Matthew 1 starts with a long (dare I say boring?) list of names. 21st century readers want to skim that part to begin learning about Jesus. But the intentional detailing of Jesus’ family tree is significant. It outlines the prophetic timing of his arrival and the inclusivity of God’s family. Have you seen some of […]
Here in Matthew 23, Jesus has just outwitted the Sadducees and Pharisees when they tried to rhetorically trap him. He famously says “give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his,” and clarifies the golden rule. Thoroughly stumped, the religious leaders quit asking him questions, then Jesus delivers an epic diatribe on hypocrisy… […]
In Matthew 21 Jesus has his triumphal entry; palm leaves are waved, tables are kicked over, it’s an exciting and well-known series of events. But at the end of the chapter, Jesus tells two convicting stories directed at religious leaders and us… THE STORY OF THE TWO SONS 28-30 “Tell me what you think of this […]