Matthew 10:14-15

April 12, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” (Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭15‬)

Here, Jesus is sending his disciples out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (6), proclaiming “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (7). Today’s verses are a) Jesus’ instructions for how to symbolically reject anyone who is not receptive to the disciples or their message, and b) the judgment that awaits those who reject the disciples and their message.

First, the disciples are to shake the dust from their feet as they leave the rejecting home. Luke (9:5) adds that this is a testimony against them. Paul and Barnabas repeated this practice in Pisidian Antioch (13:51). It seems this practice is a means of visibly saying, “I have done what I can. I bear no responsibility for you.”

Second, the judgment that awaits those who reject is ominous. Jesus clearly indicates that a) there will be a day of judgment, and b) that real judgment will be applied to those who reject the disciples’ message.

Unfortunately, there is a growing effort, even among evangelicals, in our day to minimize or reduce the severity of this judgment. Jesus’ warning is not hyperbolic or exaggerated. Even though Mark and Luke do not include the warning of Sodom and Gomorrah in their retelling of Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples, Peter references the destruction of the twin cities in his epistle: “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;” (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬). So did Jude: “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” (‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬)

Today’s verses should give me pause. I need to reconsider how I think about the lost. Do I share the concern of Jesus, Peter, and Jude? Or, do I dismiss the judgment to come as hyperbole or as “their problem, not mine”?

Father, help me to share Jesus’ heart for the lost. Help me to be more burdened for those who are walking (even running!) toward judgment. Please forgive me for my apathy. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Gospels, heart matters, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 9:36-38

April 11, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭36‬-‭38‬)

Here, we see the heart of Jesus followed by his worldview. First, his heart: “He had compassion for them.” Notice that Jesus didn’t notice that the people were “like sheep without a shepherd,” then walked away saying, “Those poor people, I pity them.” Never in Scripture do we see the phrase “Jesus/He had compassion on them” followed by indifference. As is demonstrated here, Jesus always engaged with the situation.

In this case, Jesus relies on his worldview to engage the people. His worldview is that his father (Lord of the harvest) is involved in the earth. These people, for whom he had compassion, were like sheep without a shepherd. They wandered without guidance. Jesus said we ought to pray for God’s involvement, asking him to send shepherds for these people.

Jesus used an agricultural analogy to describe the crowds of people flocking to him as he proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom (9:35). He likened these people to fields ready to be harvested. They needed laborers who would come “harvest” them.

In such situations, we tend to think of sending someone (an individual) to meet the need. Thus, churches may get excited about a missionary going to X country. But Jesus’ desire was for God to start a movement by sending a multitude of laborers into the fields where the harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few. And such a movement requires the Father’s involvement. In tandem with lifting a finger toward the harvest myself, have I cried to the Father to send laborers into the fields?

Father, forgive me for not having compassion on the multitudes who are like sheep without a shepherd. Forgive me for being satisfied that a laborer here, or there, is going into the field as if the need is small. Forgive me for not begging you to send laborers, as if we can get this done without you. Please send laborers into the fields. And, help me, at the same time, to do my part in the harvest. Amen.

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

Matthew 6:1

April 8, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬)

The key words here are “in order to.” These words address motive. In this case, the motive is to be seen by men. Those who practice righteousness before men, in order to” be recognized by those people will not be rewarded by the Father. Wow!

This is not a warning to forgo righteousness before people. It is a warning about motives. I don’t know if the challenge is greater today than it was then. But in our age of social media and instant gratification, this is a tough challenge.

The desire to be recognized for our good deeds and clean living is strong. One YouTube genre I really enjoy features people surprising someone who’s fallen on hard times with a kind and generous gesture. While those videos often cause me to tear up, I’m conflicted because the person is filming themselves performing the kindness, then uploading the video for people to see.

If asked, I’m sure the person would say they post the video to encourage others to follow their example of kindness, not to get the applause of men. I know that I want my kids to see my faith in action as a way of passing it on to them. But do I want them to see how faith works in the real world more than I want them to think I’m a good Christian? At times, I’m afraid I want their recognition more than anything. That’s tough to discern.

Ultimately, we should express our faith before men, not for their applause but for the approval of our Father in heaven.

Father, please help me to shape my heart so that when I live a godly life in front of others, I do that for your glory, not mine. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, heart matters, Hope this Helps, humility, Jesus Said, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 5:10-11

April 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬)

This is another Bible passage that doesn’t feel right. Who wants to be persecuted? Who wants to be reviled and have all kinds of evil uttered against them? Who would sign up for those things?

Yet, Jesus said those who experience those things because of their faithfulness to him are blessed. Interestingly, the Chicago Bulls recently released a recently acquired first-round draft pick because he was critical of the NBA’s promotion of Pride Month. Jaden Ivey’s complaint? He says the league is promoting unrighteousness. And he is correct!

Since his release, he has remained firm that all the fame and money are nothing compared to Christ. As one might imagine, the pressure against him has grown. Yet, he remains steadfast in his position. He is a contemporary example of what Jesus is talking about.

Father, please help me to be so satisfied with you that the affirmation of this world is meaningless in comparison. Amen.

Filed Under: courage, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Faith, fear, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 4:1

April 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬)

This verse stands out to me because it seems so counterintuitive. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted? My natural thought would be that the Spirit would shield Jesus (and me, by extension) from the devil’s temptations. But a broader reading of the Bible reveals that God doesn’t completely shield us from the brokenness of the world. While He may, at times, shield us from the extremes of brokenness (though that wasn’t Job’s experience!), He doesn’t promise to completely eliminate our experience of the brokenness of this world. In fact, a thorough reading of Scripture should tell us that we will experience pain and temptation. But with a major caveat: The Lord will be with us during those times. Here’s what Paul told the Corinthians about this matter:

“Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬-‭13‬)

God will not allow believers to be tempted beyond our capacity to resist. My primary problem in this regard is a lack of desire to resist. Temptation hits at points of weakness. It strikes at our fleshly desires. The issue isn’t God’s protection; it is my desire. Do I want to feed the fleshly desire more than I want to be in fellowship with the Spirit to resist the temptations?

Father, help me to grow in my desire to fellowship with the Spirit rather than feed the desires of the flesh. Amen.

Filed Under: 1 Corinthians, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:
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