Thursday Morning, 17 Oct 2019 – Matthew 23:1-22 ~ Blind guides!

Thursday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Guidance – Thursday)

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: Guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our lives we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Matthew 23:1-22 (NLT)

Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!

“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
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Morning Reflection:

Blind guides!

“What sorrow awaits you!” – Matthew 23:16 –

In today’s reading Jesus confronts the Pharisees – arbiters of religious observance- as hypocrites and blind guides. The irony of it all was In their attempt to honor the Word of God, they were actually farthest from God.

Hypocrites – they presumed to take on Moses’ teaching authority, however…

They don’t practice what they teach
They crush people with unbearable demands
They’re all show, self righteous attention seekers

Blind guides –

They rejected the Kingdom of heaven
They rejected Jesus’ kingdom authority
They did more harm than good in people’s lives
They misunderstood and misapplied Scripture
They led people to hell, over the cliff of legalism

Instead of serving people, they used their leadership positions to control them.
Jesus, by way of contrast in Matthew 20:27-29 (NLT).

“Whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Questions for consideration:

How would you assess the leaders of your faith community? Do they practice what the teach? Do they make excessive demands on you? Do they draw attention to themselves? Please explain.
How would you assess your faith community on a scale of 1 to 10 if legalistic were 1 and gracious were 10? Please explain.
Do you know anyone who has been harmed by the misunderstanding and misapplication of scripture? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer – For Inner Renewal Through The Word of God

Gracious God and most merciful Father, you have granted us the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word: Assist us with your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, to build us up and edify us into the perfect dwelling place of your Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

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“Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)” – Hillsong Worship (Germany)

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Wednesday Morning: 16 Oct 2019 – Matthew 22:23-46 ~ The Two Most Important Commandments

Wednesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for Grace – Wednesday)

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Matthew 22:23-46 (NLT)

Discussion about Resurrection

That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’ Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

“But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.

The Most Important Commandment

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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Morning Reflection:

The Two Most Important Commandments

“The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”
“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Pharisee asked Jesus another controversial question to which various Scripture experts gave various answers.

The rabbis documented 613 commandments in the Mosaic Law, 248 positive and 365 negative. Since no one could possibly keep them all, they divided them into “heavy” (more important) and “light” (less important). The Pharisees taught that the Jews needed to give attention to all the laws but particularly the “heavy” ones. This Pharisee was asking which of the “heavy” ones Jesus considered the “heaviest.”

To answer, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and then Leviticus 19:18.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (love God) is great because it is primary, i.e. our relationship with God.
Leviticus 19:18 (love People) is similar in character. i.e. our relationship with people.

The rest of the Old Testament hangs from or flows out of these two commandments. All the other laws deal with specific applications of one or the other of these two commands. The prophets consistently stressed the importance of heart reality with God and genuine love for one’s neighbor. Without these two commandments the Old Testament lacks unifying summaries.

Questions for consideration:

How can you put God first in your life? What would it mean for you to love God with all your heart, soul. and mind? What would change? Please explain.
How can you love people unselfishly? What would it mean for you to put someone else’s interests before your own? Who comes to mind? Please explain.
The New Testament also contains a large number of commands. Which ones are emphasized in your faith community? Which of these do you think is most important? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Of Confession – Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Of Pardon – If we confess our sins to him,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
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“You Don’t Love God If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor” – Rhonda Vincent

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Morning, 15 Oct 2019 – Matthew 22:1-22 ~ Come to the banquet!

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Matthew 22:1-22 (NLT)

Parable of the Great Feast

Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

“So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Taxes for Caesar

Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply amazed them, and they went away.
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Morning Reflection:

Come to the banquet!

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
– Matthew 21:14 –

Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a great wedding feast for a king’s son. All the preparations have been made and invitations have been sent out to his subjects but the message is treated with contempt, and in some cases the messengers are even killed. But the banquet is ready, the time is come; so the king fills his banquet hall with anyone the servants can find, good and bad alike. And what happened to those who rejected the invitation? They were destroyed. Jesus ends his illustration: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

What are we to make of this story living in and around unbelievers, in fact living in entire societies that have heard the call but have rejected Jesus?

Teaching point: Not all whom God has invited to the kingdom will participate in it. Only those who respond to God’s call and prepare themselves by trusting in Jesus will enjoy the feast.

Questions for consideration:

Can you think of a person who has heard the Good News, but is unrepentant – who has rejected Jesus? Please explain.
Reread the illustration of the Great Feast. How many chances did the king give his invited guest to respond?
What were some of the reasons they gave for rejecting the king’s invitation? Please explain.
How do these excuses relate to people who reject Jesus today? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer: For the Unrepentant –

Merciful God, you desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn to you and live; and through your only Son you have revealed yourself as the God who pardons iniquity. Have mercy on the unrepentant and those who do not believe, [especially…]. Awaken in them, by your Word and Holy Spirit, a deep sense of their sinfulness and peril. Take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word. Grant them to know and feel that there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved, but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so bring them home and number them among your children, that they may be yours for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

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“Come To The Table” – Sidewalk Prophets

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Monday Morning, 14 Oct 2019 – Matthew 21:28-46 ~ Christ the Cornerstone.

Monday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening – A Collect for the Renewal of Life (Monday)

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Morning Reading – Matthew 21:28-46 (NLT)

Parable of the Two Sons

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

“Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Parable of the Evil Farmers

“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

“Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

“But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.

“When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’

I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.
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Morning Reflection:

Christ the Cornerstone

‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’
– Psalm 118:22-23 –

I don’t think I’ve ever thought of Jesus as a dangerous person. But in today’s allusion to the “cornerstone” (foundation of a building), or “capstone” (top of a building), rejection of Jesus has serious consequences – they stumble over him and are broken, or are crushed when he falls on them.

As in the illustrative stories Jesus told –

listeners still have time to repent and believe – they may have said “No” to Jesus earlier, but it’s not too late to change their minds.
societal status is of no benefit in his Kingdom – outcasts who repent and believe are welcome, while the in crowd who reject Jesus are banned.

In both cases the issue is our willingness to submit to Jesus’ authority – over all things,especially over our daily lives as Kingdom people.

Questions for consideration:

When you think of Jesus’ authority over your life, what comes to mind? Please explain.
How is Jesus’ authority a comfort / a challenge to you? Please explain.
When you think of people who have rejected Jesus’ authority, who comes to mind? Please explain.
If rejection of Jesus leaves one broken or crushed, how then should we pray – for ourselves / for others? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer: For Christ to be the Cornerstone of our lives –

Lord Jesus, we want you to be the Cornerstone of our lives, now and always.
+ We have professed our faith in you, and we want to make you first in our lives.
+ Strengthen us by the power of your Word and Spirit to live lives that honor and bless you.
+ We welcome your presence into every aspect of our lives- our thoughts, our decisions, our actions.
+ Thank you for seeking and saving us; we love you because you first loved us. It’s all too wonderful.
Lord Jesus, we pray that we would become living stones that glorify your name. Amen.

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“Cornerstone “ – Hillsong Worship

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

18th Sunday after Pentecost, 13 Oct 2019, Luke 17:11-19 ~ give glory to God!

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

O God, our life, our health, our salvation – look with mercy on your people. Stir up in us a saving faith, that believing, we may be healed, and being healed, we may worthily give you thanks. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” – Nathan and Christy Nockels

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Gospel Reading: Luke 17:11-19 (NLT)

Ten Healed of Leprosy

Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
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“Goodness Of God” – Bethel Music

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Intercession:

Faithful God: Your goodness exceeds all our expectations. Hear our prayers on behalf of those who need your mercy and help. We pray especially –

+ For an end to the war in Syria, that you would move hearts to bring an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East… Lord, hear us.

+ For Christians caught in the crossfire, that you would protect them and restore their families and communities… Lord, hear us.

+ For missionaries working in every country, that you would enable them to bear the hardships which come with that task… Lord, hear us.

+ For all those seeking the truth, that every believer would be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us… Lord, hear us.

+ For rich and poor alike who suffer sickness and disease around the world, that they would be able to receive appropriate medical help and healing… Lord, hear us.

+ For all those who suffer isolation, as the lepers once did, that nothing may deprive them of the support of Christians… Lord, hear us.

Faithful God: Your goodness exceeds all our expectations. Thank you for the assurance of eternal life that we have through faith in Jesus Christ; if we die with him, we will also live with him. Work your wonders and attend to the needs of your people; and bring your Salvation to the ends of the earth through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Press On – Selah

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Closing: Ephesians 3:20-21 ((NLT)

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

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