Day 33: 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 there an impending winter storm with bone-chilling temperatures? 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 know 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, “Why are you all dressed up?” 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.

"The closing proverbial saying, (For many are invited, but few are chosen) succinctly sums up why this man has been ejected. He is of the class of those who have been invited, but not chosen. In other words, he responded favorably to the gracious invitation, but refused to fully embrace the norms of the kingdom, as indicated by his lack of proper attire. On the other hand, those who are chosen (ἐκλεκτοί, eklektoi) are those who take seriously their calling and freely adhere to the demands of discipleship." - Chouinard, L. (1997). Matthew (Mt 22:14)

Day 32: 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 always 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.

"We must remark that the Lord has no censure for those who sometime were disobedient, but afterwards repented; his rebuke falls on the professors and self-righteous, who ought to have been leaders and guides, and were in truth impious and irreligious. - Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Matthew (Vol. 2, p. 323)

Day 31: 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 our future attempts to pray.

Two things to take note of from our reading for today:

1) The two blind men didn't stop with their request for Jesus' mercy. The Greek used for “cried out” (krazo) 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."

"Matthew thus provides about as dramatic an illustration as one could conceive of God enabling us to do that which seems humanly impossible. This should inspire confidence in his ability to empower us for lesser feats as well." - Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 318)

Day 30: 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 are conditioned as we grow 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.” (John 12:32)

We are all invited. It doesn’t matter when we turn to Jesus. It 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 toward our generous Savior for salvation.

"Salvation is ultimately grounded in the sheer goodness of God and cannot be calculated in legal terms. Since all kingdom rewards depend on God’s grace there should be no place for self-promotion or jealousy over how God treats the undeserving." - Chouinard, L. (1997). Matthew (Mt 20:16)

Day 29: 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 and influential. 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 the section 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 incompleteness 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 clearly trusted in money more than in God. Rich, young, and ruling; still, he knew he was lacking.

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

Writing about these verses, H.D.M. Spence-Jones gives us an excellent picture of what Jesus was asking of this Rich Young Ruler: "Thou shalt obtain that which thou desirest, eternal life. Not that stripping one’s self of goods and giving to the poor does necessarily ensure the great reward, but, in this youth’s case, such a sacrifice, such a victory over the besetting sin, would be the turning-point in his character, and enable him to conquer all lesser temptations, and win the prize of his high calling." - Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Matthew (Vol. 2, p. 249)

"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."

Day 28: 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 kinds of questions. Jesus believes that people deserve to be given a second, third, fourth... yes, a lot of chances.

Why would He say something like 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 own) is a statement that people should be given another shot.

Now, our limitless forgiveness is not to negate the need for protective boundaries with people (this is also a form of love). But it does teach us 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 say something like this to God: “Father, you know what this person has done to me, but in light of your forgiveness to me, I am right now forgiving them. I refuse to drink the poisonous brew with which they’ve hurt me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”

R.T. France gives us an even greater picture of what Jesus was alluding to with his answer to Peter's question: "The Rabbis discussed the question and recommended not more than three times. Peter’s seven times is therefore generous, but Jesus’ reply does away with all limits and calculations. His allusion to Genesis 4:24 neatly contrasts Lamech’s unlimited vindictiveness with the unlimited forgiveness of the disciple. The Hebrew of Genesis 4:24 clearly means seventy-seven times (as RSV mg.), and this is also the most natural rendering of the Greek (Gundry, UOT, p. 140); but to be concerned as to whether the figure is 77 or 490 is to return to the pedantic calculation which Jesus rejects!" - France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 280)

Day 27: 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’s 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. The following quote makes us think long and hard about how we should model Jesus: "True disciples are 'little ones' (10:42; 18:10, 14) 'who believe in Jesus' (18:6), out to make Christ alone great. In contrast to false religious leaders (7:22), children who come 'in his name' truly represent him (cf. 18:20; 19:29), and other disciples must 'receive' such little ones (10:40). That is, Jesus is modeled best among the most powerless, not among the powerful." - Keener, C. S. (2009). The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (pp. 448–449)

Day 26: 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 this Temple tax. Here are three (and a bonus fourth):

First, there were some Jewish groups who already refused to pay it.

Second, they usually took in more than they needed for operations. So much so that one year they built a golden vine with the excess.

Third, the Temple is about to be destroyed in 70 AD (Jesus will prophesy later about this in Matthew 24).

A fourth reason could have been that the men who were running the Temple were the very ones who would later orchestrate Jesus' crucifixion.

So, since Jesus had legitimate grounds for not paying it, why did 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 writes about these verses: “Jesus cares about his disciples’ social obligations (17:24–26). Disciples need to be ready to surrender their privileges and 'rights' for the sake of the gospel (17:25–26). 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 trust Him to provide for all that we need. For taxes, generosity, groceries, and more.

Day 25: 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 true identity of Jesus (verse 16), and then just a few verses down, resist the way that He had planned to carry it out.

“If his confession in v. 16 was inspired by God, his subsequent words reveal an interpretation of that confession in terms of natural human considerations.” - France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 263)

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 militaristic 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 receive Jesus as both Christ (the Messiah that was to come) and Lord (ruler of our lives and the entire world).

Day 24: Matthew 15:29-39, 16:1-12

“And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.” - Matthew‬ ‭15:30-31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What would it be like for Jesus to show up (in flesh) today and empty all of the nation's hospitals by restoring them to complete health? What would the headlines read? For sure, conspiracy theories would abound!

I always love these 100% heal-rate scenes. Only our Savior could pull off something like this. Nothing before had been seen like it, and nothing since.

Why only during the 3-year time period of Jesus' earthly ministry? Why can’t we see all of this today? It is evident that Jesus was showing us just how holy (how different) He was from any other. He could be trusted.

One day, when Jesus returns, we will also enjoy a 100% heal-rate experience, and it will be on a permanent basis.

The Greek word used for how the crowd “wondered” is thaumazo. It appears 43 times in the New Testament, and it can be translated as “marvel” or “to be astonished.” How much more we will experience this word at our first sight of the new heavens and new earth that are to come (Revelation 21-22)!

“Jesus, we believe You proved who you said You were. Please come quickly.”