"First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

Matthew 23

"First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

I pray all of the time to be a good father for Zach and Dustin...to focus on matters of the heart vs external matters.  Often I am not successful in my efforts.  Here I have a reminder to focus on what is important to Jesus - the matters of the heart.  And lest I forget, I must not only focus on the heart of children but also on the heart of Lisa and my own.

In particular for Lisa, I am reminded of Paul's words in Ephesians here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God as You have washed away my sins through Your suffering and death on the cross.  That You would do this for me is truly amazing.  I am not worthy of such a blessing.  I am selfish and I am lazy.  I am not obedient.  Thank You for everything You have done for me but I come to You empty handed...my worship is not only filthy rags, but I am dirty with sin. Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from this sin and help me be the man You intend for me....a humble and obedient servant that pleases you in the home, in the workplace, and in the community.

 

"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Matthew 23

"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." v12

This chapter offers up a lesson on humility as Jesus implores us to avoid the trappings of status and arrogance as this often leads to hypocrisy where one says one thing and does another.  Jesus points out that there is only one father:

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. v8-10

I must remain humble and focus on glorifying Jesus alone.

My Prayer: Lord, You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, creator of the universe and all its inhabitants.  You are pure, holy, blameless, and perfect.  Your design and Your will is perfect.  You don't need me at all yet You love me and died for me.  And You continue to be an active God and spirit in my life.  I am blessed beyond what my words can describe.  Jesus...I am not worthy of such love and blessing - I am angry, selfish, and impatient.  Yet You love me anyway...thank You Jesus.  I need Your forgiveness...help me turn from these sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me be the man You intend for me.

Matthew 22

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” v37-40

In the notes to scripture here, there is reference to both Deuteronomy 6:5 and Levitcus 19:18.  In Deuteronomy, scripture provides more details on this command should manifest itself in our lives:

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

An additional indicator would be "fruits of the spirit":

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

My Prayer: Lord, You are worthy of our love - creator of the heavens and earth and all inhabitants, all knowing and more powerful than death.  You are pure, holy, and blameless, and You are the vine of life.  And You died for me so that I could have forgiveness for my sins and eternity in heaven with You.  What rich blessings!  I am not worthy of such blessings.  I am full of anger, selfishness, and impatience.  Lord Jesus, I thank You that You have loved me anyway but I pray for Your forgiveness and I pray that You will help me turn from these sins.  Help me be the man You intend for me.

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

Matthew 22

 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” v14

I had to struggle a bit to more fully understand the Parable of the Wedding Banquet.  It's obvious that there are those in the world who choose not to accept and follow Jesus...and their destiny is known more well known.

There are also those come to the banquet as in v11 but choose not to attend "appropriately".  In the same way, as I have read in commentary here, many choose to follow Jesus but fail to deny themselves and be born again.  As Jesus says, for us to be born again we must shed our former self:

Neither do people 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.” Matthew 9:17

It is also stated here:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

My Prayer: Lord, I know You have prepared a great feast for me in heaven and I eagerly await the day when I can be with You in heaven forever. What a gift...and for such a price!  I am not worth the price You paid Lord Jesus.  I am too selfish.  I seek my own comfort.  Thank You that You have loved me Jesus thus far but PLEASE forgive me!  Help me turn from my selfishness.  Help me be the man You intend for me.

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'.

Matthew 21

‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes'.

Quoting Psalm 118, Jesus condemns the chief priests in the temple who are questioning Jesus' authority.  The challenge for me to consider is the extent to which I say I will serve yet I walk away and I don't....see the Parable of the Two Sons:

“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.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For 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. v28-32

My Prayer: Lord, You word is truth and there is no other source of life here on earth except You.  As it says in John 14:6, You are the way, and the truth, and the life.  You are pure, perfect, holy, blameless and the name above all names.  I can sit here all day and praise You but my praise is nothing.  Lord I am not worthy of Your presence or Your love.  Yet You love me anyway.  Thank You Jesus for Your love and Your death...all for me.  Please forgive me for my inability to love You with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength.  Help me love You with everything I have.  Help me please and glorify You with my life. Help me be the man You intend for me.

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” v22

There are moments in scripture I believe where it is very clear.  This seems to be one of them.  If you have a strong faith, God will answer Your prayers.  Now...having faith without doubt is likely to be very difficult.  However, we are all made in the image of God and created to glorify and please Him.

My Prayer: Lord, You are the Rock...the Rock of Ages.  You provide strength above all and see me through difficult times.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I spurn You. Thank You that You have loved me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and into Your arms.  Please grow in my heart and in my life.  Help me be more like You. 

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Matthew 20

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” v31

The blind men are clearly bold...ignoring the calls for others to be quiet and shouting "all the louder" for Jesus to heal them.  The question for me of course is how bold am I with Jesus...do I go big and do I ignore perhaps my own timidity and do I ignore my own fears of what others may say or think.  Do I have faith of a reckless abandon? 

First I must have faith...then I must bold with my faith - ignoring earthly views of my faith.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus what an amazing God You are...You are certainly the great healer, but You are compassionate for all of those who are afflicted as we all are sinners.  That You would die for me is amazing...thank You Jesus.  I am not worthy of Your love...I often spurn You.  I beg You Jesus to forgive me...and to help me turn from such dangerous sin.  I not only don't want to spurn You, I want to run to Your arms daily...I want to be at Your feet and to spend time with You and Your word.  Help me Jesus.

" Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20

^" Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” v26-28

Once again, Jesus implores me to be humble and to serve...regardless of my position at work or in the home.  Serve Jesus and serve others.

The question I must ask is how can I serve today?  What opportunities for service has Jesus put in my path today?

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, it is amazing that You - Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Creator of the Heaven and the Earth, came to earth to serve and You paid the ultimate price that we may live, not only for eternity with You in heaven but also free from sin here on earth.  You love me and that is without doubt.  But I am not deserving of what You have and continue to do for me...I am selfish, prideful, critical of others, etc....thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me turn from this sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me live and serve You and others humbly.

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Matthew 20

 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” v16

The above words appear almost verbatim both here and in the last chapter in verse 30.  As I continue to seek out jobs, I continue to think about my desires, my pride, my status, my will.  I compare myself to others....and on and on.  I strongly believe that Jesus wants me to focus more on His will and His desires for my life and if God brings me a new job it will be through His efforts not mine.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are indeed perfect - Your creation, plans, will...EVERYTHING.  And You are my God.  You love me...amazing!  You don't need me in Your kingdom but You sought me out, You died for me and You continue to be an active Holy Spirit in my life.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I worry, I am selfish, and I focus too much on myself.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me and help me turn from this sin.  Help me focus on Your will and Your desires.

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

Matthew 19

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." v30

I am aware that my focus should be Jesus...yet often my focus is on earthly matters...people, things, etc.  I should have peace.  I should not worry and I should focus on as Paul says is renewing of the mind:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.    Romans 12:2

Renewal of the mind implies going to God daily and sometimes more than daily to seek God's will and wisdom.

My Prayer: Lord, You are truth, and Your plans and will are both perfect and pure.  I have seen in my own life how a focus on You renews my mind and transforms both my heart and life - all for Your glory.  You are a great God with no equal.  I love You Jesus.  I am NOT worthy of all the blessing and love You have provided me.  I am selfish and I fail to fully forgive others as You command me to.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me fully forgive and not have a hardened heart towards anyone.  Help me forgive and love as You love me.  Help me be the man You intend for me.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” v35

Wow...piercing and challenging words from Jesus.  Of course we know that Jesus is FULL of mercy for us...we did not receive the punishment we deserve (wages of sin are death see Romans 6:23) but instead are forgiven.  This verse in Matthew 18:35 reinforces Matthew 6:14-15 where it says:

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

I am to forgive others just as Jesus forgave me.  This means letting go of all hardness in my heart.

My Prayer: Jesus, it is amazing that You have such mercy and compassion for Your children, even though Your children - myself of course included!  I am not worthy of such mercy and compassion.  I have hardness in my own heart.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me to not have a hardness of heart towards anyone for anything.  Help me love and forgive others just as You do.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Matthew 18

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” v19-20

I am well aware that God wishes for me to live my life in the company of other believers.  I must strive to find other believers with whom I can share more of my life.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have placed many people in life - divine appointments - that have been critical to my relationship with You.  You have blessed me enormously in this way.  I am not deserving of such love Jesus.  I am weak with my faith and I fail to share the gospel - even with my mom!  How stingy I am!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me be more bold and generous with my faith and with sharing my faith.

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire."

Matthew 18

 "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." v8-9

There are many influences in the world that cause believers to stumble..whether movies, TV, music, magazines, the Internet, people, etc.  Steps, for all practical purposes, need to be taken such that these influences are removed from your life.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and the creator of all good and perfect gifts...the heavens and the earth and everything in between from the beginning of time to the end of time in all the universe.  You don't need me at all yet You not only use me You redeem my sin for Your glory.  How amazing You are.  And You love me!  I am not worthy of such love Jesus because I neglect my relationship with You...I say I don't need You when I don't daily run to You.  Please forgive me for this sin and help me turn from this sin and help me grow in my faith, love, trust, and obedience of You.