Author: thegospelmailman@yahoo.com

Scripture: Matthew 7: 15-23

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’

Scripture Commentary:

False prophets were common in Old Testament times. They prophesied only what the king and the people wanted to hear, claiming it was God’s message. False teachers are just as common today.

We should evaluate teachers’ words by examining their lives. Just as trees are consistent in the kind of fruit they produce, good teachers consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral character as they attempt to live out the truths of Scripture.

Jesus exposed the people who sounded religious but had no personal relationship with Him. On “that day” (judgment day), only our relationship with Christ matters. Only our acceptance of Him and obedience to Him matters. In reality, faith in Christ is what will count at the judgment.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 7

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Who is Weak in Faith, and Who is Strong?

Spiritual Wealth

Scripture: Matthew 8: 1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds ^[a]followed Him. ² And a leper came up to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You are able to make me clean (well).” ³ Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one [about this]; but go, show yourself to the priest [for inspection] and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony (evidence) to them [of your healing].”

Scripture Commentary:

Leprosy – like AIDS when it was first diagnosed, and COVID 19 today – was a terrifying disease because there was no known cure. In Jesus’ day, the Greek word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar diseases. Some of them were contagious.

If a person contracted the contagious type, a priest declared him a leper and banished him from his home and city. The leper was sent to live in a community with other lepers until s/he either got better or died. Yet when the leper begged Jesus to heal him, Jesus reached out and touched him even though his skin was covered with the dreaded disease.

Sin, like leprosy, is also an incurable disease.

We all have it. Only Christ’s healing touch can miraculously take away our sins and restore us to real living. But first, just like the leper, we must realize our inability to cure ourselves and ask for Jesus’ saving help.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 8

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Recognize God’s Work in You

Don’t Be a Slave to Sin

Scripture: Matthew 15: 10-18

After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, “Listen and understand this: ¹¹ It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”

¹² Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; they are blind guides ^[b][leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.” ¹⁶ And He said, “Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. 

Scripture Commentary:

I will paraphrase this verse as follows: it’s what comes out of man’s mouth that defiles and dishonors him, not what goes in. It’s what you say and think that makes you unclean!

Jesus told His disciples to leave the Pharisees alone because they were blind to God’s truth just as many are today. Not all religious leaders clearly see God’s truth.

It is not enough to act religious.

Our worship means nothing when we claim to honor God while our hearts are far from Him. Our actions and our attitudes must be sincere. We work hard to keep our outward appearance attractive. But what is in our hearts is even more important. The way we are deep down in our heart and mind matters much to God.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 15

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Follow the Truth

You Are the Branch In Need of a Vine

Scripture: Matthew 13: 12-15

Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]

Scripture Commentary:

When speaking in parables, Jesus was not hiding truth from sincere seekers. Those who were receptive to spiritual truth understood the illustrations. To others they were only stories without meaning. This allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it while preventing His enemies from trapping Him.

Human ears hear many sounds but there is a deeper kind of listening that results in spiritual understanding.

If you honestly seek God’s will, you have spiritual hearing. And these parables give you new perspectives.

Don’t be discouraged if you do not always see results as you faithfully teach the Word. To those who are honestly searching, the truth becomes clear. Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God. It will help you grow spiritually and become closer to Him.

We are to make ourselves ready by making sure that our faith is sincere.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 13

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Do You Believe Christ is Raised From the Dead?

You Don’t Have to Be a Slave to Sin

Scripture: Matthew 21: 18-21

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Scripture Commentary: The fig tree is us.

As the fig tree wasn’t bearing fruit, so too are we if we are not living, talking and spreading the Word of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not share our religion, it has no substance.

Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination, so the church looks today in some cases. This is the case if the congregants are not there to worship God sincerely.

Faith must bear fruit.

If we only appear to have faith without putting it to work in our lives, we are like the tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. If we have faith, we can move mountains of lost sinners to the love of Jesus. This is what Jesus means by performing Christian love in His name.

What kinds of mountains do you face? As followers of Christ, God has given you authority. You can confidently speak and act on His behalf. He has authorized you. Are you exercising your authority?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 21

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

I Can Do All Things Through Christ

Don’t Live Like the Gentiles

Scripture: Matthew 24: 36-44

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f] but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Scripture Commentary:

It is good that no one knows exactly when Christ will return. If we knew the precise date, we might be tempted to be lazy in our work for Christ. Worse yet, we might plan to keep sinning and then turn to God right at the end.

Heaven is not our only goal; we have work to do here.

Christ’s second coming will be swift and sudden. There will be no opportunity for last minute repentance or bargaining. We must keep on being about our work until death. Or until we see the unmistakable return of our Savior.

Jesus’s purpose in telling about His return is not to stimulate predictions and calculations about the date but to warn us to be prepared. Will you be ready? As in Revelation 22: 20, He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 24

Revelation Chapter 22

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

The Lord is the Great Shepherd

Scripture: Matthew 6: 19-24

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

²² “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Scripture Commentary:

Storing treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but also is accomplished by acts of obedience to God. There is a sense that giving our money to God’s work is like investing in heaven. Our intention should be to fulfill God’s purpose in all we do, not what money does.

Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do. Also, it’s to see the world from His point of view. Self-serving desires, interests and goals block that vision.

A good eye is one that is fixed on God.

Jesus says we can only have one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend their lives collecting and storing it only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters.

Whatever you store up will occupy much of your time and energy. Can you honestly say that God, and not money, is your master? One test it to ask which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and effort. If you love Jesus Christ and go to heaven, why do you need money?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

God Can Hear Your Cry and Save You

Matthew 6: 22, 25

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. ²² “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁵

 Scripture Commentary: By worrying, we damage our health.

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. To worry about tomorrow is time wasted. Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. The object of our worry will consume our thoughts and will negatively effect the way we treat others. Essentially by worrying, we are saying that we don’t trust God.

Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God.

When we pray, “Give us today our daily bread,” we are acknowledging that God is our sustainer and provider. It is a misconception to think that we provide for our needs all by ourselves.

God has given us a gift; use it, starting now. God has cared for us all our life. He is not going to stop now.

What will you start doing for God now?

Stop the ill effects in your life. Change from worry to genuine concern. Worry immobilizes, concern moves you to action. Think of a good and merciful action you can take today. And do it!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

God Has Freely Given Us His Love

God Says, “Come to Me” If You’re Weary