Matthew 15:1-20 Truth: He Rejected Jewish Tradition

My commentary said to note three requests and three replies in this section.  The scribes and Pharisees had actually united for this attack and traveled a good distance from Jerusalem together to do so.  They made accusations about "washing hands" that dealt not with cleanliness, but with "ceremonial washings of the rigidly orthodox Jews."  Jesus and his disciples were mingling with outcasts and not even attempting to become purified.  They "were forcing Jesus to deal with the very foundation  of their religious faith ... These traditions were originally the oral law that (said the rabbis) Moses gave to the elders, and they passed down to the nation ... it had become more important and more authoritative than the original law of Moses."

Jesus charged them with "breaking God's law by practicing their traditions! ... Jesus made it clear that obedience to tradition made a person disobedient to the Word of God, and this proved the tradition to be false ... People obey tradition to please men and gain status, but we obey the Word to please God.  Tradition deals with ritual, while God's truth deals with reality.  Tradition brings empty words to the lips, but truth penetrates the heart and changes the life ... God wants us to give Him our hearts, and not just our lip service."

The second request came from the disciples, fearful of the wrath of the Pharisees and needing clarification from Jesus.  "They were astounded by what He taught about foods, and they were afraid of the Pharisees," but Jesus pointed out that they were the blind leading the blind.

Peter asked for further clarification, and that's where Jesus told them that food never touches the heart.  "But what comes out of the mouth BEGINS IN the heart, and these things defile a person."

Father, help me to guard my words so that I may not sin against You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 14:22-36 Jesus Displays Concern And Caring During A Storm

This section tells the story of Jesus walking on water, and Peter also doing it for a little bit, during a storm.  In my commentary, it said, "When we find ourselves in the storm because we have obeyed the Lord, we must remember that He brought us here and He can care for us."

Additionally, it listed specifically what we should know about His care and concern for us:

1)  He brought me here.

2)  He is praying for me.

3)  He will come to me.

4)  He will help me grow.

5)  He will see me through.

An important point it made was this:  "Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence."  Wow!

Father, help me to obey what I clearly hear You saying to do.  Like the song says, if creation obeys You, so will I.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 14:1-13 Jesus Begins Withdrawing

My commentary says that chapters 14-20 deal with times when Jesus "withdrew from the crowds and spent time alone with His disciples."  In these verses, Jesus learned of John the Baptist's death at the hands of Herod Antipas.  It listed His reason for withdrawing not as grief, but as caution.

"He quietly withdrew from that area and went to a lonely place.  He lived according to a divine timetable, and He did not want to deliberately provoke trouble with Herod.  because Herod's agents were all around, the Lord had to exercise wisdom and caution."

Jesus did all He did with purpose.  Just because He was the Son of God, He didn't choose to flaunt it.  That would be playing right into Satan's hands and falling for the temptations Satan had presented to Him in the wilderness.  Jesus was much smarter than that.

Father, please always stop me when You see me being tempted to do something that isn't in Your divine timetable for my life.  Don't let me foolishly decide to do anything to You say is wrong.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 13:44-58 Some Easy-To-Misinterpret Parables

My commentary turns simplistic explanations of Jesus' next parables on their heads.  Many believe that the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl are meant to tell us the incredible value of discovering Christ, but that's not the case, it says.

"To begin with, Jesus Christ is not a hidden treasure.  He is perhaps the best-known person in history.  In the second place, the sinner cannot find Christ for he is blind and stubborn.  It is the Savior who finds the lost sinner.  And no sinner could ever purchase salvation."  Instead, it explains:  "The treasure is the nation of Israel ... It became a nation hidden, a treasure not being invested to produce dividends for God ... The nation suffered judgment and seeming destruction, but in God's sight it is hidden and will be revealed again in glory."

In much the same way, the parable of the pearl of great price has been misinterpreted.  "The pearl represents the church ... Unlike most gems, the pearl is a unity -- it cannot be carved like a diamond or an emerald.  The church is a unity, even though the professing church on earth is divided.  Like a pearl, the church is a product of suffering.  Christ died for the church, and His suffering on the cross made possible her birth.  A pearl grows gradually, and the church grows gradually as the Spirit convicts and converts sinners ... Christ is forming His church.  He sold all that He had to purchase His church, and nothing Satan can do will cause Him to fail."

Finally, the dragnet parable shows that "the preaching of the gospel in the world does not convert the world.  It represents the saved Gentile nations.  At the end of the age, God will separate the true believers from the fake and the good from the bad."  

Thanks for reminding me of what You'd already shown me, Father.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 13:24-43 Three More Parables

In our era of modern farming, weeds are still a problem in wheat fields.  Unlike cotton, which is planted in rows, wheat is broadcast, leaving no bare ground one can use to transport spray rigs without damaging the crop.  It would really be a sorry enemy who would sow weeds in another's field!

My commentary said that Satan is primarily an imitator:  He plants false Christians, he encourages a false growth, and he introduces false doctrine ... he can't uproot true Christians, so he plants counterfeit Christians in their midst."  Here, good seed represents true Christians, and the field is the world.  Christ is planting us where He intends us to grow and bear fruit.  "We must stay awake to make sure that Satan's ministers do not get into the true fellowship and do damage."

In the parable of the mustard seed, my commentary said Jesus didn't explain this parable, so we must use what He did explain in the other parables to find its meaning.  In Matthew 13:19, birds represented Satan.  In Daniel and, a tree is a symbol of world power.  "These facts suggest that the parable teaches an abnormal growth of the kingdom of heaven, one that makes it possible for Satan to work in it."

The "leaven" parable "illustrates the inward development of false doctrine and false living ... sin is like leaven (yeast):  It quietly grows, it corrupts, and it puffs up."

Thanks for these warnings, Father.  Give me discernment to discover what is so very easy for You to see.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 13:1-23 The First Of Seven Interrelated Parables

Jesus started a series of seven interrelated parables, then added an eighth, my commentary began, with which he explained the course of the gospel in the world.  He said that many would not understand, but "Jesus did not teach in parables to confuse or condemn the people.  Rather, He sought to excite their interest and arouse their curiosity."

The same message delivered to many people will produce differing results, based on the condition of their hearts.

Sometimes we forget to do the math, and here's something I hadn't taken into account:  "It is shocking to realize that three-fourths of the seed did not bear fruit.  Jesus did not describe an age of great harvest, but one in which the Word would be rejected ... He knew that most of the people would not receive His Word within and bear fruit."

We think of the sun as essential for crops, but "in the parable, the sun represents persecution that comes because of the Word.  Persecution helps believers grow.  But the sunshine will kill a plant with no roots.  This explains why some believers do not last.  Their faith was weak, their understanding was meager, and their decision was not sincere.  It is possible to believe and yet not be saved (John 2:23-25).  Unless there is fruit in the life, there is not saving faith in the heart."

Father, show me through these upcoming parables more about my own faith and the fruit that I should produce.  And thank You for showing me that persecution helps us grow in You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Matthew 12:22-37 Rebellion Against His Power

The Pharisees accused Jesus of using the power of Satan to heal a blind and mute man possessed by a demon.  Jesus pointed out how illogical their statements were.  Satan would effectively be fighting against himself!  My commentary said, "Jesus was able to cast out demons because He had first defeated Satan ... Jesus entered Satan's kingdom, overcame his power, and claimed his spoils ... God is Victor over Satan.  Men must decide on whose side they will stand.  There can be no compromise.  We are either with God or against God."

"Jesus warned them that their words gave evidence of the evil in their hearts ... The phrase idle word in verse 36 means words that accomplish nothing.  If God is going to judge our small talk, how much more will He judge our deliberate words?  It is by our conversations at unguarded moments that we reveal our true character."

Regarding the unpardonable sin, my commentary said when the leaders rejected John the Baptist, they were rejecting the Father.  When they rejected Jesus, they were rejecting the Son.  "But when they rejected the ministry of the apostles, they rejected the Holy Spirit -- and that is the end.  There is no more witness.  Such rejection cannot be forgiven." 

Father, guard my words at all times.  Purify my heart so that there will be no chance that my small talk will point people away from You and what You are doing.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford