Reply To: Week 6 – Matthew

[Victor Usher]

<p style=”text-align: center;”>I thought it was amazing when Jesus had told Peter in Matthew 17:27 to throw in a line and the first fish he catches will have a coin in it’s mouth. That’s so cool. I looked at it like putting the words/scenario right out into existence. Matthew 18:4 had caught my attention on humility. I felt like when I read Matthew 18:7, “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting,” it brought a remembrance of my past. The parable of the unforgiving debtor is so raw that it’s convicting. At the end of the chapter the last verse, “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart,” hits home. It says, “…from the heart.” Matthew 18:23 states, “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to…” in Matthew 20:1 it states, “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like…” in Matthew 22:2 it says “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated…”and lastly in Matthew 25:14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by…” I notice how Jesus’ explanations of comparisons of the Kingdom was to try and help his disciples to understand. Matthew 23 was an eye opening of a convicting chapter.  Matthew 26:25 got my attention as in the way Jesus replied when Judas asked, “Rabbi am I the one?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” That’s a trip of a reply. Like, it sounds to me in a way that I don’t know where I’d stand with him. It’s crazy how Pilate saw through the envy of the religious leaders and as he washed his hands being innocent of Jesus’ blood, I was astounded as to how the people just stated, while yelling back, Matthew 27:25: “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”> That’s cray!</p>