Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:
In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with?
In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week?
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
Matthew 13:52 “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
Think of a time when you heard a relative, friend, or colleague say something and you thought you were 100% sure what they meant by their comment. But then you later discovered that you wrong. What was it like to be angry with them, only to discover you really had no reason to be angry?
Throughout our lives, we make up stories about other people in our minds far too often. We may hear a comment and assume the person who said it meant one thing when in actuality they meant something completely different.
Jesus teaches this principle in Matthew 13:52. It’s His way of telling the religious leaders in His day that they have a pretty good understanding of the Old Testament, but their understanding is incomplete. However, if they were to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and review the Old Testament from a new perspective – the perspective of Jesus as the Messiah – they would discover even more value in the text.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:52 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: On a scale of 1-10, how regularly would you say you make up a story in your mind about somebody else (e.g., you heard a comment and made an assumption about what they meant by it)?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Consider what new perspective God may be inviting you to have regarding Him, His Word, and/or your relationships with others.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I don’t want to live like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day – those who had a good, yet incomplete understanding of the big picture. Help me to see You, Your word, and the importance of healthy relationships with others in the same way You see them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Matthew 13:49b “The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous…”
Some of the most difficult decisions you will make throughout your life revolve around the topic of boundaries. It’s important to have healthy boundaries in place, especially in your relationships with others. You want to ensure you feel safe around others. As such, it’s important to recognize what (or who) may be unsafe, toxic, or even evil.
But the reason these decisions are so difficult is that it’s easy to draw the boundary line too soon. That person seems unsafe, so I won’t go near them. That person seems toxic, so I’ll limit my time with them. When you draw these boundary lines too soon, you miss out on a tremendous opportunity to get to know others who look, think, live, believe, and may sometimes behave very differently than you. But different may not always be wrong or unrighteous, it may just be…different.
The parable of the fishing net helps us to see that we are woefully unqualified to determine who may be righteous and who may be unrighteous. This is God’s role, and not ours.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:47-51 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Consider the previous 48 hours. On how many occasions did you determine that somebody else was unrighteous? What is the danger in living with these kinds of thoughts?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: As you continue to slow down to be with Jesus a few times daily, pay attention to how this practice decreases your judgmental thoughts towards others.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I don’t like to see myself as a judgmental person but I recognize I probably see others as either righteous or unrighteous far too often. Today, I’m grateful for the reminder that I am woefully unqualified to determine who is righteous and who is not. May I rest in the truth that this decision is outside of my control. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
In the previous parable (Matthew 13:44), a man just happened to stumble upon a treasure hidden in a field. In this parable, a man was searching diligently for something of great value. It’s possible Jesus was teaching something here — whether we are looking for it or not, the Kingdom of God can be discovered.
But the main point of both parables is that nothing is more precious or valuable than the Kingdom of God. In a culture that defines success by one’s Job Title, Income, Neighborhood, or even the clothes she wears, these parables emphasize that our cultural understanding of success is a monstrous lie. Simply living in the Kingdom of God is superior than any Job Title, level of Income, or the Neighborhood in which we may live. To live like Jesus is to see everything we own and possess as worthless when compared to the Kingdom He has for us.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:44-46(also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: How do you define success? Do you see that living in the Kingdom of God is better than any amount of other success you may experience in life?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Spend some time in prayer listening to God. Invite Him to speak His understanding of success to your heart.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that there are times when I want to be seen as “successful” but I recognize that my understanding of success may be very different from Yours. Continue to help me see that success is living the life You have called me to live, in Your ways, and according to Your timetable. This is the true measure of success. Amen.
Matthew 13:44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”
Western Culture today regularly communicates subtle messages and ideas through everything – television, music, podcasts, books, and more. Over time, these ideas become commonplace. One message which is common among people today is, “Never give up! Never surrender!”
The idea of surrenderingis completely counter-cultural. We think we’re too strong, too powerful, even too smart to need to surrender. When struggles come our way, our pride kicks into overdrive. We may think, I can figure this out. I don’t need to ask for help. When we’re backed into a corner and have an opportunity to wave the white flag of surrender, we may think, I’m still not going to surrender! I’ll just fight harder!
But living in the Kingdom of God requires we surrender everything. In this parable, the man was actually excited to surrender everything he owned, knowing that what he would receive would be of even greater value.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:44-46(also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Do you currently see the Kingdom of God as something of such immense value you are excited to surrender everything you have in order to live in the Kingdom? What may be one thing you struggle to fully surrender to God?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Continue to practice a slowed-down spirituality. Slow down in order to catch up to the pace in which God created you to live.
Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, my prayer for the week is that I would recognize that You have called me to surrender everything in order to live in the Kingdom of God, but you haven’t called me to give up what You created to be good (friendship, joy, nature, and much more.) Help me to identify things I’m holding onto that are not life-giving and surrender them to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:
In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with?
In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week?
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
Matthew 13:33 ““The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
This short parable is yet another powerful illustration of the impact the Kingdom of God has on the world. “Three measures of flour” would be approximately 50 pounds of flour. As such, the little bit of yeast used would ensure that enough bread is being made for 100-150 people.
The meaning of the parable would’ve been easily understood by the crowd. The Kingdom of God may appear small or barely visible, but it’s having a major impact on the world. In the same way a mustard seed is small but grows into a large garden plant to provide shade and protection, a small amount of yeast permeates a large batch of dough.
God is always at work in the world around us. There may be times when we question why certain things happen (e.g., why is there evil in the world, why did this happen to me, why…?) but the power of God is ever-present and is having an impact!
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:31-33 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Within the previous 48 hours, what are some small simple ways you’ve seen God work in your life and/or the lives of others?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: As you continue to slow down to be with Jesus a few times daily, pay attention to how this practice decreases your judgmental thoughts towards others.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today’s reading is a great reminder that You are always present and are always having an impact in the world and within Your people. Today, help me to slow down and to give up my desire for control so that I can continue to see the countless ways in which You are already at work around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Matthew 13:31-32 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
There was a lot of time that passed between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was a period of over 400 years. To put this into perspective, at the time of this writing the United States has been a nation for only 246 years.
Within this period of time between the Old and New Testaments, the people of Israel were impatiently awaiting the coming Messiah. Many were expecting a mighty warrior king who would overthrow the Roman Empire. Even those who may not have been expecting a warrior king were anticipating the coming of the Kingdom of God in strength.
Imagine what the crowd may have been thinking when Jesus likened the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. Not only is a small seed, it also grows into a relatively small garden plant. Not a mighty oak, but a shrub. Not a force that comes with power, but something that grows to serve and offer shelter.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:31-33 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: In what ways have you seen God work in seemingly small ways, but the overall result provided you with tremendous comfort and protection? Write down at least two or three.
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Continue to embrace silence and listen for the whisper and heartbeat of God.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I bring my anxieties, fears, and thoughts of control to You. May I live this day with a determined focus to see the countless ways You are at work in my life and the lives of others around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Matthew 13:29-30 ‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
When reading the parable of the wheat and the weeds in English, there are a couple of things which get lost in translation. First, the specific type of weed in this parable looks like wheat until the heads appear. As such, by the time they’re recognized as weeds are they’re already rooted. If they were to be pulled out it the wheat would die as well.
Secondly, there’s a possibility of a play on words in this passage. The New Testament Jewish Commentary notes that the type of weed (zonin) is very similar to the word used for prostitute (zonah). As such, it’s plausible Jesus is making a very strong point in this parable. It would be as if He were saying, “People who look my followers and who sometime act as if they’re living in the Kingdom of God are actually going out and prostituting themselves. But in the end, God will sort everything out. Everything that causes evil will be removed from the Kingdom, but the righteous will shine brightly!”
QUESTION: This parable teaches that those in the Kingdom of God are free to grow and thrive without fear of the “weeds” (evil) around them. In what ways does it bring you comfort, knowing that God will identify and remove the “weeds” so that you can grow and live freely in the Kingdom of God?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Many seek power over others, but Jesus was powerful because of His service for others. Spend time in prayer seeking God’s will for how you can best serve others.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are days in which I think that it’s my job to identify what is evil and to do what I can to remove it from the world. Today’s reading is a reminder that I’m completely unqualified to identify everything that is evil – this is Your role. May I rest in this truth today. Amen.
Matthew 13:10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
Within the Gospel of Matthew Chapters 1-12, Jesus spoke openly and plainly to the crowds. It is only now in Chapter 13 that Jesus begins teaching in parables. While the reasons for this aren’t fully known, we know that many Rabbi’s used parables. Similarly, the people Jesus is teaching here in Matthew 13 were very familiar with farming, so Jesus uses this parable as a way to speak the language of the people.
What would’ve made this particular parable memorable is that the people also would’ve known that an average harvest would yield about 7.5-10 fold of what was planted. Yielding a harvest of 30 times what was planted would be a tremendously good harvest. A harvest of 100 times what was planted may have been a once in a lifetime occurrence.
The meaning of this parable is simple: As followers of Jesus, we are called to live sacrificial and loving lives. We live the gospel each and every day. Some we interact with may not be “good soil” and will not respond well. But as we continually live out gospel principles, the overall harvest will be immense.
READING & PRAYERS:
MATTHEW 13:1-23(also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: In what way may Jesus be inviting you to live a loving and sacrificial life today?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Continue to live your life at the pace of your soul. Slow down in order to catch up to the pace in which God created you to live.
Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are many days in which I doubt I’m having any kind of significant impact on the world. I feel as if the harvest I’m seeing is average at best. Today’s reading has reminded me that my role is to plant seeds – to live a loving a sacrificial life. Continue to help me reflect Your love, grace, and mercy upon the broken world around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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