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

Matthew 17:22-23

April 19, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.’ And they were greatly distressed.” (Matthew 17:22-23)

Earlier in this chapter (17:9), immediately following his Transfiguration, Jesus mentioned his future resurrection to Peter, James, and John. Later, after descending the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus gave more complete description of his death, including his betrayal, death, and resurrection. This is the second time he told the larger group of disciples; the first was in chapter sixteen.

The disciples’ response is what sticks out to me: “And they were greatly distressed.” (23) I often wonder why they didn’t get it. Why were the disciples surprised to discover that Jesus was resurrected? Why did Thomas refuse to believe until witnessing the wounds? Afterall, they were surely aware of the Hebrew Scriptures, right? They knew Genesis 3:15 told of the collision between the woman’s seed and the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), right? Surely they were aware that Psalm 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10 told of his piercing. They knew Daniel 9:26 described the anointed one, right? What about Isaiah 53? Did they forget that one?

And now, for the second time they are hearing of Jesus coming death AND resurrection (third time for Peter, James, and John). Yet, they don’t get it. My first reaction is often judgmental. If I can get it from this distance of time and geography, why can’t they get it? Then, I remember that I didn’t get it immediately, either.

I am also reminded that faith is not a math formula. So often, I expect that a well-reasoned argument should result in a profession of faith. However, the new birth (Jn 3) is spiritual and requires the work of the Spirit and a surrender of the heart. This is why Jesus emphasized praying for the Lord’s involvement in the harvest (Mt 9:38). So often, I fail to remember that spiritual battles require spiritual armor. I can’t only gear up with a good argument; I need the Holy Spirit’s help.

Father, forgive me for treating the new birth so casually and naturally. Please keep reminding me that the new birth comes from the Spirit above. Please allow me to give a Holy Spirit-anointed testimony to a lost person today. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Jesus Said, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 16:21

April 18, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.‭‭” (Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬-‭22‬)

Peter is an example of how people can miss the big picture. Repeatedly. Here, Peter is understandably alarmed by the news of Jesus’ impending abuse and death. His protective response is understandable. Particularly since this is the first time he has heard about it from the mouth of Jesus.

However, the Old Testament had already spoken of the Messiah’s abuse and death: See, for example, the collision between the Son of woman and the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), his piercing (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10), being cut off (Daniel 9:26), and bearing sins as a suffering servant (Isaiah 53).

This is a reminder that the Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament. To unhitch from the Old Testament as if it has no bearing on or connection to the New Testament is wrong-headed. And this particular story provides an example of the value of the Old Testament. Assuming he would have responded appropriately, had Peter been more aware of what the Old Testament says about the Messiah, he would not have been rebuked here or in the Garden of Gethsemane when he pulled out his sword to protect Jesus from the soldiers.

Let’s do an unrealistic thought experiment. Imagine if Peter had succeeded and Jesus had simply grown old and died of natural causes. Where would we be today? Trapped under the guilt of sin! Jesus had to die because his sin-bearing death was the Father’s plan to redeem the world.

The somber atmosphere on Good Friday is not inappropriate, but is often misdirected. The somber atmosphere should reflect our sorrow over our sin, which is the reason for the cross. We should rejoice at God’s gracious plan of redemption and Jesus’ obedient death on the cross (Philippians 2:8) on our behalf. Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis added) affirms this approach: “… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Similarly, the joy that is set before us is the knowledge that “Sunday’s coming!” and all that means for our future in eternity.

Father, help me not to let good intentions lead me into beliefs or actions that work against your plan. Please help me to see and accept the big picture of your plan. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, God's Word, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, Prophecy, resurrection Tagged With:

Matthew 15:2-3

April 17, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.’ He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?’” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬-‭3‬)

This is an interesting interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees.
The handwashing mentioned here is not about personal hygiene; it is about ritual purity. The tradition of the elders was a set of prescribed practices that had developed over time, which the Pharisees believed to be binding on all Jews.

The topic of this discussion was ritual handwashing, which originated as a priestly requirement in Exodus 30. From there, the elders used a series of logical steps to arrive at the expectation that all good Jews would wash their hands before eating.

The idea of washing hands before eating was not evil. But as part of a package of beliefs developed logically rather than from revelation, that was weaponized against those who didn’t follow all the package’s details, was wrong. (This is not an issue isolated to Jews!)

Because this practice was part of a larger set of rules, Jesus pivoted to one of the more problematic rules to demonstrate the fault in their system. Eventually, Jesus addressed the heart of the matter, which is the heart.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬-‭20‬)

We may be able to follow man-made rules to give the impression that we are holy. But the real test is what comes out of our hearts.

Father, help me to be more aware of my heart affections, and to repent when they are for unrighteousness. Please help me grow in holy desires. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Judaica, Life in Christ, Matthew Tagged With:
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