Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 22 Wedding Banquet Jesus continues with another parabale on " what kingdom of heaven is like ". This time the analogy is a wedding banquet. Wedding receptions are a big deal today. Much time and money is spent getting the perfect venue and trimming the guest list to make the wedding affordable for the bride’s dad. Lol.  Weddings were a little different in Jesus' day.  Barclay says that when a great social event happened in the Jewish culture of that day, people were invited but without a set time. On the appropriate day, when the host was ready to receive the guests, they sent out messengers to say that all things were ready and it was time to come to the feast. In many weddings the guest list can become a bone of contention. Who should we invite?  Family, past friends, new friends? How is it prioritized? Should uncle we haven’t heard from in 20 years be invited? Would he be offended if he were spurned?   But one thing is ...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 21 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King While up to this point Jesus has kept a fairly low profile, Jesus now makes a dramatic public appearance. Jesus knew the religious leaders were plotting for his downfall, but rather than avoiding the confrontation he walks right into it.  “Jesus could not have chosen a more dramatic moment; it was into a city surging with people keyed up with religious expectations that he came.” (Barclay) The way Jesus entered into Jerusalem was very symbolic and communicated the message of who he was and why he had come. Jesus could have come on a "war horse" communicating his plan of a military takeover, but he came on a donkey. This was in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.  Jesus came to Jerusalem in humility, yet with appropriate dignity. Instead of coming on a horse as a conquering general, He came on a colt, as was customary for royalty. He came to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace. - Guzik As Jesus came in on the d...

  Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 20 The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard This is another one of the those parables that does not seem to make a lot of sense from a human standpoint. Human nature teaches us that each worker in the story should have been paid for the amount of hours they had worked. After all isn't that what the "human resources" department what tell us to do.  The owner of the vineyard decided to pay each of the workers "one denarius", which was the daily rate for day laborers.  He paid them the same no matter when they started their shift. Some came early in the morning, some at 9am, some at noon, and some at 3pm. But when he finally got around to paying out the wages those who came work at 5pm got the same pay as the ones who were hired early in the morning. What gives?  The bottom line is the owner paid each person what they had been promised, so they didn't have a reason to complain. They should have just been grateful they...

Click Here To Read or Listen to Matthew 19 Divorce We know that "divorce" is a common thing in our society. Statistics show 50% of marriages end up in divorced. This is true for both Christian and non Christians. So Jesus' teaching is as relevant today as it ever was.  In Jesus' day divorce was mainly the perogative of the man. Here are what two fine New Testament commentators have to say about how divorce was practiced in the 1st century Jewish culture. In theory, the Jews of that day had a high ideal of marriage. Yet they had a low view of women. “The Jews had very low views of women…A wife was bought, regarded as property, used as a household drudge, and dismissed at pleasure.” (Bruce) Today, men also have a low view of women; tragically, women also have a low view of women, and often reject the idea that women should be different than men in any way. Their low view of women meant that their high ideal of marriage was constantly compromised, and those compromises w...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 18 The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven We have said before that one of the main themes of Matthew's gospel is the availability of the kingdom of God. Unlike the kingdom of the world, the kingdom of God is an "upside down" kingdom. The last shall be first. Those who lose their life will find it. The greatest will be a servant. And in this first passage we learn that the kingdom belongs to little children. Not only are children invited into the kingdom, those who welcome children will also be called the greatest.  What is it about children that makes them prime candidates for the kingdom. Most importantly they trust. They have faith and believe until they are given a reason not to believe. So Jesus is saying the kingdom is available to all who would be humble enough to receive the kingdom like a little child.   “Children do not try to be humble, but they are so; and the same is the case with really gracious persons. The imitation of...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 17   The Transfiguration We often use the phrase "mountaintop experience" to characterize a moment when we encounter God in a powerful way. Maybe it was at a camp, retreat, or maybe even outdoors in nature.   The famous Christian writer Henri Nouwen said this about mountatintop experiences,  "At some moments we experience complete unity within us and around us. This may happen when we stand on a mountaintop and are captivated by the view. It may happen when we witness the birth of a child or the death of a friend. It may happen when we have an intimate conversation or a family meal. It may happen in church during a service or in a quiet room during prayer. But whenever and however it happens we say to ourselves: “This is it … everything fits … all I ever hoped for is here.” In today's passage Jesus' inner circle of disciples (Peter, James and John) literally have this kind of experience, as Jesus was transfigured right befo...

  Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 16 The Demand for a Sign I don't think Jesus wasn't against giving a sign, after all he performed miracles all the time. But he also knew the heart of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They had no intention of believing even if Jesus did do one.  This statement of Jesus reminds us that signs alone convert no one. It is easy to place far too much confidence in signs and wonders as tools to bring people to faith in Jesus.- Guzik The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees Recently Jesus talked about yeast in a positive way. Similar to the mustard seed, a little bit of yeast could like go a long way as was the case with our own faith. But today he uses yeast in a negative way.  As noted previously in the parable of the leaven (Matthew 13:33), leaven is consistently used as a picture of sin and corruption (especially in the Passover narrative of Exodus 12:8, 12:15-20). So what was the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Legalism. Like the t...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 15   One of the criticisms that I hear most often from the world is that Christians are a "bunch of hypocrites". Some of it may be deserved but a lot is not. In Chapter 15, Jesus gives a blistering assessment of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. They not only were neglecting the clear commandments of God in things areas like "honoring your faither and mother", but they were also adding many traditions that had nothing to do with true godliness. It gave them the allusion of having more power and enabled them to lay heavier burdens on the people that they were not willing to lift.  Jesus calls them, "blind guides", who if followed would lead you right into the pit. Jesus gives a clear definition of why they are such hypocrites, as he quotes from Isaiah 29:13, “‘These people honor me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain;  their teachings are merely human rules....

Cick Here To Read or Listen Matthew 14 J ohn the Baptist Beheaded We have the gruesome story of John the Baptist being beheaded by King Herod. Herod was manipulated by his sister in law Herodias. She was the granddaughter of Herod the Great The fame and report of Jesus spread around the region. This Herod was known as Herod Antipas and was one of the sons of Herod the Great who reigned when Jesus was born. - Guzik John the Baptist had rebuked Herod for his immoral relationship with his niece Herodias More than once, John the Baptist had rebuked King Herod for divorcing his wife and marrying his niece Herodias, who had been his brother Philip’s wife. Philip was still living, and both Philip and Antipas were uncles to Herodias—for several reasons, then, Herod’s marriage to Herodias was a violation of God’s law - Got Questions.org Bottom line is John the Baptist got beheaded for being bold enough to rebuke Herod. He was fearless. He has an "audience of One". This is why Jesus ga...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 13 Matthew 13 is the chapter of parables. There are no less than seven of them in this chapter. I am going to offer a few thoughts for each one.  The term "parable" comes from the Greek word "parabole", which literally means "throwing" (bolē) "alongside" (para-), by extension meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy." This is a common teaching method used by Jesus. Sometimes he explains the meaning of the parable to his hearers, sometimes only to his disciples, or not at all. Sometimes the meaning is obtuse or seeminly hidden. Jesus will often say the answers come only to those who seek to truly understand them and put into practice. Usually the parable has one main point, which sheds light on what it means to operate in God's kingdom.  The Parable of the Sower This is one of the most famous parables and the subject of many fine sermons. Some also call it the "parable of the soils"...

  Click Here to Read or LIsten to Matthew 12 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath As Jesus' following and influence starts growing the Pharisees began to get more and more jealous and looked for opportunities to trap him. Their main strategy was to try and catch Jesus and/or his disciples breaking some aspect of the Mosaic Law. In today's passage, they accuse Jesus' disciples of eating on the Sabbath.  Jesus has already taught them about the difference between the Spirit and the letter of the Law, but they have clearly not understood his message. Jesus had just taught on the "easy yoke" and now he shows the "hard yoke" and "heavy burden" the Pharisees were laying on the Jewish people.  Importantly Jesus said, " The Sabbath is made for man, not man made for the Sabbath". The Sabbath was not supposed to be about obeying a bunch of rules but worshipping God and setting apart a day for him. The Sabbath is a great discipline, as it frees us from t...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 11   Jesus and the John the Baptist Today we hear about John the Baptist again, who was in prison for not "kow towing" to King Herod and instead calling out his infidelity. So although in some sense he knew Jesus was the Messiah, he still was curious and probably needed some encouragement. Jesus told the disciples to share with him the works he was doing, which fulfilled what the Old Testament said about the Messiah. Notice the miracles he focuses on. They are for those who are "down and out" and discarded by society.   - The blind - The lame - The lepers - The deaf - The dead - The poor But He also reminded them that His power would be displayed mostly in humble acts of service, meeting individual needs, and not in spectacular displays of political deliverance. - Guzik Then we see Jesus saying that might seem a little puzzing. He says, " The least in the kingdom are greater than John ." What does he mean by this? He...

Click Here to Read or LIsten to Matthew 10 Today we reach the end of Week 2 with the reading of Matthew 10. As I mentioned yesterday, Jesus is entering "Phase 2" of his earthly ministry, where instead of doing the ministry himself he sends them out to do the same things he was doing.    Jesus Sends Out the Twelve 1. Jesus gave them "authority" to drive out evil spirits and heal EVERY disease and sickness. Again we have this important word "authority". Jesus had the authority to carry out the Father's will by bringing His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, and now he was bestowing upon his disciples this same authority.  2. Jesus sent them first to the Jewish people with a similar message that he and John the Baptist proclaimed, " The kingdom of heaven has come near." . The heavens had opened and the kingdom had become to available to all those who sought it through Jesus.  3. The disciples were to subsist based on the generosity of those wh...

  Click Here to Listen To or Read Matthew 9 In chapter 9, Jesus continues to heal many different types of people.  Jesus also transitions from doing the ministry to calling his disciples to do the ministry. He will start equipping them to do the same things as he did. In Matthew's version, Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector first. Whereas, Mark and Luke start with Peter, his brother, and then James and John. John adds Philip and Nathanael. They are different because they are written from different vantage points and to different audiences.  Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man In this first section of chapter 9, Jesus connects the healing of a paralyzed man to the forgiveness of his sins. Before he heals the man he says, " Your sins are forgiven !" This draws the ire of the Pharisees. Slowly Jesus is revealing that He is the Messiah, but not all at once lest his ministry be cut short too early. After he healed the man, the crowds were amazed and asked, " Where...

  Click Here to Listen to or Read Matthew 8 Right after Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount, he begins his public ministry. Matthew 8 records Jesus' ministry of healing, deliverance from demons, and supernatural miracles dealing with nature. You will also notice the types of people he heals, which shows the compassion God has for all people. Jesus demonstrates in this chapter God's kingdom, God's rule or reign, coming to earth as it is in heaven.  Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy   As you know lepers were outcasts in Jesus' day. They were considered "unclean" and had to declare this publicly. The Jewish people had an irrational fear that if they came in contact with a leper, they might contract the disease. Note the man asks if Jesus if he is, " Willing to make him clean? " He has faith that Jesus can do it, but wonders if Jesus will do it. Jesus says, " I AM willing ", and immediately his disease is healed.  The Faith of the Centurion A c...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 7   Since there are so many good things in this chapter, I am going say a little bit about each one of them.  Judging Others Jesus hits the nail on the head here. We usually judge people because of something going on in ourselves. Oftentimes very judgmental people have a very low self esteem. At the heart of hypocrisy is when we judge someone before we look in the mirror. In A.A. they say, " Make sure to keep your own side of the street clean. "  Ask, Seek, Knock What I love about these verses is that Jesus shows us the progression of prayer. Each action represents a different level of our will. We can ask for something, but a next step is seeking it out in an intentional way. We can seek something intentionally, but when we knock, we are taking action. Sometimes I think we ask for things from God, but he may want us to take step of action, or a step of faith.  Importantly we see the Father's heart. When we ask for something, w...

Click Here to Listen To or Read Matthew 6 - NIV As Jesus continues to teach on the Sermon on the Mount, he teaches us to be careful not to seek the world's applause when we practice good deeds. He also warns of practicing spiritual disciples in order to bring undue attention to ourselves. Whether it is praying, fasting, or giving to the needy, our focus should be on God not us. Dallas Willard has written a great book called the "Spirit of the Disciplines", where he explains the true purpose of spiritual practices such as prayer, fasting, or reading God's Word. Importantly, he includes a discipline which we don't talk about very much called "secrecy". He defines secrecy as: “Con­scious­ly refrain­ing from hav­ing our good deeds and qual­i­ties gen­er­al­ly known, which, in turn, right­ly dis­ci­plines our long­ing for recognition.” “Secrecy rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God, who lit our cand...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 5   We’ve reached Day 5 and Chapter  5 of Matthew in our reading through the New Testament. If you have read every day, you get the weekend off. If not, there is still time to catch up. Today, Jesus begins a famous stretch of teaching called the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is teaching his disciples about the nature of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is wherever God is ruling or reigning.  It is a state of affairs where shows God’s desire and design for what He wanted His world to look like   You will notice when you read through these 3 chapters the upside down nature of God’s kingdom. As such it is very different from the kingdom of the world  For instance, in God’s kingdom the poor can be blessed, and the persecuted can find joy.  In the kingdom of the world the rich are held in high esteem, and those in power get to do the persecuting.   Jesus teaches some very important and very challenging principles like if som...