Author: SFJ Bible

Matthew 10

The Twelve Apostles

10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;¹ 4 Simon the Zealot,² and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’³ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,⁴ cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics⁵ or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant⁶ above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign⁷ those of his household.

Have No Fear

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.⁸ 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?⁹ And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever 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.

Rewards

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Footnotes

[1] 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus

[2] 10:4 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot

[3] 10:7 Or The kingdom of heaven has come near

[4] 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[5] 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

[6] 10:24 Or bondservant; also verse 25

[7] 10:25 Greek lacks will they malign

[8] 10:28 Greek Gehenna

[9] 10:29 Greek assarion, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)

(ESV)

Matthew 9

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing¹ their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus² reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast,³ but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly⁴ the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Footnotes

[1] 9:4 Some manuscripts perceiving

[2] 9:10 Greek he

[3] 9:14 Some manuscripts add much, or often

[4] 9:22 Greek from that hour

(ESV)

Matthew 8

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8:1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper¹ came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus² stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,³ ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel⁴ have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,⁵ two demon-possessed⁶ men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Footnotes

[1] 8:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[2] 8:3 Greek he

[3] 8:9 Or bondservant

[4] 8:10 Some manuscripts not even in Israel

[5] 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes

[6] 8:28 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons

(ESV)

Matthew 7

Judging Others

7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy¹ that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Footnotes

[1] 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Salt and Light (3-21-15)

Grab your Bible and let’s go deeper into Matthew 5

Matthew 5:13-16  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people ‘s feet.  14 “ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When you look today’s passage, You might say, Jesus doesn’t talk about himself here.  But he does.  He says that you and I are like a lamp that is to shine our light unto the world. Realize that A lamp can only hold light. Jesus Christ himself is the light of the world and you only shine light when you are lit by him!  Jesus says in John 8:12, I am the light of the world… In this he is saying, I am true hope and direction. In a dark room, The chair cannot show you the light but the light can show you the chair.

First and foremost we need to see Jesus in the passage!  

The light is the ultimate reality. Jesus is the only one making all things new by changing the way we see everything.

Jesus also said in John 14:6,  I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.  When you and I were dead in utter darkness because of our sin.  LIGHT became LIFE to us!  Jesus is LIFE.  He is the life everyone is desperate for.

The good news is this….  Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us (or transferred us) into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Praise God that Jesus took on our deepest darkness and forgave us all our sins.  Only Jesus Christ can turn the light on in your heart.  Only Jesus can transform you from your rotten decay in sin and make you new.

I was talking with a friend recently who was really feeling the utter despair of stumbling around in the darkness and the best counsel I could tell him was:  “STOP TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE DARKNESS by your own power.. Run to him who is the LIGHT.  Let him illuminate you by his mighty power.”

For those who are saved by Jesus, we are possessors of the light.   The question often asked is why doesn’t God just remove us from the darkness all together?

The answer is:   God has called us to be the lamp stand for the Light of Christ so that those his still intends to save will be brought in.  He has called us to be a city on a hill, to shine the light of Christ bright into the darkness because we have family who God is still preparing to enter his gates.

We must embrace the privilege it is to be called and empowered to shine bright.. to cast preserving Salt on this decaying society for God’s glory and others eternal good.

As Jesus gave his speech on the mount that day he is talking about what life in the Kingdom looks like.  In this passage Jesus is showing us what happens when you and I testify of Christ to those in our path. When we live out our call to be SALT AND LIGHT.

Three Realities that should play out.…

1. Salt and light expose decay and darkness.

There is a reason why those who are not believers in Christ often pull away in our presence.  Because we are so very different then they are.  In Christ, You are full of LIGHT.  Which is the very opposite of darkness. This is not because you are better then them.  It is because Jesus has taken a hold of your life.

NOW, the problem is in a world where our sin causes us to want to be accepted by everyone.. we can value man’s acceptance more than our responsibility to let Christ shine through us which will mean we are different.

Understand:  You can’t be bright in your testimony for Christ and at the same time blend into people’s lives who live in the darkness.  The Reality is: You can love them and be around them but you should stand out like a sore thumb.

Understand this is not a bad thing.  This is God’s design. This is how he brings hope.  Brings life!

What we have to realize is,  we don’t act or talk or live differently because we are better then them.

That is Religion.  That is Self Righteousness and by it no one is saved.

We act and live differently by the Grace of God which is Christ in and through us.

We are only who we are because of Jesus.   Our testimony is to make much of Jesus!

You have to constantly remind yourself of this.. when interacting with non-believers who live in darkness. You have to constantly say.. On my own, I am no different.  I am only different because of Christ.   It is His light that shines in and through me.   It is Jesus that these people need to see to have life.

2. If you are salt and light you bring JOY to people.

Salt is not just a Preservative.. it is a Seasoning.  It is a flavor enhancer.  I love Salt.  My wife says I love it too much.  But the truth is Salt makes most food more enjoyable.  There is a dual effect when Christians live evangelistic lives.

The first is the beauty that you show through your good deeds.. The light you shine into dark places can and does cause push back.. Which often equals very real persecution.  Making it hard and uncomfortable for those in the world to be around you.

BUT, there also is a Joy that Comes from a child of God.  A light Bearer!  This often means you are the one that makes that circle better.    You are the Joy of a particular group.  You are the stability of the neighborhood.   You are the glue in your family.  You are the go to person for help in your workplace. You are the one other club members want to lean on when in need.

A true Child of God who is salty is always looking to help improve the situation you find yourself in. To make it taste better.  To allow others to see and taste and experience the JOY of Christ who is at work in and through you.

Matthew 5:14 …A city on a hill cannot be hidden

Rural communities like the one Jesus speaks about here know how blinding darkness can be. Yet the glow of a city in the distance can give those living in the pitch black of night a sense of direction and bearing.   Two years ago, I took my new Road Glide to Kenny’s shop in Vegas.  On my ride home I was going through Mojave Desert at 11:00pm.  I did not realize how secluded I felt until all of the sudden I came over a ridge and saw something that gave me a sudden feeling of longing.    The Lights of civilization.  Before me was miles of red blinking lights.   I was overwhelmed with a joy and an anticipation.  This is the same feeling God gives to those that he is giving new birth in Christ.  All of the sudden they see through the darkness and the light of the city on a hill comes into view.

One of the ways, people notice the light we hold is by seeing our good deeds!  “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” Matt 5:16

The word “good” here is Kalos which means, Beautiful.  The question is:  When people see your deeds do they see the beauty of Christ, Do they say: “Amazing”?

Brothers:  There is a feast we have come to know in life with God.  A satisfaction in HIM.

A JOY that compares to nothing else.    If his selfless love is at work in us.. we will not HORD this feast for ourselves but will LONG to share it.  To Expose others to it.

Jesus is pleading with us in this passage.  Do not put your light under a basket.. but let it shine before MEN       <>Let your light shine before men=  we have to get out there!

Finally, Jesus says,

let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

God’s Glory…  Worship of God… is the ultimate reason why we are called to be Salt and LIGHT.

Is there a higher call we can be given?  May those we come into contact with one day worship our Father in heaven.

Missions exist because Worship doesn’t.

So we must go into all the earth and shine bright the light of Jesus.

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

National Chaplain