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 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:

Matthew 14:5, 10

April 16, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And though he wanted to put [John the Baptist] to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.” (Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭5‬)

“He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬)

Herod the Tetrarch (aka Antipas), the son of Herod the Great, is known for two things in the New Testament. In reverse occurrence, he was the Herod involved in the trial of Jesus and the execution of John the Baptist.

Herod Antipas was angry with John because John had criticized him for taking and marrying his own half-brother’s wife. Herod was stung by the criticism. John’s courage and conviction were amazing. He lived in a place and time where publicly proclaiming one’s biblical convictions had real-world consequences. John stood on business, and it cost him his life. However, his eternal reward was what is sometimes referred to as a martyr’s crown. Biblically, this is called the crown of life.

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬)

In the New Testament, there are two Greek words for crown, and they indicate very different crowns. First is diadem, the crown of royalty. The second word is stephanos, which refers to the victor’s crown. Think of the wreath placed on the head of the winner of an early Olympic competition. There was a distinction between the stephanos of the Olympic champion and the stephanos received by God’s faithful servants. Paul addresses this distinction in his first letter to Corinth, home of the biannual Isthmian games (a mini Olympics):

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable stephanos, but we animperishable stephanos.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭25‬, emphasis added)

The costly faithfulness of John the Baptist and the admonition of Paul encourage me to press on for Christ today, walking faithfully in the power of the Spirit, exercising self-control and wisdom.

Father, help me not fade away today from fear of losing social credit for being a recognizable Christian. Instead, please help me faithfully represent you today in the hope of glorifying you and being awarded an imperishable stephanos. Amen.

Filed Under: Biblical Backgrounds, Culture, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, hope, Matthew Tagged With:

Matthew 11:21

April 13, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭21-22‬)

This verse is rich. I see a few things here. First, Jesus is addressing Chorazin and Bethsaida, two points of the “evangelical triangle.” (The third point is Capernaum, which is addressed in the next verse.) These cities are labeled such because the bulk of Jesus’ and the disciples’ work was done among them. Jesus’ Galilean HQ was Capernaum. Bethsaida was the hometown of Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. That Chorazine and Bethsaida are being called out like this indicates a significant lack of response. In other words, not everyone will believe. And in certain cases, a lot of Gospel presence still does not change the hardness of heart.

Second, we can see a principle mentioned in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” I see this in the comparison of the judgment for Chorazine and Bethsaida versus Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon were known for their pride (Ezekiel 28), Ba’al worship, and minimal gospel presence. Yet, Jesus says they would have repented had they had the gospel presence that Chorazin and Bethsaida had. While all sinners stand guilty before a holy God, it appears there will be varying levels or degrees of punishment.

Father, forgive me for so much indifference to what you have blessed me with. You have given me free access to your word and good Bible teachers. Yet, at times – far too often! – I have an indifferent spirit about walking in the Spirit or helping others know Christ. Please revive my heart. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, good enough, Gospels, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:
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