Category: Gospel of Matthew
-
The Presence of God and the Value of Sparrows: Why We Don’t Need to Be Afraid
From Rachel: I apologize for the lack of a new blog post last week. Health reasons prevented me from writing, but I’m glad to be back this week! Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body…
-
Hidden Things: Apocalyptic Living and the Revelatory Kingdom of God
Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper [lit: in the ear], proclaim on the housetops. (Matthew 10:26-27) As a teacher, there are…
-
It Is Enough: Why Being Like Jesus Is All We Need
When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a…
-
Changing Loyalties and the New Family of God
Note from Rachel: I’m back! My 3-month blog sabbatical stretched into 3 ½ due mostly to travel, but I’m glad to be home and writing again. Without further ado … Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.…
-
You Can Make Me Clean: How Jesus Reverses the Curse
From Rachel: I am kicking off 2019 with three months of rest and seeking God, so I am reposting favorites from the blog. I’ll be back with new posts in mid-April. Enjoy! When He came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. Right away a man with a serious skin disease came up and…
-
“Your Father Knows”: Why It Matters Who You Pray To
From Rachel: I am kicking off 2019 with three months of rest and seeking God, so I am reposting favorites from the blog. I’ll be back with new posts in mid-April. Enjoy! When you pray, don’t babble like the idolators, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your…
-
The Will of God and the War for Life: How Praying “Your Will Be Done” Is an Act of Warfare
“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) The second half of Matthew 6:10 parallels or fleshes out the first half. First we ask for the kingdom of God to come, then we pray more deeply into what that means. On the surface this is a pretty simple request. Yet,…
-
“Pray Like This”: How to Pray the Pattern in the Lord’s Prayer
Therefore, you should pray like this . . . (Matthew 6:9) In last week’s post we talked about “vain repetition” or empty babbling: praying like the prophets of Baal, in a desperate show of works meant to get the attention of an indifferent God. Jesus is clearly against that kind of praying. What sometimes gets…
-
The Way of Reconciliation: How Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
Jesus is relentless in his examination of anger: its roots, its ugliness, the damage it does, and the guilt we incur because of it. Along the way he continually underlines the fact of judgment. We might be tempted to see “the judgment of God” as something arbitrary or cruel, but the truth is that because…
-
God Is Not a Legalist (And Righteousness Isn’t What You Thought It Was) – Part 2
From Rachel: I am kicking off 2019 with three months of rest and seeking God … so I am reposting favorites from the blog. Enjoy! Righteousness is not what you think it is. When it comes to righteousness, most of us think like Pharisees. We see it as a position we must earn or else…