St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 35; A Doctor of the Law tests him..

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 2.   

And so they brought forward the great minds of the Law to question Christ.  These were the scholars who had studied and taught the Law down through the ages.  They knew the ends and outs of the Law.  They knew the minutia of the Law.  They knew the intent of the Law as far as man could understand the Law as given by God.  But they could not understand the Law according to the mind of God.  Only Christ had the wisdom and the insight of the Holy Spirit.

You see, they did not believe.  In the face of all that was spoken, all the miracles that were performed, they still did not understand or believe he could be the one.  They only knew that he had to be taken down because he did not belong to their group.  So they gathered together and came up with one question that they believed was the one great question of the Law.  And one of them, a doctor of the Law, putting him to the test, asked him.   

Christ had no formal training in the synagogue.  He did not attend the temple where all the other trainees were taught the ins and outs of the Law.  Yet he knew more of the Law than the masters and the doctors.  They wanted to know who taught him.  They wanted to know how he knew.  They wanted to know were he was trained.  Yet he did not reveal to them who he was and they did not accept that he was the Messiah.  They believed that he was a charlatan, a fake.  

The people knew.  The people accepted him as real.  They could believe what they saw.  They could understand what they heard.  Their minds were opened, their eyes were not blind, their ears could hear.  They could see and believe.  Would we do the same today?  Would we know the truth today if he came to us, spoke to us, performed miracles, healed the sick, made the lame walk, cast out demons? Would we believe?  Yet all that has happened and has been given to us in the written words of the Bible.  He has told us that there will be those who will come after him performing miracles in his name.  He has told us that he will only come again on a cloud with his angels for all to see.  He has given us signs to look for before he comes that we will know that time is drawing near.

Be prepared!  Everyday the thief may come.  Put on your armor in the morning and know that you are ready to face what the day has to offer.  Know that you do not fight alone that you have an army with you to guide you and fight with you in your daily battles.  Be strengthened by your prayers.  Call upon the Lord at all times and he will be your right arm.  Be patient in your needs because he knows what you need.  The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.  I am but a sinner who asks forgiveness and seeks to do his will in the hope that I may be with him in his kingdom.  May the Lord have mercy on my soul.

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 16, verses: 9-10, The Leaven: The Teaching.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 3.   

The disciples argued among themselves.  They argued.  They were angry.  They opened their hearts to evil thoughts.  They were misled.  They were becoming infected by the leaven of the Pharisees and yet they did not know.  They did not understand.  They did not see what was happening. They forgot the miracles that were given them.  They had no true belief in the one who stood before them and warned them of the things that were taking place in their presence.  Christ called them.  Christ accused them.  Christ warned them that they might see the truth.  Yet they argued over something as petty as to who forgot to bring the bread, even though they had the bread maker in their presence.

It was not the fact that they did not bring bread.  It was not the fact that they had to accuse someone of being negligent.  It was not the fact that they were angered among themselves.  It was the fact that evil was creeping in  among them and they could not see it coming.  They were unable to understand.  They had forgotten the subtlety of its coming.  Christ had to call their attention to what was happening.  Christ had to teach them.  He had to show them.  He had to remind them of what was happening now.  They had witnessed the miracles take place before their eyes to feed thousands and yet they argued over not having bread when they had the bread maker before them.   Christ had to remind them so that they would understand and see how they were being affected by the leaven.    He told them:  "Do you not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves among four thousand, and how many large baskets you took up?"

Just as Christ taught his disciples then, he is teaching us now.  Have we forgotten?  Do we not understand?  The leaven is among us and is working every minute, every second of our lives.  It is like a plague, a cold, the flu.  It will spread and infect all.  We must be on our guard less we forget, less our memory is blinded, less our sight is taken away.  For the evil one wants to turn us away from the truth that is before us.   He wants us to forget the times when we were down and had no one to turn to.  He wants us to forget when Christ answered our prayers and picked us up from the depths of our despair.  The leaven wants us to call the miracles that have happened in our lives, mere circumstances.  The leaven wants to bring chaos, fear, doubt, frustration, anger, hatred, hopelessness and all the other emotions that will open the door for evil to come into our hearts. 

Let us not forget the times when we were in need and he performed a miracle to help us.  We did not see it as a miracle but our prayers were answered.  We were helped.  Add it up to circumstances but God is the circumstance in our lives.  He watches over us.  He provides for us.  He heals us.  He forgives us because he loves us so much and does not want to see us suffer the fate that was made for the fallen angels and the evil one.   Beware the leaven, it will infect.  Beware the leaven, it will blind your memory.  Beware the leaven it will open the door to evil.  Beware the leaven, it will change you.  Remember all the things that have happened in your life, brought you to Christ that he might save you.  Come, receive the Holy Spirit and live the life of truth.  For once you know who you are, there is no turning back.

Read the signs 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!