Part Three

Matthew Continues

10:

7- So. The apostles are preaching of the coming kingdom. ...the kingdom I must be part of to go to heaven. So at this time, you could not be part of the kingdom.

21  I should expect persecution as a follower of Jesus

29 I should only fear what can kill my soul... not what harms or kills my body.

30-31...once again. Do not worry. 

32-33  IF we say we know Jesus to others, Jesus will say he knows us to God...or if we say we do not know him, he will not recognize to God.

34 ...Confusing passage. Jesus says he has come to bring the sword and not peace.   What Jesus had come to do, will drive people family and friends apart.... Following Jesus will stir hate and animosity... but oh, we should not worry...    To follow Jesus will reap a greater reward. Those who are supportive of followers of Jesus will be rewarded.

Summary of 10
*Dont worry
*Following Jesus will be excruciating. Expect hate. Expect spite. Expect death. 
*I should not worry about this, my goal and reward is greater.... So this path that is narrow and hard, Is my proving ground to be part of the kingdom?
.....quite a cheerful chapter.

Chapter 11

6  faith is brought up as important. Faith in Jesus... faith in what, that he will save me? That he is the son of God?  All of the above?
*Apparently those Jews were difficult to get along with.*
*Jesus just condemned his own Jewish brothers. Strong...biting words. Perhaps this is what he meant, by he came with a sword*
25-30 To know Jesus is to know God...to follow Jesus is to follow God.   Jesus will give rest to the souls who follow him. Serving him is easy....WAIT, hold on. I am to expect hate, paint, and death as a follower??? The path and gate to the kingdom is narrow, hard and few will make it. I know this from earlier passages.  What is this passage referencing to... that is easy. .... is Jesus's way to heaven, easier in comparison, to other ways? If so, what other ways? Is not the kingdom the only way?

Summary:
*Faith is imporatant... but once again, what does faith in Jesus really mean?
* Some hard to comprehend passages about following Jesus to be easy... up until now, I have come to not expect this... I will see where the rest of Matthew goes I suppose.

Chapter 12

1-14   Jesus does what he wants and when and no Pharisee has any right to accuse the Lord of the Sabbath.  Boom!

30-32  A bit No No, ...speaking against the spirit is unforgivable.

36-37... I shall be judged by my words. Every careless word I say will be noted and brought against me.... now that is hefty. A lot of weight is put on my tongue.

50- Any follower of Jesus is his family

Summary... none needed

Chapter 13

1-15  Jesus knows it is redundant to speak to the Jews. But he is anyway, to fullfill prophecy, know he is going to get nowhere with the Jews.

16-40 A lot of stories about seeds, fields, and harvest.  The followers of the kingdom are the good seed growing among weeds..sinners. When harvest/judgment comes, the angels will pluck the weeds and throw them aside/burn them...Hell.

44-45... the kingdom is a treasure once found.

-58 Jesus was not respected in his home town.

Summary..   The kingdom was a secret for sometime, that Jesus came to reveal to the jews even though he knows they do not "get it"  The kingdom is the only way to heaven

Chapter 14
31 Peters faith in Jesus was small and he began to sink in the water...literal and metaphorical

Summary-None

Chapter 15
10- 11 "Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, "Listen and understand.11 What goes into your mouth does not make you 'unclean.' It's what comes out of your mouth that makes you 'unclean.'"   Okay, so..... Our actions are important, how we conduct ourselves? 
16-20  Okay, okay, I get it now... It is what in our hearts, minds, and souls that will make us unclean. Not what we do physically that makes us unclean. But our mindset...  (this may also be more literal, and Jesus just saying, He does not care what we eat or how we eat. Because that is not going to affect our soul)


21-28 (26) Jesus just calls this woman a dog, to her face, as she is crying for his help. She gets on her knees and begs ... he then compliments her faith, and heals her daughter.      Now that is a lot to take in. I think of Jesus as a humble savant, healing the sick and lame, and just an all around great guy.  Here, he insults this crying woman, as she pleads for his help. Only to then, compliment her faith even still, after his harsh words. He then of course helps her.   Is that faith? Is that what faith is? When you know you need help, and there is only one person who can help you, you just forget yourself and just beg and plead regardless of what it takes, to get that help???   This just leads me to more questions....


Summary...  
*What our hearts cause us to do, is the determining factor for our spiritual cleanliness. 
* Once again. Faith.

Done for the night, Overall summary. OF the more important tones I picked up on.

*Jesus is preparing the Jews for the kingdom even though he knows they will not respond.
*Being part of the kingdom  will be difficult.
*Faith is an important part of being a follower of Jesus... Will it be faith, that helpes me as I struggle being part of the kingdom. This faith, is it what lets me know everything will be okay in the end. No matter what life may bring, my faith in Jesus is what will drive me? Maybe this is faith...