St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 27b; The Son of Man.

 Our paragraph topic is: (The sign of the last day) Part 9.  

What are we looking for?  What do we search for each day of our lives?  Is it love?  Is it happiness?  is it money, a good job, wealth, success?  Is it peace of mind?  What is it that we want from life that makes us tick?  If we had lots of money would that fulfill our desires?  Would power to do what we want, make us content?  Would the ability to fulfill our sexual desires when and where we wanted, be enough to make us happy, satisfied, pleasured?  We see others with many of the things that we wish we had, that we desire to have, that we strive to achieve in this life.  What do we really want?

Some are fortunate enough to have the things that we desire.  Many are less so.  And it is those few who have, those few we look up to, with passion in our hearts, that we wish to have the same lifestyle they have.  Yet only a few will achieve that life.  Only a few will reach that top.  Only a few will be chosen to have the riches that they see others with.  The many will strive but fall short of reaching that goal.  

Christ told his disciples that life will not always be the same.  He told them that there will come an end to life when all will be destroyed.  He gave them signs to look for, told them what wonders would happen, spoke to them about people who would become false prophets in order to lead many astray.  Yet there would be no secret meetings, no special conferences, no general sessions that only the few would know about.  The end would come for everyone to see, for everyone to know.  He told them, just as the lightning comes from the east and shines even to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  

He came in the beginning as the son of a carpenter, the son of Joseph and Mary.  Yet he came that man would have life, a second chance at life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  Christ came once to forgive sins; he will come again to end the sins of the world.  What do you want?  Do you want the riches that the world has to offer now, or do you want a second chance at eternal life?  In the end there will be no haves and have nots.  All will see, all will know, all will understand that he is the one who gives life to the world.  

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 24, verse: 9c; For my name's sake.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 3.  

The Bible is but a short story of what happened some two thousand years ago.  We live our lives today and can imagine the multitude of things that can happen in a day's time.  But to think about all the things that were happening during the life of Christ in a day's time and to have all of that written down would be immense.  Yet there they were, the disciples, walking with the Lord our God, talking and being in his presence.  It must have been the joy of a lifetime.  We only hope for what we desire to have in our future.  They lived in his presence in the past.

One can only imagine the effect he had upon their lives, their being, their souls, during his stay here on earth.  To walk with him, talk with him, touch him, feel him, hear his voice, then to see the torture and sacrifice he made would have been unimaginable.  But even more unbelievable would be to see him again after death and to know that he was alive again, that death had no power over him.  What power and majesty that must have given those who were witnesses to his glory.  And he told them: "And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."

We think today of the honor and prestige of working and being in the presence of men and women of power such as presidents and kings, and ceo's, billionaires, etc.  We seek to be like them to attain traits that they have so that we might become like them.  There is but one God and one Lord of all and no other.  There are powers and dominions in heaven and angels and saints but only one God and one Lord of all.  

Christ came and walked among us.  He spent time with mankind.  He loved us so much that he gave up his kingship and became like us.  He took up physical form that he might be with us.  And the disciples and many others had the opportunity to be with him during his stay.  But that was not the end of the story.  

He came that we might all have the opportunity to be with him, to walk with him, talk with him, hear him, see him, feel him, know him.  He came and opened the door for each and everyone of us to have that chance to be with him as the disciples did, if we choose.  The choice is ours.  All we have to do is ask him to come into our lives and believe that he will.  God is our Father.  He gave us life.  He loves us and wants us to be with him.  Come!  The door is open.  Let us go home and be with our 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 22, verses: 38; The First Commandment.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 5.  

They put him to the test thinking that he would fail.  One of the Doctor's of the Law asked him the question that they believed he would not know having not studied under their direction.  But they were wrong in their assumption, for he knew the great commandment of the law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind."

And he recited it to them as though he lived it.  But he added more to that statement to let them know that he also was knowledgeable of the Law.  He said:  "This is the greatest and the first commandment."

You see they only knew about the great commandment as being the foundation of the Law.  They did not know that there was another commandment that was also a foundation principle of the Law.  They were the scholars.  They were the ones who studied the Law.  They read it, discussed it, practiced it, applied to their lives and the lives of the people on a daily basis.  So they believed that they knew it like the back of their hand.  Yet here comes a commoner like Christ who knew more about the Law than they did.  How was that possible?

And this was the way of God working according to the promise that was made to the forefathers of those who believed in him.  The prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of the people from sin.  They foretold of his sacrifice, the resurrection, and his ascension into heaven.  All this written down for those future generations to read and believe.  

It is there for those who want to know, for those who seek to find, for those who are tired of what the world has offered.  You see, once your eyes are opened and you are healed, you know the truth of what happened.  So, the struggle becomes keeping your eyes opened, keeping the truth in front of you, and following the path given you by your spirit.  For the Spirit will lead you and guide you every day.  The Spirit will protect you and provide for you.  Your life will be filled with joy and peace because now you have a path, a sense of direction, a purpose and a goal in life that leads to fulfillment.  We are his children and he is our Father.  He will care for us. 

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:25b, Authority over the Gentiles.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Humility according to Christ's example) Part 3.

The disciples have expressed their anger and their frustration at James and John.  They want to sit with Christ also.  They want to be at his right and at his left also.  They want to be first also and that is the problem.  James and John did not express these wants, these desires.  Their mother came forth and spoke to Christ about what she wanted for them.  She came forth and spoke what was in their hearts.

What she did not realize was that her words opened the door to the hearts of the disciples.  Her words exposed them to anger.  He words exposed them to injustice.  Her words exposed them to jealousy.  And Christ had to speak to their hearts to help them understand what they were doing.  He had to speak to the jealousy, and their anger and their heartfelt injustice.  So he gave them an example.  He told them of the lords of the Gentiles.  He told them of their practices.  He told them how they would become like the Gentiles, how the rulers of the Gentiles lorded their power over them.  "And their great men exercise authority over them." 

They wanted to be great.  They wanted to be known throughout the land.  They wanted to be like the lords and rulers of their time.  This was the example that they knew.  This was what they saw in their time.  The rulers would parade through the streets with their guards and their attendants.  They would receive privileges everywhere they went.  The people would give them special recognition and this was what they thought that they would become being disciples of Christ.

Yet Christ wanted to give them a different image.  He wanted to give them a different understanding of who they were and who they would become through him.  For he was a lord.  He was a king.  He was the ruler of all the world.  Yet he did not come to be a king.  He did not come to be a lord, a ruler.  He gave up all his royal trappings to become like an ordinary man.  He gave up his crown and his glory and his majesty to become the pauper among us.  And this was the example that he wanted his disciples to understand.

For without the power and without the glory, one does not assume a position of greatness.  Without the majesty and the privilege one does not become haughty,  and aloof and assume an attitude of being special.  And without the attitude of feeling special the heart is closed to jealousy, and anger, and injustice.  For Christ came to right the injustices of the world, he came to act as a sacrifice for the injustices.  He came that the punishment may be lifted.  He came that what was lost may now be restored.  He came that his love for man would be established for all eternity.

We are here today to be witnesses to the love and the mercy and the forgiveness of our God and Father.  We are here today to testify to his love.  We are here today to become living examples of the life that is within each of us that others may see and know that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  For he came and gave that we would have life.  He came and walked among us that we would know the truth.  He came and gave us an example, a history, and a path to follow that would lead us to him.  He came to demonstrate his passion for us that would last throughout all eternity.  It is that passion that carries us.  It is that passion that guides us.  It is that passion that leads us to him each day.  And it is that passion that is available for all to know, to see, to feel, to become a part of their lives today.  His love is there for the asking.  His love is there for those who seek it.  His love is there for all to receive it even if they do not know him.  All you have to do is open the door to your heart and let him in.   

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:22c, We Can.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The mother of James and John) Part 7. 

Wherever the Gospel is written this paragraph shall be included, the paragraph of the mother of James and John.  What must have been her faith?  What must have been her trust?  What must have been her belief in Christ that he was the one who would change all things?  She came to him.  She worshipped him.  She spoke to him about her beloved sons.  They were all she had. They were her future and her past and her present.  And they were the ones who would become his disciples for all eternity.

Little did she know what would happen.  Little did she know what they would become.  Little did she know what they would suffer.  For they were to drink of the same cup of suffering with Christ.  They were to be teachers the same as Christ.  They were to be miracle workers the same as Christ.  And they would be the twelve disciples, apostles, for all eternity.  Did they believe?  Did they know?  Did they understand what would happen.  Did they know the battle that they would face with evil?  Could they stand with Christ and become the sacrificial lambs?  Could they drink of the same cup?  They said to him, "We can." 

Can we drink of the same cup?  Can we follow in the footsteps as Christ and become sacrificial lambs?  Or are we more about ourselves and our own desires?  It is a tall question to ask and an even greater one to answer.  Just to think of the ramifications of that answer brings shudders to the mind and the body.  Just to reflect on the pain and the suffering that he endured makes one think of turning away.  Yet he willingly entered into the sacrifice, he willingly became the innocent lamb, he willingly accepted the pain and suffering, the humiliation and mockery, the beatings and the hatred of those who would do him harm.  He allowed himself to be brutally beaten and crucified by the doers of evil.

Can we do the same?  Can we accept such punishment today?  Because he suffered for us then, we do not have to suffer that today.  Christ became the sacrifice for all.  He accepted the sins for all; past, present, and future.  And because of his sacrifice we are redeemed, we are saved, we are born anew.  Because he could endure, because he accepted, because he was the lamb, we are reborn anew.  Once again we have life.  Once again we are acceptable to God.  Once again we are his children. 

James and John believed that they could.  James and John knew that they could.  James and John walked in his presence and trusted that they would do the same as he did.  What was their prize?  What was their motivation?  What did they see, what did they know, what did they believe that allowed them to drink of that cup?  There must have been something greatly motivating that gave them the courage to continue.  There must have been something more than we know that allowed them to be who they were.  Can we discover what that something else was?  Can we know what motivated them, that it might motivate us today?  What will strengthen us to do the same?  What will give us the power to accept?  What force will guide us to be like Christ, to follow in his footsteps, to know his love?  What must we do to discover that which is ours to know?  He has given us the key.  He has opened the door.  He awaits our footsteps that he might guide us to his presence.  The choice is ours to make.  All we have to do is ask. 

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 19, verse: 14a, Hinder not the children.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus blesses the children) Part 3.

So the children came.  They were brought to him that he might bless them and lay his hands on them.  This was a sight to see, the children in their playful nature around Christ, the savior.  They did not know him.  They heard their parents speaking of him.  They heard strangers and other people talking about him.  But now they had the opportunity to come close, to touch him, to be in his presence.  Oh, what a joy that must have been!

The disciples thought not.  They did not see him having time for little children.  He was the savior.  He was the Messiah.  He was the Lord of all, yet he had time to play with the little children.  They did not understand.  They did not know.  For the disciples and all the others considered that he had other things to do, other things to think about, other problems to solve.  Yet he had time for the little ones.  But Jesus said to them, "Let the little children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me."

Do not hinder them.  Let them be.  Do not disturb them.  Let them play, let them have fun, let them see the world through their eyes, fresh and anew.  For they are the little ones, precious in the eyes of God our Father.  They are the innocent ones, uncorrupted by the influences of the world and of evil.  Their light is bright, new and fresh from the tree of life.  Do not stop them from coming to the light of their creation.  Christ loved the little ones.  He knew them before they were conceived into the flesh and he adored them in their new spirit.

His love was the love of the Father.  His love is the love of a brother.  His love for the little ones is the love of all creation, an all-consuming love.  But the world does not love the little ones.  The world does not know their light.  The world wants to hinder them.  The world wants to turn them away from the light and turn them to the darkness.  For they are the precious ones in the eyes of God.  They are loved.  They are adored.  They are new.  Hinder not the little ones.  

When they are born into the world our hearts are filled with love for them.  When they are first conceived our lives are changed, at least for those who know and who understand God's plan and purpose.  For some it does not bring change.  For some they bring a feeling of a burden upon their lives, they not knowing the joy that will come.  So they turn away from the new life that is given them.  They turn away from the gift of life that is passed on to them.  They do not know the love, the protection, and the provision of the Father that awaits them through this new life.  And then there are those who would hinder the plans of the Father from coming forth, they destroy the new life.  All brought forth through the fear that comes from evil.

Do not hinder the little ones, Christ told his disciples.  Let them be.  Give them the freedom brought forth through God's plan and purpose.  Theirs is the gift of love.  Theirs is the promise of hope.  Theirs is the joy of innocence.  See the world through their eyes and rejoice in their passing back to the Father.  For the transition is a joyous time.  The transition is a time of happiness.  The transition is a time of love for those who have gone to be with the Father.  And the little ones will go without the taint of sin or corruption.  Hinder not the little ones and let them be with the one who gave them life.  For Christ rejoiced in seeing them that his sacrifice would have purpose, his sacrifice would have meaning, his sacrifice would mean love for these little ones who were new from the tree of live.  

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 17, verse: 22b, The Passion Prediction: The Rise of Christ.

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

They were on their way to Jerusalem with the Lord.  Many had assumed that he would be the ruler.  Many thought that he was going to take over the leadership of the High Priest.  Many were happy because they saw a change coming.  And many were joyous because they believed that it was time for a change.  Christ knew otherwise.  He knew that it was time for a change and that change was a sacrifice, the sacrifice to justify mankind with God.

He told them on several occasions of the Passion.  He warned them of what was about to take place.  He told them that he would suffer and that he would face death.  But they only thought about the change coming.  They only thought about the joy that would come when the old rulers were removed and new ones came to be.  They did not think about the struggle.  They did not think about the sacrifice that would come.  They did not think about the suffering.  They only thought about what they wanted to hear, what they believed would happen, what they wanted to think. 

Evil was afoot and plans were being made to destroy Christ.  Evil was in the house and evil was in the minds and evil was in the mouths and on the lips of those in power.  For they spoke of ways to destroy him.  They wanted to stop him.  They wanted him hanged for the embarrassment that he had caused them.  They wanted to control him and could not.  For each time they attempted to control him they failed.  Each time they sought to win, they did not.  Each time they came with a trick, they could not trick him.  For Christ knew them.  He knew who they worshipped.  He who they were.  For they were children of evil.  They were the sons of evil and their father was the father of all lies. 

Christ came to bring about change.  He came with the sword to separate the wolves from the lambs.  He came to stop the lies, to stop the deceit, to stop the death of the innocent.  He came to bring life.  But evil did not want the people to have life.  Evil did not want the people to know the truth.  Evil did not want the people to know who they are and who they belonged to.  Evil wanted the people for itself.  Evil wanted the people to do evil and to destroy Christ because evil could not change him, could not turn him, could not seduce him, could not control him.  So evil had to destroy him.

Christ had to tell his disciples that they would know.  He had to speak the truth that they would believe after the truth had taken place.  And they were sad to hear this.  For he said:  "And they will kill him; and, on the third day he will rise again."  And they were exceedingly sorry.  

How do we feel today that Christ died?  How do we feel today that he suffered such pain and agony?  How do we feel today that he had to be the sacrifice for our sins and not us?  We live in a world that only rarely shows us the pain that he endured.  We live in a world that deceives us into believing that we are alright and life must go on.  We live in a world that does not want us to know who we are in Christ.  For the world wants to deceive us.  The world wants to hide us from the truth.  The world wants to keep us in the dark and away from the light that awaits us in Christ.

Come!  Follow the path before you.  Read the truth of who you are in Him who gave you life.  Know the truth of your true life and not the artificial life of the physical.  For you are like angels, created in the image and likeness of God.  You are sons and daughters of the one true God, the living God.  If you seek to know, if you seek to find, if you seek to see that which is within you, come read that which is given to you as manna from heaven.  It has been given to me and I now pass it on to you.  I am a witness, a voice crying in the wilderness, testifying that he has come to me and will come to you also if you seek him.  He awaits your call.  He listens for your voice.  He anticipates your needs and will provide for your wants.  Christ loves you, the Holy Spirit greets you and so do I.

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 17, verse: 21-22a, The Passion Prediction: The death of Christ.

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


And it came to pass, as they moved on, from the villages and towns around the mountain where the transfiguration took place they arrived in Galilee.  They were happy with Christ.  They were at peace with him.  They had no worries, no cares, no fears.  For he provided all.  He gave all.  He was all to his disciples and to the people that followed him.  The word spread of his miracles.  The word spread of his teachings.  The word spread of his presences.  And many came that they may witness the truth for themselves in those times of the good news.

But there was evil afoot.  There was evil brewing in the heartland.  The leaders were threatened.  The rulers were worried.  The powers that be were being influenced by evil that they may commit to do evil.  For the slaughter was being conceived.  The sacrifice was being planned and the preparations were being made to silence the word.  For the word must not 
spread.  The people must be controlled.  The people must be ruled.  And the people must be contained by the rules of the law less those in power would loose their place to rule.

So as they made their way to Jerusalem, Christ knew what was taking place.  He knew that he had a mission.  Christ accepted his part in the final ruling that was taking place in heaven and on earth.  Justice must be served if there is a God, a supreme ruler.  For in truth one does not give justice and then change it.  So to satisfy the transgression a sacrifice had to be made.  A willing sacrifice, a proper sacrifice, a pure sacrifice, a lamb.  So Christ had to tell his disciples of the outcome of their journey.  He had to make them aware of what would happen in Jerusalem.  Now while they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men,
and they will kill him."

Christ knew his fate.  He know that he was born into this realm to be a sacrifice.  He came to give mankind life.  He came to be with us.  He came that we would know.  He came to give us the truth of who we are.  And he came to face death and to conquer it.  Why are we here?  Why are we born into this world to suffer and die?  Why do we toil and face the trials and tribulations of life, if not to have what life has to offer?  Why do we have to die?  What is the meaning of this life cycle that we go through if there is no goal, no purpose, no reason to living?

Death and taxes are the constants in our lives.  We live.  We work.  We are happy.  We are sad.  We love.  We hate.  We cry.  We pain.  Our hearts desire without true satisfaction.  We struggle to make sense of ourselves only to find ourselves with temporary solutions without some permanency.  Christ came.  He lived with us.  He walked the same earth.  He breathe the same air.  He drank the same water, eat the same food, slept under the same sky that we have, and then he died.  On the third day, the Bible tells us, he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of his father.  These are the written words of those who were there as witnesses.

What do we have to look forward to?  What do we have to rely upon as truth?  We have our science.  We have our technology.  We have our knowledge.  Is this enough to give us the strength to live our lives from day to day?  What will give us meaning?  We have the truth.  We have the living word.  We have Christ who lived among us, to teach us, to be an example to us, to provide for us, to love us, and to protect us.  Evil would have us believe that we are alone. Evil would have us believe that we must live by the laws and precepts of the world.   Evil would have us think that there is nothing else except what we have here, so we must live without any concerns of what comes after we die.  Yet God our Father gave us simple rules to keep evil from us.  Christ came to demonstrate to us the love that the Father has for us, if we only believe and trust in him.

I have walked the way of the world.  I have lived by the way of the world and I know now that Christ loves me, that the Father loves me, and that the Holy Spirit lives with me.  Come!  Walk the path before you.  See the truth of who you are in Christ.  Know the light that is within you and you too will see yourself as others will see you in heaven.  Christ loves you and so do I. 

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 15, verse: 33, The Compasion of Christ: The Disciples are willing.

Our paragraph topic is:  ( Jesus has compassion on the crowd) Part 2.   

All were cured.  All were made whole.  All were given sight.  All were made to walk.  Christ cured them all that were brought to him.  They came from the villages, the towns, the districts, from everywhere to see, to hear, and to be cured.  For the word spoke to them.  The word was alive.  The word spread to all that heard, to all who belonged, to all who wanted to believe that their lives could change.  And Christ changed all their lives.

And they did not want to leave.  They did not want to go.  They did not want to return to the life they knew, even though their lives had changed.  Christ had compassion on them.  All evil had been cast out.  And the crowd was like lost sheep, not knowing what to do or where to go.  And Christ had compassion upon them.  He wanted to feed them.  He wanted to guide them.  He wanted to show them a way so that they would not be lost.  But the time was not right.  The time was not fulfilled.  The sacrifice was not made and the absolution was not given.  So Christ could not give them the eternal food that they needed for their journey.  He could only give them the physical food they needed to feed their physical bodies.

Jesus called his disciples together to express his compassion on the crowd.  He wanted his disciples to know his feelings and he wanted to demonstrate to them how they should feel for the crowd.  But the disciples were unwilling.  They wanted to disperse the crowd and did not have compassion for them.  For it was a desert place and there was nowhere to obtain food to feed the people.  The disciples had nothing to give nor anything to offer.  But Christ was unwilling to send them away fasting and hungry for more of what he had to offer.  So he called his disciples together.   And the disciples said to him, "But in a desert, where are we to get enough loaves to satisfy so great a crowd?"  Jesus said to them, ''How many loaves have you?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes."   

They only had seven loaves and a few fishes to feed a multitude of people.  They did not realize that Christ was the food.  Christ was the bread and Christ was the wine that would feed the multitudes of people.  But the sacrifice had not been offered and the absolution was not complete.  So the physical body was what was fed.  Christ wanted to feed the spiritual.  Christ wanted to feed the soul.  Christ wanted to fulfill the eternal for he had compassion upon the crowd but the disciples were willing to turn them away.  The disciples did not understand that Christ through them would feed the sheep of the world.  They would provide the people with the spiritual food needed to feed the lambs of the body of Christ.

We call upon our Lord today to heal our wounds.  We call upon him to cure our sickness.  We call upon him to provide for us and to protect us from harm.  And Christ wants to feed us.  Christ wants to provide for us, to protect us, to heal us, to cure us from sickness.  But we are not willing.  We are not ready.  We do not know the truth of who we are in Christ.  We cling to physical life as though it was meant to be eternal.  We ask for protection and turn from our protector.  We ask that we are provided for and turn away from the provisions that are given us because they do not come according to our timetable when our God who created the universe provides for us for all eternity and not just for the moment. 

Come!  Know the truth of who you are.  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 12, verses: 7 - 8, The Accusations of the Pharisees

Our paragraph topic is:(The disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath) Pt 4. 

Christ has taught them.  Christ has instructed them.  Christ has schooled them.  Now he demonstrates the lack of knowledge that the Pharisees do not have through his words.  He tells them,  "But if you knew what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would never have condemned the innocent." 

The Pharisees were the enforcers of the Law.  They were the keepers of the Law.  They were the scholars of the Law, for they studied the law all their lives.  They lived by it, slept by it, ate by it, and made their livelihood by it.  They are the modern day preachers who are committed to the preaching of the gospel according to their view.  But Christ sought to bring them to truth.  He sought to open their eyes.  He sought to open their hearts that they may understand the truth in God and not just the words of God.  They led the people.  They taught the people.  They were the ones who controlled the people and kept them in line according to their will and not the will of God.

You see, to keep the people in line there must be absolute obedience to the Law.  Anyone caught breaking the Law should be punished according to the strict interpretation of the Law.  Sacrifice one to keep the many in line.  Sacrifice the guilty and the innocent to demonstrate their interpretation of the Law.  The people will know because none of them knew the Law.  None of the people understood.  So they had to be taught.  They had to be schooled.  They had to be trained and once trained then order will be maintained.  This was their plan.  This was not God's plan.  For God sought understanding.  God sought love.  God sought peace.  God sought mercy not sacrifice.

And in these simple words Christ demonstrates his power.  For he tells them, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."   Again they are struck with shock at his sayings.  He has told them that one greater than the temple stands before them.  Now he tells them that he is Lord of the Sabbath.  They, do not understand.  Why, because they could not conceive that a man would consider himself above them, above their authority, above their rule.  They could not conceive that they spoke with the Creator of the Sabbath, not just a mere man.

Today we have that same opportunity to speak with Christ.  We pray to tell him our problems.  We pray to tell him our pains.  We pray to tell him our sufferings.  He knows all these things.  But we do not pray to give him the glory. 

In times of great tribulation, great loss, great suffering, we do not pray to give him the glory.  If a hurricane comes and destroys a villages and towns and takes lives, we do not give him the glory.  If a tsunami comes and wipes out villages, we wail for the sorrow and the loss but we do not give him the glory.  We explain it as Mother Nature and we try to tell ourselves that we will be better prepared the next time.  We will have more warnings.  We will have increased times to alert people to the danger.  We will do all, to help people prepare for the wrath of Mother Nature.  Our warning systems have gotten better.  Our monitoring systems are more accurate.  Our knowledge of these monumental events has increased.  But we do not give God the glory. 

God created Mother Nature.  He tells her what to do.  He knows what she will do and he accepts her destruction.  But we do not give Him the glory.  We do not praise him for his majesty.  We do not understand how he could let this happen.  And we wonder, in our sorrow and pain, how this could happen.  Who has given counsel to God that he has required recompense?  For He will do what he will do.  He is the one true God and he does what he does.  And we do not give him the glory.  Praise God for his power.  Praise God for his majesty.  Praise God for his wisdom.  For we cannot understand the infinite knowledge that he possesses.  And we cannot fathom the whys and wherefores of his actions.  But, we can praise him.  We can give him the glory.  And we can know that all things are done for good.