Matthew 15:21-39 Dear RTB’ers, Jesus now leaves Capernaum, leaving Galilee altogether and travels to the northwest to Tyre and Sidon, coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea. There He meets a woman from that region who has a demon-possessed daughter. I love this story, both the attitude of this Canaanite woman and her response to Jesus’ …
Author Archives: Fred
February 9 / Matthew 15:1-20
Matthew 15:1-20 Dear RTB’ers, Scribes and Pharisees again…: Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem… (v. 1) It is reasonable to give the scribes and Pharisees a break once in a while. Yes, they always seem to be testing Jesus, but they had a valid reason – there often appeared a number of …
February 8 / Matthew 14:13-36
Matthew 14:13-36 Dear RTB’ers, Two incidents today, one for the crowd (Feeding the 5000) and one for the disciples (Walking on Water). The Feeding of the 5000 was more interesting to me when I watched it on The Chosen. There the crowd was compliant and the disciples were confused. But they all did what Jesus …
February 7 / Matthew 13:53-14:12
Matthew 13:53-14:12 Dear RTB’ers, Today, two very personal narratives from Jesus’ earthly life. First is His homecoming at Nazareth: And they took offense at Him. (v. 13:57a) The previous verses highlight the city’s knowledge of His family and His background. No doubt the Nazarenes had heard of the mighty works that Jesus had done throughout …
February 6 / Matthew 13:24-52
Matthew 13:24-52 Dear RTB’ers, Today, six more parables, all “kingdom of heaven” parables. I find three major conclusions in these six parables. First, in this world the good and the bad exist together (the wheat and the tares; the net of mixed fish). It is not our business to deal with the bad or judge …
February 5 / Matthew 13:1-23
Matthew 13:1-23 Dear RTB’ers, Today, the first of many parables in Matthew’s gospel. My Study Bible notes that Jesus spoke approximately 30 parables in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but none in John’s gospel. An AI response said that there were 23 in Matthew’s gospel alone, including seven in chapter 13, the first of which we …
February 4 / Matthew 12:22-50
Matthew 12:22-50 Dear RTB’ers, I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (vv. 36-37) I have heard these verses referred to as “tape-recorder verses”. When we come before God …
February 3 / Matthew 11:25-12:21
Matthew 11:25-12:21 Dear RTB’ers, Today, two Sabbath issues – the disciples plucking grain and Jesus healing. In both cases Jesus answers His critics, in the first with citations from the Old Testament and in the second with a common sense response. It is interesting to me that Jesus did not quote Scripture in the second …
February 2 / Matthew 11:1-24
Matthew 11:1-24 Dear RTB’ers, Matthew spends 19 of our 24 verses today with Jesus relating to John the Baptist. I often wonder how much interaction those two cousins had with each other while they were growing up. Very likely they met regularly when they were younger when their families went to Jerusalem for regularly-scheduled (triannual) …
February 1 / Matthew 10:24-42
Matthew 10:24-42 Dear RTB’ers, It’s February! Already…? I’m thankful to say goodbye to January. We’ve been in one of the worst cold, snow conditions that I can remember in the past many years. Praying for a better February and an early Spring!! Anxiety. It’s not only in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks …