not certain what the disciples were thinking here. I suspect they were trying to protect Jesus’ time and energy. That may sound strange to people who have never been involved in public ministry. Working with people can be draining in so many ways, and it is tempting to find ways to avoid people.

That may sound counterintuitive, but I am aware of a megastar pastor who intentionally designed his new church building to provide a protected entrance to the pulpit, so that he didn’t “have to be around those people.“ I have seen staff pastors fill their hands with documents so they can pretend to read in order to avoid people as they move through a crowd on Sunday morning. These pastors have lost sight of their claimed call to gospel ministry. Gospel ministry involves people. That’s true for pastors and lay people alike.

Jesus’ response to the disciples was instructive for all of us. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.” While his specific point of not excluding children is not lost on me, I think this was Jesus’ message about people, in general. We should not hinder people, any people, from coming to Jesus. I am reminded of the story of the blind men at Jericho who the crowds tried to silence as they cried out to Jesus for help (Mt 20). Jesus’ response in that situation was to call those blind men to himself.

This gives me much to consider in how I selectively encourage or discourage various people related to coming to Jesus. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Mark 14:10 says Jesus was indignant about the disciples trying to prevent children from coming to him.

Father, please help me not to be selective in who I encourage or allow to come to Jesus. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, heart matters, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament

Matthew 18:1-3

April 20, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18‬:‭1‬-‭3‬)

The disciples seemed to regularly struggle over the title of “Greatest in the Kingdom.” In other words, they struggled with pride. This can be hard to process because many of us have a distorted view of the disciples as already sanctified and wearing their saintly crowns. After all, they were sitting at Jesus’ feet. They had dropped everything to follow him. They were doing it!

All of that is true. But they were normal people like us. They didn’t immediately “get it.” They had to process Jesus’ teaching about pride (and everything else!), and grow in their understanding and sanctification. This story about their pride shows they didn’t immediately get it. And it reminds me that too frequently I don’t get it, either!

It is so easy to allow pride to eat us alive. And this lesson for the disciples lands on me … heavily.

Pride is an interesting sin because it can present itself in very different ways. The loud, boisterous braggart or a shy, timid person can both be infected with pride. One just seems more obvious than the other. The organizational leader who somehow makes every employee recognition celebration about himself is filled with pride. The world-class pianist who quietly assures onlookers that he can hardly play the piano may surely be letting his pride show through false humility.

Jesus’ antidote to the sin of pride is almost funny. One of the last things a proud adult would choose to be is a child. Yet, Jesus said that the disciples would miss the kingdom of heaven if they didn’t “turn and become like children.” Jesus didn’t mean to be childish; he meant to be humble and dependent on God in the sense of Psalm 20:17 – “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

So much more could be said about pride, but absorbing the above is probably plenty for today.

Father, please help me recognize and then eradicate the pride that is buried deep in my heart. Help me to be humble and recognize my dependence on you. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, humility, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament, pride
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