Can we be too religious?

In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounces seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees. Not only were these religious leaders called hypocrites by Jesus, but their religiosity had blinded them to the fact that they were actually preventing people from coming to God rather than helping people enter into a relationship with God. Their religious exterior covered up the pride that they had on the inside. The problem...

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Why Jesus spoke in parables

One of the things I love about the Bible is that I can read a passage that I've read many times before and find something new that I hadn't seen previously. Such was the case with Matthew 13 - especially verse 18.  “Hear then the parable of the sower: (Matthew 13:18 ESV) In that verse, the word "then" is key. It reveals that Jesus is using the parable of the sower to show how His teaching using...

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Knowing God

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.(Matthew 11:27 ESV) It is possible to know about the Father apart from the Son. But it is not possible to really know the Father except through Jes...

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The cost of following Jesus

In Matthew 8:18-22 Jesus' words seem a bit harsh.  Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let...

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Praying "us"

It's interesting that Jesus' model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 uses plural pronouns ("our", "us" and "we"). I'd love to hear your thoughts about why that is significa...

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Using Scripture Profitably

When Jesus is tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4), He responds to Satan using Scripture. But Satan also tries to use Scripture to tempt Jesus by taking a verse out of context. This shows why it is so important to have a good handle on the Bible as a whole and not just a few favorite verses here and there. That's why it is so crucial to have a plan to read systematically through the Bible...

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A genealogy that shows God's mercy and grace

It is really unusual to see women listed in Bible genealogies. And in his genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of his gospel, it is interesting that out of all the women who bore the men listed there, Matthew chose to mention the 5 that he does: Tamar - a woman who was impregnated by her father-in-law Rahab - a prostitute Ruth - a Moabite Bathsheba - an adultress Mary -...

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Waiting patiently for the Lord

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1 ESV) I'm not sure that I do a very good job of waiting patiently for the Lord. I have a tendency to be really impatient with God. I want Him to do His work immediately. I wonder how many times I cry out to God and he hears my cry but I've already moved on before I even take time to wait for Him to answer. Anyone...

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