The Things Jesus Said

Beer, Bibles, and Eating with Tax Collectors

In Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus invites Matthew a Tax Collector to follow him.
 

Judging

Jesus teaches about judging others in Matthew Chapter 7:1-5.
When I first got into ministry, the most popular bible verse was John 3:16
And now and for quite some time the most famous verse is Matthew 7:1 Do not judge… and no other part of the verse is used.
That is because we have gotten to the point where think we are so good and so special that no one has the right to tell us anything that does not match what we are thinking.

Praying in Circles

From Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus teaches us how to pray.
 
Believe it or not, COVID mitigation was a positive thing for introverts! And so, for all of us introverts out there, here is some biblical proof that praying in circles is unbiblical!
 
 

Why? Who Are You Trying to Impress?

our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 6:1-4
 
Jesus is teaching about giving…..
But I think there is more to this passage than just giving.

More Than a Bunch of Sparrows

Our passages for today come from Matthew 10:16-31
Most of us humans have a need to be generally liked by other people.
Scientists will tell you that is from the need to be part of a community so that we can reproduce, have shelter and have human contact.
But that need is also our Achilles heel. We sometimes want to be liked so badly that we won’t tell the truth or say anything that might offend someone.
We might lose likes on Facebook, or they may unfriend us!  I think the term these days is ghost us.
Today, being a Christian offends people.  People in Western cultures and countries are being arrested for speaking about God.
People are being arrested for sticking to their principles.
People are being killed for the good news of Jesus
and Jesus predicted it.
 
 

Love Your Enemy

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:43-48 that we are to love our enemies.
I wonder sometimes if anyone other than Jesus could really even do this?

Retaliation: Love Your Enemy and Be Generous!

In Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus teaches about retaliation. 
 
I think this passage is about the last line where it says Give to the one who asks you and doesn’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
This passage speaks to the idea of retaliation and radical generosity.
It's about giving more than is expected when it is not expected.
 

Let Your Yes be Yes! The Importance of Honesty

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus teaches us to quit using God to back up our promises.  When you say something or make an oath simply say it and let your yes be a yes or your no be a no.

Divorce: The Danger of Giving Up

From Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus teaches about divorce.
The religious leaders had declared that the letter of the law was that if you wanted to divorce your wife for whatever reason, all you had to do was to give her a written notice of divorce.
I have read commentators that have said that during Jesus’ time, you could divorce your wife simply for not liking the way she cooked.
You could simply write a notice of divorce and move on to the next wife, and so on.
Think about how messed up that is; the wife had no choice.
 
But Jesus said that everyone who divorces his wife except in a case of sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery.

Adultery: The Danger of Lust

From Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus teaches about adultery.
He says you have heard it said that you must not commit adultery.
Or in other words,  you know people say that if you don’t get caught, then it is not adultery; it is not a sin.
 
But Jesus says if you look at a woman with lust you have committed adultery in your heart.