Daily Reading

Matthew 8:1-22; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 5:15-21 So the disciples are concerned with greatness. They are in the presence of the Messiah & they can't seen to help but wonder which one of them is the greatest disciple. As we continue to read through Matthew, we will see them ask all sorts of questions regarding personal greatness & status. It's such a human thing to do isn't it? We all want to be important and powerful, especially in this society were celebrities are idolized & everyone dreams of making it big. Jesus; however, could care less about greatness. When asked this question, He refers to children. What's so great about children, especially during that time in history. Children were valued as property. They were to be seen & not heard. Yet, Jesus tells the disciples that they must be like children in order to gain the kingdom of heaven. Hmmm . . . what does that mean? Well,

• children are honest - they say what they feel & they are who they are.


• children are not intimidating or threatening - honestly, who's afraid of a small child?


• children are humble - they have no power, position, or authority.


• children are dependent - they are unable to take care of themselves & must rely on adults to provide their food, shelter, and clothing.

So to gain the kingdom of heaven, one must become humble, honest, non-threatening, and dependent on God.

Then Jesus talks about relationships - the disciples are interested in greatness, but Jesus is interested in how we treat each other. He says that giving into temptation is sin & one must make sacrifices to stay away from sin, but to lead or encourage another to sin is far worse! God cares about each one of His children. As a parent myself, I am sadden when my children disobey. But if they bring their friends into it, then I am outraged. It's one thing to make a mistake. It's another to hurt someone else.

If someone has hurt you, you are to go to them and discuss the situation. If they refuse to ask for forgiveness, then others are brought into the discussion. If the person still refuses to ask for forgiveness, you no longer fellowship with him/her. That doesn't mean you treat them badly, talk behind their back, or make things difficult for them. It simply means you no longer allow that person the opportunity to hurt you.

Finally, Jesus talks about forgiveness. We are to forgive someone as many times as they need to be forgiven. Basically, we are called to forgive like God forgives. How often does God forgive us? Every time & that's how we are suppose to forgive others.

Notice the upswing in our psalm today. Yesterday, the writer was depressed and alone, but he called out to the Lord & "he heard and came." When we call out to the Lord, even in our darkest moments, He comes & brings us joy and peace.