Jonah 1-2 Dear RTB’ers, Jonah! We leave Matthew for a couple of weeks while we cover six of the twelve “Minor Prophets”, Jonah being the first of these. Jonah is a story with which we are all familiar. It’s a standard in children’s Bible story books – and yes, it also has theological and historical …
Author Archives: Fred
January 14 / Matthew 7:13-29
Matthew 7:13-29 Dear RTB’ers, Much of Scripture is deeply personal for me, as it should be (ideally) for anyone reading these Spirit-inspired words. Today there are two items that touch me every time I read them. Surprisingly, the first has a negative connotation: Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom …
January 13 / Matthew 7:1-12
Matthew 7:1-12 Dear RTB’ers, Judging (…don’t) and asking (…do). So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (v. 12) Also known as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Now you know where that came from …
January 12 / Matthew 6:19-34
Matthew 6:19-34 Dear RTB’ers, Wealth and anxiety. Two separate topics? Or two topics closely tied together…? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (v. 31) It takes wealth (income) for us to buy our food and drink and clothing – and housing, …
January 11 / Matthew 6:1-18
Matthew 6:1-18 Dear RTB’ers, Giving, praying, fasting. Yesterday we saw five sets of “You have heard…But…” teachings from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”. Today we have three more pairings, “…they have their reward in full … But… your Father … will reward you.” (vv. 6:2,4; 5,6; 16,18) We have only a few sentences each about …
January 10 / Matthew 5:17-48
Matthew 5:17-48 Dear RTB’ers, “…you have heard that it was said… But…” (Mt. 5:21,27,33,38,43). With each of these phrases Jesus offers a teaching that takes the Law (a commandment) to a new level, replacing the original with a higher standard reflecting a heart attitude different from a physical activity. Although Jesus has a rejoinder for …
January 9 / Matthew 5:1-16
Matthew 5:1-16 Dear RTB’ers, Better than your reading my post…, write your own: Am I poor in spirit…? (v. 3) Am I among those who mourn…? (v. 4) Am I meek…? (v. 5) Etc. Blessings! See also: March 4 (2019) / Matt. 5:1-12.
January 8 / Matthew 4
Matthew 4 Dear RTB’ers, Today’s reading covers Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, His “settling” in Capernaum, and His calling His first disciples. But what struck me was the few verses after these incidents: And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching … and proclaiming the gospel … and healing every disease and every affliction … and …
January 7 / Matthew 3
Matthew 3 Dear RTB’ers, John and I posted comments and readers added their own comments when we read through the gospels in 2019, 2021, and 2023. I don’t look at those comments in advance, so anything that I post now could very well duplicate what John or I said in years past. There’s no problem …
January 6 / Matthew 2
Matthew 2 Dear RTB’ers, “…in a dream…” We see this phrase five times in Matthew’s first two chapters (Mt. 1:20; 2:12,13,19,22). Dreams appear to be God’s choice in speaking to Joseph; recall that He had sent an angel to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds (Mt. 1:11-20,26-38; 2:9-15). Have any of you had God speak directly …