- Have a teachable heart
- What type of ground are you?
- Self-examination
- Walk in the right understanding
- Plant kingdom seeds
- Evaluate the company you keep
- Judge not the background of others
- Value your Salvation
Matthew Chapter 12
- Honor the Sabbath
- Be 100
- Mercy is greater than Ritual
- Sabbath is a stamp for His Godship
- Love Jesus over family
- Your mouth utters your heart
- Your fruit tells who you serve
- Believe without seeing a sign
- The Holy Ghost casts out devils only
- Saint’s don’t blaspheme the Holy Ghost
Matthew Chapter 11
- Be aware
- Abide in Jesus always
- No respect of people
- Humility of mind
- Repentance
- Rest in God
- Remember your yoke
- Don’t doubt God’s will
Matthew Chapter 10
Jesus has demonstrated mighty miracles before His disciples, mentoring them so to speak on how to do miracles. Now He sends them out to do just what they saw Him doing. They go from apprentices (disciples) to sent ones (apostles).
Jesus Sends Out His Twelve Apostles
At the end of chapter 9, Jesus was admonishing His disciples to pray for more labours to reap the harvest. Jesus was now sending His disciples out to reap. Jesus imparts to the 12 power and authority to cast out demons and heal every sickness and disease, commissioning them to demonstrate the power of God and preach the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus Warns His Apostles of Persecution
If we share in Jesus power and victory, we should be aware that there is persecution and trial, for we share in His sufferings as well.
Though this is true, Jesus is forearming us with the hope that when we are delivered up into the hands of the wicked, we don’t have to defend ourselves, but allow the, “Spirit of [our] Father,” to speak in us instead (10:20).
Summary
- Trust in Jesus
- Be serious about your walk
- Walk in authority
- Endurance
- Walk in confidence
- Don’t validate your weakness
- Humility
- Walk worthy of the call
Matthew Chapter 9
After healing the demonized men from chapter 8 and being thrust from the country of the Gergesenes by the towns people, Jesus got back in a boat and came to His home town. Jesus continues His healing spree, and many are astonished.
Forgiveness & Healing
A paraplegic man was brought to Jesus on a bed by people who had great faith to see him healed. Jesus first said to the man that His sins were forgiven, and some religious scholars who were present thought to themselves that He was committing blasphemy. Yet Jesus was given a word of knowledge about their thoughts and proclaimed before them that He as the Son of Man had authority to forgive sins and to heal. Its more convincing to see someone healed of a sickness than to see them forgiven of their sins. So as a confirmation to His authority to forgive sins, Jesus performs an undeniable miracle in their presence.
Jesus Calls Matthew to Follow Him
Matthew, the one who bears the name of this Gospel, is called from his tax-collecting booth to follow Jesus. He immediately, without question, does just that! Later Jesus shares a meal with Matthew in his own home, and many outcasts of the then known society were invited. Enter the Religious Pharisees with a word of rebuke about dining with sinners. Enter Jesus with a word of wisdom about how showing mercy towards others trumps being meticulous about maintaining religious piety and ritualism.
Jesus Brings a New Reality
Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom when the disciples of John the Baptist ask Him why His disciples don’t fast. To everything there is a time and season. He goes on to speak many parables about how mixing the old with the new brings bad results.
Jesus Heals and Raises the Dead
Suddenly as He’s talking, a certain ruler comes in, lamenting about his daughter having just died! This man has such great faith that He tells Jesus to simply lay His hands on her so that she can live again! While Jesus was going to wake the dead, a woman who was suffering from an issue of bleeding was healed by her faith by only touching the edge of His garment! Faith is the root of every miracle, and faith is the theme of what this chapter is trying to drive home in our hearts.
Jesus Opens Blind Eyes
After bringing the dead back to life, Jesus is met by two blind men who have faith to believe they can see again. Jesus touches their eyes saying, “According to your faith be it unto you.”
Jesus Heals the Mute
While the restored blind men were leaving, a man who was demonized with a mute spirit was brought to Jesus. Jesus simply cast the demon out and the mute person could speak!
Sadly, the Religious Pharisees attributed these wonderful miraculous healings to the work of demons!
Workers for the Harvest
Jesus went to all the cities and villages, teaching and preaching the good news of the Kingdom and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom by healing every sickness and disease among the multitudes. But to Jesus, all the people were as sheep without a shepherd. There is a harvest of souls, but so few dedicated people to take the time to minister to them. Pray that more labours come to reap the harvest.
Summary
- Be direct when addressing sin
- Be true; Make sure your thoughts aline with your heart
- Faith is the root of healing
- Be ready to follow Jesus
- Being merciful is greater than being pious (religious pride)
- True healing comes from Jesus
- Are you scattered without a shepherd
- Pray that the heart of a labour be opened
- Teach and believe that healing is possible