St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 34; The Pharisees gather.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 1.  

They, the Sadducees, could not silence him.  They tried several times and did not succeed.  They were silenced in front of the crowds and the crowds marveled at the wisdom of Christ.  The people were not educated.  They received their wisdom from those who came from the temple and the synagogue.  They were not learned.  They were not learned in the Law or the Torah.  They were simple farmers who worked the land for a living.  So they received all their knowledge from those who were trained and educated from the temple.

Christ was not trained in the temple.  He was not taught by the those educated by the masters of the Law and the Torah.  Yet he came and taught the people about the love of God and the ways of God.  He brought miracles and healed many.  The people had not seen such or heard such before.  Such a man of God or prophet had not existed.  Yet here was Christ in their mist and they listened, and they heard, and they saw, and they believed.  The Sadducees were silenced.  But the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. 

Now they knew that he was a threat to them.  They knew that he had to be silenced once and for all.  Christ had come and tore through the half of legal body of the law and made a mockery of it, so now it was time for the other half to come together and create a serious plan to stop him.  They did not consider that he was the Messiah.  They did not stop to think that he was the Son of Man come down from heaven to walk among the people to teach and preach.  They only knew that their authority was challenged.  I wonder if it will be the same in our time.

There are those who know and those who do not.  There are those who want to know and those who do not want to know.  And then there are those who walk the line not knowing and those who question the line asking themselves if this is all there is to life.  These are the ones who seek to find more, the ones who want to know more, the ones who are ready to have their eyes opened or who are opened to the suggestion of deception, and death.

Those who know walk in two worlds.  They straddle the worlds of life and death.  The church gives life and the world gives death.  Yet we must find a way to live in both.  Christ dealt with the death of the world he lived in, we struggle with the same.  We are given his commandments to live by the best we can yet, we live in a world that disregards those commandments.  The Holy Spirit is our guide to lead us along the path of life helping us to avoid the pitfalls that may lead to our downfall.  And the church is our sanctuary in times of struggle and need.  Ultimately prayer to God our Father is our call in times of need and patience and belief in his answer is our assurance in his love for us.  We are his children and he is our beloved father.  Call on him.   

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: 33; The Crowds marveled at his teaching.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's answer) Part 6.

Here was a man that was different from other men.  The crowds knew it.  They felt it within themselves.  They were not learned.  They could not read, most of them.  They had no books, no schools to go to and learn the rudiments of education.  They were common folks who earned their livelihood in the fields.  Most of the learned men came from the synagogues and they were taught the Law handed down to their fathers.

Christ came onto the scene with no training from the masters of the synagogues.  He was unknown to them.  The teachers and the masters had not taught him, had not seen him, nor had they heard of him before he came on the scene and started his ministry, teaching the people.  The teachers sent their best to question him.  They tried to trap him.  They even sent their scholars to study him, but none could grasp his deep knowledge and wisdom of the ways of God and the kingdom of heaven.  And when the crowds heard this, they marveled at his teaching. 

There is much to learn as we go through life.  Our early years are marked, for most, by the joy of youth, not having responsibility but just growing up and living life.  We reach an age where we go out on our own and we must make decisions that affect our lives, good or bad.  Rules are laid down by authority for us to follow that guide our lives.  We live within the boundaries of this authority or suffer the consequences of the laws.  We grow older and become settled in our lives at which time we take on a partner and began to repeat the process of our parents of having children. 

There is another part of our lives that is taking place also as we continue on the journey of life, the spiritual process.  As we get much older, especially much later in life, 50's, 60's, and 70's, we may find ourselves thinking more of the end of this physical life and what lies ahead.  We never know when that day will come.  It may happen all of a sudden or it may come with our knowledge.  Yet the countdown is there and the clock continues to unwind, the sands of time move ever against us.  What do we do?

Christ's teachings give us a path to follow.  The time of transition comes upon us whether we are ready or not.  We can prepare ourselves or not.  We can participate in the transition, become a part of the process, watch it happen, enjoy the transformation.  By doing so we throw off the world and take on the new, for we can move in the direction of life everlasting.  Christ awaits us as we are preparing to go home to see him and all those who have gone before us.  Let us marvel.  Let us rejoice at the living words that he has given us.  Let us transform.

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: 32; God of the Living.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's answer) Part 5.  

They came to him for answers and he gave them knowledge.  They thought that they knew about the resurrection.  They believed that there was no life after death, that there was no resurrection so they came to him for an answer.  He told them that they were wrong, that they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God.  They thought that they knew, but they did not.  They thought they had the answers but they did not.  They thought that they were right in their beliefs but they were wrong in their assumptions and Christ told them so.

He told them that there would be no marriage in heaven.  Therefore, what took place on earth would not be bound in heaven.  Men and women would not be bound to each other in heaven.  They will be like angels of God in heaven.  This was a shocking revelation to the Sadducees because they assumed that the wedding commitment would be bound over at the resurrection after death.  Christ had to correct them on this point also.  God was a God of the living and not of the dead.  He told them what was spoken by God himself saying:  " ' I am God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living." 

Where does that leave us today, those who believe?  Do we believe in the living God?  Are we right in our faith, in our hope, in our trust in the invisible God?  Can we act on that which we believe, walk by, live by, and know, that we have a living God that we can call on, in our time of need?  Will he hear us?  Will he respond to us?  Will he care for our needs?  Will he provide for us? 

We indeed are weak.  Yet something inside tells us, talks to us, encourages us to think otherwise.  Something wants us to not be humble, to not be dependent, to not trust in the Lord.  History has taught us that he has been there for us.  He has walked with us, showed us the way, done things for us, brought us far without problems.  So why should we stop leaning on him now.  Why should we stop trusting him now.  He was a plan for us, all we have to do is be patient and enjoy the ride.

Our God is patient.  He is merciful.  He is loving.  He saved us from the deep depression that we were in where those thoughts of ending came upon us.  He gave us new life and new hope.  He show us the way.  He opened the door for us to enter the kingdom of heaven.  He opened our eyes to who we are in Christ Jesus and now we see ourselves in a new light.  The Spirit lives with us and guides us daily.  Thanks be to God.  Thanks be to Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to the Holy Spirit.

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.