Matthew 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Max Lucado Daily: Do You Want to Be Well? - August 19, 2021

On one particular day Jesus was drawn to the pool of Bethesda. His eyes landed upon a man who “had been sick for thirty-eight years…[Jesus] asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’ ‘I can’t, sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me'” (John 5:5-7 NLT).

What an odd question to ask a sick person: Would you like to get well? To us Jesus asks, “Would you like to get well?” Or do you like being sick? Getting well means getting up, getting a job, and getting to work. Do you really want to be healed? That’s the question Jesus asked then. That’s the question Jesus asks all of us still.

Matthew 19

When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them.

3 One day the Pharisees were badgering him: “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

4-6 He answered, “Haven’t you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh—no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”

7 They shot back in rebuttal, “If that’s so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?”

8-9 Jesus said, “Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God’s original plan. I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.”

10 Jesus’ disciples objected, “If those are the terms of marriage, we haven’t got a chance. Why get married?”

11-12 But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.”
To Enter God’s Kingdom

13-15 One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left.

16 Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

18-19 The man asked, “What in particular?”

Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

20 The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

21 “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

23-24 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”

25 The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”

26 Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

27 Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?”

28-30 Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Thursday, August 19, 2021

Today's Scripture
Luke 22:14–23
(NIV)

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostlesy reclined at the table.z 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.a 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”b

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it,c and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenantd in my blood, which is poured out for you.a 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.e 22 The Son of Manf will go as it has been decreed.g But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

Insight

The Passover meal commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. A lamb is eaten with bitter herbs symbolizing the bitterness of slavery in Egypt, while unleavened bread symbolizes their hasty departure. Jesus, however, shockingly altered the Passover meal ceremony, indicating that this particular meal was a covenant-making one in which God’s covenant with humanity would be renewed through Jesus’ sacrificial death. In this way the Passover would find “fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16).

The transformation of the Passover meal’s significance occurs through Jesus’ decision to become the Passover lamb in order to deliver the world from sin, evil, and death. The fulfillment of the Passover is the messianic banquet (14:15–24) celebrating God’s deliverance of all creation. At Jesus’ second coming, this banquet will celebrate the complete fulfillment of this deliverance, though Christ’s victory is already won and celebrated now. By: Monica La Rose

Remember and Celebrate

[Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:19

On December 6, 1907, explosions rocked a small community in the US state of West Virginia, producing one of the worst disasters in the history of the coal-mining industry. Some 360 miners were killed, and it’s been estimated that this horrific tragedy left behind about 250 widows and 1,000 children without fathers. Historians maintain that the memorial service became the seedbed from which the celebration of Father’s Day in the US would eventually grow. Out of great loss came remembrance and—eventually—celebration.

The greatest tragedy in human history occurred when human beings crucified their Creator. Yet, that dark moment also produced both remembrance and celebration. The night before He would go to the cross, Jesus took the elements of Israel’s Passover and created His own memorial celebration. Luke’s record describes the scene this way: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’ ” (Luke 22:19).

Still today, whenever we take communion, we honor His great, unflinching love for us—remembering the cost of our rescue and celebrating the gift of life His sacrifice produced. As Charles Wesley said in his great hymn, “Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

How often do you find yourself just going through the motions when taking communion? What are some ways to keep your focus on the cross?

Father, when I come to the memorial table, help me to remember why my forgiveness was so costly, and help me to celebrate Your great, awesome love.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Self-Awareness
Come to Me… —Matthew 11:28

God intends for us to live a well-rounded life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside. Then we tend to fall back into self-examination, a habit that we thought was gone. Self-awareness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of our life in God, and self-awareness continually produces a sense of struggling and turmoil in our lives. Self-awareness is not sin, and it can be produced by nervous emotions or by suddenly being dropped into a totally new set of circumstances. Yet it is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs our rest in Him must be rectified at once, and it is not rectified by being ignored but only by coming to Jesus Christ. If we will come to Him, asking Him to produce Christ-awareness in us, He will always do it, until we fully learn to abide in Him.

Never allow anything that divides or destroys the oneness of your life with Christ to remain in your life without facing it. Beware of allowing the influence of your friends or your circumstances to divide your life. This only serves to sap your strength and slow your spiritual growth. Beware of anything that can split your oneness with Him, causing you to see yourself as separate from Him. Nothing is as important as staying right spiritually. And the only solution is a very simple one— “Come to Me….” The intellectual, moral, and spiritual depth of our reality as a person is tested and measured by these words. Yet in every detail of our lives where we are found not to be real, we would rather dispute the findings than come to Jesus.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.  The Highest Good, 544 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, August 19, 2021

Holding On Tight - #9029

Sometimes something happens in the news that just leaves images you just can't forget. For me, one of those is that massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. That was one of those. Those images of that inescapable wall of water consuming everything in its path! I mean, those are moments that are more than impressive. They're moving! Sometimes even the usually dispassionate reporters get caught up in a story like that.

I heard this one reporter telling, with some real emotion, about a scene she had witnessed in a survivors' shelter. It was a dad holding his three-year-old daughter. When the tsunami hit, he grabbed her in his arms. Those raging waters nearly pulled her out of his arms. He had to hold onto her, literally for dear life, and he saved her. And now, even though they had been safe in the shelter for two days, he was still clinging tightly to his little girl. He refused to let her go.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Holding On Tight."

That man loves that girl. He fought for her. He saved her, and he will not let her go.

Now, I'm a father, but I actually see myself in that little child with a Heavenly Father who has saved me from what would otherwise have carried me into an unthinkable eternity. In the words of the Bible, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). Here's how the Bible describes the unshakeable relationship God wants to have with all those who belong to Him; that He wants to have with you. It says, "The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs" (Zephaniah 3:17 - NLB).

See, God offers you a security that transcends even life's most devastating losses. There's the disturbing question to ask about everything and everyone that we depend on, "Is it something or someone I can lose?" If it is, then you can never have any real security, or any lasting peace. You never know when you'll lose what you've been hanging onto. But when you belong to Jesus, you're forever safe because He's hanging onto you! And He will not let you go.

In John 10:28, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus says, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish...No one can snatch them out of My Father's hand." See, God fought for your life. He gave everything to save you. From what? From the spiritual death penalty that we all deserve for taking the life that God gave us and doing our life our way instead of His way in thousands of choices we make over a lifetime. We have, in essence, said we believe in God but then we take over the running of our life, and that's called sin. And the Bible says, "The soul who sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:4). The tsunami of God's judgment was headed for me. Until the very God I have defied stepped in to save me by sending His one and only Son to die on a cross to pay the price for my sin. He did that for you too.

From the moment you tell Jesus you're giving yourself to Him as your Rescuer from your sin, God becomes your Father and you become His child. And He will never let go of you. He gave His Son to rescue you. He's not about to lose you now. The question is, are you sure there's been a time when you told Jesus, "You're my only hope. I'm Yours." If you're not sure; you want to be, make this the day you turn to Him. Talk to Him. You say, "Jesus, I'm Yours. You died for me. You walked out of Your grave so You could walk into my life, and I'm giving myself to You."

Then this is a good time for you to go to our website. It's kind of a crossroads website. Many people there have come away knowing they belong to Jesus. I want you to go there today. It's ANewStory.com. That's the website.

God has promised He'll hold on tight to the one He has saved. And I'll tell you, in the cascading waters of these uncertain times we're living in, it's really good to know that He's holding onto you.