Month: March 2024

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Jesus’s invitation in verse 28 is so appealing to me right now. At this time of the school year, I’m pretty exhausted, worn out, weary, burdened. My soul needs rest. And Jesus is telling me to come to Him and He will give me rest.

Matthew 11:29a Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…  

There are no qualifications. It’s not “Come to me if your burden is important enough,” “Come to me if I deem your burden relevant,” “Come to me if your burden is from doing my work and not from the general weariness of life.” Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:29b …and you will find rest for your souls.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your open invitation to come to You if we are weary and burdened, period. Thank You for the rest that You can and will provide. We are all weary, Lord. Help us to see our deep need for You. Help us to come to You so we can rest. Amen.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 

I’ve mentioned before that Jesus disrupted the status quo and turned the hierarchy on its head, and today’s scripture is another example of that. The wise and learned are…well, wise and learned. Little children are considered naive, perhaps ignorant. And yet, the Father has chosen to reveal His truths to little children.

Matthew 11:26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Here’s another thing about little children–they usually soak in everything. They pay attention. They ask questions and seek deeper understanding. “But why?” is a constant refrain. They want to learn, and there are not many preconceived notions that stop them from it. The wise and learned less so.

Matthew 11:27a “All things have been committed to me by my Father. 

Precious Savior, When it comes to learning more about You, to drawing close to You, help us be like little children–eager to learn, full of questions, soaking everything about You in. And help us to shine Your light with the joy of a child. Amen.

Matthew 11:27b …No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.   

In verse 20, Jesus is denouncing towns where he performed miracles and they did not repent. His goal is a change of heart for all so that they can be with Him eternally. It brings to mind 1 Timothy 1:15: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Jesus’s goal isn’t fame. It’s not money. It’s not power. His goal is to save sinners. He subjected Himself to all on this earth to give us an opportunity to see the error of our ways, repent, and spend eternity with Him. The selflessness truly boggles my mind.

Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

Precious Savior, Thank You for loving us so much that You came to earth in the hopes that we would see, believe, and repent. Forgive me when my heart is hardened. Help me to see the areas of my life that I need to surrender to You. Help me to repent so that I can spend eternity with You. Amen.

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

What comes to mind as I read today’s verses is the saying “Kids these days…” You can apply that phrase to almost any situation. “In my day, we didn’t…., but kids these days….” However, I’m not sure that kids these days are really that much different. Neither are adults these days.

Matthew 11:17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

I guess what I mean is that there are certain tenants of human nature that just happen. Always. Folks are skeptical. Folks believe that certain things are immutable and certain things change every single day. I look at “kids these days” and I think how very similar I was in a lot of ways. Yet Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” THAT is a comforting thought. I can count on Him. Always.

Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your unwavering strength and goodness. No matter how much life changes, no matter how much people change (or don’t change), YOU are constant. Help us to make You our firm foundation. Always. Help us to sink our roots deep into Your eternal strength. Amen.

Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.   

Commentary has a lot to say about verse 12, but the interesting thing I found is that every commentary I read interpreted verse 12 differently. One commentary took the violence fairly literally, interpreting the verse to mean YOU had to be so violently passionate for Christ that you would do ANYTHING to convert others. That interpretation doesn’t sit well with me.

Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

Another commentary said that the violence is figurative: Those coming to Jesus to repent were so numerous that they were like an army, pressing in on a city, their enthusiasm for Jesus so powerful and all-consuming it is equated to a violent siege. Personally, I don’t find either interpretation satisfactory, but I am at a loss as to how to interpret this passage.

Matthew 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

Precious Savior, Thank You for allowing me to grapple with Your word, seeking explanations when I don’t understand, holding those explanations up to see how they fit with my understanding of You. I get frustrated when I can’t arrive at what seems a logical conclusion, but I know You have a purpose in all things, and I know You appreciate my seeking a closer understanding of You. Amen.

Matthew 11:15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 

Today’s verses have me thinking about the greatest and the least. On earth, who is considered the greatest? Those with power. Those with money. Those with political clout. Those who are loud enough to be heard. Those who get things done. Those who get their names in the spotlight.

Matthew 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

Who are the least on earth? Children, the poor, those who are just barely scraping by. Those who put others before ambition or making a name for themselves, the physically and mentally infirm. As I type this list, I can see why Jesus caused such a stir in His day. These people will be the greatest in heaven? How does that even make sense? And yet, Jesus has always been about shaking up established power dynamics.

Matthew 11:11a Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; 

Precious Savior, There is so much that I don’t understand–about life, about You, about myself. Help me to keep asking questions, keep seeking answers, keep learning and growing in You. Thank You that You are all about disrupting the status quo. Give me the strength and the wisdom to love as You love. Amen.

Matthew 11:11b …yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.   

John asks Jesus specifically “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” in yesterday’s verses. What I love about Jesus’s reply is that He doesn’t shame John for the question. He doesn’t bully Him. He doesn’t blast Him for doubting.

Matthew 11:6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 

I love Jesus’s reply because I have questions–sooooo many questions–and I spent years feeling like I couldn’t, shouldn’t ask them. But questions are a natural part of learning and growing. And even when I don’t get answers, there’s something cathartic about getting to actually ask the question. I think Jesus understands that.

Matthew 11:7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

Precious Savior, You created me to ask questions, to seek knowledge. Thank You for allowing me to ask questions of You, too. You don’t always give me answers, but You are always with me, holding me, drawing me closer to You. Thank You. Amen.

Matthew 11:8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.

Have a blessed day.

Matthew 11:1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

I don’t remember having the freedom to question in the church I grew up in. However, John is Jesus’s cousin. He baptized Jesus back in Matthew 3. And yet, even he has questions. He sends his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Matthew 11:2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 

I have come to believe that questions are a way for us to strengthen our faith. Jesus loves us fiercely. If we are confused or concerned or angry, He doesn’t want us to pretend everything is ok. We can’t grow that way. He wants us to bring everything to Him. Lay it at His feet. Ask the tough questions. He’s big enough to handle them. And while He won’t always give us answers, He’ll draw us closer to Him in the process.

Matthew 11:3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Precious Savior, Thank You to I can come to You honestly with my questions and concerns, my anger and fear. Thank You that You love me fiercely, that You are for me, that You want me to be at peace in You. Help me when I struggle. Amen.

Matthew 11:4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 

Have a blessed day.