Today’s reading: Matthew 22:34-46, 23:1-12

“The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” - Matthew‬ ‭23:11-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Matthew seems to spend so much time focusing on greatness. From slaves to children, He challenges us on how we view ourselves and each other.

If we view ourselves as having more value than someone else, we will always hesitate to serve them. I mean, isn’t the goal of this life to become so successful that you can have other people do the hard work for you?

Jesus would say no. He not only said this with His mouth, but He also said it with His life.

Jesus was never above stooping down low. Aren’t you glad this was the case? He touched the unclean. He washed feet. He spoke with discarded women. He chose those no one else wanted to choose.

Paul said it well when he wrote:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” - 2 Corinthians 8:9

May we choose humility today!

Today’s reading: Matthew 22:1-33

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew‬ ‭22:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

One of the things that our parents teach us from the beginning of our lives is to know how to dress appropriately for every occasion. Is it 18 degrees outside (like today)? You are not to wear shorts (though I see students every day disobeying this rule).

So, how about at the end of time? What kind of clothes will be appropriate to wear then? We may feel sorry for this guy who is singled out because of his attire that didn’t fit the occasion. Yet, he didn’t prepare himself the right way. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way in this life.

Jesus said, in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.”

We also what Paul said in Galatians 3:26-27: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Go ahead and prepare yourself for the end of time by going all-in with your trust in Jesus. You won’t regret it.

We actually had a student in our ministry at IUPUI who showed up to our 8 am Life Group one time in a stunning outfit. Dress, shoes, hair, the whole bit. The rest of us were barely awake and chilling in sweats. We, of course, asked her, “What are you all dressed up for?” She responded, “Dress well, test well.” She prepared for each test by dressing to the max.

We would do well to take her advice when it comes to clothing ourselves with Jesus. May we dress well so that we test well when this life is all said and done.

Today's reading: Matthew 21:23-46

'Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.' - Matthew 21:31

What a bold statement for Jesus to make about these Jewish "experts." How dare Jesus declare that the "sinners" would be welcomed into His kingdom before them.

They had done all of the studying. They had memorized all 39 books of the Old Testament. Their entire lives were wrapped up in this system they had created. In Jesus, they saw a threat to unravel all they had accomplished. Little did they know that by killing Him, they would be initiating something that would spread much further and deeper into Jewish culture (and the entire world).

What had the tax collectors and prostitutes done differently? They didn't possess more knowledge. They purely believed (see vs. 32).

Beware of learning for the sake of bolstering your pride. May we learn to increase our trust in the name of Jesus.

Feel like you don't know enough? Jesus has you right where He wants you. May we "press on to know Him" (Hosea 6:3) for the rest of our lives.

Today's reading: Matthew 20:29-34, 21:1-22

'And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”' - Matthew 21:21-22 ESV

How is your prayer life? What are you currently asking God to do that is beyond your ability to accomplish?

Maybe we read through a Scripture like this one, and we think, "That isn't how prayer works in my life." Perhaps we pray, and then we don't see the answers we had wanted or expected from God. This disappointment can be super demotivating for future prayers.

Two things to note from our reading for today:

1. The two blind men didn't stop with their request for Jesus' mercy. The word "cried" is a word given in present tense continuous action. They had asked more than twice, despite the crowd rebuking them.

2. Jesus ends by saying, "...if you have faith." Trust is required. We have to go all in and believe that God is capable of moving mountains and fig trees.

"God, help us to pray with more consistency and trust, starting today! In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

Today’s reading: Matthew 20:1-28

‘“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” So the last will be first, and the first last.’ - Matthew‬ ‭20:15-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Most of us in the United States were conditioned as we grew up to be competitive. This isn’t just when it comes to sports. It is literally everywhere. Grades, appearances, promotions, relationships, and even churches are areas where we see competitiveness play out. Unwilling to compete? You will get stepped on or looked over.

Then Jesus tells the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard and blows our competitive capitalism to pieces.

The bottom line of the parable is that grace is never earned; it is always given.

We also see that we serve a God who is always looking for ways to be generous. Jesus will later say, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

We are all invited. It doesn’t matter when we turn to Jesus. It is only matters that we do turn.

Do you feel like you’re on the outside of Christianity because you’ve waited so long? It isn’t too late to turn to our generous Savior for salvation.

Today's reading: Matthew 19:13-30

'Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.' - Matthew 19:21-22 ESV

This man who came to Jesus had it all. He was wealthy. He was young, with his entire life ahead of him. Even better than that, he was an avid rule follower when it came to the Law of Moses. Jesus grills him with part of the 10 Commandments that deals with how we treat others, and he checked out just fine.

Yet, he apparently feels like something is missing. Have you ever felt like this? You've done what you can to live a pretty moral life. You treat others with fairness and compassion. Even so, there is still a feeling of incompletion inside. For many of us, it could be a form of idolatry that we've been ignoring.

For this man, it was his wealth. He apparently was trusting in it more than in God.

Is there anything in our lives currently that we'd be unwilling to give up for the sake of following Jesus?

"Father, we want to be completely aware of growth-areas in our lives. Would you reveal those to us today? In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

Today’s reading: Matthew 18:21-35, 19:1-12

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” - ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:21-22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is a toxic saying that has been going around for some time. It goes like this: “People never change.” These words communicate that people aren’t worth forgiving.

Let’s ask ourselves this question today: “Have you changed as a result of Jesus coming into your life?”

Our ability to forgive others is found somewhere in these questions. Jesus believes that people deserve to be given a second, third, fourth... yes, a lot of chances.

Why would He do that? The heart of God is not that anyone should perish, but that ALL come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God’s forgiveness, and our forgiveness, is a statement that people deserve another shot.

Now, our limitless forgiveness is not to negate the need for limited boundaries with people (that is also a form of love). It does mean that no one wins when we hang on to bitterness and hate.

Who do you need to forgive today? We may need to drop to our knees right now and declare that to Jesus, saying that we forgive whom ever that might be.

Today’s reading: Matthew 18:1-20

“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 ‭18:3-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What is it about children that Jesus is envisioning here? As we consider what He may mean, we may note that little kids are naturally...

• Trusting

• Imaginative

• Unpretentious

• Inquisitive

• Sensitive

• Full of wonder

The list may go on from here. Jesus especially points out the humility that children possess.

While the disciples were jockeying for the top Jesus-follower spot, He was trying to show them that Christianity would never be a hierarchy system of value. All of us carry an incredible amount of importance when it comes to Jesus’ Church.

May we stop trying to get to the top or get more of the spotlight. Instead, let us seek to serve and find ways to live a humble lifestyle.

God is going to give us all the honor we can handle someday in heaven. Our genuine, lasting reward won’t be found here anyway.

Today's reading: Matthew 17:10-27

'Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."' - Matthew 17:26-27

There were so many reasons why Jesus could have shirked off this Temple tax. First, there were some Jewish groups who refused to pay it. Second, they usually took in more than they needed. So much so that they built a golden vine with the excess one year. Third, the Temple is about to be destroyed in 70 AD.

So, since Jesus had excellent grounds for not paying it, why does He go ahead and pay the tax from the fish's mouth? Couldn't that shekel have been used more wisely?

Can you go ahead and try to stiff the IRS this year?

I love what Craig Keener says about these verses:

1. Jesus cares about his disciples’ social obligations (17:24–26).

2. Disciples need to be ready to surrender their privileges and “rights” for the sake of the gospel (17:25–26).

3. Jesus supplies needs like these as well as other needs (17:27).

Believe it or not, Jesus cares about your tax-life. He actually cares about your entire life. He cares so much that He died on the cross to restore us to who we were really meant to be.

May we walk in this freedom today! 

Today's reading: Matthew 16:13-28, 17:1-9

'And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”' - Matthew 16:22-23

Leave it to someone like Peter to recognize the ultimate identity of Jesus (verse 16), and then just a few verses down, he resists the way that Jesus had planned to carry it out.

This goes to show us that the disciples still didn't have a clue as to how Jesus was going to carry out His Messianic plan. There were still hopes of Him taking this show to Rome for a literal setup of the Kingdom and rule. To ultimately give freedom to Israel once again. Like a Gideon or a Deborah or even a Samson, but way better (more permanent).

Yet Jesus asserts that He plans to die and rise.

Peter seems to be stuck on the "die" part of the plan.

Though I can be pretty hard on Peter here, I can find the same kind of mentality in my own life.

I definitely recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Yet do I resist when it comes to the paths that He asks me to walk, thinking that I know better than He does? In a way, do I try to "rebuke" the God of all creation because things aren't turning out how I had hoped they would?

May we both receive Jesus as both Christ (Messiah) and Lord (ruler of our lives and the entire world).