St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 5a; To be seen.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 4.  
We are talking about the Scribes and the Pharisees.  They are the leadership class in the time of Christ.  They are the educated and learned.  The ordinary people do not have books to read.  They do not got to schools to learn how to write.  The ordinary people labor in the fields and build for the kings and the ruling class to earn a living for themselves.  But for those who are fortunate enough, they go to schools and to the synagogue to learn to read and write and become educated.

The Scribes and the Pharisees are educated and learned; they are seen as different from ordinary people.  They dress differently, they talk differently, they consider themselves above the common man because of their training.  Christ tells the crowd:  "In fact, all their works they do in order to be seen by men."

Christ wants the disciples and the common people to see the Scribes and the Pharisees as they are.  He wants to pull the blinders from the peoples' eyes so they can see the true nature of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  Most people would look up to them because of their position.  But Christ wants them to see what lies underneath the clothing, underneath the masks of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He wants them to understand who and what they revere as their leaders.

Is this an example for us today to look at our leaders, those that we look up to as examples of who we want to become?  Is this what Christ wants us to see?  Do we want our actions to be guided by what we do to be seen?  Are we hypocrites?  We are given examples daily of those persons that we wish we could become, the rich and the famous.  We see constantly on TV hear on the radio, in publications all those celebrities that we would like to know and meet.  Are they similar to the Scribes and the Pharisees that Christ talks about?

The Bible is a book of life.  It has many lessons that we can learn from.  There are real life examples that we can apply today to our lives as to how to live.  Who are we?  What are we?  Seven billion people on this planet, living in this time and space.  What do we have that can bring us joy and peace?  What do we have that can give us pause to the fast pace of life today?  

Two thousand years into the future Christ stands as the rock of all times.  He teaches, he speaks to us, he comes to us in our time of need.  If you do not know him, seek him out.  If you do not know him call his name.  If you do not know him, he knows you.  He sees you everyday that you live.  He knows your needs and your wants.  He hears your sighs and your cries.  He feels your pain and understands your sufferings.  He calls to you but you do not listen.  

Come!  He waits for you.  Come!  He wants you.  Come!  He will protect you and provide for you all the days of your life.  He is the Son of the living God.  He sits at his side.  He will speak to his father about you and ask him to help you in your time of need.  You are precious in his eyes.  His love for you is more than any love you have known.  Open your heart.  Let him in and he will come and be with you.

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 23, verses: 4; Heavy Burdens.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 3.  
Christ now teaches the disciples and the people about the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He tells them to follow the rules and the regulations that proclaimed by the Scribes and the Pharisees because they have taken the Seat of Moses.  He wants them to obey the laws.  He wants them to understand the difference in what it means to be a Scribe or a Pharisee and the actions of leadership they take.

We follow our leaders and look up to them as examples.  We practice their ways and model their speech and actions.  But Christ tells the people:  "And they bind together heavy and oppressive burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but not with one finger of their own do they choose to move them."  

We follow those who lead us.  They are the ones we look to, to give us direction and understanding of purpose.  We listen to their speeches.  We believe in their actions.  We obey the rules and laws that they pass down to us because they are our leaders.  We are solders who do without question the commands that are given us.  We do not question their actions even though we may think that the commands we are given are wrong.

Christ wants us to see, to understand that the actions of those who lead us determine who they are.  Their actions speak to the person that we follow.  Their actions show us the contradictions of those that we follow.  Our eyes must see and know the difference in what we hear and what we see.  We should not be blind following those who would lead us to destruction.  

Observe and do but do not act according to their works, he tells the crowd and the disciples.  He came that we would have life and not death.  He lived that we would know of a Father who loves us.  He died that we could be justified as a people from the sins of the world.  He ascended that we would know that he is in heaven waiting for us to come home.  He is the example to follow.  He is the guide.  He is the Lord of all who seek to know his passion for us.  

The Lord is with us in every situation that we encounter.  He is our support and our shoulder in our time of need.  Seek him and you will find your answer to the why of life.  Follow him and he will lead the way.  Trust him and he will give you peace.   

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, verse:16b; The Mouths of Infants.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 4. 

Jesus was a man who came to Jerusalem to preach and teach.  Many had heard his words and many had not.  He had many followers who praised him for the things that he did for the people.  Just like many who had come before him, prophets, preachers, and teachers, sent by God, he came to bring the word to the people.

The Jewish leaders saw him as a threat.  They did not want the people to follow him, to believe in his words.  He brought new words.  He brought new meaning.  He brought a new way of life that could threaten the existing power and leadership.  And the leaders were afraid of what could happen.  They were fearful of what the people would think and believe about their leadership.  So they sought every way to destroy him and the word he brought to the people.  In the temple when the children were crying out praise to him, the leaders questioned him about what was happening.    And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?" 

And so it was, even the little ones gave praise to Lord Jesus.  The leaders did not.  They were fearful.  They were in doubt.  They did not see or believe what was happening before their eyes.  Theirs was the concern of power and influence.  For they were held in power and influence for so long that they could not understand what was written in the word.  Even praise from the mouths of infants came to him.

We are our Father's children.  He created us and gave us eternal life.  Yet even though we lost what was freely given, Christ came and restored the gift of life, eternal life.  And the Holy Spirit comes and waters that gift in those who seek the eternal water of life so that they may grow and prosper in this world.  For our growth is not the growth of death but the growth of life.  And our fruit is not the withering and dying fruit of the flesh but the fruit of life that we freely give to those who are lost and without hope.

We are the example that Christ left for others to follow.  We are the example for the world to see, a light unto the darkness of the world.  We are the example to new life, a new beginning, a life eternal.  For those who can believe, for those who are not blinded by the world, we are the examples of hope, and trust in the promises of Christ Jesus.  He returned to his father that he might build a place for us in his father's kingdom.  And for those who know the spirit of the Advocate, peace be upon them.  For they no longer toil for the fruits of death but work for the fruits of eternal life.  Yours is the gift of life should you choose to accept and believe.  For belief is the key to open the door to the heart and unlock the love that awaits you from the overflowing cup of love from the Father. 

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 14, verses: 20b - 21, The Needs of the People: All are Satisfied and the Leftovers

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 4.  

All ate and were satisfied.  The people were in need.  They needed food.  They needed guidance.  They needed leadership.  They needed hope.  All were in need.  John the Baptist was their voice in the wilderness.  John preached repentance.  John showed the people the way to salvation and told them that the Messiah was coming.  John gave the people hope.  And then John was no more.  And chaos came.  And doubt came.  And fear came and the people did not know what to do.  But Christ came and saw their hopelessness.  Christ came and saw their needs.  Christ came and had compassion and all were satisfied.  For he healed the sick, cured the lame, opened the eyes of the blind and fed the multitudes.

The disciples did not understand.  The disciples did not see.  The disciples did not know who they were and who they were becoming in Christ.  For he told them to feed the people themselves.  But they wanted to send them away for they were fearful of the needs of the people.  But Christ satisfied their needs.  Christ fulfilled the needs of the people and showed his disciples what they were to do.  Do not send the people away because you do not understand!  Feed the people.  Christ told his disciples, bring them here to him and he would satisfy their needs.  And so he demonstrated to the disciples what they were to do when they are faced with the needs of the people.  Bring them here to Christ and he will satisfy their every need.

And they all eat and were satisfied.  For Christ blessed the five loaves and the two fishes, broke them and gave them to is disciples to give to the people.  And the baskets were passed around to the people.  The people took their fill from the baskets and the baskets replenished themselves.  The baskets did not empty.  The baskets did not overflow.  The baskets continued to fill the needs of the people and the miracle took place before their very eyes.  And when every one had taken of the baskets and no one was left to take from the baskets, the baskets stopped replenishing itself.  And as the people broke the bread and the fish and ate, the bread and fish replenished itself and all were filled.

And when the people stopped breaking the bread and the fishes, the bread and the fish stopped replenishing itself and there were leftovers.    And they gathered up what was left over, twelve baskets full of fragments.   Now the number of those who had eaten was five thousand men, without counting women and children.

Five thousand men were fed.  Many women and children were fed.  All were satisfied.  All ate till they were filled.  And the baskets stopped replenishing and the bread and the fish stopped replenishing when all were filled.  And there was no one left to take from the baskets or no one left to break the bread and the fish.  But twelve baskets were left from the five loaves and the two fishes.  The miracle took place before their eyes and all were amazed that had eaten.  For Christ had satisfied their needs and no one was sent away.

Why do we not have miracles today like this one?  Why do our disciples of today not feed the people?  Why do our disciples of today send the people away?  Each Sunday and everyday of the week the people come to places of worship in need.  They come seeking faith.  They come seeking hope.  They come seeking to have their needs met and are sent away with crumbs without being filled.  And they return again to receive the crumbs and are sent away without being filled.  Christ said bring them to me.  And yet the people are not being brought to him.  Can we go to Christ and be filled?  Can we go to Christ and not thirst again?  Can we go to Christ and see  the miracle take place before our eyes? 

How do we go to Christ?  How do our disciples, our pastors, our ministers, lead us to Christ?  Do they know how to lead us to him?  What is the path to Christ?  Have they been lead to Christ themselves?  Will we have to come back again and again to only receive crumbs or will we be filled, no longer needing temporary satisfaction?  Christ said, bring them to me.  He will satisfy their needs.  How do we know when we are with Christ?  Can we tell when we are with Christ?  What sign do we have to know that Christ is with us?  How can we know? 

Each Sunday we listen to sermons on various subjects from the bible by ministers and preachers.  Can they show us how to come to Christ?  Have they come to Christ that they can show us the path to have Christ with us?  What must we do?  What is the way?  How do we receive Christ within us that we no longer thirst?  For he will satisfy our needs.  He will not send us away.  He will come and abide with us that we may know.  And he will give us a sign that we may know the truth of who we are in him.  For through him, and in him, and with him, we become one with the father.  Come, ministers and preachers, feed the people.  Bring them to Christ!  Show them the way that they may be satisfied eternally!