Scripture

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law – justice, mercy, and faith .”

Observation

Jesus launches into a series of judgements against the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

Firstly, Jesus condemns them for shutting the door of the Kingdom in people’s faces. There ffalse teaching and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah means they will be judged by the Father.

Next, they are condemned for travelling to make converts, but because of their false teaching, they lead their converts to hell.

Then Jesus condemns their false teachings about swearing oaths. Some oaths were binding, but others had loop holes to allow one to escape from having to keep the oaths.

Application

Legalism is a stumbling stone for many believers. We can get so wrapped up in making sure that we are faithful to God that we miss the point.

The Pharisees apparently tithed to the last cent. They counted the money that they made from the herb gardens and tithes on that. They wanted to make sure they were on God’s good side.

God loves us whether we tithe or not. Tithing is meant to spur us to a lifestyle of generosity. Why stop at 10%? Why not give 15 or 20%? If we understand the generosity of God’s grace to us, we will give freely and recklessly.

Tithing is not about paying a debt to God. No, it is recognising that Jesus has paid our debts; we don’t have to try to impress God any more and so we can go beyond tithing.

The Pharisees saw God as a righteous God who must be placated. Jesus taught us to see God as a loving Father who gives us more than we deserve.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to appreciate your grace towards me and to show grace to those around me. 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

The Pharisees and teachers of the law of Moses are the interpreters of the law so the crowds should listen to what they say. They should not be imitated, though,as they are hypocrites and do not follow their own teaching.

These people put religious burdens on people. They show off their virtues in the way they dress, and they claim the places of honour at banquets .

We are not to bestow high titles such as Rabbi, Teacher, or Father, on one another. We are all equally deserving of honour in God’s Kingdom.

The greatest among us must be a servant to others. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Application

In contrast to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, we are meant to be humble in all things. We shouldn’t seek titles and ministries. These will find us.

The path to promotion is through humility and service. This is true of the church, but it is also true of the world. The popular political leaders are those who serve the people rather than themselves. We feel instinctively that these people understand us better and are therefore more qualified to lead us.

In the church, it is the pastors who are prepared to do manual tasks who our loved by their people. Those who think themselves too good to sweep the floor will be of no use to the church.

When people promote themselves and their gifts ahead of everybody else, we are wise to ignore them. Such people can be arrogant or insecure. The way to promotion for both types of people is to serve first, and then allow their gift to flourish in the context of serving the community.

If you are feeling overlooked in the church, you should seek to serve in whatever way you can. God sees you. God has placed you where you are.Take the nature of a servant and let God raise you up in His way .

Prayer

Please help me Father to always be humble and to trust in your love for me. Amen.

Scripture

Jesus replied,“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Observation

The Pharisees come to question Jesus some more. An expert in the law asks Jesus what is the most important commandment? Jesus tells him we must love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul. The second commandment is to love our neighbour as ourselves. The whole law rests on these two commandments.

Then Jesus asks for the Pharisees: if the messiah is the Son of David then why does David call him “my Lord”?

No one could answer Jesus’ questions so they knew they could not test him with their own questions.

Application

Love is at the heart of the gospel. God loved us and so this calls forth a response of love for Him.

The word love is agape which means unconditional and selfless love. God loves us because He is love, and He cannot help but love. He loves us because He places an infinite value on us.

For this reason, we must love our neighbours as we love ourselves. God places an infinite value on other people, so I must recognise that and love them as God loves them. This applies to those who are born again as well as to those who are not.

This is an impossible commandment to fulfil in our own ability. We need God’s love, God’s Holy Spirit, dwelling in us in order to love God and our neighbours.

So we pursue God because He loves us. He enables us to love Him freely, and the overflow of this love is expressed in love to others.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your love for me. Help me to love you and to know you, and may that love multiply as it flows out to the to the people in my street, at work, or at school. Amen

Scripture

Jesus replied, ”Your mistake is that you don’t know the scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.”

Observation

The Pharisees and Herodians decide to trap Jesus. After buttering him up with flattery, they ask Him, is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? Jesus replies by telling them to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to give God what belongs to God.

Later on the same day, the Sadducees decide to test Jesus also. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Their question concerns the law that says a wife whose husband dies should be cared for by his brothers. So, in the resurrection that they do not believe in, they ask, ”Whose wife will she be?”

Jesus’ response is quite blunt. These men neither know the Scriptures nor the God they claim to serve. The resurrection life is very different to this life, and so there is no marriage in heaven. Everything is at a whole different level of existence.

Application

There are many christians, including leaders, who know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Some people, for example, see the church as a meeting place for good people. They have been saved by Jesus, and now live such holy lives that sinners are not welcome in their midst.

Some denominations teach that there is no place for spiritual gifts today. The completion of the New Testament rendered the power of the Holy Spirit outdated and irrelevant. These people deny the poser of god, but they also are ignorant of the Scriptures which do not teach anywhere that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a transient thing.

We must approach God and other people with humility. I do not have all the answers, and I do not lead a perfect life.

We should see the church not s a meeting place for righteous people, but rather as a collection of sinners redeemed by grace and always open to more redeemed sinners.

Prayer

Father, please set me free from all pride and arrogance. Help me to understand you more and to rejoice in your power to change lives. Amen.

Scripture

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

Observation

Jesus tells a parable about a king who prepares a great wedding feast for his son. He sends messengers to summon the guests, but they all refuse to come. The king sends more messengers, but again the invitation is ignored, and some guests even kill the servants.

The king is furious. He sends his army to destroy the towns of the murderers. Then he sends out his servants to bring in everybody they can find to celebrate the wedding.

The king notices a man without appropriate clothing. He orders the servants to throw this man at into the darkness.

Jesus concludes with the words,“Many are called but few are chosen.”

Application

The king in this story invites people to come and celebrate his son’s wedding. The people who were invited refused to come, so he invites more people in. Even among the late batch of invitees there is at least one person who is refusing to honour the king.

The nub of this parable is this: Regardless of whether you are Jewish or Gentile, you are invited to be a part of God’s Kingdom. However, there is a prerequisite that you must honour the king.

A heart attitude of rebellion against God will see you thrown out of the Kingdom on the day of judgement.

Many people hear the call of the gospel, the call to follow Jesus. Some reject it outright. Others say,“yes” but their hearts remain heard towards God. Perhaps they want to be safe from the fires of hell, but have no real relationship or love for God .

God is calling everyone to be a part of the kingdom. Very few will respond and enter it.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are my king. I give my life into your hands and I trust you to bring me into full salvation. Amen

Scripture

“I tell you the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

Observation

Jesus tells a story about a land owner who plants a vineyard, builds a wall and a wine press, and then leases it to share farmers.

When the time comes for harvest, he sends servants to collect his share of the harvest. The share farmers kill them, so the owner of the vineyard sends a bigger group of servants but with the same outcome. Finally he sends his own son. The farmers reason that if they kill the son, they will keep the estate. So they murder the owner’s son.

Jesus asks the Pharisees what happened next. They reply that the owner will kill the farmers and lease the land to some people who will give him his share of the harvest.

Jesus then says that the Kingdom will be taken away from these people and given to a nation that will produce fruit.

The priests and Pharisees then realise that the story was aimed at them.

Application

If we stumble over the stone that the builders rejected and later became the cornerstone, then we will be destroyed by that same stone.

This seems to be a harsh word. Jesus wants us to know that our choice, either for him or against him, carries grave consequences.

Jesus did not only bring salvation into the world, but also judgement for those who reject him (john 3:16-18)

If we are drowning in a river, an approaching rescue boat will bring salvation. We might take offence at the colour of the boat or the person driving it, and choose death rather than life. Them eans of Salvation then becomes the sign of judgement against our own choice.

Our eternal salvation depends on the choice that we make now – to follow Jesus or to follow our own way.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for saving me even though I did not deserve it. May I produce the fruit worthy of salvation. Amen.

Scripture

“Did John’s authority to baptise come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

Observation

Jesus returns to the Temple, and the priests and elders demand to know by what authority He is teaching and performing miracles. Jesus replies with another question: Did John’s authority come from heaven or from men? The leaders are unable to answer this question because they are afraid of people’s reactions.

Jesus then tells a parable about two sons. Their father asks them to go and work in his vineyard. One son says, “Yes” but doesn’t go out, but the other son says “No” but later changes his mind to go out anyway.

Jesus goes on to say that the tax collectors and prostitutes will go into the kingdom of heaven ahead of the religious leaders, because they repented but the leaders refused to do so .

Application

Religious people can get hung up about who can do what in the church. Can women preach? Can lay people lead the sacraments?

We need a certain amount of order in any human organisation, even the church. but that is human authority not heavenly authority.

The Jewish leaders were obsessed with which rabbi Jesus learnt his teachings from. They could not, or would not, see that his authority was not like the rabbis but from the Father.

He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He passes that authority onto us, the church.

Specifically, Jesus authorises ass to go and make disciples of the nations, to teach them what He has shown us, and to baptise. He has authorised us to heal the sick and cast out demons, as well as preaching the good news.

As believers, we need to claim that authority that Christ has given us and to use it daily for the glory of our Father.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the authority that comes from heaven to me. Please help me to understand this and to use it. Amen.

Scripture

“You can pray for anything, and if you have have faith, you will receive it.”

Observation

This follows on from the cleansing of the Temple. Now, the blind and the lame come to Jesus, and He heals them. The children in the Temple are crying out, “Praise God (literally, Hosanna) for the Son of David!” The leaders are indignant.

The next morning, as Jesus returns to Jerusalem from Bethany, He sees a fig tree. He expects to find some figs. When he discovers the tree has no fruit, he curses it, and it withers immediately.

Jesus tells His disciples that if they have faith and do not doubt, they can do things like this. We can pray for anything by faith and receive it.

Application

Jesus says things that seem too definite, too open-ended for our taste. We always want to hedge His promises and water them down.

Jesus says that we can pray for anything and, if we have faith, we will receive it. There are no limitations, no ifs and maybes. It is like this: Faith → prayer → receive

He isn’t promising to fill our selfish desires or to grant what is physically impossible such as the ability to leap safely from tall buildings.

Faith is about trusting in Jesus, and that is based in relationship. The promise is not a blank cheque to get everything that we think we should have. It is more of a promise that what we need in our walk with Jesus, He will supply.

Prayer

Lord, I believe, please increase my faith. Amen.

Scripture
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed behind shouted,”Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Observation
At the town of Bethphage, Jesus sends two of the disciples ahead to collect a donkey and its colt. He tells them that if anyone asks what they are doing, they should say, “The Lord needs them.”

This is done in order to fulfil the prophecy of Zechariah chapter 9 .

Jesus rides the donkey into Jerusalem, and the crowds cheer him on. They spread their clothes and palm branches on the road.

Jesus goes to the Temple and drives the money changers and sacrificed sellers away. He says to them, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.

Application
The crowds shouted praises to the Lord. Yet shortly, in a matter of days, some of the same people, at the stirring of the scribes and Pharisees, would be calling for his death. How can this be?

Some, no doubt, had no clue about what was really happening or who Jesus was. They were just there for the spectacle. There are people in churches all over the world who have no clue about who they claim to be worshipping. They praise God with their lips, but not with their hearts.

There would have been true followers of Jesus in this crowd. They would be devastated by the events of Holy Week, but then set on fire by the resurrection.

There were some in the crowd who were looking for the wrong Messiah. They were hoping that Jesus would save the nation from its occupation by the Romans. The term “Hosanna” had been used as a nationalistic cry for a long time. The Son of David, of course, was the heir to David’s throne. Jesus was this Messiah also, but his main purpose was to free humanity from the power of sin.

Prayer
Father, your love for us is so great that you keep pouring affection onto us even when we don’t understand it. Please help me to draw near to you by faith. Amen

Scripture

“Lord,” they said,“we want to see.”

Observation

Jesus and the disciples leave Jericho. Two blind men sitting by the road call out to Him.

The crowd tries to quieten them, but they persist in calling for Jesus to have mercy on them.

Jesus asks them what they want from Him. They reply that they want to see. Jesus is moved with compassion. He touches their eyes and immediately they can see.

Application

I am often amused by the way Jesus asks people watch they want of him. These men were blind, so it should be obvious what they want.

By getting them to state there needs, Jesus effectively forces them to focus their faith on the one thing they need. They are not asking for money or food, but for healing. They want to see.

Often, when we pray we ask God in generalities. We don’t see what the real need is, what faith needs to be applied to.

We might have faith to move mountains, but God wants us to state which mountains to move and to where.

Our praying needs to be specific so that we can apply faith to a specific need and a specific action by the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to have the faith to address the mountains in my life and to see them moved. Help me to have faith to open my eyes to spiritual reality. Amen.