St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 1-2; The Chair of Moses.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 1.  
Christ spoke to them, No One and Any One, while the Pharisees were gathered together.  Individually and in a small group, he could not speak to them, No One and Any One.  But now that they were all gathered together he could speak to all of them in a language that they could understand.  They were the ones that influenced the Pharisees to continue to harass and taunt Christ.  They were the ones who spoke through the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  They were the ones who wanted to trick him and trap him.   Christ spoke the truth and they did not want the truth to be spoken.  

After speaking to the Pharisees, Christ spoke to the disciples and the people.  He needed to open their eyes as to why he spoke such to the Pharisees.  Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,  saying, "The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses."   

Moses was their leader, who led the people out of the land of Egypt.  He was a spokesman for God.  For God commanded that he should go to Egypt, confront the Pharaoh, and lead the Jews out of Egypt.  He led them from Egypt into the dessert and after forty years into the promise land.  He brought food and water for his people and brought them the commandments of God from Mt. Sinai.  And Moses passed judgement from his chair.  So Christ wanted the disciples and the people to know that the Pharisees and the scribes have sat in the same chair as Moses, the sacred chair from which God spoke to Moses where he passed judgement to the people.

We are his sheep and Christ is our shepherd.  He leads us, guides us, loves us, and protects us from all harm.  He has given his life for us which no other man would knowingly and willingly do.  He was the lamb that was led to slaughter for our sins.  He paid the price for us that we may live again in the eyes of our Father.  He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.  He created his church here on earth that his work will continue so that all can have the chance to know the truth of the Father and his love for mankind.

Judgement day will come.  Will you be ready?  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 46b; Any One?

Our paragraph topic is:  (The son of David) Part 7.   

No one could speak to the answer.  No one could utter a word.  No one could respond to the question of whose son he was.  No one knew the answer but he would not reveal it to the Pharisees.  It was not to be known or spoken of.  It was the revelation that would open the minds and hearts of those who wanted to know.  No one knew but did not want the others to know.

And so the question of the Christ went unanswered in the minds of the Pharisees.  They would not see.  They would not understand.  They could not be healed because No one would not have it.  Neither did anyone dare from that day forth to ask him any more questions. 

No One and Any One were together in their quest to trick the Christ.  They came together with the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and all those who were against him.  Each time they would attempt to trick him.  Each time they would seek to try him in the public eye.  Each time they would scheme in their hearts to do him harm to no avail.  It was not his time, until the time of his arrival in Jerusalem.

When is our time?  When will we go?  Will we know?  Some will and some will not.  For some the thief will come in an instant.  Others will know that the time has come for them to leave this plane and go to another existence.  Others will ask for his hand and call upon him to bring them home.  We all must go at some point in this journey.  We all must face the transition of life, death, and spirit.  It is our nature, given us from birth, from conception, from existence.  I am, we are, we shall be according to the will of God our Father.  Amen. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 46a; No One?

Our paragraph topic is: (The son of David) Part 6. 

They heard the question put to them by Christ.  The Pharisees came together to ask Christ a question but instead since they were all gathered together he had the perfect opportunity to test them.  So he asked them a question.  Whose son was the Christ?  To whom did he belong?  Was he the son of David?

That is what they thought and believed.  That is what they knew from their studies.  But they did not go further in their studies to understand the knowledge that David knew, in the spirit, when he was present with his Lord speaking to the Lord of Lords.  David knew the outcome.  He knew that the Christ would come from his lineage.  He also knew that the Christ came before him and was his Lord and savior, even though he sprang from the flesh of his flesh.  And no one could answer him a word.   

No one wanted to have the last word.  No one wanted to be in the right.  No one wanted to show his knowledge of the word but failed when he came against the Lord of Lords.  The battle had gone on long enough.  No one had come many times to question Christ.  He had conspired with the Pharisees to trick him on many occasions.  But now Christ had them all together that he could speak to No One and end the constant attempts at questioning him.  He spoke to the Pharisees in a language that they could understand and he spoke to No One in a language that it could understand so that the battle would end.  And No One could answer him not a word.

We speak in words that have meaning beyond meaning.  They go deeper than just the surface of our speech.  And with the deeper meaning comes understanding of a different nature.  Some understanding is good some not so good.  We are mindful that the spoken word comes not, most times, without harmful intent.  Yet in other occasions the deeper meaning is quite obvious as being harmful and malicious.  How we respond determines our inner being?  Are we a loving person?  Are we an understanding person?  Are we a vengeful person who wants to retaliate in kind?  

Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  His passion transcends the trivial darts and arrows that we might suffer from each other.  It allows us to become transparent; it allows such harm to pass through us as we focus on the love of the one who gave us life and the forgiveness of the one whom we shot our arrow of sin against.  Our God is full of mercy.  He is a God of love for all his creations.  I am.  I did not exist but now I am.   I will be thanks to the love of Jesus Christ.  Will you be?  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 45; How is he his son?

Our paragraph topic is:  (The son of David) Part 5.  

The spirits are talking and David is listening.  He is in the mist of the Lord of Lords listening to the conversation of his Lord speaking to his Lord.  David was special.  He was chosen from among the seven brothers to be crowned a king.  He was favored by his Lord because he was just a lowly shepherd boy working in the fields watching over the sheep and God chose him to be anointed king over his brothers who were full of pride.

But not David.  He worshiped his God and was a humble servant.  And this is why God chose him over his brothers to lead the people of Israel.  So David knew that the Christ, his Lord, would come, from his blood line.  He knew that the Christ would be a part of his children's children.  He also knew from his understanding in the spirit that the Christ would come through him but not of him.  And the question would become:  "If David, therefore, calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?"  

This was the mystery that puzzled the Pharisees.  And if we think of it today, it will also give us a twist of mind.  How is it that Christ could not be the son of David since he was born through the lineage of David?  Yet Christ was not brought forth through David, he was before David, he was before man was conceived, he was before the world was conceived, he was the first born of God conceived of his love.  So whose son is he, God's son or David's son?  Which one can it be?

Before we were, there was nothing.  Before we were brought forth into existence, we were not conceived as human beings.  There was nothing of us.  Nothing of you and me.  We can say that we have parents and grandparents and great, and great and great, great, great parents, but even before them there was nothing.  I came into existence one day and now I am.  My Lord tells me that I will have a short test in the flesh and then I will transform into the spirit and exist for eternity with him, if I pass the test of his commandments, the test of his love.  

My existence will go on into eternity.  I am and I will be.  I came from nothing and I will be into eternity. Can I grasp this concept?  Can I fully understand the magnitude of who I am and the gift that has been given me from my Lord?  I think not.  For I live as though time is limited.  I live as though I am not.  My mind is wrapped in a glass ball not knowing that I am, on the outside looking in, instead of on the inside looking around trying to scrape out an existence.  

My Father and God is my provider, my helper, my protector.  He watches over me.  He cares for me.  He loves me and I love him.  His son has opened my eyes and healed me, forgiven me of my sins, washed away my tears.  I know that I am redeemed.  I would share the overflowing love that is within me with all who would open themselves to the love that awaits them from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.