Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Matthew 10:9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Reflection: Now that Jesus has given his apostles the content of their message, "Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near!" He proceeds to give them instructions both on who they are to go to, and how they should approach the people they seek to reach, namely the lost sheep of Israel, or the Jews. ...

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve 10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Reflection: This passage marks a huge transition in the life and ministry of Jesus, where he goes from mainly showing and doing the words and works of th...

The Workers Are Few 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Reflection: This section ends a section of teaching where Jesus is modeling the life he would like the disciples to live after he goes. Note if you look at Matthew 4:23, it is an identical verse as 9:35. These are the parentheses of the great ministry of Jesus, and in the next chapter he will make the great transition to sending out the disciples, and by application us to make disciples of all nations (see the Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20). Notice the three mainstays of Jesus' public ministry: preachin...

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”“Yes, Lord,” they replied.29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” Reflection: Even though the blind men couldn't physically see Jesus, in another sense they saw who He was as t...

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman 18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region. Reflection: In the midst of teaching the Pharisees, Jesus is inte...

Jesus Questioned About Fasting 14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Reflection: We see again today Jesus is questioned about why his disciples don't fast as do the disciples of John. The fact is John's disciples were trained in a prophetic school with practices like these, whereas Jesus' disciples came from very common backgrounds like fishing and tax collecting. But the larger...

The Calling of Matthew 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Reflection: As we read of the call of Matthew, also named Levi in Luke's gospel, Jesus reveals many things about God's nature. First note it is Jesus who calls Matthew, and Matthew gets up immediately and follows Jesus. While Matthew could have refused the call, it is clear there is something supernatural going on here, and Jesus is do...

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man 9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. Reflection: As we have now moved into the section where Jesus is not just proclaiming and teaching about how the kingdom works, but modeling through experience, we h...

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men 28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” 30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. Reflection: Jesus so far in Matthew 8 has shown his power and his ability to heal people from disease and sickness, and...

Jesus Calms the Storm 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Reflection: After Jesus offers the disciples and teachers of the Law the challenge of denying themselves and following Him, he invites them on a little boating adventure. Notice he could have gone by land to where they were going, but chooses this venue for their next learning lab. For all teachers notice it is sometimes good to get out of the classroom for the best lessons. We don't always learn best by being lectured all the time, but by experiencing truth in real l...

The Cost of Following Jesus 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead. Reflection: Jesus has started off his ministry by giving plenty of invitation. He has taught the them what life is like in the kingdom. He has demonstrated it not only with words but with deeds. He has shown the disciples it is not just telling them about the kingdom but bringing God's kingdom to be manifest in healing of diseases and the driving out of demons. In God's kingdom, Jesus is Lord, and one word from Jesus, one touch from Jesus is enough to deliver them from sickness, disease and the power of the...

Jesus Heals Many 14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Reflection: Jesus continues to demonstrate both in word and in deed, and in the case of Peter's mother in law touch, that He was the Messiah. This is a direct correlation to the prophecy of Isaiah 53 that says Jesus bore our sins in his body and took away our infirmities. And Jesus not only healed sickness, but also delivered people who were possessed by demons. It was with a word that He drove out these evil spirits. One word from The Lord and Savior can drive out any evil. Jesus spoke with authority and drove out dem...

The Faith of the Centurion 5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ...

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy 8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Reflection: After teaching several principles about how to access God's kingdom, one can see Jesus has quite a following. People were attracted to the authority he taught with, as opposed to the Pharisees who just laid down the burden of law keeping. Jesus on the other hand opened up the opportunity to live a life in the kingdom which enables one to live a life of purpose according to God's plan. As such people were attracted and wanted to learn more. So now Jesus moves to livi...

The Wise and Foolish Builders 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Reflection: Jesus finishes up his sermon, he teaches the disciples, and by application us, these words. He summarizes two types of reactions or responses to His teaching. One person hears and puts into practice what Jesus is saying. The other person...

True and False Disciples 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Reflection: Jesus again today gives us challenging words to think about. He says just because we call out his name and do works that would reflect His name does not mean we know him. We know Judas was with Jesus and maybe even experienced the power of doing things in Jesus' name, but in the end did not really know Him or confess Him as Lord. The bible says even demons believe in One God and tremble at His name but are not saved. (James 2:19). We know in the Old Testament God used Balaam's donkey to prophecy, and in the New Testament when Simon the Sorcerer saw the m...

True and False Prophets 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Reflection: Jesus now teaches the disciples to be on guard, or on watch for false prophets. They would also fall under the category of false teachers. Someone proclaiming to speak for God but falsely so. Whenever God's kingdom starts to grow there will always be forces that oppose it. One of the enemy's great tactics is to cause confusion, and in no way does he try this more than infiltrating the Church with false prophets and teachers. So how to we re...

The Narrow and Wide Gates 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Reflection: Although this is a short passage it packs quite a punch. It begins with a quick and decisive command, "enter through the narrow gate!" Though God chooses us and calls us first to follow Him, we must choose to enter through the narrow gate. And we know that gate is Jesus. As Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." Like the narrow gate, many think this is a narrow road and in some respects it is because it is but one way. This is opposed to the worldly philosophy of "all roads lead to God". There is only one problem with that kind of thinking it is not biblical. Does God love all people? Yes. Has He provided a way for them to b...

Ask, Seek, Knock 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Reflection: While Jesus taught earlier that the one who prays in secret to his Heavenly Father is rewarded, here he further expounds what this looks like. Jesus gives a threefold formula for effective prayer. He says ask, seek, knock. Though God is the one who answers prayers, here we are taught how to pray. In the Lord's Prayer we are taught what to pray. And...

Judging Others 7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Reflection: Now Jesus turns to the matter of how we are supposed treat one another as we live life in the kingdom. He exposes the Pharisees method of being harsh in their judgment, while living untransformed lives themselves. They were nitpicky about others actions, while having hea...

Do Not Worry 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But se...

Treasures in Heaven 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Reflection: Jesus has been describing hypocrisy and how to avoid it in the spiritual disciplines like giving, praying and fasting, and now he turns to a different kind of hypocrisy. This is the hypocrisy of the Christian w...