Matthew 19:3   Looking at this question today, we might at first wonder what the Pharisees hoped to gain by asking it. However, we must consider the volatility of the question. How Jesus answered could make him more enemies, or friends that he would not want. There were different schools of thought among the Jews on this very…

Matthew 19:2   There are always those who will seek to discredit the gospel. As a result, there may be some who wonder how it was that so many were able to follow Christ so much. Even in our day of modern conveniences, we tend to stick close to home. Actually, it seems that those nations in…

Matthew 19:1   This verse marks the end of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. He now turns his focus towards Judea, and Jerusalem. Bible Reading: Mark 9:1-10:52 Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your…

Matthew 18:35   Some might make an argument here for losing one’s salvation. They may say that, if we are forgiven, and then fail to forgive others, we can lose our eternal salvation. This is not the case. Even a casual reading of the first epistle that John wrote would make it quite clear to anyone that…

Matthew 18:34   The pardon given to this man is revoked, it seems. However, one must remember that the debt was already absorbed by the rich master. The master had enabled the servant to live differently. The servant failed to do so. This was now the master’s choice, to exact that amount from the unforgiving servant. This is the same in reality.…

Matthew 18:33   God expects for his nature to influence our nature. A failure in this is evidence of a lack of regeneration. We may say that Good has changed us, but has he really. Our treatment of others, and our relative selfishness, stands as the proof in the pudding. Bible Reading: Mark 3:1-4:41 Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:6…

Matthew 18:32   This is the point at which man rejects the idea of an Almighty God. As long as any god fails to hold us to account for our actions, we can work with such a god quite easily. As long as these gods are far away and impersonal, judging by impractical or subjective means, we…

Matthew 18:31   In our modern world of technology we perhaps understand a little better what it means to say that Almighty God knows every move you make. We have video cameras, voice recorders, fingerprint machines, etc. We can amass a great amount of data about one person. God knows it all. He knows how we treat…

Matthew 18:30   It seems incredible to us that this man would not forgive this small debt. However, we must remember that we have, at one time or another, all been guilty of being unforgiving. Jesus teaches us here not to allow our natural sinful tendencies rule in relation to others. We must allow the love of…

Matthew 18:29   Forgiving others does not mean that we can compromise on consequences. Forgiveness has to do with avoiding things such as bitterness, anger, and grudges. If a consequence can be avoided, that’s great, but that is not always up to us. For example, you may be in a situation where a person has done something…