Category: Matthew
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The Promise to Jesus Followers
(Matthew 19:27-30) The previous sections discussed the things that may need to be given up in following Christ. But what about what we gain? Peter made the point that the disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus and so he asked what was in it for them. Jesus said that nobody who gave up…
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Hard for a Rich Man to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven
(Matthew 19:23-26) The Lord says that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact he says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is that so? What is…
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No Gatekeepers between Man and God
(Matthew 19:13-15) At this time the people were bringing children to Jesus to have him lay his hands on them and pray. They were seeking for the Lord to bless their children. However as often happens, the people around the Lord, his disciples, were “running interference” to try and “protect” Jesus from these interruptions. Imagine…
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Eunuchs for the Sake of the Kingdom of Heaven
(Matthew 19:10-12) In the previous section Jesus spoke of matters of marriage. I commented that I did not fully understand that section, as it seemed quite harsh. It is clear also that Jesus’ disciples struggled with this teaching to for in this section they said, “If such is the case of a man with his…
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The Sanctity of Marriage
(Matthew 19:1-9) The sanctity of marriage and matters of divorce are an area over which I am still learning. There is much about this section of scripture that I do not understand. Some aspects of this scripture seem to be overly harsh, which seems at odds with other parts of the Bible. I recommend that…
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The Parable of the Two Debtors
(Matthew 18:23-35) The parable of the two debtors gives us an insight into the need for forgiveness. It explains why we must forgive our brother from the heart. The underlying principle shown here is to forgive as we have been forgiven. In the parable of the two debtors we see a king settling accounts with…
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Forgiving Your Brother
(Matthew 18:21-22) The power of forgiveness is an incredible thing. Jesus teaches us here that forgiving your brother in Christ is an important part of the Christian teaching. Forgiving your brother should be unlimited, which is the point Jesus is making in this section. However when we look at the Luke version of this scripture…
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Dealing with Sin in the Church
(Matthew 18:15-20) There is a process for dealing with sin in the church. Church discipline is extremely important for training and maturity. Discipline in the church should not be considered as punishment. It should be done in a loving manner rather than accusing another of a fault or a sin. In this section we see…
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Seeking the Lost Sheep
(Matthew 18:10-14) The previous section spoke about the fact that temptation was necessary, but what happens when a Christian succumbs to temptation? Here we see that God protects his people and goes seeking the lost sheep when one of his people falls. This scripture tells us of the love of God for his people and…
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Temptations to Sin are Sure to Come
(Matthew 18:7-9) As we live in this world we must understand that there are many temptations to sin in the world. Jesus was well aware of this for he knew that temptations to sin are sure to come and in this section even said it was necessary that temptations come. Everyone in this world suffers…
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Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
(Matthew 18:1-6) The disciples came to Jesus to ask who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. This is a common thought of man. When we look at things like the Guinness book of records we see a collection of the most outstanding achievements of mankind in all disciplines. When we think about the…
