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What is God trying to do in our world today, and are we missing the signs of what is needed and what he is doing? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 16:1-12 What is God trying to do in our world today, and are we missing the signs of what is needed and what he is doing? Sculpture by Sargis Babayan. Jonah the Prophet . Armenia. CC BY-SA 3.0 , uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Sargis Babayan, 24 Jan. 2011, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonah_the_Prophet.jpg . Tom Faletti June 15, 2025 Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign Who challenges Jesus here? This is the first time the Sadducees have had anything to do with Jesus. We see them joining with the Pharisees to challenge him. This is a significant development because the Pharisees and the Sadducees were diametrically opposed on many issues: The Pharisees accepted the whole Old Testament, believed in angels and an afterlife, and followed the minutiae of ritual rules and traditions added over the centuries, while the Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), did not believe in angels or an afterlife, and did not follow the extra ritual rules the Pharisees cared so much about. Also, the Sadducees were the wealthy class of political collaborators, while most Pharisees avoided politics as long as they could continue their customs. But here they are united by their opposition to Jesus. What do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees are looking for when they ask for “a sign from heaven”? A sign from heaven might be a voice from the skies or some other supernatural occurrence from above. Jesus’s initial response in verses 2-3 does not appear in many of the early manuscripts, but it is considered part of the canon of inspired Scripture. It is a clever reply because they are asking him for a sign from the skies (heaven) and he says they know how to interpret the natural signs in the skies but not the signs of the times. Many people are familiar with the saying Jesus quotes in verses 2-3. We know it as an old sailors’ adage: “Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning.” Jesus is saying they know how to interpret the appearance of the sky to judge weather conditions, but they don’t know how to interpret “the signs of the times.” What do you think he means by “the signs of the times”? The signs of the times are the things going on in the world at any particular moment in history, where God is working or where his influence is needed. The signs the Pharisees and Sadducees are missing are miracles and teachings of Jesus that are the signs that he has been sent from the Father and that the kingdom of God is at hand. During the Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the bishops urged the Church to interpret “the signs of the times” in the light of the Gospel. Pope Francis was fond of using this phrase to call attention to the issues of the 21st century where Christians need to put Gospel values into action (for more on the signs of the times that Pope Francis thought were significant, see the Faith Explored study “Where signs of hope are needed today” ). What do you think the signs of the times are today in our nation or world – the things happening in our society or world where God is working or where God’s perspective is needed? And what are the gospel values that need to be brought to bear in those areas? In verse 4, Jesus refers again to “the sign of Jonah.” He used this term in 12:39-41. What is the sign of Jonah? In the story of Jonah, Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and lived. The “sign of Jonah” may be that Jesus will be in the tomb for 3 days and then rise back to life. That will be a sign for those who doubt Jesus. But considering that Jesus has just been addressing the issue of the Gentiles, the “sign of Jonah” may also be that God cared so much about the Gentiles in Ninevites that he sent Jonah to preach to them and call them to repentance; and God cares equally about the Gentiles in Jesus’s time. The demand for a sign raises a philosophical issue. If God wants people to freely believe in him and accept his authority in their lives, would the kind of sign from heaven that the Pharisees and Sadducees want support or undermine that goal of free acceptance? More generally, why doesn’t God do dramatic things in our lives all the time, to show us that he is real? Matthew 16:5-12 Warnings about the Pharisees and Sadducees What is Jesus’s warning to the disciples in verse 6? What do the disciples think he is talking about? What is he actually talking about? What is the “leaven” or “yeast” of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Jesus is talking about the false teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees – their misunderstandings about who Jesus is and about what kind of life God is calling them to live. Jesus had used leaven as a positive analogy in Matthew 13:33 (the kingdom grows like a batch of leavened dough), but now he uses it as a negative thing. What is it the negative connotation of what leaven or yeast does that he is pointing to here? Yeast corrupts what it comes in contact with. In what ways are the disciples thinking too literally and missing the symbolism in the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000? What is the symbolism he thinks they are missing? The modern-day equivalent of the teaching of the Pharisees might be excessive legalism, while the modern day-equivalent of the teaching of the Sadducees might be materialism and the pursuit of power without regard for the spiritual. How can you distinguish good teaching from corrupting teaching today? Take a step back and consider this: Although the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign and Jesus refuses to give them one when they demand it, they have already had multiple signs – including the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. The Pharisees and Sadducees are missing what is right in front of their faces. The disciples are also missing what is right in front of them. They think Jesus is chiding them for not bringing bread with them (verse 7) even though he has just recently shown that he can provide all the bread they will ever need. They are too focused on the literal and physical, and they are missing the spiritual dimension. In what ways might we, like disciples, miss the point of what Jesus is teaching, by focusing on literal, physical interpretations when Jesus is speaking at a spiritual level? How might we be missing what God is doing or trying to do in our time because we are focused too much on our immediate physical needs and not focused enough on what God is trying to do spiritually in our world? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

While the normal routines of life go on, Jesus knows that one of his disciples is in the process of betraying him. How do you keep going when bad things are happening? [Matthew 26:14-16; 26:17-19; 26:20-25] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 26:14-25 While the normal routines of life go on, Jesus knows that one of his disciples is in the process of betraying him. How do you keep going when bad things are happening? Unidentified artist. Judas mottar de trettio silverpenningarna [Judas receives the silver pieces] . Circa 1425-1450. Chalk painting, Brönnestad Church, Hässleholm, Sweden. Photo by Lennart Karlsson. CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kalkm%C3%A5lning,_Judas_mottar_de_trettio_silverpenningarna_-_Br%C3%B6nnestads_kyrka,_H%C3%A4ssleholm_-_9017124.jpg . Tom Faletti September 15, 2025 Matthew 26:14-16 Judas betrays Jesus Why do you think Judas offers to betray Jesus? There are three ways that scholars commonly attempt to explain Judas’s betrayal: Judas might have been greedy. The Gospel of John supports this idea in John 12:6, where John says that Judas kept the money for Jesus and his companions and used to steal from it. This explanation is supported by the fact that in Matthew 26:15 Judas asks the chief priests how much money they would give him if he betrayed Jesus to them. Judas might have been disillusioned because Jesus was not showing any evidence that he was going to rise up against the Romans and establish an independent Jewish nation. Judas might have believed deeply in the cause he thought Jesus stood for and felt that Jesus was moving too slowly. He might have thought he was forcing Jesus’s hand in order to speed up the inauguration of the kingdom. What is the significance of 30 pieces of silver? Exodus 21:32 indicates that 30 shekels of silver was the value of a slave in ancient Israel – the amount of compensation that had to be paid if a man’s ox gored another man’s slave. The weights of various coins were not very standardized, but the shekel and the “silver pieces” in Judas’s time were close enough that it is reasonable to hear hints of Exodus 21:32 in Matthew 26:15. A story in Zechariah 11:7-13 about a rejected shepherd suggests that 30 shekels is 30 days’ wages, and the silver pieces Judas accepted may have had the value of 30 days’ wages. However, depending on the coin that was used, it may have been worth four times that much, or 120 days’ wages: a third of a year’s wages, which is comparable to $8,000 to $16,000 today ( The New Oxford Annotated Bible , Matthew 26:14 footnote, p. 1785). Judas is betraying Jesus for less than half of the cost of the ointment the woman used to anoint Jesus in the previous passage (Matt. 26:6-13). Why do you think Judas decided to betray Jesus? Do you think he really wanted to see Jesus killed? Explain. If we put the best face on Judas’s actions, he thought he knew better than Jesus how to bring God’s kingdom into its glory. How do people in our day try to force a greater manifestation of God’s kingdom? How does Judas contrast with the woman who anointed Jesus? How is Judas different than the other disciples? How might you sometimes be at risk of trying to force God’s hand rather than waiting for God’s timing and method of working in our lives? Matthew 26:17-19 Preparation for the Passover meal In this passage, Jesus prepares to celebrate his final Passover meal with his disciples. He has probably eaten the sacrificial Passover lamb in Jerusalem every year since he was a child (Luke 2:41 tells us that his parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover). What do you know about the Jewish celebration of the Passover? What were they commemorating and how did they commemorate it? Passover is the annual Jewish feast celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is also known as the feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Israelites were told to prepare unleavened bread to take on their exodus out of Egypt, because they would not have time for bread to rise as they left. Passover as the night when the Jews put the blood of a lamb on the lintels of their doors so that the angel of death would “pass over” their households when the death of the firstborns convinced Pharaoh to stop standing against God and allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. Passover is celebrated on the 15 th of Nissan (the Jewish month that, based on the lunar cycle, falls during our March/April). The “first day” referred to here is the day of preparation, the 14 th of Nissan. At sundown, the 15 th of Nissan would begin. The Passover meal was eaten on the first night of a week-long celebration of the salvation from slavery that God provided by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. What preparations do Jesus and his disciples make for the Passover meal? It appears that Jesus had spoken with someone in advance about using his house to have the Passover meal. This is one of those little clues that remind us that the Bible gives us only a selected sample of everything Jesus did and said (see John 21:25, which suggests that if all the stories were told, the world could not hold all the books that would be written). Do you suppose there are things in your life that Jesus is also preparing in advance for? If the disciples had not done what Jesus directed them to do, the Passover meal might not have been as orderly: there might have been last-minute scrambling, etc. What does this tell you about the importance of listening for God’s guidance and following his direction? Matthew 26:20-25 Jesus acknowledges that he will be betrayed by an insider What does Jesus say he knows? Why do you think he is saying this, rather than keeping it to himself? How do the disciples feel about the possibility that someone might betray Jesus? Why would they ask, “Surely, not I?” Wouldn’t they know they are not going to betray him? Could they be clueless about just how big the betrayal is that Jesus is talking about, and think that Jesus is referring to some more minor way they might “betray” him due to foolishness or pettiness? Are there ways that we might “betray” Jesus in small ways, not by a dramatic denunciation but by our own mundane sinfulness? How might that be? What title for Jesus do the apostles use in v. 22? What title for Jesus does Judas use in v. 25? “Rabbi” is an Aramaic word meaning “teacher” or “master” that was used as a title of honor for teachers. The Jews of Jesus’s time spoke Aramaic, a language related to Hebrew. Matthew is writing his Gospel in Greek, so he almost always translates into Greek what the people would have said in Aramaic. Everywhere else, he uses the Greek word for teacher where Jews would have said “rabbi.” But not here. Here, Matthew preserves the fact that Judas called Jesus “rabbi.” What does it tell you about their relationship when a person calls someone else “Lord”? Does “Teacher” have the same connotation? Are our teachers seen as our lords? Does the fact that Judas uses the word for teacher, when the disciples usually refer to Jesus as Lord, give us a hint as to Judas’s attitude toward Jesus? Explain. In what ways do you see Jesus as “Lord”? In verse 25, when Judas says, “Surely, not I?”, Jesus replies, “You have said so” rather than a simple “Yes.” Why might Jesus have phrased it this way? Jesus’s choice of words is significant here. If Jesus had said, “Yes,” rather than “You have said so,” it would have suggested that Judas was locked into a path of betrayal and no longer had any choice. By saying to Judas, you have said so, Jesus leaves room for Judas to decide to say otherwise, to change his mind, to retreat from the path he has started down. This shows that Jesus, to the end, loves Judas and is holding out hope that Judas will do the right thing. Note: The fact that Jesus’s death fulfills Scripture does not mean that Judas was forced to betray Jesus. Judas is not a puppet. Jesus ultimately would have died on a Roman cross even if Judas had changed his mind and not helped the Jewish leaders. God did not need Judas to be evil in order to accomplish his work of salvation. In Matthew 26:24, Jesus says, “It would have been better for him if he had not been born.” Some people find this troubling because it seems harsh. However, it is not as harsh as verse 25:41: “Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus does not actually say that Judas is going to hell. Judas’s final judgment remains to be seen. He could still repent. Does God ever give up on the possibility that you, or any other person, might repent and move away from a path of sin or evil? How can you keep an open mind about others’ potential to turn around? Take a step back and consider this: In these passages, we see the normal routines of life going on – the ordinary preparation for an annual celebration – while the wheels are turning that will lead to Jesus’s crucifixion. And Jesus knows what is going on! How do you think Jesus handled the stress and inner turmoil that comes with knowing that bad things are happening? We face this same problem sometimes. Bad things may be happening in our lives, not necessarily life-or-death situations like Jesus is facing, but serious, potentially life-altering circumstances. Perhaps we are waiting for medical test results that could indicate we have a serious illness or disease. Perhaps we are watching an adult child or other loved one struggle with drugs or other serious impairments. Perhaps a business we are deeply involved in is failing. Perhaps a government is trying to find us and deport us even though we have never done anything wrong other than cross a border to find safety from a life-threatening situation. How do you deal with stress when bad things are happening around you or you are waiting for potentially bad news? Where do you turn for help in those difficult times? Do you see Jesus as someone who has gone through that kind of stress and can help you get through it? What could you do to reach out to him and draw strength from him? Jesus appears to have enjoyed spending time with his disciples. Other than going away to spend time in prayer with his Father, we never see him trying to avoid the disciples. Human beings are social creatures. Jesus was God, but he was also human, and as a human, he may have found encouragement in spending time with those he loved. Who around you might be experiencing the stress of living in a bad situation or waiting for potentially bad news? How could you be a help to them? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Who is Jesus? Who is Peter? Where do you fit in the Church that God is building? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 16:13-20 Who is Jesus? Who is Peter? Where do you fit in the Church that God is building? “On this rock I will build my church.” St. Peter’s Church, Staunton on Arrow, England, UK. Photo by Fabian Musto, 12 May 2018. CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:On_this_rock_I_will_build_my_church_-_St._Peter%27s_Church_(Staunton_on_Arrow)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5772113.jpg . Tom Faletti June 16, 2025 Matthew 16:13-20 Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and is given the keys to the kingdom This happens in the region of Caesarea Philippi, which is 20-25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee and inhabited mainly by Gentiles. Jesus first asks the disciples who the people say the Son of Man (i.e., Jesus) is. How do they answer? Why might the people have thought that Jesus was a return of one or another of these figures that preceded him? Jesus then asks them: Who do you say I am? Simon Peter speaks, and speaks accurately. Who does Simon Peter say Jesus is (verse 16)? Some translations use the word “Christ”; some use the word “Messiah.” Peter would have used the Hebrew word Messiah , but the biblical text was written in Greek and the actual word in the biblical text is the Greek word Christos , from which we get our word “Christ.” Both mean “Anointed One.” Peter adds that Jesus is “the Son of the living God.” (That is not in Mark 8:29.) Matthew has previously identified Jesus as God’s Son in 2:15 and 3:17. Including the term here helps clarify that Jesus is not the kind of military messiah the Jews were hoping for. (For those who might be troubled that Matthew might be adding something, many scholars think Peter might have declared Jesus to be the Son of the living God when Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection, and Matthew may simply be combining the two declarations to keep things tidy.) What does the “Anointed One” mean to you personally? Why is it so important that Jesus is the Messiah? Matthew builds the case that Jesus is the Son of God slowly throughout his entire Gospel. In 2:15, Matthew applies to Jesus an Old Testament passage where God refers to his son. In 3:17, God calls Jesus his Son. In 14:34, the disciples say Jesus is the Son of God after he walks on the water. Here, Peter identifies Jesus as the Son of God. In 27:54, the centurion calls Jesus the Son of God. Why is it so important that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus asks all of us: Who do you say I am? We can’t let someone else answer this question for us. If you didn’t feel bound to use the particular term Messiah or Christ , how would you answer the question: Who do you say I am? People experience Jesus in so many different ways: as their savior, hope, healer, teacher, model, purpose for living, strength, the one they can share anything with, and more. In verse 17, Jesus says to Peter, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,” but God the Father. In what ways could you say about your faith that it has not been revealed to you by humans but by God himself? “this rock” Until verse 18, Peter has been known as Simon. Here, Jesus gives him a new name in Aramaic which was the language spoken by the Jews in Jesus’s time (a distinct language but related to the Hebrew language). The new name means “rock,” and that name has been passed on to us as Peter ( Petros in Greek in the New Testament). Jesus immediately continues by saying, “upon this rock [ petra , which also means “rock”] I will build my church.” When Jesus says, upon “this rock,” what does he mean? Throughout history, the scholars have not agreed. Is he saying that Peter is the rock, or that Peter’s faith is the rock, or that the truth that Peter professed is the rock, or that Peter’s confession of faith is the rock, or that the Messiah Peter proclaimed (Jesus) is the rock? The Roman Catholic Church has leaned heavily on the first interpretation, while Protestant preachers have ranged widely while rejecting the first interpretation. What do you think Jesus means when he talks about “this rock” in verse 18? “church” There was no “church” yet in Jesus’s time. The Greek word for “church” that appears here appear only twice in the Gospels: here and in Matthew 18:17 (the NRSV in two other verses refers to a “member of the church” but the Greek in those places is “brother”). What did “the church” mean to Matthew and his community? They had to translate into Greek what Jesus said in Aramaic. The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia . The corresponding Hebrew word is qahal , and translators generally used the Greek word ekklesia for the Hebrew word qahal . This Hebrew word was used for the assembly or congregation of the people of Israel, and that sometimes meant the entire people of Israel and sometimes a local gathering. So when Jesus refers to the “church,” he could mean the universal church – the whole body of Christians. But he could also mean the local manifestation of the church – what we would call a parish or congregation – and that is clearly what Matthew has in mind in 18:15-20. The word is also used in the New Testament in chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation, which addresses the “church” of Ephesus, the “church” of Smyrna, etc., and there it probably means the group of local assemblies that met in those cities. The Catholic Church interprets this passage in light of the development of the papacy, a different view than evangelical churches, which reject the hierarchical superstructure of the Catholic Church. Mainline Christian denominations and the Orthodox church reject the papacy but have hierarchies. What do you think Jesus means when he says that upon this rock “I will build my church”? “the gates of Hades” In verse 18, Jesus uses the phrase “the gates of Hades.” He does not say “the gates of hell.” In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the underworld where souls went when they died, and the name came to be used for the place where they resided: the abode of the dead, the netherworld. “Hades” was the word used to translate the Hebrew word Sheol , which was the place of the dead. There was no joy in Sheol, but it was not a place of torment. It was merely the place where the souls of the dead went. Jesus says that the place of death will not prevail over the Church: the people of God will not end up in the grip of (in the gates of, in the location of) death. The power of death cannot overcome the Church. We will end with God, not in the place of death. When Jesus says in verse 19 that the gates of Hades will not prevail over the Church, he is saying that death is not our final destination. What does Jesus’s promise that death will not prevail in the end mean to you? “the keys of the kingdom” and the power “to bind” and “to loose” In verse 19, Jesus two things that have been controversial through much of the Church’s existence. He is still speaking specifically and singly to Peter. He says he will give to Peter “the keys to the kingdom” and the power “to bind” and “to loose.” Scholars have debated the meaning of “the keys of the kingdom.” The phrase is often interpreted in light of Isaiah 22:22, where God says that Hilkiah will become the master or chief steward of King Hezekiah’s royal household. He will have the key to the House of David – “key” being a symbol of authority – and he will have control over whether the doors are open or closed. Scholars also have debated the meaning of the power to bind and loose. Father Daniel Harrington says, “The content of that power is not completely clear. It may involve laying down rules and giving exemptions, imposing or lifting excommunications, forgiving or not forgiving sins, or even performing exorcisms” (Harrington, p. 68). In Jesus’s time, rabbis might have interpreted these terms in reference to their teaching authority. They would have been seen as having the power of excommunication (and Jesus was once expelled from a synagogue by rabbis who thought they had that authority). The leading rabbis also made rulings on how to interpret the Scriptures. The early church saw this teaching authority as being held by the apostles. As time went on, this teaching authority passed from bishop to bishop. In Matthew 18:18, the power to bind and loose is extended to all of the disciples in cases of disciplinary action in the local church community. But only Peter is described as receiving the revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 18:17), and only Peter is given the keys of the kingdom. The Roman Catholic Church has develop a whole theology of the papacy, and this verse is part of that theology: that the Church is built on Peter, that Jesus instituted Peter in a unique role, that Peter has primacy in the teaching authority of the Church, and that his teaching authority is passed on to his successors (the popes) as the visible head of the Church. Protestants reject this whole theology of the papacy and do not see any hint of papacy in this passage. They see Peter as the leader of the apostles in Jesus’s time, but they generally see “this rock” as Peter’s confession of faith or the truth he professed or Jesus himself, not Peter, and they see the power to bind and loose as broadly shared by all Church leaders or the Church as a whole. Note, however, that this is partly a disagreement over who has authority and how much authority, not over whether there is a teaching authority. Protestants believe that their denominations have the power to determine who is and is not a member of the denomination and the power to decide what is and is not official doctrine. That leads to a series of questions for people of any denomination: In verse 19, Jesus is still speaking specifically and singly to Peter when he gives Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and loose. What do these statements about Peter mean to you? How important was Peter’s role in the early Church? In what ways does the binding and loosing authority of the Church benefit us (the authority to establish doctrine and to decide who is a member of the church or not)? How can this authority be used wisely so that it is not abused? Jesus ends this exchange in verse 20 by telling the disciples not to tell people that he is the Messiah. This restriction was obviously only meant for a time; after his resurrection, they were called to tell the world all about him. But why do you think he told them not to tell people he was the Messiah at this time? Take a step back and consider this: The arguments over the papacy have taken attention away from Jesus’s metaphor. He says that the Church – which is the entire people of God from every Christian denomination – is like a building made of rock and built out of individual stones. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus identifies himself as the cornerstone, quoting Psalm 118:22 (“the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”). Peter builds on that image when he writes, “Come to him, a living stone,” adding that “you, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house . . .” (1 Pet. 2:4-5). Jesus is a living stone, the cornerstone of God’s house, and we are living stones who help form that house of God. This is a metaphor for the Church. Each one of us is a living stone in God’s enormous spiritual building. Each of us have our own, specific place in the Church that God is building. How important is it for the stones that make up the Church God is building to fit together well? How important is it for each stone to be fitted to the stone next to it, for each row of stones to be aligned properly upon the row before it, as part of God’s overall plan? In what ways are you a living stone in the Church that God is building? Where do you fit in the construction of God’s spiritual house? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Worry – how to deal with it. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 6:25-34 Worry – how to deal with it. The "lilies of the fields" Jesus talked about may have been these multi-colored flowers called anemones, which are found in Israel today as they were in Bible times. Zachi Evenor, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anemone-coronaria-in-Dalia-Israel-Zachi-Evenor-176.jpg . Tom Faletti May 24, 2024 Matthew 6:25-34 Do not worry; seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness Jesus has just been teaching us not to focus on money, telling us that we can’t serve both God and wealth. The natural reaction might be: But we need money! He responds to that natural concern in this passage. In verse 25, Jesus tells us several things not to worry about. What are the things he tells us not to worry about? Concerns about our life such as what we are to eat or drink, and concerns about our body such as what we are to wear. What does it mean to “worry”? Is worry different than simply thinking about things? What is “worry”? Worry dominates the mind in a way that causes stress or distress. It takes over or preoccupies our thoughts so that we find it difficult to set aside the thing we are worried about and think about other things. In this way, worry absorbs our attention to the extent that it makes us less free. How would you interpret the question in verse 25: “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” What is the point of Jesus asking this question? In verse 26, what is the meaning of the illustration Jesus gives of the birds? Why should we not worry, according to verse 26? Here, the point is a spiritual one: God provides for the birds, and you are more valuable than the birds. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verse 27? Why should we not worry, according to verse 27? Here, the point is a practical one: Your worrying can’t make any difference, so it is wasted effort. Note: Translations of verse 27 vary because the Greek word can mean “life-span” or “stature” (i.e., height). So he may be saying we can’t add a single unit to our life-span or to our height. Both interpretations make the same point – worrying can have no effect on the stated problem. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verses 28-29? Why should we not worry, according to verses 28-30? Here, the point is a different spiritual one: You are an eternal being. God is generous in lavishing beauty even on things that are finite and die quickly; he will clothe you, his immortal ones, with what you need. In verse 28, Jesus says of the lilies that they “neither toil nor spin.” These words describe what humans do to create cloth for clothing. People toil: they work the crop – for example, flax in Jesus’s time. Then they spin: they turn the fibers of flax into yarn from which linen cloth is made for clothing and other purposes. Jesus is certainly not telling people not to work, so we have to look beyond the literal to find his meaning. One possibility is to consider it a caution about focusing too much attention (worry) on how impressively beautiful our clothes are. In your culture, do people worry about whether their clothes are beautiful enough or impressive enough, or made by the right designers? What might Jesus say? This passage might be interpreted metaphorically as referring to our calling to be clothed in righteousness in the kingdom of God, particularly in the context of verse 33. How might you worry less if you clung to the assurance that God desires to, and is able to, provide you with the “clothing” you need? At the end of verse 30, Jesus identifies the spiritual issue at work when we worry. What is the spiritual issue here? The spiritual issue is trust in God. What does worry do to people? In what ways is it harmful? When we are worrying, what is our focus on? What does Jesus want us to be focused on? It is hard to “not” do something, unless we replace it with “doing” something else. How do we “not” worry? Saint Paul offers advice on what to do instead: Read Philippians 4:6 . What does Paul tell us to do instead of being anxious? What does that verse mean? Let your requests be made known to God; i.e., tell God what you need. What it the difference between asking God for what we need and worrying? Why is praying, or talking to God about our needs, an antidote to worry? Worrying is talking to ourselves while focusing on what we lack. Praying about what we need is talking to God while focusing on the Person who can do something about what we lack. Paul is telling us that it is OK to ask God for what we need. Is there any need that is too small to talk to God about it? Explain. In verse 32, Jesus gives us some perspective. What does he tell us about God? What difference does it make that God knows what we need? The phrase “your heavenly Father knows” might be a good refrain or mantra for all the things we face in life. How would absorbing that assurance change your life? In verse 33, what does Jesus tell us to strive for? What does it mean to strive for the kingdom of God? In what ways might striving for the kingdom call us to action? What might it call us to do? What does it mean to strive for righteousness? This could be referring to the righteousness God wants to work into our character, or the righteousness God wants to bring into the world through the coming of his kingdom. In what ways might striving for righteousness call us to action? What might it call us to do? Jesus says that when we strive for these things, the other things will be given to us as well. We know that, in a literal interpretation of this statement, it isn’t always true. Non-believers are not the only people to starve to death in famines; Christians have starved to death too. This is the sort of thing that might make a skeptic take this sentence in isolation and use it to reject the gospel of Jesus. Yet Jesus has warned us earlier that Christians will face trials and persecutions. So, how should we understand this statement? How would you explain it to the skeptic? In verse 34, Jesus broadens his point by adding “tomorrow” to the list of things to not worry about. That takes us far beyond just food or drink or clothing. Almost any concern or possible trouble can lead us to worry about tomorrow. What is he telling us about all the other things we tend to worry about? What are the worries about “tomorrow” that are most likely to take over or absorb your thinking? If you could have a conversation with Jesus where he mentioned the worry or worries you have, what would he say to you about it? At the last sentence of verse 34, Jesus throws ends with a little twist at. What does he say? Today has enough trouble for today. In the final sentence in verse 34, the majority of Bible translations use the word “trouble,” but some say “evil.” There is a reason why the translators don’t agree. According to lexicographers, the word here, which is kakia , means badness (Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon , entry for κᾰκία at http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ ; Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/e/evil-evil-doer.html ). The word is often used in a narrow sense with regard to human character flaws or evil, but here it more likely encompasses the broader troubles we experience because of the “badness” in the world. This verse might be saying: Don’t worry about tomorrow; today has enough bad stuff for today. There are times when, in the economy of God’s plan for this world, we may be called to help fill the needs of others, and thereby be God's means of answering other people’s prayers. In what ways might we be God’s means of answering other people’s prayers for their basic needs? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus is not telling us to be lazy, and he is not telling us to not think about the things we need. We need jobs in order to pay our bills and in order to contribute in our unique ways to the good of the world. Parents need the means to feed and clothe their children. When we are sick, we need good health care. Our communities need good schools, safe streets, and assistance for those who struggle. Our businesses need customers and affordable inputs and good workers. Our governments needs leaders who seek justice and work for the common good, and don’t settle for assisting the powerful or wealthy or the noisiest voices. We need to apply our minds to think through what we face in order to address these needs. But there is a difference between thinking about things and worrying about things. Can Jesus be our model here? Jesus clearly thought about a lot of things, including the terrible death he was going to endure on our behalf. Yet we don’t see signs that he spent much time worrying. How do you think Jesus handled his thoughts about the difficult things he was going to endure without falling prey to worrying? What is one area of your life where worry often intrudes? What would Jesus encourage you to do about it? How would your life be better if you replaced worrying with trustful conversation with God about the thing you are worrying about, even if the problem didn’t magically go away? How can cultivating a life where you are constantly talking to God, and routinely letting your needs be made known to him, improve your life and help you become more like Christ? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Integrity means your words line up with your actions. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:33-37 Integrity means your words line up with your actions. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti May 2, 2024 Matthew 5:33-37 Oaths: what are you saying? What did the Old Testament Law say about oaths in Leviticus 19:12? What kind of oaths were prohibited? (See also Deuteronomy 23:21-23.) In Jesus’s time, Jews made oaths and vows frequently and casually. William Barclay says they developed arcane rules for which oaths actually had to be honored and which could be ignored without repercussions (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 157). If you didn’t include God himself in your oath, it didn’t “count.” What does Jesus say about oaths? What are the reasons behind Jesus’s prohibit of these oaths? We do not have control over the heavens, the earth, or even our own bodies, so we have no right to be swearing by them. What do you think about Jesus’s rule, and why? If I leave the heavens, etc., out of my oath is it OK? Or is Jesus making a bigger point? How often do you make promises? How seriously do you take your promises? How do respond when someone says, “Promise me you’ll . . .”? Some people often signal that they are about to say something honest with a phrase such as: “I’m not going to lie to you,” “Frankly,” “To tell the truth,” etc. I sometimes wonder, when such people say other things that are not prefaced by that assurance, whether that means that what they are about to say might not be the truth. How honest are you in your everyday dealings with people? Can others count on what you are saying to be true, or do you have a tendency to shade the truth? Why does Jesus say that anything more than “Yes” or “No” comes from the evil one? Jesus is saying that a truly good person would never need to take an oath because everything he or she says would always be the truth. If a person needs to add an oath to what they are saying, it is a sign that they have already made compromises with untruthfulness that tarnish their honesty. Why do we sometimes want to embellish what we say by adding a promise? What is the purpose of adding a promise? Some reasons might be: to assure, or to impress. What would it look like to live a life where your “Yes” is so solid that no one would ever feel the need to ask you to swear that what you are saying is true? How can we foster a world where the truth is so cherished that people don’t feel the need to make oaths? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus’s words about honesty in speech are not isolated. They appear right after he asked us to squarely confront our thought life to tame lust, and asked us to be true to our marriage commitments no matter what. He is getting at something bigger than just a series of individual character issues or types of sin. He is pointing us toward true integrity. Integrity is the characteristic of a person who is solid through and through – where the inside of the person and the outside of the person match up and demonstrate a consistent morality. When you look at them, what you see on the outside is what they actually are on the inside. What they say is actually true. What they spend their time thinking about is consistent with the ethical principles they profess. What they do is what they say they will do, and what they do is what God has taught them to do. The word “integrity” comes from a Latin word that means whole or complete in the sense of being intact, unbroken, undivided. The person of integrity is undivided. Their whole being is intact. They are one person – the same person inside and out. That is what Jesus is calling us to be. How can you cultivate a character of integrity? How might you consider changing the way you talk and act – the things you say and do – in order to ensure that integrity defines your character? How might you consider changes in your thought life, so that the you on the outside matches the you on the inside and matches what God is calling you to be inside and out? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

You will be judged in the same way you judge others. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 7:1-6 You will be judged in the same way you judge others. Image by Chris Curry, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti June 7, 2024 Matthew 7:1-6 Judge not, lest you be judged What is Jesus saying in this passage? What does v. 2 mean, in speaking about the “measure” you get? A “measure” is the method used to weigh or count the portions of something. In the supermarket, if you buy potatoes by the pound, a “pound” is the measure. If you buy mangos by the number of mangos, then the number of units (mangos) is the “measure.” Lettuce might be sold using either measure – by weight or by the number of heads. Jesus says that the measure you use for judgment is the measure that will be used to judge you. What are some of the things about which we tend to judge others, and what measure do we use to judge their guilt or innocence, or how good or bad their actions are? If we will be judged in the same way that we judge others (i.e., using the same measure we use), what does this tell us about making judgments about other people? What do you think is an appropriate measure for judging other people, or an appropriate way of approaching your judgments, if you know that you will face the same standard of judgment? Consider Galatians 6:7, which tells us that whatever we sow we will also reap. Although Paul is making a different point in that passage, how does the concept of sowing and reaping illuminate verse 2’s discussion of judging? God has built linkages into the natural world that provide useful analogies for the linkages he has built into the spiritual fabric of life. Just as we can’t sow grass seed and reap vegetables, so too we can’t sow judgmental attitudes and reap mercy. In many aspects of our lives, you get back what you give out. What is the meaning of Jesus’s image of the speck (or splinter) and the log (or beam) in verse 3? What might be some examples of the logs or beams in our own eyes that might make it hard for us to make sound judgments about what others do? What biases make it hard for people to judge other people accurately? How do you know when you have a “log” in your eye? How do you know when you have a blind spot that makes it hard to accurately judge what is going on around you? Someone else can tell you; you can try to put yourself in others’ shoes; you can immerse yourself in God’s Word and check your actions against God’s Word. One of my Bible Study members, Phyllis Hegstrom, told us that she asks her boss: What are my blind spots? How might that approach to our own behavior make us more effective followers of Jesus? Jesus tells us to take the log (or beam) out of our own eye first. How can we do that? How can we remove the things that make it hard for us to see clearly? In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus tells us not to resist those who seek to do evil to us but to turn the other cheek, go two miles, etc. What are the traits of Christian character that Jesus is trying to foster both in that passage and here in Matthew 7:1-6? Verse 6 uses some metaphors that need to be unpacked: for example, what does a “pearl” stand for and what does a “dog” or “swine” stand for? Note: Dogs were mostly undomesticated scavengers in Jesus’s time. According to the Law, swine were unclean, so Jews were prohibited from eating or handling them. When you put it all together, what does verse 6 mean? What are the “pearls” we should be preserving? One interpretation of verse 6 is that the pearls are the deeper truths of our faith. If we follow that interpretation, what is Jesus saying about not giving the pearls to those who will trample them? Don’t try to convince others of the deeper truths of the faith if they have not accepted the more basic truths. In order to follow verse 6, we would need to make judgments about who falls into the metaphorical category of the “dogs” or “swine.” Doesn’t that require judging? Explain. Do you conclude from this passage that we should never judge, or only judge certain kinds of things (and if so, what)? Explain. How can we apply in our lives the principles Jesus is teaching us here about judging? Take a step back and consider this: Social psychologists working in the field of attribution theory explore how we decide why people do what they do. If someone does something we think is wrong (fails to show up for a meeting, says something unkind, etc.), how do we decide what the causes of their behavior might be? We might attribute their behavior to situational causes – to external factors that might explain their behavior. For example, we might say to ourselves: He must have had an unexpected crisis that kept him from coming; maybe someone in his family got sick. She must be having a bad day; maybe her boss chewed her out or her child did something wrong – that’s why she said what she said. Alternatively, we might attribute their behavior to dispositional causes – to internal factors in their personality or character. In this case, we might say to ourselves: He is unreliable; he doesn’t respect other people’s time and effort. She is a mean person and doesn’t appreciate the effect of her words on other people. We don’t usually know the whole story behind people’s actions. To be honest, we never know the whole story. But we make judgments. And arguably, judgments are sometimes necessary. If George routinely fails to show up for meetings that have been arranged with him, we need to recognize that and not assign essential tasks to him where a no-show would cause harm. The interesting thing is that we have attribution biases that distort our assessments. If we already have a positive view of a person, we are more likely to explain a false step as being caused by situational factors rather than signaling a flaw in their personality. If we think a person is similar to us, we are more likely to give them a pass rather than deciding that they have a bad character trait. The bias that is most relevant to Jesus’s words about judging others is the fundamental attribution error : the tendency to think that if we have done something wrong, it is because of something external that caused the problem; but if someone else has done something wrong, it is because of their own internal dispositions (Robert S. Feldman, Understanding Psychology , 14th edition, McGraw Hill Education, 2019, pp. 563-564). In other words, people have a tendency to think that the speck or log in the other person’s eye is caused by flaws in the other person’s character, while any speck in our own eye is only due to the external circumstances we face. This fundamental attribution error may be the biggest log of all in our eyes, because it signals an unconscious belief that we are better or less flawed than other people, and that other people are choosing to be bad while we are with good intentions just trying to make the best of a difficult world. Jesus calls us to stop thinking that we are better, or that we are doing better, than others. That is the fundamental log in our eyes. When someone does something that you perceive to be a slight or that hurts you in some way, are you more likely to attribute it to a flaw in their personality/character or to attribute it to external circumstances that made it difficult for them to do what you wanted them to do? Can you describe a time (or times) when you did that? When you do something that someone else perceives to be a slight or that hurts someone else in some way, are you more likely to make justifications for your action based on external circumstances or to do some soul-searching about whether this shows you need to work on your character? Can you describe a time (or times) when you did that? If you were talking with Jesus right now, what would he say to you about whether you treat others the way you treat yourself in terms of how you attribute motives to your behavior and others’ behavior? What steps can you take to adjust your thinking about other people, so that you are more merciful in the judgments you make about other people? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Jesus doesn’t want to lose anyone – not those who have strayed, and not those who have wronged others. He offers a path that seeks reconciliation and broad agreement before disciplinary action. [Matthew 18:10-14; 18:15-20; 18:19-20] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 18:10-20 Jesus doesn’t want to lose anyone – not those who have strayed, and not those who have wronged others. He offers a path that seeks reconciliation and broad agreement before disciplinary action. Domenico Fetti (c.1589-1623). Das Gleichnis vom verlorenen Schaf [The parable of the lost sheep] . Circa 1619-21. Cropped. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), Dresden, Germany. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parabola_della_pecora_smarrita_-_Fetti.png . Tom Faletti June 29, 2025 Matthew 18:10-14 God seeks out the little ones who stray from his ways In verse 10, Jesus describes the little ones as having angels in heaven. The Jews of Jesus’s time thought that nations and individuals had guardian angels and that angels presented people’s prayers to God. We can see this in the books of Daniel and Tobit. This verse reflects that thinking. Verse 10 seems unrelated to the verses that follow, but maybe it’s not. What does it tell us about the importance of the little ones, and the importance of saving any who are lost, if their angels stand before the face of God and therefore are in the direct presence of God? Most modern Bibles skip verse 11, because it is not in the oldest manuscripts. Some manuscripts insert here: “For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost.” Many scholars see it has having been added by a copyist, who took it from Luke 19:10. As later copyists copied that copy, that addition was preserved, even while the older versions without it were still being copied and handed down. Verse 11 might have been seen as a useful link connecting verse 10 to the parable of the lost sheep. In the parable of the lost sheep, who does the owner of the sheep represent? The 99? The one? What is the meaning of the parable? How does the shepherd feel about those who have been led astray or wander off from his flock? What does he do about it? What does this tell us about the shepherd? He knows when even one of the 100 is missing. And he cares enough to go after those who are missing in order to bring them back. How does he feel about them when they are found and returned? What does this parable tell us about the love of God? This parable indicates that God cares for each one of as an individual. How should that affect the way you live or the way you think about yourself or others? There are significant differences between Matthew’s version of the parable and the version told in Luke’s Gospel (see Luke 15:3-7). In both versions, the sheep owner is joyful; but in Luke that joy is the main point, whereas in Matthew the main point – the point the parable ends with – is different. What is the point made in verse 14? God does not want anyone to perish. This chapter is not primarily about us as individuals; it is about the church. What does it say to us as church? If the church is called to be the Body of Christ, how should the church view someone who strays? If we are to be like God, how should we think about someone who has strayed from the faith or are doing wrong? Should we condemn them, and, if not, how should we think about them? How should we feel when they return? What should we do about it when someone strays from the faith? Matthew 18:15-20 When a church member does wrong; and agreeing in prayer This section begins with a scenario where a “brother” has wronged you. In the context of Jesus’s teaching to his disciples, a “brother” was a fellow disciple of Jesus. Translating this story to our time, who would a “brother” be? In Matthew’s time, and in ours, a “brother” would be a fellow member of the local church community. In our time, what might be some examples of a “brother” sinning against another brother? This could be lying or saying unkind things about another, treating another unkindly, not living up to one’s commitments, not doing one’s share of the work, flirting with another’s spouse, owing money and not paying it back, pushing ahead of others – the list of problems that could arise in a church is endless. Jesus lays out a series of steps for dealing with an offense. Step 1 What is the first approach to dealing with a situation where someone has done you wrong (verse 15)? Why would Jesus want us to start here? What is the value or benefit in approaching the matter in this private way? What happens if we don’t start with this first step? What is the significance of Jesus saying that if you succeed you have “regained” the brother? What was lost and now is re-gained? How is this language of “gaining” the offending brother connected to the previous passage about the “lost” sheep? Step 2 What is Jesus’s second step for dealing with a case where someone has wronged you (verse 16?) Sometimes, what we think is an offense against us is actually a misunderstanding or might even be our own sin. What are some possible examples of that? What is the value in this second step where we bring someone else into the dialogue? Why does Jesus say it is useful “so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses”? What is the “evidence” that is provided if other Christians are willing to support you in confronting the person who has done you wrong? If other members of the Christian community don’t agree with your interpretation of the situation and don’t see the need to confront the person you think has done you wrong, what might that tell you? This might be a sign that you have misunderstood the situation, or that you are as much at fault as the other person, or that you are making too big a deal out of a little offense and should just let it go and leave the situation to God to deal with. What is the goal of this intervention, where others join you in talking with the person who offended you? Is it the same as in verse 15? If so, what attitude should we have? Step 3 What is the third step Jesus offers if a person who has done you wrong does not come around in your first two efforts (verse 17)? Who is the “church” in this verse? The local assembly, i.e., your local church, congregation, or parish. What is the goal of bringing the sinning person to the whole community? Is it the same goal that was sought in verse 15? If so, what attitude should we have? Note that this strategy presumes that the church at large will agree with you. If there is wide disagreement in the church, it doesn’t really work. How do you think we should situations where the church is divided over whether something wrong has been done? Is the goal still the same (to re-gain a “brother”)? If the church is in agreement and the offender still won’t listen, what does Jesus say to do? Why might it be necessary to impose this kind of social discipline on a person when they have refused to listen to the entire church? In light of verses 14 and 15, what do you think the goal of spurning the sinning person is? And therefore, what attitude do you think must accompany this action? It may sound odd to us when Jesus tells his disciples to treat the offending or sinning member of the church like a Gentile or tax collector, given that he spent time with Gentiles and welcomed tax collectors who repented and followed him. The point may be that, just as Gentiles and tax collectors did not have a place in the Jewish religious community, a person who has taken a stand against the entire church after having been found guilty of a significant offense does not fit in the local church. This language may have sounded perfectly normal among the significant Jewish population in Matthew’s community. Verses 18-20 Verse 18 takes some of the broad authority to bind and loose that was given to Peter in Matthew 16:19, and delegates it to all of the disciples and, by implication, to those who follow in subsequent generations. What does that say to you? In what sense does the Christian community have power to bind and loose in a way that will be honored in heaven? How should the Christian community use this authority? Verses 19-20 are ordinarily thought of as being primarily about prayer. But Matthew has placed those verses here for a reason. In the context of verses 15-18, Jesus could be indicating that it is important to collaborate with fellow believers and not try to deal with the matter alone, when we want to address a situation where we have been wronged. Why is it important to involve others? This connection between verses 15-18 and verses 19-20 also suggests that when we are wronged, our responses need to be immersed in prayer. Why is that so important? Why is important that Christians “agree” with others in prayer, in cases involving church discipline? What does this passage say to you about anything you or your church community should be doing differently? Take a step back and consider this: When we look at the overall sweep of these passages and how they are interconnected, we see some themes: God does not want to lose anyone – not those who have strayed from the church community and not those who have stayed among us but are doing wrong. He wants all of them, together. God asks the church to be involved in addressing the interpersonal conflicts that arise in the local church. God calls us to join together in agreeing on any consequences imposed on those who do wrong, and also to agree in prayer. These observations suggest that God has a mindset we often lack. When someone does wrong to us, we see it as setting up an interpersonal battle that we want to win. When God sees someone doing something that wrongs another member of the church community, he sees it as a moment where the church needs to come together and agree on a way forward. For us, the focus is often on the point of division. For God, the focus is on the route to unity. How can we cultivate God’s focus on unity and agreeing together whenever possible, in situations where it may be more in nature to focus in the hurt and division? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

What does God want us to see? And once we see the real world as he sees it, how would he like us to respond? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 20:29-34 What does God want us to see? And once we see the real world as he sees it, how would he like us to respond? Artist unknown. Kristus helbreder de to blinde ved Jericho [The Healing of the Two Blind Men at Jericho] . 16th century. Cropped. Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark), Copenhagen, Denmark. Public domain, SMK, https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMSsp689?q=Kristus%20helbreder%20de%20to%20blinde%20ved%20Jericho&page=0 . Tom Faletti July 5, 2025 Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men call on Jesus as the “Son of David” Matthew now returns to his narrative about Jesus’s walk to Jerusalem. We are now around 15 miles or so from Jerusalem. The city of Jericho was more than 800 feet below sea level, in the Rift Valley that includes the Dead Sea (the Salt Sea). Jerusalem is approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. So, from Jericho, it is climb of more than half a mile in altitude, through canyons and hills, over a 15-mile walk. The road they are walking on is the road that was famous for robbers – the road Jesus talked about in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). Jesus is leaving Jericho, embarking on the climb to Jerusalem, when this incident happens. The story was probably told frequently: it appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark tells us the name of one of the men: Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46), which suggests that Bartimaeus may have become a well-known member of the church. Matthew has already told us a similar story in 9:27-31. Some scholars suggest that they are the same story told in different ways, but the details of the stories are very different. Who is walking with Jesus? Who starts shouting, and what do they say? What is the reaction of the crowd? When the blind men keep shouting, what does Jesus do? What does he ask them? When the blind men tell Jesus they want to see, what is Jesus’s emotional reaction? What does Jesus do? What do the men’s actions tell us about them? Are they mild-mannered and easily pushed around? Are they easily discouraged? Does their blindness cause them to be ignorant of what is going on in their town? What do these things tell us about them? This is the one chance these men will ever have to be healed of their blindness, and they are not willing to let anything stand in the way of seeking the One who can make a difference in their lives. Are we so committed to seeking out the Lord? What does the example of these men say to us about our own approach to God? The blind men call him “Son of David.” In Matthew’s Gospel, that term is used by people seeking healing – see, for example, 9:27 and 15:22. In the next scene, where Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, Matthew’s is the only Gospel where that phrase is used by the crowds, who call Jesus the “Son of David.” What does “Son of David” mean? David was the great king of Israel, and the Jews always expected that one day a descendant of David would once again rule them. King Solomon was the immediate son of David, according to the flesh. At the time of Jesus, some people believed that Solomon had powers (verse 7:20 in the apocryphal book of Wisdom, which was written in the voice of Solomon, claimed he had knowledge of nature-based healing methods). Jesus is the “son” of David in the sense that he is a descendant of David, and Christians understand him to be the “Son of David” messianically. The fact that the blind men call Jesus “Lord” and “Son of David” suggests that they recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. Although Jesus previously told evil spirits not to tell that to anyone, Jesus does not tell them to be quiet. Perhaps now that he is so near to his crucifixion it no longer matters. Commentators have always seen this story as about more than a physical healing: it speaks to the issue of spiritual blindness and sight. What do you think this story might suggest about spiritual blindness? Though these men are physically blind, they are closer to the truth than many “seeing” people, who are spiritually blind. How can we avoid spiritual blindness? Jesus doesn’t heal the men immediately. Although their need was probably very obvious, he first asks them what they want and waits for them to give him an answer. Do you think that is true in general in our relationship with God – that God waits for us to ask specifically before he answers? Why? Notice that they don’t say, “We want to see.” They specify what they hope Jesus will do: “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” They are specifically asking Jesus to do something specific. They are not expressing vague hope or a general desire – they are specific. Does this tell us anything about how we should approach God in prayer? What does the fact that Jesus was “moved with compassion” (verse 34) say to you? When Jesus heals the men, what do they do in response? They immediately follow Jesus on the road toward Jerusalem. Thomas Aquinas quotes the early Christian scholar Origen as writing: “We also now sitting by the wayside of the Scriptures, and understanding wherein we are blind, if we ask with desire, He will touch the eyes of our souls, and the gloom of ignorance shall depart from our minds, that in the light of knowledge we may follow Him, who gave us power to see to no other end than that we should follow Him” (Aquinas. “Commentary on Matthew 20” ). In what way might God be calling you to embrace a new ability to see, and follow him? What message do you take from this story for yourself? What does the example of these blind men say to us about how to respond to Jesus? Take a step back and consider this: “Lord, let our eyes be opened” (Matt. 20:34). These blind men wanted their eyes to be opened to see what is going on in the real world. We rightly lay a spiritual gloss on this story as we pray: “Lord, let our eyes be opened to your grace. . . . to your love. . . . to your wisdom.” We would do well to pray that prayer more literally: “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in your creation that we miss every day.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in our family members.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the ways our co-workers do wonderful things.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the not-so-random acts of kindness that our neighbors perform.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in the members of our community who quietly work to address the needs of the people we fail to see.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the suffering of those around us.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the hungry children desperate for food.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the immigrants who want nothing more than a chance to start at the bottom of a new society so they can stop living in constant fear.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people who are denied health coverage and cannot afford to see a doctor.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the victims of war who fear every airplane that flies overhead, because it might carry the bomb that kills them.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people who are threatened, doxed, flamed, fired, arrested, silenced, intimidated, or abused for trying to stand up for justice and the truth.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people you see, whom others do not want us to see.” The blind men asked that their eyes be opened to see, and then they followed Jesus on the road toward his Cross. May that be our prayer too, and may their response be ours as well. What might you already sense that God wants you to “see” – things that you may be missing because you are too busy, or too insulated, or too distracted? What might God want you to “see” that you are not currently focusing on because it makes you too uncomfortable? Once you see, what might God want you to do – the thing that would be your act of following him on the road? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

What are the “talents” God has given to you, and are you using them fruitfully? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 25:14-30 What are the “talents” God has given to you, and are you using them fruitfully? Parable of the Talents . Courtesy of Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com , distributed exclusively by Bible Media Group under a license for FreeBibleimages, https://www.freebibleimages.org/photos/lumo-parable-talents/ . Tom Faletti September 14, 2025 Matthew 25:14-30 The parable of the talents (silver pieces) This parable seems unrelated to the previous parables about being ready, but it is not unrelated. Jesus begins this story with the words: “For it is as if . . .” (NRSV) or “It will be as when . . .” (NABRE). What is the “it” to which he is comparing this story? The “it” is what he has just been talking about – the day when the Son of Man returns. A man wealthy enough to have slaves or servants is going on a journey. What does he do before he leaves? The Greek word “talent” was originally used to describe a certain amount of weight, and then it developed a meaning as an amount of money when rulers made “coins” of gold or silver weighing that much. A talent was huge – usually at least 60 pounds (or 27 kilograms) and often more, depending on where and when it was used. The value of a single silver talent was roughly equal to the value of 6,000 days’ wages for a common laborer or soldier, so it was worth what a laborer could earn in almost 20 years of work. The first man receives 5 talents. In today’s dollars, in the United States that would be worth somewhere between $1.4 million and $3 million (as of 2025, considering the minimum wage in various jurisdictions). The second man receives 2 talents, which would be worth between $550,000 and $1.2 million. The third man receives one talent, the equivalent of between $275,000 and $600,000. Them man is giving them large amounts of money. What do you think the man expects his servants to do with the money he gives them? In a parable, the different elements of the story stand for different things. In this story, the master stands for who? The servants stand for who? After a long while, the master returns. It is this delay and eventual return that links this parable to the two preceding parables about being ready. How does this parable relate to the previous parables? What does Jesus expect us to be doing while we wait and remain prepared for his return? Throughout Christian history, Christians have seen an additional point in this parable. For each of us, what does the day of accounting stand for, when the master comes and settles accounts with the servants? This parable illustrates the day when we come before God in judgment – perhaps at the end of the world as we know it but certainly at the end of our lives when we die. There will be an accounting of our lives. A “talent” is literally a huge, block of silver weighing 60 pounds or more, but Jesus is speaking metaphorically about more than just money. What do the “talents” stand for? What are the things God has given us that he expects us to put to good use? Our skills and abilities, our money, our time, our character traits, our family background, our education and knowledge, our creativity, our social skills – the list can go on and on. Anything God has given to you is something for which you should expect God to eventually ask you to give an accounting of what you did with it. Interestingly, the English word “talent,” which means an ability, came from the Greek word in this parable, as the parable was interpreted in terms of people’s abilities. Notice that the man gives the servants different amounts of talents, according to their abilities (25:15). What does this tell you about God’s work among us in our lives? When our translations of the Bible fail to translate the value of a talent into our language, we tend to think it is talking about something small: we might think that 5 talents is like 5 small coins. But Jesus is implying that the “talents” God has given to us are of great value – like a million dollars in money or a large amount for other kinds of talents. Jesus is implying that God has given different people huge or valuable abilities in different areas. You are like a millionaire in some aspects of your life. Not necessarily in money, but you are at the million level in some ability or resource, or in some character trait, or in the family background you grew up in, or in your education or knowledge, or your creativity, or your social skills or empathy, or your organizational or managerial skills, or in whatever your special gifts are. Jesus is saying that God has given you a lot of something that can be used for his purposes! How does that make you feel? What are some of the things God has endowed you with that you can use to “make more”? When he tells you to “make more” with what you have been given, what does “more” mean? What does it look like in your particular case? When you use what God has given to you, what is the more that you can make with your gifts from God? If you are exploring this passage with a small group and you know each other, you can try to answer this: What are some of the ways you see other members of your group using what God has given to them to make good things happen that might not happen without them? In verse 21, the master says, “Well done.” How do you think that makes the servant feel? How would it feel to you to have God say that to you? In verse 21, the productive servant gets three affirmations from Jesus. Find each one. How does the master describe the servant’s character ? What does the master say the servant will receive ? What does the master say the servant will enjoy ? He receives praise for being “good” and either “trustworthy” (NRSV) or “faithful” (NABRE). He will receive more opportunities to serve God. And he is invited to share in his master’s joy. How do these rewards apply to us? The good servants receive three rewards: praise from God, more opportunities to serve God, and the chance to enter into the joy of God. Is there one of these rewards that you would find particularly satisfying at the end of your life? Which one do you especially look forward to? Note that the second servant receives the same three rewards as the second servant. What does this tell us about people with only mid-level abilities? People with mid-level talents receive the same rewards. God just asks for your best with what you have been given, whatever that is. When the master returns, why does the third servant have only what he was originally given? Why does the master castigate him? The third servant may represent the person who legitimately has less talent or opportunity. What do you think the master hoped that servant would do with his smaller amount of talent? The third servant fears the master. He does not have the kind of relationship with the master that makes him comfortable taking a risk to do something with what the master has given to him. Are there times when fear might hold you back from using what you have been given? Explain. What does the master do in response to the third servant’s failure to do anything with what he has been given? How does the master describe the third servant in verses 26 and 30? The master calls him wicked, lazy, and either “worthless” (NRSV) or “useless” (NABRE). The master’s response indicates that God expects something from us. What does God expect from us? What does the fact that different servants receive different amounts of talents say to us today? What does this passage say to you about your own life? Is there something you need to give more attention to? If so, what? How would you like to respond to this parable? Take a step back and consider this: Sometimes people have talents that are hidden – maybe that people aren’t even aware of – until someone else calls them forth by speaking a word of encouragement, by naming a talent that has previously not been noticed, by recognizing what others have missed, or by providing an opportunity for leadership or service. The people who call forth others’ gifts – the “encouragers” – play a valuable role in our lives and a crucial role in the kingdom of God. They help people become more fully what they were meant to be. Who has encouraged you to use your talents? What are some of the things “encouragers” do that draw forth other people’s talents? What would you say is the key to being the kind of person about whom others say, “They are always so encouraging. I had the courage to use my gifts because of them”? How can you be an encourager in your everyday life? How can you, by your words and actions, encourage others to use their talents more fully and effectively? Who is someone you can be more encouraging for, right now in your life? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

What are you called to do in the work of God’s vineyard? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 21:33-46 What are you called to do in the work of God’s vineyard? Jan Luyken (1649-1712). Gelijkenis van de pachters van de wijngaard [Parable of the wicked tenants] . 1703. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Public domain (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gelijkenis_van_de_pachters_van_de_wijngaard,_RP-P-OB-45.110.jpg . Tom Faletti August 7, 2025 Matthew 21:33-46 The parable of the tenants who kill the landowner’s son Recall that in the previous passage , Jesus was drawing a contrast between the chief priests and elders, who have failed to respond to the preaching of John and Jesus, and the “tax collectors and prostitutes,” who have come to believe and are therefore entering into the kingdom of God ahead of the chief priests and elders. Jesus tells a second parable that applies to the chief priests and elders. It uses the longstanding image of the Jewish people as God’s vineyard. The image appears especially in Isaiah 5:1-7, a passage the Jewish leaders would have known well. Read Isaiah 5:1-7 . In the Isaiah passage, in the first verses of chapter 5, what did the vineyard owner do? How does this represent God’s love for his chosen people Israel? What has he done for them? What did the vineyard do in response to the owner’s love (see verse 2 and verse 4)? In the Jewish mind, everything that happened was caused by God. They did not make a distinction between what God causes and what God allows . So they saw the destruction of the vineyard – i.e., Israel in Isaiah’s time – as the direct act of God. We, who see a difference between what God causes and what God allows , might see this as a case where God allowed the nations around Israel to attack and destroy Israel (verse 5: “take away its hedge”), rather than that God directly visited ruin upon them. Now return to Matthew 21:33-46 . Who does the landowner represent? Who do the tenants represent? Who do the servants of the landowner in verses 34-36 represent? Who does the owner’s son represent? In Mark 12:8, the tenants kill the son and throw him out of the vineyard. In Matthew, the order is reversed, as they throw him out of the vineyard and kill him. Some scholars see in Matthew’s order a reference to the fact that Jesus was killed outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem (John 19:17, 20; Hebrews 13:12-13). Who are the “other” tenants in verse 41 who the owner will subsequently bring on as his tenants? The usual interpretation of this parable is that the owner is God; the vineyard is Israel (or Jerusalem); the original tenants are the leaders of the people – the chief priests and elders; the servants are the Old Testament prophets, whom the nation of Israel often mistreated and sometimes killed (although Matthew adds that one of them was stoned, which could be a reference to Stephen – see Acts 7:54-60); the son is Jesus; and the new tenants are a new Israel (or the true Israel) composed of people who believe in Jesus. Matthew’s community, a people who received the kingdom, was a collection of Jews and Gentiles. In having so many connections to the story of salvation history, this parable is more like an allegory than most of Jesus’s parables. How does this story portray the chief priests and elders, who will soon ask the Roman authorities to put Jesus to death? What does this story say about the people who are putting their faith in Jesus? What does this parable tell us about God? Notice that the landowner, like God, trusts the workers without standing over them micromanaging every move. He is patient when they rebel. He cares so much about his vineyard that he sends his son. Although he is patient, he does bring judgment ultimately. What does this parable tell us about Jesus? He is not just a prophet; he is God’s son. He will be killed. However, there will be an accounting in the end. Where are we in this story? What does the parable tell us about ourselves? The stone In Matthew 21:42, Jesus ends the parable by pointing to a quote from Psalm 118:22-23 (“the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”). It might also remind the chief priests and elders of the saying in Isaiah 28:16 where God says that he is laying a cornerstone in Zion (Jerusalem) that is a sure foundation for people’s faith. Who is this cornerstone? What happens to the cornerstone? Jesus, the cornerstone, is rejected by the builders – i.e., the leaders of Jerusalem. The quote from the Psalms say that God has done this and it is “marvelous” or “wonderful” in our eyes. How would you explain what is wonderful about Jesus being the cornerstone of our faith and of our relationship with God? When Jesus quotes this passage from the Psalms, how does it answer the question the leaders asked in Matthew 21:23, when they asked by what authority Jesus is doing what he is doing? In verse 43, Jesus speaks judgment upon the leaders. What does he say will happen to them? The passage about the vineyard in Isaiah has similar language. You can read Isaiah 5:11-16 to see that. In verse 43, Jesus says the kingdom will be taken away from them and given to a people who will produce the proper fruit of God’s kingdom. Who are those people, and what is the “fruit” they produce? The early Christians saw this statement by Jesus as being fulfilled when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and scattered the Jewish people. They saw the Church (the Christian people) as the “other tenants,” the people producing fruit. Verse 44 does not appear in many of the early manuscripts, but it is in Luke 20:18 (Luke’s version of this same parable), so it makes sense here. Jesus may be drawing on a couple of Old Testament images: Isaiah 8:14-15 has an image of God as a rock that both Israel and Judah will stumble over, and they will fall and be broken. In Daniel 2:32-35 and 43-45, Daniel interprets a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had, in which a stone that was not made by human hands crushes a statue that represents the powerful nations of the world from the time of Babylon through the time of the Greeks. Verse 44 has been interpreted in many different ways: perhaps the first group is those who humble themselves before God and fall on Jesus in repentance, while the second group is those who resist the saving grace of Jesus. How have you found yourself needing to be “broken” as part of the process of embracing the call of Jesus in your life? In verses 45-46, we see the reaction of the chief priests and Pharisees. This is the first time Matthew has mentioned the Pharisees since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. The recognize that Jesus’s parable refers to them. What would they like to do, but don’t do, and why? The lines have now been clearly drawn. The political die has been cast. As Jesus foretold before he came to Jerusalem, he is on a clear path to be executed by the leaders of his society. God never forces anyone to do evil. Each person who is opposing Jesus could have chosen a different path. What is Jesus offering to the leaders, as a way to get off of the tragic path they are on? In this story, we are among the “other tenants” who have been given a shot at working in God’s vineyard. What a great privilege that is! What are you doing with your opportunity? How are you working in God’s vineyard? What more could you be doing, to do the work of God? Take a step back and consider this: The range of people circling in and around God’s vineyard is vast. When people encounter Jesus, there are many different ways they might respond: Some are put off by the claims he makes, or the demands he makes, and they reject him without ever embracing him. Some may be living unruly lives when they encountered Jesus, but they see the truth in his calling, decide to follow him, and find themselves being transformed by the relationship they develop with him. Some are raised “in the faith” but do not discover a personal experience of Jesus. They go through the motions of the faith and then fall away or just keep going through the motions without developing a vital relationship with Jesus. These members of our community need a new encounter with Jesus to help them connect with him on an adult level and follow him on a personal level. Some are raised in the church, fall away, and then subsequently have a new encounter that helps them recommit their lives to following Jesus. Some are raised in the faith and develop a personal relationship with Jesus early on that matures into an adult commitment to him without ever falling away. Jesus wants all of them to be part of his team – the people who are working in his vineyard to produce the fruit of the kingdom. Every time the sun goes down, it is a chance to reflect on what we have done today. Every time the sun rises, it is a new day in the vineyard – a new chance to be open to the fruit of God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and to “press on,” as the apostle Paul puts it (Phil. 3:14). Every day, Jesus invites us to take another step. We can ask: What would Jesus like to help you do today in the work of God’s vineyard? What can you do to help someone else stay true to their calling as a worker in God’s vineyard? Let us embrace our calling as tenants in the vineyard of the Lord, in whatever capacity he gives us and in whatever work he calls us to do. Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:6-12 Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti April 20, 2024 Matthew 5:6-12 – For context, re-read Matthew 5:1-12 : The “Sermon on the Mount” In our last study , we looked at the first 3 beatitudes that appear in what has been called Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount.” Today we will look at the remaining beatitudes. Having read the entire list of beatitudes, what do you think is the overall message Jesus is trying to communicate in this discussion about what makes a person “blessed”? Verse 6 What does it mean, to “hunger and thirst for righteousness”? In general, how is hungering or thirsting for something different than simply wanting it? Barclay says that in the Greek language, the ordinary grammatical structure for the words hunger and thirst connote a desire for some – I hunger for some bread, not the whole loaf; I thirst for some water, not the whole pitcher. But in this sentence spoken by Jesus, the grammatical construction connotes a desire for all of it, for the whole thing – in this case, for total righteousness, for being wholly righteousness (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 96). Do we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or do we tend to just want some righteousness? What can we do to become more like the person Jesus pictures who hungers for total righteousness? There is a promise associated with this hungering. What does it mean when he says that they will be “filled” (5:6 NRSV) or “satisfied” (NABRE)? How can we become filled to the point that we are no longer hungry for righteousness? What does that mean? Luke’s 6:21 says, “Blessed are you who are now hungry, / for you will be satisfied” (NABRE) or “filled” (NRSV). That is a literal hunger. Why would Matthew focus on a spiritual interpretation rather than Luke’s literal experience of hunger? What value is there in Matthew’s version of this beatitude? It is very possible that Jesus said it both ways at different times. What does Matthew’s choice of words suggest about his audience, compared to Luke and his audience? Verse 7 What does it mean to be merciful? How does it feel to receive mercy? What is that experience like? How can I become more merciful? Among many possible answers, consider these: Cut others some slack. Try to walk in their shoes. Does this remind you of any other Bible passages? For example, the Lord’s Prayer; the forgiven servant (who didn’t forgive). What kind of mercy do you particularly hope you will receive, or in what kinds of situations do you most hope you will encounter mercy? Are those situations perhaps the situations where you also need to give mercy? Verse 8 What does it mean to be “pure in heart” (NRSV) or “clean of heart” (NABRE)? Pure has many good connotations. We often focus on purity in our conduct or behavior. There is also the idea of having a pure heart in the way we relate with others. What does that kind of pure heart look like? Purity of heart also can be considered in our relationship with ourselves, in an honesty with ourselves. What does that look like? Among many possible answers, consider these: Being free of mixed motives; not manipulative; doing the right thing regardless of your feelings; without a personal agenda, but rather, having God’s agenda as your only agenda (because then you will be connected to him in an intimate way; you will “see” him). What does the promise mean, that they will “see God”? Do you think this opportunity to “see God” is all in the future, or is there a sense in which the pure in heart experience it partially in their present life? Why is purity necessary in order to see God? In what sense do the pure in heart see God in a way that other, less pure Christians might not? What can I do to become more pure or clean of heart? Verse 9 What is “peace”? “Peace” in Greek is eiréné , but the Jews would have had in mind the Hebrew word shalom , which does not mean the absence of strife but the presence of all that is good (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 103) or a “total well-being” ((Benedict T. Viviano, O.P., “The Gospel According to Matthew,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 24, p. 640). What is a “peacemaker”? What do you have to do to be a peacemaker? Is it possible to be so focused on keeping the peace that you fail to address problems that then grow and break the peace? Is peacemaking sometimes a struggle? If so, how can we stay focused on peace making , and not just avoiding strife? Barclay tells us that the Jewish rabbis said that peacemakers are the people who “establish right relationships between man and man” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 105) – i.e., who bring people together and resolve conflicts. He contrasts “peace-makers” with “trouble-makers.” In what ways are you a peacemaker? How does a person make peace between people? Are there ways that you would like to be more consistent or effective as a peacemaker? Explain. How can we become better peacemakers? What promise comes to the peacemakers, and what does it mean? They will be called children of God when all is said and done – not necessarily in the heat of the peacemaking struggle. The phrase is literally “sons of God.” They are like God or reflect the lineage of God because they are doing the work of God. In what ways is God a peacemaker, so that being a peacemaker is being like God? Verses 10-12 What kind of persecution is rewarded with this blessing – i.e., according to v. 10, for what are they being persecuted? What do you know of the sufferings of the early martyrs? What persecutions did they suffer, and why? They were executed in many gruesome ways, mainly for not offering the required sacrifice to Caesar. They could not acknowledge Caesar as Lord because for them, only Jesus was Lord. Jesus elaborates on this beatitude in vv. 11-12, shifting from talking about “they” to talking to “you.” In v. 11, when are “you” blessed? Why are you blessed when you are persecuted? Notice that Jesus does not name a promise in this beatitude the way he did in the other beatitudes. The promise is implicit – that you will be counted with the prophets. Why is that a high reward? What do you think are the benefits or rewards that come with being persecuted? Some of the rewards include: the chance to live with God forever, to be counted among the prophets, to know that you were able to stay faithful to the God you love, and to know that you were participating in God’s great work on earth. Translations that use the word “glad” are understating the level of joy Jesus is suggesting here. The Greek word means to exult – nearly the same word Mary uses in her Magnificat when she says, “my soul rejoices .” It comes from two words that mean “much” and “leaping” – i.e. to leap for joy (see, for example, William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 112, and “21. agalliaó,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance , Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm ). What would it take for you to see persecution as a cause for rejoicing? How, if at all, are we persecuted in our time? What can we take from this exploration of the blessings of being persecuted? Looking back at the whole expanse of the beatitudes, what key points do you see? What stands out to you as especially important? What is most important to remember? What beatitude is God calling you to live out more fully? What can you do to become more a beatitude person? Take a step back and consider this: The beatitudes are just the beginning of the story Matthew and Jesus are telling us about kingdom of heaven and what the life of a Christian looks like. What attracts you about a Savior who starts with the Beatitudes as an introduction to life with God? What troubles you about this as his starting point? What do you think Jesus would say to you about what attracts you and what concerns you here? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Make the choice to follow Christ and do not be afraid of the consequences. [Matthew 10:16-25; 10:26-33; 10:34-39; 10:40-42] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 10:16-42 Make the choice to follow Christ and do not be afraid of the consequences. Image by Redd F, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Cropped. Tom Faletti August 10, 2024 Matthew 10:16-25 The persecution that will come As Jesus’s followers go out to preach the good news, what problems will they face? What are the risks they will face? What are the reassurances Jesus offers? How is the reassurance Jesus offers based on a relationship? In verses 17, 18, and 21, who will oppose them or cause them trouble? Jesus mentions religious leaders, governmental authorities, and family members. As you try to be transparent and open about your faith, is there anyone who is likely to oppose you or cause you trouble? If so, what might you do about it? Have you experienced any situations like what is described in verse 20, where you did now have a plan for what you would say about your faith, but the Spirit spoke through you? How can you live a life that is so open to the movement and guidance of the Holy Spirit that that kind of guidance “in the moment” is possible? Where are you tempted to hold back in boldly following Jesus? What does this passage say to you? Based on what Jesus says in these verses, would you say martyrdom should be sought, avoided where possible, or avoided at all costs? In verse 23b, Jesus says that the Son of Man will come before they have proclaimed the good news in all of the towns of Israel. Matthew might have understood this to be true in the sense that the beginning of the coming of the Son of Man was inaugurated when Jesus died and rose from the dead. Or he might have seen the coming of the Son of Man as having occurred when Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel was shattered by the Romans in AD 70. We will explore the coming of the Son of Man when Jesus talks more about it in Matthew 24. In verse 24, Jesus says the disciple is not above the teacher. The word disciple means a learner or student. How do you maintain your role as a lifelong learner under Jesus? What are some ways that we, as disciples, are called to be “like” our teacher Jesus? Matthew 10:26-33 Do not fear What does Jesus emphasize repeatedly in verses 26, 28, 31 of this passage? Why might fear be a natural response? There might be pain, suffering, rejection, and even death in following Jesus. Why, then, does Jesus tell us not to fear? What is Jesus saying about us and God in the sparrow analogy in verses 29-31? We are greatly valued by God. We are intensely and surprisingly important to him. He never stops watching us, with love. What fears do you face? What does this word from Jesus about not being afraid say to you in your particular circumstances? In verses 32-33, Jesus contrasts those who acknowledge him before others and those who deny him before others. William Barclay suggests (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , pp. 403-404) that there are three ways we can deny Jesus: by our words , by our silence , and by our actions . What does it look like to deny Jesus by our words? . . . by our silence? . . . by our actions? What does it look like to acknowledge Jesus before other people by our words, our silence, and our actions? Where in your life do you need to be a clearer witness to Jesus right now, and how might it affect your words, your times of silence, or your actions? Matthew 10:34-39 The choice What are the some of the things Jesus says will be part of being called by him? What does Jesus mean in verses 34-36 when he says he has come to bring a sword? When Jesus says he has not come to bring peace, but a sword (verse 34), he explains what he means in verses 35-36. He is not talking about military might or violent uprising. He is not saying that he wields a sword, nor is he saying that the sword should be wielded by his disciples. On the contrary, the sword is wielded by those who oppose Jesus and his disciples. Jesus is lamenting the fact that his coming produces such opposition that some will die by the sword. The quote in verses 35-36 comes from Micah 7:6, where the prophet describes with great sorrow how the society around him has degenerated to the point where those who are faithful to God cannot trust the people around them, but instead must look to God and wait for God to provide salvation (Micah 7:7). What does the conundrum in verse 39 about finding your life/losing your life mean? What does it mean to “take up your cross and follow me”? How might a person today have to give up the life they have today in order to find the life they are called to by in Christ? What do you think of Jesus’s blunt honesty in this passage? Do we need more of this kind of honesty in the message of Christianity in our day? Or can we avoid this tough message and still be saved? Most people don’t face this choice in stark, life-or-death terms the way the martyrs did. They do face smaller life decisions that change the direction of their lives and even smaller choices every day about how to live their lives. How do these smaller choices both reflect and determine where we stand with Jesus? What is the cost or sacrifice that comes with following Jesus? What is the reward or benefit? A cross is an instrument of death. How is taking up a cross an apt metaphor for the choice we face? What is the cross you are called to take up right now in order to follow Jesus? Matthew 10:40-42 You are representatives of Jesus What is this passage saying? This passage implies that we are representatives of Jesus. What responsibilities come with being a representative of Jesus? This passage implies that our fellow Christians, even the lowest, are representatives of Jesus. What does that fact call us to do? In verse 42, Jesus talks about giving a cup of cold water to “these little ones.” Scholars debate whether the “little ones” refers to the apostles/disciples or to the uneducated and needy members of the community. But it can also be taken more literally. Who are the “little ones” in this world who need a cup of water? How can we, directly or through organizations or governments, help people who need access to safe, clean drinking water? Benedict T. Viviano comments, “It has been observed that if God will reward one who gives a cup of cold water to a disciple, how much more will he reward one who installs an entire city water system” (Viviano, par. 72, p. 652). Many nonprofit organizations, often operating from a religious orientation, help people in less developed countries build wells or implement water purification programs, so that children and other community members will have safe drinking water. Some people living along the southern border of the United States try to serve Jesus in the “least among us” by providing water to migrants who might die of thirst or heatstroke as they search for a safe place to call home. There are many ways to give a cup of cold water to “little ones” in need. If you were to be evaluated (like in school or on a job performance evaluation) on how you are doing as a representative of Jesus, where would you receive high marks and where would it be said that you could make improvements? How might you respond to this passage in terms of how you relate to other people? Take a step back and consider this: William Barclay wrote, “The Christian may have to sacrifice his personal ambitions, the ease and the comfort that he might have enjoyed, the career that he might have achieved; he may have to lay aside his dreams, to realize that shining things of which he caught a glimpse are not for him. He will certainly have to sacrifice his will, for no Christian can ever again do what he likes; he must do what Christ likes. In Christianity there is always some cross, for Christianity is the religion of the Cross” (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1, p. 408). There are many ways that following Christ may require a sacrifice of the will. It generally doesn’t mean, “I want to be an entrepreneur/lawyer/realtor/artist (etc.) but God wants me to be a missionary in a far-off land.” More commonly it means, “I want to be an entrepreneur/lawyer/realtor/artist (etc.) but because I follow Christ there are certain things I will not do, even if the world tells me it is necessary for success.” In our work, we stay true to God, speak honestly and openly about our faith when the opportunity arises, and trust God, without fear, that if following Christ closes some doors, God has other doors for us. Sacrificing our will generally doesn’t mean we live in absolute penury with only the clothes on our back. It means we choose to live simply so that we have resources left to put at God’s disposal. We put Christ in charge of our budget, recognizing that all we have comes from God and that sacrificing our own luxury may help meet others’ basic necessities. In other words, when our desires and Christ’s will do not line up, we let go of our will so that Christ’s will can have its way. In exchange, we are given the opportunity to participate, from the platform we have as an entrepreneur/lawyer/realtor/artist (etc.), in the greatest mission we could imagine. And when we have made that fundamental decision and have lived it for a while and allowed it to seep deeply into the fabric of our life, the ambitions and luxuries that run counter to the mission of Christ sometimes seem less attractive. That doesn’t mean we won’t face new temptations as situations arise. But they will less commonly be decisions about the major direction of our lives. They will more commonly be: “Can I set aside the thing I am working on right now, because the person in front of me needs me to do something for them.” Those smaller sacrifices of the will are always before us and will continue until we meet the Lord face to face in the life to come. Do you agree with Barclay that Christianity requires a sacrifice of the will to do what Christ desires? Explain. What are the kinds of sacrifices that God is asking you to make right now for the sake of his kingdom? What do you need to do (or keep doing) right now to stay true to the decision you have made to be a follower of Christ? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next