Category Archives: Devotions from the Gospels

Eradicating Wild Lilies

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“If your Brother sins against you…” Matthew 18:15 ESV1

Read Matthew 18:15-22

When we first moved to our house, I purchased and planted hostas with pretty, bright-green leaves. To complement them, I planted live-forevers which I brought from our previous home and irises that a new neighbor gave me. It was the beginning of a beautiful flower bed, but there was still much open space. So, each Spring, I would add many annual plants like geraniums, marigolds, and impatiens. With consistent watering and weed pulling, I had a flower bed that earned me many compliments.

But the constant work was tiring. I thought if I added more perennials to my flower bed, I wouldn’t have to work so hard. So, one day, when I noticed wild lilies flourishing along the roadside near my home, I thought I had found exactly that for which I was looking. I was excited about the thought of planting fewer annuals. I imagined how the bright orange of the lilies would complement the purple hues of my other perennials.

Something in my spirit told me not to dig up those wild, roadside lilies and add them to my flower bed, but I justified my actions. It was not like the lilies belonged to anyone, and no one would notice or even care if I took them. So, I ignored that still, small voice warning me, and I added the wild lilies to my flower bed.

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Who’s Your Daddy?

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“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4 ESV1

Read Matthew 18:1-14, Mark 9:33-50 & Luke 9:46-50

In my life, I have worn a variety of hats. My different responsibilities have put me in positions where I have observed many arguments. Some of these arguments have been laughable, others hurtful. Many were passionate discussions which worked out themselves; others become quite heated and needed intervention.

When working with people, it doesn’t take long to discover competition is part of the human make up. We instinctively want to be on top. We tend to assume we are right, and when there are conflicts, we feel others must be wrong. We humans continually evaluate where we fit in any given group. From the time we are children, we compare ourselves and consciously (or unconsciously) compete in attempts to be the best, the fastest, the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, etc.

An argument common among young boys takes the competition past their own abilities and focuses on the attributes of their fathers. It is not unusual, from time to time, to hear a boy exclaim, “My daddy is stronger than your daddy!” The argument need not necessarily focus on strength; maybe a boy claims his father is smarter, or richer (or any other appropriate adjective) than the fathers of those around him. But the statement is always made with the child’s confident expectation that his assertion will put him on top and finalize the argument.

Once, when Jesus’ twelve closest disciples were arguing among themselves, Jesus extinguished the heated debate by drawing their attention to the greatness of His Father.

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A Little Change and Much Change

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Jesus said to [Peter], … “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to [the collectors of the two-drachma tax] for Me and for yourself.” Matthew 17:26b & 27b ESV1

Read Matthew 17:24-27

My favorite motion pictures are those which are based on true events. Because they deal with real people overcoming genuinely insurmountable challenges, these movies inspire me. They give me the confidence to believe that if these ordinary people with extraordinary character can prevail in such difficult circumstances, maybe I, too, can make a difference in the situations which I face.

Often these films conclude with photos of the actual people on whose lives these stories are based. Some directors are better than others at choosing actors who authentically represent the physical characteristics of those they are portraying. But what about films depicting the events surrounding Jesus’ earthly ministry? Almost every such movie I have ever seen characterizes Jesus’ twelve closest disciples as older men—some balding, others with salt and pepper hair and beards, and still others with ample waistlines. We don’t have any photographs to make comparisons, but I don’t believe The Twelve looked like that at all!

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A Little Encouragement Here, Please

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“This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Matthew 17:5b ESV1

Read Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 & Luke 9:28-36

When we talk about mountain top experiences, we speak of times in which we were inspired, times when we had revelations, or times that were unusually enjoyable. Like the strenuousness required to climb a mountain, such experiences are extra satisfying, because they usually come after times of difficulty. Mountain top experiences are not everyday occurrences; they are something special, something out of the ordinary, and something to be remembered. Today, we will consider a mountain top experience which solidified the faith of some of the disciples, but, more importantly, one which empowered Jesus to continue on the path set before Him. Continue reading →

We Have the Key

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“I will give you the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” Matthew 16:19 ESV1

Read Matthew 16:18-19

If you are a Christian, striving to know Jesus better and consistently reading The Holy Bible, you probably believe that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But that doesn’t mean you always understand what you read. If you are like me, there are times when you read something that is so above your head that it doesn’t even seem worth trying to contemplate. Consequently, you are tempted to close your Bible, get up, and move on with your day without giving what you read another thought. Today’s passage has been for me one of those seemingly incomprehensible texts.

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Who Told You That?

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He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in Heaven.”  Matthew 16:15-17 ESV1

Read Matthew 16:13-23, Mark 8:27-33 & Luke 9:18-22

What do you believe about yourself? Who told you that? What do you feel about others? Why do you feel that? What do you think about right and wrong? How did you come to that conclusion? What do you believe about God? Why do you believe that? Who do you say Jesus is? Why do you say that?

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Finding Balance

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Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6 ESV1

Read Matthew 16:5-12 & Mark 8:14-21

Have you noticed, as humans, we tend to live in the extremes? Like the pendulum of a clock, we swing from one thing to another. It is difficult for us to find balance in all the areas of our lives simultaneously. If we do ever achieve equilibrium, we soon realize it is impossible to sustain. This truth reminds me of something Jesus told His disciples.

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Here’s Your Sign

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The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from Heaven to test Him. Mark 8:11 ESV1

Read Matthew 12:38-42, 16:1-4 & Mark 8:11-13

Have you seen the billboard which reads, “If you are looking for a sign, this is it!”? Perhaps you have seen something similar on a wall plaque or in an advertisement. Jesus could have invented that saying! Whether a person knows it or not, He is the One for whom everyone is ultimately looking. And yet, He is the One who is continually asked to prove Himself. Such was the case if the following account.

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Heart Condition

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“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:19-20 ESV1

Read Matthew 15:1-2, 10-20 & Mark 7:1-5, 14-22

My son was born with a heart defect. Because of his condition, we learned that some of the bacteria which dwell in one’s mouth would like to thrive in one’s heart. Bacteria that causes little problem in the mouth can cause serious, life-threatening infections in the heart. To prevent such complications, when my son was young, he always had to take an antibiotic before he went to the dentist. Similarly, not only does a mouth and heart connection exist in the physical realm; it exists in the spiritual realm, as well.

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We’ve Got a Problem

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For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die,’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ Matthew 15:4-6a ESV1

Read Matthew 15:1-9 & Mark 7:1-13

We’ve got a problem in the church, at least in the United States of America. Wives are lonely, and children are being neglected so husbands and fathers can hold leadership positions. Children are running unsupervised through church buildings several nights a week so their mothers can practice with bands which must perform at three services each weekend. Young mothers are living in exhausted frustration because they have no help and no mentors. Retired people are squandering their time in coffee clutches and meaningless activity only to feel utterly useless. Seniors are forsaken, wasting away in nursing homes. The list goes on.

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