Author: PGC Administrator

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Matthew+8

MATTHEW 8 (ESV)

¹ When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. ² And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ³ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

⁵ When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” ⁷ And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. ¹¹ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

¹⁴ And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. ¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

REFLECTION

• Jesus displays a royal power over all forces in natural and supernatural worlds. King Jesus is willing and able to heal all kinds of illness and suffering.
• The Leper realizes that Jesus has the power as God to heal sicknesses and to correct evils that torment mankind. But the leper also realizes that Jesus has a choice about whether to heal or not.  Again and again Jesus exercised His power as God, and each time it was to help or heal a human being in need.  Christ is willing.  And He is able too.
• Recall a time when you were touched by the loving hand of God. What was it?  How did you feel?
• What did your past experience of God’s touch and healing teach you about God’s power and His love? Spend a few moments conversing with God and listening to what God is trying to tell you.
• “He’s Able to carry me through”  www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whgmpd2WFR0

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Matthew+7

MATTHEW 7 (ESV)

¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

REFLECTION

• Kingdom citizens have an “in-secret” relationship with God (6:1-4). Therefore, we do not judge others, and we consciously depend on our Father, and choose His “narrow gate”. As we do, God’s power is exhibited in our good lives and in our obedience.
• Each of the images of prayer – ask, seek, knock- suggests persistence. Each also conveys a promise.  Ask, it will be given; seek, you will find; knock, the door will be opened.  What encourages us to be actively involved in prayer, and to claim these promises, is the certainty that God is our Father.  Our Father loves us.  He provides what we need, not because we bother Him, but because He cares.  And He is eager to give us good gifts.
• When you pray to make a request to God, do you rely on your persistence to “persuade” God? Or do you rely on God’s pervasive love and rest assured of the good gifts He’s going to give you?

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Matthew+6

MATTHEW 6 (ESV)

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
¹² and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

REFLECTION  

Prayer is an expression of intimate relationship with God. Here Jesus invites us to explore what prayer is, and what it can mean to us.

Lord, I cannot say “Our”…

if my faith has no room for other people and their needs.

Lord, I cannot say “Father”…

if I fail to resemble You in the way I live my daily life.

Lord, I cannot say “Who are in Heaven”…

if my attention is focused only on earthly things.

Lord, I cannot say “Hallowed be Thy name”…

if I, who am called by your name, am not holy.

Lord, I cannot say “Thy Kingdom come”…

if I fail to acknowledge your sovereignty in my life.

Lord, I cannot say “On earth as it is in Heaven”…

unless I am truly ready to serve You here and now.

Lord, I cannot say “Give us this day our daily bread”…

without doing an honest day’s work, and

without considering the needs of those less fortunate.

Lord, I cannot say “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”…

if I harbour a grudge against my brother or sister.

Lord, I cannot say “Lead us not into temptation”…

if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation

where I am likely to be tempted.

Lord, I cannot say “Deliver us from evil”…

if I am not prepared to take a stand against injustice in my society.

Lord, I cannot say “Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory”…

if I do not submit to Christ as King,

if I fail to trust You to act in my life,

or if in pride I seek my own glory.

Lord, I cannot say “Amen”…

unless I can honestly say, “Come what may, this is my prayer.”

(Author Unknown)

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Matthew+5

MATTHEW 5 (ESV)

¹Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

REFLECTION

• Jesus spoke as King with absolute authority in His kingdom. And He spoke as God, not abolishing, but reinterpreting the meaning of biblical words whose implications had long been lost. He announced blessings for citizens of His kingdom and expects them to do good deeds, for He requires a righteousness that surpasses that of even the zealous Pharisees.
• Jesus is contrasting the two ways to blessedness: (1) the kingdom way of pure gift from God, and (2) the worldly way of human attainment. Jesus takes those people ordinarily thought to be unblessed or unbless-able and shows that there is something about life in the kingdom of God that makes these people blessed.
• Are you a blessed person according to Jesus’ teaching here? Why?
• How would you allow God’s blessing flow from you to your community and people around you?

Prayer & Journaling:

On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.