Matthew 22:1-22

Matthew 22:1-22 (New International Version)


 1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 
 4"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' 
 5"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 
 8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 
 11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. 
 13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 
 14"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

 15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 
 18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" 
 21"Caesar's," they replied. 
      Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 
 22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Devotional (by Jana Goebel)
 Jesus never ceases to amaze me.  He has such an incredible understanding of His people.  In this passage, He tells the story of a king preparing a party.  I think He understood how much people want to be accepted by the “in-crowd.”  Once He has their attention He helps them further identify with His coming kingdom.  What kind of guest will they be?  What kind of guest am I?  Am I the guest who is invited but turns down the invitation because I give other things my attention?  Am I the kind of guest who persecutes the message bearer?  Or am I the person who often feels like I am on the outside, like I don’t fit in, but when I’m invited by the King I eagerly accept and find I am surrounded by people with various backgrounds and lives?  Some good, some bad – but all accepted at the King’s party.  When I read this passage, I am reminded of who I want to be and just exactly who my King is.  He’s the kind of King who loves and accepts everyone and invites them all to His party – all they have to do is accept His invitation and join in the adventure!

Prayer: 
Father, thank you for loving me and accepting me just as I am.  Lord, help me to respond when I hear your invitation.  Help me to come running and to be prepared to participate fully in the adventure you have prepared for me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Matthew 21:18-46

Matthew 21:18-46 (New International Version)

 18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

 20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
 23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

 24Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"

   They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."

 27So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
      Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

 28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

 29" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

 30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

 31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
      "The first," they answered.

   Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

 35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

 38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

 40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

 41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
   " 'The stone the builders rejected
      has become the capstone;
   the Lord has done this,
      and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

 43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

This series of parables really provokes some interesting thoughts. First is this idea that those who the world rejected (represented by tax collectors and prostitutes) Jesus says are entering the Kingdom of God before the religious people. It seems so strange and opposite of what we would expect. I think it carries with it the understanding that humility is an important aspect to living abundant life. When we think our religious rituals are the thing that makes God love us, we miss the point. But when we realize that God loves us no matter how messed up we feel we gain a life that's based on the security of God's love, not our ability to be perfect.

This is a message that I want to understand deeper. No matter how much I read it or hear it, I still have this tendency to try and prove to everyone else and to God that I am deserving of the gift of grace He gives. Life could be a lot less stressful if I rested in the fact that nothing I do will make God love me more and nothing I do will make God love me less...because God is love.

Prayer

God I realize that I am not worthy of any good thing you give me. Even of the life I have and the breath I breathe. But I am becoming more aware of the security of your gift of grace. Help me to live in the truth of Your grace today. In Jesus name. Amen.

Matthew 21:1-17

Matthew 21:1-17 (New International Version)

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

 ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 
 ⁵"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 
      'See, your king comes to you, 
   gentle and riding on a donkey, 
      on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

 ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 
   "Hosanna to the Son of David!" 
   "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
   "Hosanna in the highest!"

 ¹⁰When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

 ¹¹The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

 ¹²Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

 ¹⁴The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

 ¹⁶"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. 
      "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, 
   " 'From the lips of children and infants 
      you have ordained praise'?"

 ¹⁷And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Matthew 20:20-34

Matthew 20:20-34 (The Message)

 ²⁰It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request.

 ²¹"What do you want?" Jesus asked.

   She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand."

 ²²Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?"

   They said, "Sure, why not?"

 ²³Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that."

 ^24-28When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."

 ^29-31As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!"

 ³²Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?"

 ³³They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!"

 ³⁴Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.

Matthew 20:1-19

Matthew 20:1-19 (New Living Translation)   

   “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage[a] and sent them out to work. 
 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing.  So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.  So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. 
“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ 
 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ 
   “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’ 
“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.  When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.  When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.  When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,  ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’ 
“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?  Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.  Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ 
 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” 
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him.  “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” 

Devotional (by Marilyn Brooks)
When I read this scripture I first think that this is so not fair.  To be paid the same wage as all the others hired regardless of the number of hours worked is not fair, but that is the worldly way of thinking.   

We do not deserve to have the same amount as others who have worked longer but in  Jesus’s parable He is saying that we are all equal in His eyes.  Because He created us He loves each of us the same no matter what we have or have not accomplished.  Your membership into Heaven can not be gained by doing or giving more than someone else but by believing in and being faithful to Him.   Salvation depends on God’s love, mercy and kindness, we do not deserve it but He is a gracious and loving God and gives so freely.  We should learn to be like Him to bring him joy.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for your faithfulness and love.   Let us be not jealous of what others have but focus on and be grateful for what you have for us.  Your plans for us will be equally revealed in your time and your will.  Let us learn to be like Christ and share his undeserving love with others.  In Jesus name,  Amen

Matthew 19:1-15

Matthew 19:1-15 (New International Version)

 ¹When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ²Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

 ³Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

 ⁴"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' ⁵and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? ⁶So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

 ⁷"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

 ⁸Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.⁹I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

 ¹⁰The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

 ¹¹Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹²For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

 ¹³Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

 ¹⁴Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ¹⁵When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

 Devotional (by Chris Bunch)

Each summer I officiate or attend several weddings.  This summer there are five on my calendar.  The day of the wedding both the bride and groom will make a life long commitment to each other, and they will mean it.  However, for me the bigger question I have is:  Will you make a life long commitment with God to spend your entire earthly life serving him and serving your spouse?  

Every divorced person in The Jar that I have ever had the opportunity to spend quality time with has admitted to me that when you boil it down the reason for their divorce was either God wasn’t central to that relationship on their wedding day or as a couple they drifted away from God.  The key to having a “whole” marriage is not “I am in love with you,” but “I am loyal to God and to you.”  

I will be married 15 years on July 23.  It has not been a perfect relationship.  In fact, Jen and I have hurt each other more in the past 15 years than any other person in our lives.  And yet, God was central in our dating, engagement, honeymoon years, and years 10-15.  We have learned to forgive, sacrifice, love, and most of all remain loyal even when we didn’t feel like it.  Because there was a commitment we made that was bigger than marriage-----and that was our commitment to God.

If you have gone through a divorce, God loves you, he forgives you, and you are just as precious in his sight as any married person of 75 years.  Accept his unwavering love and make a commitment to him-----that if you get married again He will be at the center from day one.  If you are married, renew your vow to God today to stay loyal to him and your spouse.  You might even want to renew your vows.  It might seem goofy, but it is a powerful thing to do.  Jen and I will be doing it ourselves.

Here are some you could use:   ______________________ (name of your spouse),  I love you and I am so proud to be your husband/wife.  I promise to consider your interests, and not merely my own.

I promise to show you love, patience, kindness, goodness, affection, faithfulness, and self-control.  I promise to communicate with you, as openly and honestly as I can, 

I will share with you my life, feelings, hopes, joys, frustrations, disappointments, anxieties, and dreams;  and I will listen, as you share with me.

I will try to meet your needs, and respect your individuality, as well as my own.  I will work with you, to build a lasting relationship, of love and commitment.  I give myself freely to you ______________ (name of spouse)  for as long as we both shall live.

Finally, if you are single you are probably at one of two places with your singleness.  Some of you hate being single and you wish there was a special someone that you could spend your entire life with.  You hate the lonely nights and lonely Sunday mornings at church, sometimes you are tempted to compromise your Christian values.  Stay strong, don’t give up, trust God.  God has someone in mind for you---but it probably won’t be on your timetable.  (I realize it is easy for me to say because I am married-----but I really do believe this.)

Second, some of you are single and you are content with your singleness.  You have lonely moments as well----but it does not consume you because you have decided to stay single.  Jesus lived this type of life, and in doing so he had the time and freedom to serve God more than any married person.  God is proud of you and ready to use you in a mighty way.  Prayerfully consider what that way may be.

Loyalty and love to God is the key to a healthy life.  Whether you are married, divorced, single by circumstances or single by choice live a life of love and loyalty to God and he will not disappoint.  Jesus put it this way:  The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.  (Matthew 6:33)

Prayer: 
God, thank you for the gift of relationships.  I thank you most of all for the relationship with your one only son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to have a heart like yours in all the relationships in my life.  In Jesus name.  Amen

Matthew 18:6-35

Matthew 18:6-35 (New Living Translation)

6But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.  10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
Parable of the Lost Sheep
 12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
Correcting Another Believer
 15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.  18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.  19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor
 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”  22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.  26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.  28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His
 fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.  31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.  35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sistersfrom your heart.”
 
Devotional (by Marty Bennett): The Importance of Forgiveness
How significant is forgiveness of sins in our lives as Christians?  It is absolutely vital.  When I read over these passages what strikes me is just how important forgiveness is.  With the recent Easter season just passed, we remember the price Jesus paid, the ultimate sacrifice, by bearing all our sins past, present & future, we through believing in Him can receive eternal life. In much the same way, God asks us to forgive others as He has forgiven us.  The story of the unforgiving debtor is a powerful one.  In this scenario, the king (representing God) forgives the debtor (us) of his debt (sin).  This forgiveness is what God wants us, in return, to pass along to those who have done us wrong.  In this story, the debtor, who has had his debts erased by the king, does not pass this model of forgiveness along to his servants who have debts with him.  Instead, he punishes a man who has debts with him because he couldn’t pay.  When the king found
 out of this he severely punished the man who had been forgiven of his debts earlier.  God wants us to forgive our “brothers and sisters from the heart.”
 
Like at the Jar, we are an accepting community.  We know we are all sinners, we all have spiritual debts or deficits.  God forgives us of these debts/sins, but does not want us to stay where we are.  He wants us to become better people, to be more like Christ in our behavior toward others.  We welcome people in, and want to see them achieve their full God-given potential.  That is why God sent his son to earth so that all of us could reach higher than we’d be able to on our own.
 
Prayer: 
Dear God, thank you for sending your only son to bear all our burdens and sins, and lead us to a life full with your presence.  Please give us the humility and strength to forgive those who have sinned against us (and you) from our hearts.  We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Matthew 17:22-18:5

Matthew 17:22-18:5

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" 25 "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" 26 "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. 27 "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Devotion (by John Goebel)
Have you been an adult for too long?  I get wrapped up in the pressures that as an adult I face sometimes day-dreaming what it would be like to be a child again - free to play, no worries, no taxes to pay.  However, I have the opportunity to spend some time with children (outside of my own two) on Sundays at Nucleus (babies to 3rd grade) and at Collide (4th to 5th grade).  The children have taught me it isn't all that easy being a kid these days.  But their eagerness to love and learn about someone that loves them no matter what help them overcome.  The Jar's Children's and Family Ministries provides these children, OUR children, GOD'S children, a fun, bible based, applicable, relevant and safe place on Sundays to simply be a kid.  And as a side benefit, they provide us adults with a chance to be humbled, to praise God with the enthusiasm of a child, to trust God with the freedom of a child, to simply have faith like a child.

Come visit the children of The Jar on a Sunday morning.  Get in touch with life through a child's eyes.  You will be amazed by what you find.  I leave wondering if I am changed more than the children.

Prayer
Lord God increase my faith.  Guide me to insure the protection of all children.  Guide me to approach life in the simplest ways with joy and gratitude like a child.

Matthew 17

Matthew 17

 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. 
Peter broke in, "Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?" 
While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him." 
When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. "Don't be afraid." When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus. 
Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't breathe a word of what you've seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk." 
The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?" 
Jesus answered, "Elijah does come and get everything ready. I'm telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn't know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man." That's when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer. 

At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, "Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him." 
Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well. 
When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" 
"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." 

Devotional (by Emily Gray)

  In the beginning of this section, Jesus is allowing his three closest disciples, his friends, to catch a glimpse of who He really is.  What an amazing experience!  Jesus is going to a private area away from the crowds and as He spent time with God, His appearance changed from the inside out.  He got the chance to talk with some of the biggest heroes of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah.  Moses was the one who led the Israelite slaves out of Egypt, received the 10 commandments from God, and walked in the dessert for years to reach the land God promised to His people (See Exodus in the Old Testament for his story).  Moses represents the Law and was a founding father of the Israelite faith.  
Elijah was a major prophet from the Old Testament.  He performed amazing miracles, spoke the words God told him, was persecuted, and experienced a close walk with God.  He was one of the beginning prophets of the Old Testament and the forerunner of the Messiah (See more of his story beginning in 1 Kings 17 in the Old Testament).  

It’s also interesting that both of these Old Testament figures had experiences of God’s glory on a mountain.  Moses received the 10 commandments and exposure to God’s glory on Mount Sinai and Elijah on Mount Horeb where God appeared not in the wind, earthquake, and fire, but in a still, gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13).  While these men experienced God’s glory in a tangible way, they are now face-to-face with God’s ultimate glory: Jesus.  Not only does Jesus exceed both of them in power, glory, authority, and connection with God, but He fulfills the Law and the Prophecies which they represent.  He is the embodiment of God’s glory.    So what did they talk about?  Maybe He was asking Moses about leadership and the challenges therein.  Maybe He was asking Elijah about persecution and what its like to feel fear.  Maybe He’s drawing strength from their wisdom and experience as He thinks about His upcoming death on a cross.  Or maybe they were asking Him questions about His ministry and what was coming next.  Whatever they talked about, it must have been an awesome sight to behold.

And then something we’ve seen before happens; God speaks and affirms who Jesus is and commands the disciples (and us) to listen to Him.  I love to see God as the Father, encouraging His Son, “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight.”  I think this is vital, because soon (in less than 10 chapters) Jesus will face His death and ultimately separation from His Father.  But God makes a point to reassure Jesus that He is loved.   Then God tells us to listen to Him, because Jesus fulfills hundreds of prophecies that came centuries before His birth.  He not only lives out the Law, but gives us a new perspective of the Old Testament laws and how to live more like God everyday.  He is the glory of God and we can trust in Him.

Prayer: Jesus, I am in awe of who You are and the glory You represent.  Thank You for coming to earth to show us more of who God is.  It’s hard to comprehend, but help me understand and appreciate who You are and how You changed the world.  Amen.  

Matthew 16:1-28

Matthew 16:1-28 (New International Version)

The Demand for a Sign

 ¹The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

 ²He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' ³and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

 ⁵When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

 ⁷They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."

 ⁸Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?¹¹How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ¹²Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter's Confession of Christ

 ¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

 ¹⁴They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 ¹⁵"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 ¹⁷Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ²⁰Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death

 ²¹From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 ²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

 ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

 ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. ²⁸I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Devotion (by Mikey Skoglund)

I'm often struck at how quickly Peter's faith falters in this passage.  I mean, one minute Jesus is talking to him about how the church will be built upon Peter and not even the gates of Hades will overcome it, then in the very next passage Jesus calls Peter a stumbling block.  I think this strikes me so much because it is very telling of how my life can be.  Too often I'm quick to be on "God's side" when it is easy or convenient for me, but as soon as God starts going in a direction I don't want to go or as soon as the going gets tough, I start arguing with God and instead of being a firm foundation on which God is building His church, I become a stumbling block.  Jesus makes a very important distinction here to His disciples, if you want to follow Jesus, you have to play it for keeps.  You have to go all in.  I just know that I need God's help in order to do this. 

Prayer
Lord, please help me to set aside my selfish ambitions and let Your will be done.  I know that You have the best plans anyways, but I can still let my own agenda get in the way of Yours.  Help me to be a firm foundation on which You can build upon and not a stumbling block that gets in Your way. 

Matthew 15:21-39

Matthew 15:21-39 (New International Version)

 ²¹Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²²A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

 ²³Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

 ²⁴He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

 ²⁵The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

 ²⁶He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

 ²⁷"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

 ²⁸Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

 ²⁹Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

 ³²Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."

 ³³His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"

 ³⁴"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. 
      "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."

 ³⁵He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. ³⁹After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Devotion (by Mikey Skoglund)
The thing in this passage that jumps out to me is the encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman.  Just look at the exchange between the two.  First the woman asks for Jesus to heal her daughter, and Jesus says nothing! Then the disciples come over and complain to Jesus because this woman won't leave them alone and Jesus tells the woman that He has come to help those that are from Israel and since she was a Canaanite, well, too bad.  Then she pleads with Him to help her daughter and He still has the same answer, this time relating it to feeding His children (the people of Israel).  Now, when I read this part of the passage I'm just thinking to myself, "This just isn't like Jesus, He's always willing to heal people and He's never asked a person where they're from before."  But then the next part of the passage brings everything back around.  The woman then argues her case using the example Jesus gave and finally Jesus says, "Ok, your daughter's fine now."  

Do you ever feel like there's times when you're being tested by God?  I feel like that sometimes.  There's been times in my life where I just know God wants me to be somewhere or to be doing something specific, but the pieces just don't seem to be falling in place.  They don't line up and don't really fit together and it just doesn't seem like things will ever work out.  Times when I know what the Bible says, I know God's promises for my life, but it just seems as if He's not going to allow me to do what I really feel like He has called me to do.  Its in times like these that I have to recall this passage of scripture and be like the woman.  You see, she didn't get angry when Jesus told her at first that He didn't come to help her type of people, you know what she did?  She got on her knees before Jesus and asked Him again, and then she listened to what He had to say before she spoke again. 

Prayer
Lord, thank you for the patience that you have for me.  Thank you for the love that you have shown me today.  I ask that you would help me to humble myself by kneeling before you and listening to that still, small voice.  Lord, thank you for coming to save sinners like me.  
Amen.

Matthew 15:1-20

Matthew 15:1-20 (New International Version)

 1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

 3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
 8" 'These people honor me with their lips,
      but their hearts are far from me.
 9They worship me in vain;
      their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

 10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "

 12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

 13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

 15Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."

 16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

Ahh the Pharisees. We see them over and over again come to point out the smallest details to criticize Jesus and his followers. Have you ever known someone like that? Someone who just picks at one little thing you do wrong instead of seeing the bigger picture? Or maybe you find that it's easy to be critical of others?

In any case look at Jesus' response. He cuts right to the heart of the matter and lets them know that God is so much more concerned with the heart than they are. The heart of God is to bring glory to Himself and to love us into a relationship with Him. It's important to guard ourselves against the distractions of the details.

When I think about my own heart, I see that it is unclean and that my focus must be on surrendering more of myself to God. The least of my worries is what I have for breakfast.

Prayer: God, help me to value what you value. Help me to see my heart as something of value that You desire. Thank you for guiding me and seeing the freedom from overbearing rules that Your love provides. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Matthew 14:22:34

Matthew 14:22-34 (New International Version)

 22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

 27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

 28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

 29"Come," he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

 34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

Have you ever felt like you need to take steps of faith? Felt like you need to take steps closer to Jesus but so much around you tells you that it will be dangerous? Imagine what was going through Peter's head when Jesus told him to step out of the boat. What's going through your head when you think about taking a step closer?

So often we are bombarded by things that grip us with fear and take our eyes off of Jesus. Maybe a relationship, a job (or lack of), or insecurities within yourself cause you to second guess the direction you're going in. 

We could focus on the fact that Peter just didn't have enough faith, even though he was a risk taker (I mean the other 11 disciples were still in the boat), but I think it's important to note the faith the Jesus had in Peter. Jesus told him to step out because he believed that Peter had the capacity to trust in him.

Today I am letting this story remind me that Jesus believes in me. He created me and knows that I can take the steps he's placed before me. He knows that I have the capacity for that kind of faith. Let that reality encourage you to take a step closer to Him.

Prayer: Dear God it can be so easy to doubt myself. Help me to look to you to find confidence in the direction You are leading me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Matthew 14:1-21

Matthew 14:1-21 (The Message)

At this time, Herod, the regional ruler, heard what was being said about Jesus. He said to his servants, "This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead. That's why he's able to work miracles!" 
 Herod had arrested John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison to placate Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid because so many people revered John as a prophet of God. 
But at his birthday celebration, he got his chance. Herodias's daughter provided the entertainment, dancing for the guests. She swept Herod away. In his drunken enthusiasm, he promised her on oath anything she wanted. Already coached by her mother, she was ready: "Give me, served up on a platter, the head of John the Baptizer." That sobered the king up fast. Unwilling to lose face with his guests, he did it—ordered John's head cut off and presented to the girl on a platter. She in turn gave it to her mother. Later, John's disciples got the body, gave it a reverent burial, and reported to Jesus. 
When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick. 
Toward evening the disciples approached him. "We're out in the country and it's getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper." 
But Jesus said, "There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper." 
"All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish," they said. 
Jesus said, "Bring them here." Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed. 

Devotional (by Emily Gray)
There’s a lot going on in this section, but lets focus on the interaction between the disciples and Jesus when it came time for dinner.  I’m sure the disciples were tired and just wanted to be alone with Jesus as they were trying to mourn the death of His good friend and cousin, John.  But alas, the crowds followed Jesus and He took the rest of the day to teach, talk to, and bless them.  So it’s only natural that the disciples want to “get rid” of the crowd so they can get some R&R.  But Jesus, never missing a beat, could hear their tone of voice and knew their motives.  So He challenged their faith and attitudes: “You feed them.” 
I imagine the disciples scanning the throngs of people standing around and thinking, “Uh…there’s no way!”
This was their chance to be part of a miracle.  They could have had faith and said, “Ok, Jesus, we know You’re trying to teach us something here.  We don’t have a lot of faith, but we have some; help us have more.  And we don’t have a lot of food, but what we do have we give all to You, believing You can do something amazing.”
Instead, they focus on their inadequacy, what they lack, and mumble, “We don’t have much.  It’s pretty pathetic and unrealistic, actually…” 
None the less, Jesus takes the meager food and turns it into a simple yet ample meal for over 5,000 people!  There were even leftovers!  The disciples still got to be part of the miracle by handing the food out, but part of me wonders how this would have been different had they been more willing, filled with more faith.  It reminds me of the times when I focus on what I don’t have and how unqualified I feel to serve God and work on His behalf.  I don’t have much; I have lots of things to work on in my life!  But instead of focusing on these areas, God asks me to have faith and focus on the potential I have in Him.  I may not feel like I have much, but when I offer it all to Him with no reservations, He can do great things.

Prayer:  Jesus, thank You that You are willing and able to use me in Your plans.  Help me to have more faith and focus on the potential You’ve put inside me, instead of the negatives.  I want to give all I have to You, believing You will do something amazing in and through me.  Amen.  

Matthew 13:44-58

Matthew 13:44-58 (New International Version)

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

 ⁴⁴"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

 ⁴⁵"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

 ⁴⁷"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 ⁵¹"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. 
      "Yes," they replied.

 ⁵²He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

A Prophet Without Honor

 ⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. ⁵⁴Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. ⁵⁵"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" ⁵⁷And they took offense at him. 
      But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

 ⁵⁸And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Devotional (Hidden Treasure - by Mikey Skoglund)

This passage always makes me think about what I would do if I were to find a great treasure in a field.  Just imagine finding a whole mine full of gold or a ton of oil underneath some land that was for sale.  Now we're talking about becoming instant millionaires here, but the only way you could afford the land was to sell all of the stuff that you currently have. You would be more than happy to go and sell your stuff wouldn't you? I mean, you could just buy all of that stuff back and retire early when you obtained that treasure in the field.  Now Jesus is saying in this parable that the kingdom of heaven is like this hidden treasure.  He's not saying that the kingdom of heaven is some get rich quick scheme, but He is saying that living your life for the purposes of God is worth far more than anything else we could possess in this life, in fact this treasure is worth everything.   

Prayer
Lord, please help me to discover the hidden treasures in my life.  Give me eyes to see what things in my life I can joyfully get rid of in order to take a step closer to obtaining the hidden treasure talked about in this parable.  Thank You for Your love and wisdom in my life Lord.

Matthew 13:24-43

Matthew 13:24-43 (The Message)

 ^24-26He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.

 ²⁷"The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?'

 ²⁸"He answered, 'Some enemy did this.'

   "The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?'

 ^29-30"He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'"

 ^31-32Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it."

 ³³Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises."

 ^34-35All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: 

   I will open my mouth and tell stories; 
   I will bring out into the open 
         things hidden since the world's first day.

 ³⁶Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field."

 ^37-39So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.

 ^40-43"The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father.

   "Are you listening to this? Really listening?

Devotional (by Jana Goebel)

So often when I look at the world I find myself longing for God’s kingdom.  Then I read this passage and am reminded that God’s kingdom has arrived- here and now!  In this passage, Jesus is letting his listeners know that with his arrival the kingdom of heaven arrived.  To help them understand His kingdom he offers these parables or stories.  In the first parable we hear about a field that was sown with good seed and bad seed.  The message in this for us is that as members of God’s kingdom – followers of Jesus – we are to spread good seed in the world and tell others of God’s good news.  Just as the wheat grew and was harvested, even in the midst of the bad seed or weeds, so will the seeds we sow.  Secondly, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed.  Have you ever seen a mustard seed?  If not, stop by the spices section of the grocery store and check it out.  They are tiny!  Jesus is explaining to his listeners that God’s kingdom will grow from a small movement of people into a mighty kingdom that continually grows – just as the mustard seed became a mighty tree.  Finally, Jesus compares God’s kingdom to yeast.  One of my favorite things about baking bread is watching the dough rise.  With just a small amount of yeast, a little bit of dough becomes enough for many loaves of bread.  Not only does the yeast cause the dough to grow, but it permeates the dough and transforms it into something new.  When we live as members of God’s kingdom and share that with others, we grow – we are permeated with God’s love and God’s word and ultimately transformed. 

Prayer: Father, you have so much to teach us about being your child.  Today help us to see your kingdom at work in our world.  May we live fully as the seed that is sown in the world, as the small faith that grows, and as the yeast that transforms.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Matthew 13:1-23

Matthew 13:1-23 (New International Version)

 ¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear."

 ¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

 ¹¹He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables: 
   "Though seeing, they do not see; 
      though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 
   " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; 
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 
 ¹⁵For this people's heart has become calloused; 
      they hardly hear with their ears, 
      and they have closed their eyes. 
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes, 
      hear with their ears, 
      understand with their hearts 
   and turn, and I would heal them.' ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

 ¹⁸"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²²The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

"What is the soil of my heart like?" This is a question I have been trying to ask myself often. One of my greatest fears is that my heart would become callouse. That my ability to understand the Good News that Jesus has for my life would fade. I think it's because I realize that I need to be reaquainted with Jesus each day. I mean how often do we come to church on Sunday and feel all fired up and ready to carry out the teachig we just heard, but by Monday morning, we already see things less clearly.

If Jesus came to give us abundant, full life through following his teachings, then I find myself facing a responsibility. That is to cultivate the soil of my heart so that I understand the implications of Jesus' teachings and they take root in my life. If there's anything that excites me, it is to see what happens when the Good News takes root in someone's life. They all of a sudden start growing in ways they couldn't imagine.

Think about yourself. Your heart. What's the soil like? Consider praying that God would cultivate your heart to be more open to receiving what He has for you. Think about what is trying to take root in your life and make room for the most excellent thing.

Prayer

Dear God, I pray that you would cultivate the soil of my heart so that I can hear and understand your teachings because they teach me how to have abundant life. Help me recognize others around me and to be praying for the soil of their hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Matthew 12:38-50

Matthew 12:38-50

38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove that you are from God." 

     39 But Jesus replied, "Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And now someone greater than Jonah is here—and you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba will also rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now someone greater than Solomon is here—and you refuse to listen to him. 

     43 "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, `I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation." 
46 As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him. 47 Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you." 

     48 Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" 49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

Devotional (by Chris Bunch)

    Many people have said, “If I could just see a real miracle, then I could really believe in God.”  In fact, that is how this scripture begins.  The religious leaders say:  “Hey Jesus, show us a miraculous sign----and then we’ll believe.”  Then, Jesus enters into two stories from the Old Testament.
One is the story of Jonah and the other is the story of the Queen of Sheba (Jonah is a short book in the Old Testament that you could read----just 4 chapters---a little over 40 verses.  The story of the Queen of Sheba is in 1 Kings 10).   Both are great stories and I encourage you to read them both.  However, because we are preparing for Easter Sunday the Story of Jonah is what I will focus on.  
    First, let me give you the gist of the story of Jonah.  Jonah was called by God to go and tell a godless group of people, the Ninevites, to repent----which simple means to turn away from sin and turn towards God.  This task was a scary one because this nation was very violent.  So, Jonah ignored God’s call and ran in the opposite direction.  
One day as he is on a ship and is thrown overboard and winds up in the belly of a great fish----maybe the size of a whale.  He spent three days in the belly of the great fish.  God eventually had the fish spit Jonah out and he went and told the Ninevites to turn to God and they did.  The whole city repented and it was saved.
    The religious leaders ask for sign, and Jesus forecasts the sign of his death and resurrection.  This week we celebrate that three days after his death Jesus would come back to life and conquer death, just as Jonah had been brought back to life after spending three days in the fish.  However, when Jonah returned to tell Ninevites to turn from their sin and turn towards God----they listened.  But, after Jesus’ resurrection, many still did not believe because they didn’t see this miracle with there own eyes.
Today, one of the reasons why many people do not believe or do not believe very much is because they are looking for a sign.  For many of us we think if God would just show us a miraculous sign we would believe or believe more.  I mean if he just sent me a million dollars or healed my family member who has cancer or took away all the stress in my life----then I would believe or believe more.
    Well, this week we will celebrate the greatest miracle ever known----the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power to rule forever and provide a home in heaven for those who turn to him.  
So, rather than looking for additional evidence or miracles in life, let us celebrate and accept what God has already given us in the miracle resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And, as you celebrate this miracle, why not walk across a room and invite another person to listen to this powerful story this Sunday.

Prayer:     Jesus, many times I am not satisfied with the powerful evidence of your death and resurrection, but I desire more.  Help me be content to realize that this miracle is more than enough----it is all the evidence I will ever need.  
Thank you for dying on a cross to forgive all of my sins and conquering death so that I might have eternal life.  Give me the strength this week to invite someone to hear this powerful story.  I pray in your name.  Amen.

Matthew 12:22-37

Matthew 12:22-37 (New Living Translation)

 22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”  24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”  25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a
 strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.  30
 
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.  31 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.  33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either
 acquit you or condemn you.”
 
Devotional (by Marty Bennett):
 When reading this passage, I am drawn to the comparison of the good tree producing good fruit to the good person with a good heart, produces good things.  We have a couple of trees in our yard that were badly damaged by the ice storm four years ago.  Since then, the trees each year have produced fewer leaves.  This situation is mostly because we did not take care of the trees immediately after the storm by removing dead & broken branches.  By not addressing the problems these trees are now near death.
 
Like these damaged trees we are often affected by both internal forces (hate, anger, disease, depression, addiction) and external circumstances (accidents, bad economy, layoffs, abuse).  I know until recently, Jen and I did not have a financial plan to manage our money and debt.  With fights over money being one of theleading causes of divorce in the US, we knew in our hearts a couple of things:  1) we always will be together and 2) we would not let the love of money ruin our marriage.  I write this devotional, interestingly enough, on our 9th wedding anniversary. We made a pledge to keep God (good) in our marriage (our hearts) fromthe very start.  With this reminder from the passage, our decision to sit down together so that we were on the same page when it comes to where we spend our money, where we could cut back, and how to pay down our debt, has filled our hearts.
 
Prayer: 
Dear God, thank you for giving us this great example of how with good hearts, we can be the good people you intended us to be.  Help us focus on your amazing goodness and let us accept your holy spirit into our hearts to bring us closer to you.  We pray, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  

Matthew 11:20-12:21

Matthew 11:20-12:21 (New Living Translation)

 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. 21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.  23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”
Jesus’ Prayer of Thanksgiving
 25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 12

 1 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”  3 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty inthe Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ 8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
 9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)  11 And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”  13 Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
Jesus, God’s Chosen Servant
 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:  18 “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.  19 He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.  20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.  Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.  21 And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
 
Devotional (by Jennifer Bennett)
 
How different the world would’ve been if the Pharisees hadn’t hated Jesus.  They were so greedy, selfish and power-hungry that it clouded their vision and their hearts as to who Jesus was. They couldn’t see passed their own noses to see what Jesus was offering them.  If everyone had loved and accepted Jesus immediately then there would’ve been no reason for Him to die. 
 
Try to picture yourself walking through a maze.  As you start walking you can’t always see where you’re going or what’s around the next corner.  You have to makethe correct turns or you could end up at a dead end or you could go in circles.  You may have to back track or rest along the way.  There are many twists and turns, and you end up not knowing which way you’re going.  All through the maze there are clues to help you or people waiting to guide you.  Sometimes you can walk with others to make the walk more enjoyable.  No matter how many times you make a wrong turn you can always go back and try again.  As you’re walking, people sometimes give you things to carry, so you have to walk slowly because it all gets so heavy.  At other times people help you carry your load, so you can walk faster.  You know the goal is to get to the center, but you have no idea how far you’ve gone or how close the center is.
 
I think life is like this maze.  We have to make choices every day.  We can’t always see where our choices are taking us.  We may have to rest along the way.  God has given us clues in the Bible to help us decide.  We have our friends and families with us to make the walk more enjoyable.  Sometimes we help carry their burdens and sometimes they take on ours.  You never know where life is going to take you or when your walk will be over. 
 
What we do know is that we’re never alone.  Despite the heavy burdens many of us are carrying in these tough economic times, there is someone who can help us, someone who will never abandon or forget us.  God will never give us more than we can carry.  All we have to do is accept Jesus.  He is the hope of the world. 
  
Prayer
Dear God,   Thank you for your guidance as we navigate life’s maze.  Help us make the choices that will be pleasing to you.  Grant us humility to know we don’t go through this life alone.  Thank you for your strength and love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Matthew 11:1-19

Matthew 11:1-19 (New International Version)

 ¹After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

 ²When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples ³to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

 ⁴Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, thedead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

 ⁷As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.⁹Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written: 
   " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, 
      who will prepare your way before you.' ¹¹I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. ¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵He who has ears, let him hear.

 ¹⁶"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 
 ¹⁷" 'We played the flute for you, 
      and you did not dance; 
   we sang a dirge 
      and you did not mourn.' ¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

Devotional (by Mikey Skoglund)

This passage is very telling of the way that mankind sees God.  When John's disciples go and ask Jesus if He is really the One that they've been waiting for, He basically says "Look at my actions, do they not show you who I really am?".  And then He goes on to talk about John to those who are listening and how John was a messenger sent to come before Christ came. Yet people still don't seem to get it.  You see, people just took John for a crazy person because he abstained from eating so much, and he was a very rugged man who lived in the wilderness. They took Jesus for a glutton and drunkard because He feasted so much and He ate with people who were deemed as "sinners".  So Jesus is explaining to people how John came to point the way to Jesus being the Savior of the world, but when Jesus does come, people just think He's some sort of glutton and drunkard that hangs out with deadbeats.  

So you see, Jesus is saying that the popular opinion here (that hanging out with tax collectors and "sinners") is a very skewed perception. Jesus just wants people to know that He came to love people unconditionally and He's willing to help those who admit that they've messed up and screwed up their lives.  And He just wants us to love one another as we love ourselves.  To let go of all the stuff that gets in the way of those two things, and to be able to take the road that Jesus took, even though it is the less popular route in our generation.  

Prayer
Lord, please help me to be more like You.  I know that I tend to follow my own ways above Yours at times, but continue to give me the strength to follow You andthe wisdom to hear Your promptings in my life.  Thank You for revealing Yourself to me and for coming to earth to save me. 

Matthew 10:24-42

Matthew 10:24-42 

24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If thehead of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! 26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from theroofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Devotional (by John Goebel)

Jesus' words here are definitely challenging.  He doesn't skip softly around the issue but goes right to the heart of it.  Are you going to follow Jesus 100%, putting him 1st above all things or not?  His words can be confusing if we try to hold onto something such as "oh he doesn't mean my family".  Umm yes he does.  He isn't going to take them away because ironically if we give up control and put him first he will make our family relationships better!  Yes the fear of losing control will always somewhat lurk in the darkness.  But the opposite of fear is trust.  Trust in Jesus (he tells us 3 times in this passage "don't be afraid") and he promises as thepassage notes good results - receive a reward, know that God values you above all things, find the true meaning of your life.  That is why I like to refer to God as Lord when praying. (The definition of lord is a person who has authority, control, or power over others.) I want Jesus to be my Lord.

Prayer
Lord God forgive my controlling attitude and actions. Allow your Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and actions today to release control to you.  Increase my faith - believing in your Word, acting upon it no matter how I feel because you promise good results.  When fear tries to sneak up, remind me that I have the shield of trust in you to ward it off.

Matthew 10:1-23

Matthew 10:1-23 (The Message)

  ^1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick outthe evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent: 

   Simon (they called him Peter, or "Rock"), 
   Andrew, his brother, 
   James, Zebedee's son, 
   John, his brother, 
   Philip, 
   Bartholomew, 
   Thomas, 
   Matthew, the tax man, 
   James, son of Alphaeus, 
   Thaddaeus, 
   Simon, the Canaanite, 
   Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).

 ^5-8Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

   "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

 ^9-10"Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

 ¹¹"When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.

 ^12-15"When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry—but it's no concern of yours now.

 ¹⁶"Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

 ^17-20"Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.

 ^21-23"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

Jesus' words could not be more appropriate to the best way to relate to people. From the start he tells his disciples not to dramatically tackle some public enemy. I have to admit that I am at times ashamed of what is done in the name of Christianity. Jesus doesn't tell us to to make sure people know they are going to hell, rather he tells us to reach out to the lost and confused.

Do you ever feel this sense that others just don't understand where you are coming from when you tell them you are a Christ follower? I love how Jesus tells us not to worry when that happens even though we are carrying a message of love and sometimes feel like it is not warmly received. He lets us know that in all things he has given us the Holy Spirit which, in sometimes enexplainable ways, will guide and direct what we say and do.

How encouraging is that? Knowing that we have the gift that the same Spirit that allowed Jesus to live his life is available to us. The more aware of that we become,the more we'll be able to confidently look at what comes our way each day knowing that we can make it through.

Prayer:
God, thank you for letting me know that you are with me no matter how I feel others are looking at me. Help me to stay focused on You because of thegreat love you have for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Matthew 9:18-38

Matthew 9:18-38

 18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt down before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand upon her." 19 As Jesus and the disciples were going to the official's home, 20 a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." 22 Jesus turned around and said to her, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official's home, he noticed the noisy crowds and heard the funeral music. 24 He said, "Go away, for the girl isn't dead; she's only asleep." But the crowd laughed at him. 25 When thecrowd was finally outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

27 After Jesus left the girl's home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they told him, "we do." 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen." 30 And suddenly they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, "Don't tell anyone about this." 31 But instead, they spread his fame all over the region. 32 When they left, some people brought to him a man who couldn't speak because he was possessed by a demon. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and instantly the man could talk. The crowds marveled. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!" they exclaimed. 34 But the Pharisees said, "He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons."

35 Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. 36 He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

Devotional (by John Goebel)

So Jesus knew his limitations.  What Jesus had limitations?  Since Jesus was 100% human and 100% God and humans have limitations so did Jesus.  Jesus knew he physically could not be with all the people.  Therefore, he told the disciples (and thus to all future followers which include you and me) to pray for more workers.  Workers that can be there for the people.  Not only workers to help people become followers of Jesus, but workers to listen, to love, to encourage each other.  Workers to hear about the people's sicknesses, struggles, fears, and doubts, and pray with the people for God to heal them, to guide them, to overcome them.  Is Jesus calling you to be a worker?  No license required, no degree needed just a compassion for people.  In fact, our small group (and I suspect all groups in TheJar) is full of workers.  It is a safe place for people to lean on each other.  Yes Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us at all times but sometimes, as a small child once said "I need Jesus with skin on right now." Do you need a safe place?  Try a small group at The Jar.

Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for Jesus and your Holy Spirit to be a model of compassion and love and to guide me through my life.  Grow my capacity to love and care for others and to seek out relationships that will help me to be loved and cared for as well.

Matthew 9:1-17

Matthew 9:1-1

 ¹Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ²Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

 ³At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"

 ⁴Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? ⁶But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." ⁷And the man got up and went home. ⁸When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

  ⁹As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 ¹⁰While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

 ¹²On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

  ¹⁴Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"

 ¹⁵Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

 ¹⁶"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.¹⁷Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Devotional (by Mikey Skoglund)

"How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" John's disciples ask a good question here.  They see thePharisees and themselves acting a certain way, and Jesus's disciples acting a different way and they want to know why.  Jesus, as He always does, has a very good answer to this and takes it a level deeper. Jesus makes a very good distinction here between the way that the Pharisees are doing things and the way that his disciples are doing things. Between the old ways of doing things and thenew way of doing things.  Jesus paints a good picture of this when He talks about wineskins and the practicality of not putting new wine into old wineskins. Jesus is making a point to John's disciples here that the old ways of doing things are at an end.  Jesus brings a whole new outlook by emphasizing a relationship with Him above a religion full of rules.  Not only does this new outlook apply to the way that we are able to relate with Jesus, but He also takes this and applies it personally to our lives as well.  Thepicture of the old wineskins vs. the new wineskins in this passage show Jesus's outlook on the differences between one of His children before and after they choose to follow Him.  I think of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Jesus is addressing more than just the subject of fasting here, but He's addressing the differences between the old ways of doing things as sinful humans vs the new life found in giving our lives over to Jesus and subscribing to His ways above our own.

Prayer
Lord, please help me to see the things you are doing in my life that make me a new creation in You.  Help me to not turn to my old ways of doing things, but to follow Your ways above my own. 

Matthew 8:18-34

Matthew 8:18-34 (The Message)

18 When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. 19 As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said. 20 Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.” 21 Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.” 22 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.” 23 Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. 24 The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! 25 They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!” 26 Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass.

27 The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!” The Madmen and the Pigs 28 They landed in thecountry of the Gadarenes and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. 29 Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, “What business do you have giving us a hard time? You’re the Son of God! You weren’t supposed to show up here yet!” 30 Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. 31 The evil spirits begged Jesus, “If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs.” 32 Jesus said, “Go ahead, but get out of here!” Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. 33 Scared to death, the swineherds bolted. They told everyone back in town what had happened to the madmen and the pigs.

34 Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back. Who Needs a Doctor?

Devotional (by Chuck Mock)

Think of how many fierce storms we face in our lives. Some of us are facing a storm now. The storms of life wreck havoc on our marriages, our finances and even our Faith. These storms strike without warning. The water is calm, life is good. We have a tendency to overlook that small flash of lightening in the sky, but all of a sudden it hits. A heavy downpour, strong winds, deafening thunder. We can’t imagine there is anyway of escaping this.

In these hard times, we are a lot like the disciples crying, “God, don’t you even care that we are going to drown”?

Jesus replies ”Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me”? Doesn’t Jesus see these problems? Are they not large enough for him to worry about?

The real question is, do we think these problems are too big for God? He says he will never give us more than we can handle.

Psalm 121.3 says “He will not let you stumble and fall the one who watches over you will not sleep”. But wait, Jesus did sleep, he was sleeping right through thestorm. Maybe it’s not the storm that’s so important but the way we handle it is what God is concerned about.

Think about it, the shrieking of the storm did not wake Jesus, the cry of one of his disciples did.

Everyone of us is going to face hardship, but rest assured that Christ will be in that boat right alongside us. You see he didn’t promise us smooth sailing but he did promise a safe passage.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for being with us and guiding us through these storms when the hit our lives. Give us the strength and the courage to handle them with dignity, to use these moments to shape us and prepare us to help others when they face similar storms.

In Jesus name we pray....Amen 

Matthew 8:1-17

Matthew 8:1-17 (The Message)

Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my body." 
Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." 
As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." 
Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." 
"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." 
Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened." 
Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well. 
By this time they were in front of Peter's house. On entering, Jesus found Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed, burning up with fever. He touched her hand and thefever was gone. No sooner was she up on her feet than she was fixing dinner for him. 
That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He relieved the inwardly tormented. He cured the bodily ill. He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known sermon: 

   He took our illnesses, 
   He carried our diseases. 

Devotional (by Emily Gray)

And I thought I have had busy days!  I’m astonished when I look at all the things Jesus did in one day: healed a leper, healed a servant without ever seeing him, healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and cured those who were brought to Him in the evening.  I find it interesting that Jesus never healed the same way twice.  I also noticed that in many cases it was the faith of the person being healed that evoked Jesus to heal them.  
The Roman officer, for example, understood that Jesus had authority, just as he had authority over his troops.  He understood that Jesus was “under the command” of His Father, and could also give orders to the world around Him.  It was this understanding and this trust that moved Jesus to heal.  Jesus was even taken back, amazed!  Here was a Roman, an “outsider” to the faith, yet he had an amazing level of faith.  Jesus makes it clear that it’s not your social status that makes thedifference, it’s your faith.  It can be tough to have faith at times.  But Jesus is trustworthy, and when we put our faith in Him, He’ll always come through for us.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for who You are.  Thank you that I can trust You and put my faith in You.  I know You won’t let me down, won’t desert me, and have my best interest at heart.  Help me have more and more faith today.  Amen.

Matthew 7:7-29

Matthew 7:7-29 (New International Version)

  ⁷"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

 ⁹"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

 ¹³"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

¹⁵"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

 ²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

 ²⁴"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, thestreams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

 ²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

What is your perception of God? If you're like me, it's easy to think about God as a powerful, all knowing being who is probably disappointed by how much He knows. Our view of God always affects the way we approach Him. 

From the start of this passage my view of God is challenged. Jesus knew that most people have this idea that God is angry and we should be terrified to approach him. So Jesus tells us that if, as parents, we know what it's like to want to give good gifts to our children, well that's what God is like. Only God is perfect so he'll follow through. 

When we understand the goodness of God. I believe we will bear fruit that shows how confident we are in His love.

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being so good. That your desire is for us to receive the good gifts you have for us. Help us to ask confidently for what You want us to have. I'm glad you know more than I do and I trust that your plan is far greater than anything I could come up with. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Matthew 6:25-7:6

Matthew 6:25-7:6 (New International Reader's Version)

 "I tell you, do not worry. Don't worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don't worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than eating? Aren't there more important things for the body than clothes? 
 "Look at the birds of the air. They don't plant or gather crops. They don't put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are?     "Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? 
 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don't work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. 
 "If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won't he dress you even better? After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small! 
 "So don't worry. Don't say, 'What will we eat?' Or, 'What will we drink?' Or, 'What will we wear?'  People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. 
 "But put God's kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you. 
 "So don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 
Matthew 7
"Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged. You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others. 
  "You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend's eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye.  How can you say to your friend, 'Let me takethe bit of sawdust out of your eye'? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? 
  "You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend's eye. 
  "Do not give holy things to dogs. Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they might walk all over them. Then they might turn around and tear you to pieces. 

Do Not Worry Devotional by (Marilyn Brooks)

We each have situations in our lives when we can not help but worry. Worry comes from fear of the uncertainty in our lives.  Recently, our finances and theeconomy have been on the top of that worry list.  We may worry about our health, our family or employment.  This scripture is telling us that we have little faith when we allow ourselves to worry.  Psalm 62:8 says Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.   This is a perfect reminder to give our worries to God and trust in Him as He is in control and will protect us.  

Prayer: 

Father I am thankful for your faithfulness and love that you so graciously show us in your word.   Forgive me for my lack of trust when I worry about things.  Let me remember that there is nothing that you and I cannot handle together.  In Jesus name, Amen

Matthew 6:5-24

Matthew 6:5-24 (New International Version)

  ⁵"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you thetruth, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 ⁹"This, then, is how you should pray: 
   " 'Our Father in heaven, 
   hallowed be your name, 
 ¹⁰your kingdom come, 
   your will be done 
      on earth as it is in heaven. 
 ¹¹Give us today our daily bread. 
 ¹²Forgive us our debts, 
      as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
 ¹³And lead us not into temptation, 
   but deliver us from the evil one.' ¹⁴For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 ¹⁶"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

 ¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 ²²"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

 ²⁴"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)
In a world where we're told that we need the "latest and greatest", it can be hard to understand what it means to store up treasures in heaven. In the verses leading up to verse 19, Jesus talks about forgiveness, giving to those in need, and loving those who hate you.

Have you ever seen a relationship that was torn apart be restored? That's something to treasure. Or have you seen someone give generously out of compassion? That's something to treasure. Or have you ever taken a few moments to be still and think about how great God's love must be to have love and grace so great that it would cover all the ways I mess up? Those are moments to treasure.

When we're actively looking for ways to align ourselves with Jesus' teachings we find that it causes us to put down our own selfish tendencies, look outside of ourselves, and find treasure that is more valuable than anything money could buy.

Prayer
Dear God, help me to see the world the way that you do, unselfishly. Protect me from being drawn away by my own selfishness so that I can discover true riches. In Jesus name. Amen.

Matthew 5:38-6:4

Matthew 5:38-6:4 (New Living Translation)

 38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. 
Teaching about Love for Enemies
 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Matthew 6

   “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Devotional (by Jennifer Bennett)

One of the things I like about the Jar is that everyone is accepted and everyone is loved.  But what I like even more is that the people here want to help me grow…grow in my marriage, grow in my faith, grow in my knowledge of the Bible, grow in my relationships with others and with God.

It’s easy to hold a grudge.  It’s easy to look past the person on the street.  It’s easy to love my friends.  But God wants us to be better than that.  He knows it’s not easy to offer the other cheek.  He knows it’s not easy to forgive.  So, He sent us His son, Jesus, as a guide.

We’re not perfect….I’m not perfect.  We sin….I sin.

Next time I’m feeling like I want to lash out or be hateful toward someone, I’m gonna try to remember this passage.  Remember that God wants me to grow; He wants me to love.

Prayer:  
Dear Father, thank you for this passage.  Help me think of you in all I do.  Give me the strength to love and forgive.  Thank you for all your many blessings.  Amen.

Matthew 5:17-37

Matthew 5: 17-37 (NLT)

"Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 "But I warn you—unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!
21 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' 22 But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

23 "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. 26 I assure you that you won't be free again until you have paid the last penny.

27 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even if it is your good eye —causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even if it is your stronger hand —causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
31 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a letter of divorce.' 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say, don't make any vows! If you say, `By heaven!' it is a sacred vow because heaven is God's throne. 35 And if you say, `By the earth!' it is a sacred vow because the earth is his footstool. And don't swear, `By Jerusalem!' for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Don't even swear, `By my head!' for you can't turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, `Yes, I will,' or `No, I won't.' Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong.

Devotion (by Chris Bunch)
Chapters 5-7 are referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount” because Jesus gave this teaching on a mountainside. This teaching probably covered several days. Jesus’ central thought was to explain that the key to following God is not legalistic observance of the laws (rules)-------but it is an obedient relationship of loving and living for the one who knows you best and loves you most.
In this section of verses 17-37, the most difficult part for me to obey has been the section on anger (21-26). One of the biggest wrecking balls in the world is anger. It can tear some stuff up. It’s been known to tear up drywall, and doors and cars and clowns. It has been known to tear up families, and friendships and marriages. Companies and even churches. And you know what friends? It always flows from somewhere beneath. But, when it comes to the surface, it can become a lethal weapon.
Jesus understood this and that is why he shared these words on the mountainside: You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!
Jesus put anger and murder in the same category. He saw a direct connection that we usually deny. Whether we like to admit it or not, anger leads quickly to a whole range of emotions and actions. It can destroy anything and anyone against which it is directed------that is why the correlation to murder makes sense.
Have you been carrying any anger lately? Have you held a grudge longer than overnight? The Bible says this: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26). In other words, don’t go to bed with anger in your heart. Why not let go of your anger today and experience God’s peace?

Prayer:
God, thank you for not holding any anger toward us. Help us to release our anger to you and receive your peace. Give us the strength to do it this day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew 4:18-5:16

Matthew 4:18-5:16 (New Living Translation)

18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
Crowds Follow Jesus
23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,[a] Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

Matthew 5

1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[b]
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[c]
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you[d] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Teaching about Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Devotion: (by Jennifer Wilson)

In the Teaching about Salt and Light, Jesus says that we as believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I have often thought about the light illustration. God has blessed us with many talents and gifts. He has done so not for us to hide away with them but so that we might put them on display for others to see. Through our works and deeds and the way that we live our lives, others might come to know and seek God.
Previously I have focused on the light illustration and not given much thought to the salt illustration. In Jesus’ time, salt was considered very valuable. In this passage He is saying that we are valuable and treasured. Today salt is not considered a valuable commodity, however, it is what gives food its flavor and seasoning. In the same way, we the salt give life its flavor or meaning. Jesus was all about people- meeting them where they were, interacting with them, and trying to help them grow. As the salt of the earth, he calls us to do the same.

Prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for all that of the many blessings, gifts, and talents that you have given us. Please help us to be open this day to ways in which you call us to be used by others so that they might come to know you. Amen.