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 11, verses: 11, John the Baptist, the messenger.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's witness concerning John) Part 3. 

Christ has witnessed to John the Baptist.  He has told the crowds that John was the messenger that was written about in the scriptures.  He was the one who would proclaim the coming of the Messiah as was written.  John was the choosen prophet of God who would be sent before the face of Christ and would prepare the way of the Lord by preaching repentence and baptizing the people in prepapration for the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

Christ now proclaims the greatness of John.  He tells the people,  "Amen I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen a greater than John theBaptist."   Christ wants the crowds to know of John.  He wants them to understand that John was the real deal, that he preached truth and knowledge and wisdom.  John knew the Messiah.  There was no doubt or scandal in John for he was a holy man and Christ proclaims his greatness.  For of all men born before John, including all the prophets, John is the greatest.  He was loved of God and spoke God's message to the people.  There is not scandal in his words.  

So John the Baptist is great on earth, but Christ tells of John's presences in heaven.  He tells the crowds, "Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."     John is great on earth but in heaven there is one greater.  The least in heaven is greater than John.  The least in heaven has received more glory than John.  The least in heaven has more power and prestige that John, because the least in heaven is Christ.  Christ came to serve mankind.  He came to give of himself and not to be served, though he deserves to be served and honored, he choose to give up his heavenly power and glory to come to earth to save mankind from damnation.  Christ is humility.  He is the source of all humility.  For he humbled himself for the sake of those who knew not humility.  He humbled himself for those who knew not love.  He humbled himself so that we could all have life in the father and salvation in the kingdom of heaven.

Are you humble in the eyes of God?  Do you know who is the least in heaven?  In our society today humility is not a trait to be desired.  We are to be bold.  We are to be daring.  We are to be people of passion and power.  For this is the way of the world and the way that the world tells us that we are to succeed.  Be bold!  Be daring!  Be full of power!  But do not be humble for the humble are walked upon.  The humble are laughed at.  The humble are scoffed at, ridiculed, and belittled.  They are the ones who do not succeed in this world because they do not take the world by the horns.  Christ was a humble man who died for us all.  He came to earth to show us how to live a humble life.  And he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Hosts and sites at the right hand of God.  Are you the least at work?  Are you the least at home?  Are you the least at church?  Are you the least in the market, at the mall, in the grocery store, at the club, in the restaurant, wherever you are?  Are you the least?  Christ gave us the example of humility to follow.  When will we learn the power in being the least in Christ?