Scripture

At midnight the cry rang out: “Here is the bridegroom. Come out to meet him.”

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about being ready to meet Him.

Ten young women are waiting for a bridegroom. Five have brought spare oil for their lamps, but five have no oil. The bridegroom is late arriving and when he finally does arrive, the five foolish girls have to go and obtain oil for their lamps.

The bridegroom comes while the unprepared girls are absent. The wise girls accompany the bridegroom into the banquet but the others are locked out.

Application
The foolish girls in this story failed to provide for themselves what was needed in order to serve the bridegroom.

We must all make sure that our own relationship with God is right. Oil speaks of the Holy Spirit, light of the revelation of the gospel.

Nobody can rely on the faith of another person whether it be a parent, a spouse, a pastor or some other person. We all need our own relationship with the Lord, now before He comes.

Prayer
Father I pray for those who do not know you. May they have a revelation of your love and come into their own relationship with you. Amen.

Scripture

“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Observation
Jesus tells his followers that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law are the interpreters of the Law so it is right to obey their teaching. However they are hypocrites whose example must not be followed.

The teachers love attention and adulation. They love the titles of honour.

Followers of Jesus must not chase titles and positions. Rather Christian leaders must firstly be servants. Everyone who raises themselves up will be pulled down, but those who humble themselves will be lifted up.

Application
I noted just last night how nobody in our church calls me “Pastor.” The closest we get to a title is the kids who call me “Mr Keith.”

The fact is that nobody is any more exalted than anybody else in God’s Kingdom. Sure some have leadership roles, but that does not make them any more important than the people struggling to keep their life together.

To build true community means that we all have to be in it together. Nobody gets to be the boss, at least not in the sense of making burdens for other people to carry. A true leader listens to everyone’s opinion and then sets the direction.

We share the mission. We share the burdens. We share the decisions.

Prayer
Thank you Father for the gift of community, a body of followers of Jesus who commit to love you and each other. Please help those of us charged with leadership to always stay humble and focussed on serving you. Amen.

Scripture

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Observation

The Pharisees ask Jesus what is the greatest commandment in the Law. Jesus replies that there are two- love God and love your neighbour. Everything else depends on these two.

Jesus then asks them a loaded question: Whose son is the Christ? They answer “The son of David.” But Jesus then says, “How is that David calls him ‘Lord’?”

They could not answer this, and no one dared to ask Jesus any more trick questions from that day.

Application

You can’t fight God. It should be obvious, but many struggle against Him all their life.

The wisdom of the Lord is breath-taking. Every time people tried to pull Jesus down with clever words, He would spin it back at them.

If we follow Jesus and submit ourselves to His ways we will have the wisdom of the Creator on our side. If we resist Jesus we resist life by resisting God.

The choice is obvious.

Prayer

Father I praise you for your great wisdom. You know how our lives best work. Please help me to listen to you in everything I do. Amen.

Scripture

Then He said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Observation

The Pharisees and Herodians hatch a plot to trap Jesus with His words. They start with flattery before springing the trap: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?”

Jesus sees their evil intent, knowing that whichever way He answers will lead to trouble, either from the Roman authorities or the people.

He shows them a coin, asking whose portrait and inscription it bears. “Caesar’s”, they reply. He tells them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is due to God

Application

Jesus has a way of cutting through arguments, traps and paradoxes to get to the heart of issues.

In this case the issue is not about courting popularity and political clout, as the Pharisees and Herodians thought.

The issue, as is so often the case, is about where our heart priorities are.

The coins bear Caesar’s portrait and inscription, so he has the right to as many of them as he wants..

But people have been created in God’s image and bear God’s inscription, so we belong to Him.

Sure, pay your taxes. At the end of the day, that is all the government is entitled to. But give God your whole life. He made you and He deserves you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please show me what I am holding back from you and help me to give everything I am to your service. Amen.

Scripture

“For many are called but few are chosen.”

Observation
The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast prepared for the son of a king. The people who were invited refuse to attend.

The king sends servants to tell the invitees that the feast is ready, but they ignore them, some even killing the messengers.

The king then sends his army to kill the murderers and then sends his servant out to bring in people from the streets, all they can find.

One of the guests refuses to wear proper clothes, and is cast out to the outer darkness.

Application
God is determined to have a party for His Son.

The people who were first invited failed to recognise that Jesus is the Son and so God invited the whole world in to celebrate with Him.

Some refuse the call. Some even kill the messengers, but the party continues with all who will feast with the King.

Prayer
Lord, today I say “Yes” to your invitation. I say “Yes” to your Son. Amen.

Scripture

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

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who develops a vineyard with every conceivable facility and then leases it. When harvest time comes he sends some servants to collect his share of the harvest. The tenants beat up the servants and send them away, so the owner sends a bigger group of servants with the same result.

Finally he sends his son. The tenants think that by killing the son they will gain ownership of the vineyard.

Jesus asks his listeners what they think will happen next. They reply that he will kill the tenants and lease the vineyard to someone who will give him his share of the harvest.

The leaders realise that the parable is a word against them. Ironically they respond by wanting to kill Jesus, but they are afraid of the people.

Application
The Jewish leaders had been entrusted with leading God’s people. But they had broken this trust by using their position for their own gain. Jesus says they will be dealt with by God.

Christians can feel entitled in the same way that these leaders did. We can be tempted to feel that God is blessed to have such good people as us in His kingdom. We might feel that following Jesus makes us better than non-christians.

God will surely judge all forms of pride and self-righteousness.

Prayer
Father, show me if there is any attitude in me that is based in false pride. I repent of these things and ask for your forgiveness. Amen.

Scripture

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

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who employs labourers for his vineyard at different times of the day, promising to pay each one the same amount.

When the time comes to pay them, he arranges for the last employed to be paid first. The men who worked all day are outraged that they receive the same as those who worked just one hour.

The owner points out that they received what they agreed to. As the owner he can do what he pleases with his money.

Application
Grace can be annoying, especially when other people receive it. We think it’s fine for God to forgive us, but struggle to cope with the idea that God might also forgive paedophiles, murderers, sex traffickers and other really bad people.

This is the scandal of the cross- Jesus pays it forward for everybody.

Is it fair that some mass murderer confesses on his death bed and gets into heaven scot free?

Of course it’s not fair, and that is just the point. It’s not fair that God chooses to overlook my sin in the same way.

It has never been about justice. It’s all about God’s extravagant love.

Prayer
Father, your grace is truly amazing. I deserve nothing from you, but you give freely. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Observation
Peter asks Jesus how many times he is required to forgive someone who sins against him. He suggests seven times, but Jesus says “Not seven times but seventy times seven.”
Jesus then tells a parable about a man who is forgiven a huge debt by a king. The debt is so big that nobody could ever expect to pay it off, but the king forgives him. The man finds another servant who owes him a few thousand dollars and refuses to show the same grace that he has received. The result is that the king rescinds his previous decision and has the man thrown into prison.

Application
Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel. Firstly God forgives us of our entire catalogue of sin. Then he expects us to live out the same grace in our daily lives.
To harbour resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness is to show that we have not allowed the grace of God to deeply penetrate our hearts.
Forgiving other people is hard work. It goes against our human nature to do this. Most of us want to keep a record of wrongs to justify ourselves. The deeper the hurt we have suffered the longer it will take to move to the place of letting go.
God’s commandment is that we must love our enemies, and His kind of love keeps no record of wrongs.

Prayer
Father please help me to respond to your forgiving grace by forgiving those who sin against me. Rescue me from all forms of bitterness. Amen.

Scripture

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Observation
If another disciple sins against me, I should go privately and point out the offence. If this does not bring reconciliation, I should seek the help of another believer, and when all else fails take it to the whole church.
The sins we forgive on earth are forgiven in heaven. The sins we hold on to will also be held in heaven.
Whenever we meet together and pray in agreement, Jesus is with us and the Father will hear us.

Application
I am often amazed at Jesus’ commitment to unity in the church and our lack of interest in the same topic.
We often approach the Matthew 18 process as a means of punishment rather than a means of genuine reconciliation. What Jesus is getting at here is not so much a pathway to justice as a pathway for forgiveness.
Is this issue that offended me important enough to confront, or should I just let go of it? Do I want to escalate the conflict or will I forgive? Is this really important enough to take to the whole congregation or will I be called out for lacking grace?
When a brother/sister offends me and I can meet with him/her and pray with them with one heart, isn’t that the prayer that moves the Father?
This passage is not just about getting our prayers answered. It is about pursuing love in the church.

Prayer
Lord forgive me for holding on to petty offences and raising my imagined right to be offended above your command to forgive. Amen.

Scripture

“What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

Observation
Jesus begins to tell His disciples that He must suffer and be crucified, but on the third day He will rise from the dead.
Peter reprimands the Lord for this negative confession, but Jesus says, “Get away from me, Satan!”
Anyone who wants to follow Jesus must die to their old selves. To give up our life for Him is to save it, but to hold onto our life is to lose it.

Application
Everything about following Jesus us counter-intuitive. This is not because God’s ways are crazy, but because sin has so overturned our values that what seems right and natural is often wrong and sinful.
This is why Jesus was so strong in His rebuke of Peter. Peter was looking at things from a human point of view when a different (God) perspective was needed.
To follow Jesus means that God always comes first. We lay our lives at His feet and allow Him to determine the course of our lives.
In human terms this seems really stupid, but in God’s eyes there really is no other way.

Prayer
Show me your ways, Lord. Help me to live in that constant sense of being dead to my own ambitions and alive to your plans for me. Amen