St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 1; Pride of the Temple.

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ foretells the Temple's destruction) Part 1.  
We begin this new chapter with the disciples taking pride in the majesty of Jerusalem and the construction of the Temple.  It has taken many years to be built and they want Jesus to see the awe and majesty of all of the construction of the grounds.  Though they did not have a hand in its construction they contributed funds to the building of the city and all of its structures.  That gives them pride as being Jews as it does all the people belonging to Israel.

Jesus is not impressed.  He knows the future and what will become of Israel and its people.  AND Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came forward to show him the buildings of the temple.

We all live in cities and towns and proclaim them for their charm and beauty, for their greatness and glory over other cities.  I live in New York, the greatest city in the US of A.  I live in California, the city of innovation and Hollywood.  We live in Las Vagas, or Hawaii, or Chicago, Miami, or any one of the many cities, each being known for something of value to those that live there.  We all take pride in where we live.  It is a natural thing.

Yet in the time of Christ, the Jews were known for their God and the power that he exercised for his people.  They were a great people and their city was a great city.  The Temple was a special place for the Jewish people to come and worship their God.  But Christ did not see it that way.  He saw corruption and scandal, the evil and lust, false witness and hatred, lack of charity and hopelessness.  He saw loss of belief in God with no one to lead the people back to faith.

All the beautiful buildings and grounds meant nothing when there was no faith or hope in the one true God.  Worship was without meaning.  Worship was mechanical, lacked soul, something that the people did not believe in, especially those on the streets who were suffering the most.  No one cared.  The priests, the Scribes, the Pharisees, and Sadducces only concerned themselves with maintaining the peace with the Roman rulers so that they would not loose their position of power.  

Where are we today?  Do we take pride in the buildings that we call our homes of worship or do we worship in our homes?  Where are our true temples?  Where are our true places of worship? Where does the spirit of God reside with us, in great churches of worship or in our homes of worship?  Where is your temple?  Is it in you, in your heart or in the building you call your church?  Do you carry your church with you everyday when you wake or do you leave it at the address when you leave church on Sunday?  Make your inner church a great building of glory.  Give glory to God.   

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 23, verses: 37d; Gathered thy children.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 4.  

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I loved thee.  From the foundation of your beginnings to the finishing touches of your crowning, I watched you grow.  I watched as you were planned and sketched out on the grounds to become the magnificent city that you are.  Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, the crown jewel of the Jewish nation, how I loved thee.  How I watched over thee making sure that nothing or no one would harm thee as you in your infancy were growing to become the jewel that you are today.

I wanted to protect thee.  I wanted to provide for thee.  I wanted to love thee as a mother hen loves her young.  O Jerusalem:   "But thou wouldst not!" 

They were his chosen people, the Jews.  From the beginning, he picked Abraham to be the father of a great nation of people as numerous as the stars in the sky, as great as the grains of sand on the beach.  Yet when the time came for their glory to be recognized as the people of God they turned away.  The kingdom of heaven was at hand and they did not accept it.  The Prince of Peace came down from heaven and they crucified him.

The price had to be paid but why at their hands.  Why did they have to be the ones who made the decision to betray the Messiah?  Evil won the day.  The price was paid and mankind was freed from sin.  But the chosen family of God were left in darkness to walk the earth until the day of their reunion.  For God has not forgotten his family.  He has not given up on them.  He is patiently waiting for their day to come when he can bring them back into his family to reunite all as one.

Christ paid the price.  He overcame death.  He rose from the grave and ascended into heaven to take his seat at the right hand of his father.  There he sits waiting for that day when he will come to reign over all.  Come.  Let us rejoice that he is our savior, our king, our provider and our protector.  It is he who has brought us out of the darkness into the light and given us eternal life forever. 

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 21, verses: 46b; The People and a Prophet.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 9.  

We now come to the end of the paragraph and the end of Chapter 21.  Much of this chapter has been about Christ and his entry into Jerusalem.  He came with the praise of the little people, riding on a donkey.  The people of the great city did not know him.  They did not understand why there was so much of a uproar about this man that no one knew.

Yet it was those who lived on the outside of the city, those little ones who had seen the miracles, heard the words, followed his teachings, that knew him, worshiped him, and praised him as the new leader of the people.  He cleansed the temple, taught the people in the temple, and criticized the leaders on their two faced behavior.  The leaders rejected the corner stone but it would crush them and ground them to dust.  He gave them opportunity to understand.  But they could not and would not understand.  He spoke in common terms that they would understand.  They were blinded, deaf, and were not allowed to understand, until at last the word got through and they were angry.  They sought to beat him but:  "They feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet." 

We are the sheep and we follow what is given to us.  We are given our way of life, how to think, what we believe, who we accept and deny.  All of that which we are today is given to us by our surroundings.  People live in different environments today all over this earth and have different ways to live, think, behave, and ways of being who they are.  People in India may have some similarities to the way people in America think but overall they are entirely different cultures.  The environment makes who we are and what we believe.  But we have choices.  We can change.  

Change can come in many forms.  It can come through a critical process of thinking, we decide to change without any outside influence.  Change can come through a force that causes us to make the decision to do away with our old behavior and adapt a new one because there is pain with the old behavior.  Change can come through association with others who we follow that seem to have a better way of living, so we go along with the influence of others.  Change can come through enlightenment, a revelation that we have that brings us to a new way of thinking, of believing, of seeing the world.

We can be locked in on our beliefs that change can not be affected.  We can be so influenced by our way of life that nothing can bring about change in us because we refuse to believe.  We can be blinded by others that their way is better than any change that we may seek, so we remain unchanged.  Ultimately the choice is ours to follow.  The choice is ours to want to change or not.  The option is ours but the opportunity is present for us to see or not to see.  The opportunity is there for us to believe or not to believe.  The opportunity is present for all because we have a God who loves what he has created and wants all to have the opportunity to experience his love and compassion.

There is so much pain and suffering in the world one has to ask why do we have a God who would allow such suffering to happen.  Who are we to question the ways of our Father for he was here before us.  He created the universe before we were a thought in his mind.  He created the earth and the heavens.  He gave life to the world with trees and birds and animals of all sorts.  He carved man out of the dust and gave life to him and the spirit of himself that we may have his image within us.  It is he that lives through all eternity, even unto today.  And it is he that gives all the opportunity because he loves so much that which he has created.  The Prophet calls but we must be able to hear his call.

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 20, verse: 18b, Betrayal: The Prediction of Death.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The third prediction of the passion) Part 2. 

Christ has taken his disciples aside and told them of his future.  He is going up to Jerusalem where he will face death.  He is going on a suicide mission because he knows that he is going to die as a result of his trip to Jerusalem.  He clearly understands his mission.  He knows what is at stake.  He has given himself up to the outcome of his journey.  He follows the will of his Father.  And it is that will which he has accepted that will lead to his death.

Christ tells his disciples the details of how his death will happen.  He knows and his disciples know that the powers that be are out to end his teachings and his popularity with the people.  The rulers do not like what he is doing, they do not like his teachings, they do not like his criticism of how they control the people of Israel.  And yet he proceeds to Jerusalem knowing that his life is in danger.  He tells his disciples:  "And the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the Scribes; and they will condemn him to death." 

And they will condemn him to death.  How many of us today would do the same?  How many of us today would do something that we knew would lead to our death?  Quite the contrary most of us would run from death.  Most of us would do anything that would take us out of harms way and preserve the life that we have.  This is only human nature.  This is our natural instinct to protect ourselves, to keep us from harm, to preserve the life that we have.  We are not the Messiah.  We are not the chosen one.  We are not the Christ.  But we are Christ like.

Our father created us in his image and likeness.  He gave us the same life spirit that he himself has.  He took of himself and gave to us.  We are spiritual and physical.  We are flesh, body and spirit.  Yet we do not recognize that part of ourselves that is spiritual, that part of us that is eternal, that part of ourselves that is real and everlasting.  The spirit does not die.  The body is dying everyday, decaying before our eyes.  We all must face death.  It is inevitable.  It is necessary.  It is a part of who we are, part physical, part spiritual.  Why is it then that we treasure the physical more than we do the spiritual?  Why is it that we do not embrace the spirit within us, acknowledging that there is more than just the physical?

Christ came that we would know the truth of who we are.  He came that we would have an example.  He came to teach us the truth of our Father, our creator.  And he gave us a path to follow, a knowledge to believe, a light to help us in our walk in darkness.  We should have no fear of death.  We should embrace the transition of death for it is but a gateway that leads to our true home in heaven with our Father.  Many await our coming.  Those who have gone before us will rejoice at our coming.  Happy is that day that we go home to the Father.  Happy is that day that we meet our maker.  Happy is that day that we see ourselves as we are seen in heaven.  Happy is the day that we are embraced by the all fulfilling love of our Father.  Christ went up to Jerusalem to face his death but he went up to Jerusalem to go beyond death and to go home to his Father.  Come!  Let us understand that Christ awaits our coming home that he may rejoice with us in heaven.

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 and 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 20, verse: 17-18a, Behold: The Prediction of Death.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The third prediction of the passion) Part 1. 

We now begin a new paragraph topic where Christ speaks to his disciples about the future.  He has told them many things in confidence over the past years.  But now he speaks to them about what is going to happen in the future.  He wants them to know.  He wants them to understand.  He wants them to see the plan of the Father.  But they do not understand because they have not yet received the Advocate that will open their eyes to all that he has spoken.

The disciples are followers.  Soon they will become leaders after all that they have learned from Christ.  His journey is coming to an end and theirs is about to begin.  So Christ is preparing his disciples for what is about to happen.  They will be shocked.  They will be terrified at what will happen.  But for now they are being told of the future to come.  And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them,  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem." 

Behold we are going up to the place where things will happen.  They were going up to the place where all will be revealed, where all will take place, where the end will happen and the beginning will be revealed.  He wanted them to know.  He wanted them to understand what will transpire so that they will understand and not fear.  Christ has taught his disciples through the years.  He has performed miracles, healed the sick, cast out demons, made the lame walk, the blind see, brought back those who were dead.  He completed all these miracles to demonstrate to his disciples that the power of God his Father was with him and that he was the Messiah.

They followed him because they believed.  They knew that he was the Chosen One who had come to save the people.  Yet they did not know how he would save them.  They did not know what had to be done.  They did not know that he would have to die to complete his mission.  And they did not know that he would come back to them from the dead after having been crucified on the cross.

But this was their legacy.  This was their proof.  This was their evidence of who they believed him to be.  We read about this in the witness that has been left for us in the Bible.  We were not witnesses as they were.  We were not there to see with out own eyes, to feel with our own hearts and hands.  Yet we are given this legacy from those who were there, from those who did see, from those who were a part of the truth.  Can we believe?  Can we know?  Can we become a part of their witness, today? 

The truth lies within you.  The proof of who we are has been given us through the legacy left behind by those who were there.  And the witness is that which will come to reside within us.  The Spirit will testify.  The Spirit will enlighten us.  The Spirit will guide, light the way, protect, provide and fill us with the love that comes from the Father.  We are all created in his likeness.  We are all his children.  We all belong to him, if we choose.  We have a choice.  We can choose.  But the proof lies within us if we seek to know.  The truth lies within us if we desire to find.  The truth lies within us if we knock and open the door to the all fulfilling love of the Father.  We are going up to Jerusalem.  Will you come and see?

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 and 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.