From Matthew 25: The Point of the Parables

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (v. 46)

The parable-pictures of Matthew 25 can be variously applied. You can draw out from them lessons of faithful purity, of eschatological anticipation, of stewardship, and of compassion. Unsurprisingly, Jesus’ words are rich.

Just don’t miss the point.

Each of these parables—the virgins’ lamps and the servants’ talents and the King’s goats—is about judgment.

Knowing all that He has entrusted to you, and knowing that His return is sure, what did you do? Because when He comes—come quickly, Lord!—He will judge us all.

A life of genuine faith takes that seriously. A redeemed life is a life that serves Jesus with readiness. If your life has been truly transformed by His grace-gift—and if you are truly walking in repentance—you will anticipate, manage, and love with the end in mind.

These parables are a rubric for life until He comes. Let’s apply them rightly.

— Tyler

From Matthew 24: He Has Told Us

“Take note: I have told you in advance.” (v. 25)

The promise of His return.

The reality of judgment.

The likelihood of deceivers and deceptions, of enemies to the cross, and of persecution.

The temptation to love sin and its things more than your Savior.

The expectation that Jesus’ people will remain vigilant in purity and diligent to the Gospel mission.

The certainty of His Word, as all this comes to pass.

Take note: He has told us all these things in advance.

How is it shaping your life?

— Tyler

From Matthew 23: Woe to You (and You and You)

“In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (v. 28)

It’s tempting to read the woes and think, “Wow, those guys and their religion were really messed up.”

And, yeah, they were. Jesus’ sharp preaching was needed—especially within a religious tradition that kept trading the point for empty practices.

Just don’t forget that the miracle of inspiration—the gift of these Scriptures, remembered by eyewitnesses and inspired by the Holy Spirit—is that it comes to you, living and active and purposed.

This means our religious lives ought to be scrutinized under Christ, too.

So ask the hard questions:

Am I a worshiper, or a rule-keeper?

Do I care more about the shape of my church than the shape of my heart?

Am I more invested in maintaining preferences than I am in compassion?

Is my heart open in repentance, or do I keep my sin behind closed doors, so that I can fake it on Sunday one more time?

Am I giving my neighbor a Gospel of grace, or am I just hoping they’ll sign up for church life on my terms?

The reality of the inside of your cup cannot be ignored. Most of us have highly polished outsides—but the Jesus life is about the inside alongside.

Let the woes hit you there, and give fresh thought to your religion.

— Tyler

From Matthew 22: Confusion’s Answer

“Jesus answered them, ‘You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.’” (v. 29)

A tough question comes up. It’s about life and obedience and what it all might mean in heaven. And, honestly, it’s a trap: Can we catch Jesus in heresy or error or liberalism?

The Lord, of course, answers the challenge deftly.

But don’t miss the preamble to His teaching:

“You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

Every confusion comes from everywhere else. All our mistaken beliefs come from all the other voices. When opinion and interpretation and populism drive the doctrine bus, doctrine departs its intended route.

We find ourselves—and Jesus finds us—mistaken when we don’t know, don’t cling to, and don’t wholly depend upon the Scriptures. The problem is compounded when we also miss the power of God, as His Spirit brings the Word to life—and as He gives life through its promises. If we don’t know the Bible, we don’t know truth and we don’t know God.

You and I don’t have to live confused. Our doctrine doesn’t have to be vague or contradictory or wishy-washy. We don’t have to stay mistaken.

Know the Scriptures. Know Him. And know a life that is settled by truth.

— Tyler

From Matthew 21: Your Hosanna

“Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (v. 9)

So Jesus rides into town.

He’s the Son of David. A king. He’s riding a donkey, coming gently—a peacemaking king, not a conquistador. Jesus arrives as the fulfillment of believing expectation, as hope in the flesh, and as the only Worthy One.

It was so on that day in Jerusalem. It is so still, in your own heart, as you read and as you worship.

Will you spread your heart’s cloak before Him?

Will you line His paths with the fronds of your worship?

Will you sing and will you shout, for faith made sight?

And will you do it all publicly, as part of the worshiping body, so that all who see Him alongside you will know His worth?

Add your hosanna to the world. Lay down your own life—even your own dignity—to lift up His praise. Worship and proclaim in such a way that no one around you is confused about who He is…and whose you are.

— Tyler

From Matthew 20: Comparison and Compensation

“‘Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’” (v. 15)

An important Kingdom principle:

You need to be less concerned about what your brother has, what your brother gets.

Comparison will wreck your gratitude. If you spend your life wondering why someone else gets the bigger paycheck or the nicer house or the fuller church, you’ll miss the point, because you both have Jesus—which means you both have everything!

The Lord, in His goodness, has not failed to provide precisely what He promised. You, whether you’ve known Him your whole life or only came to Him at the end, have the freely given grace-gift of forgiveness. You have a new heart in the Spirit. And you have heaven! Same as every brother and sister, you have all the Master’s goodness, paid into your account.

So stop comparing all the other stuff! Some will have more. Some will have less, on the earth. And some will ride the waves. But none of that changes the Gospel’s bottom line—nor does any of that last.

Be less concerned about what your brother gets. Instead, be grateful for the gift, as it comes to everyone without prejudice.

— Tyler

From Matthew 19: The Not-Marrying World

“His disciples said to him, ‘If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.’” (v. 10)

When you find a Scripture that so much of the world is readily living up to, it’s worth paying attention.

Short version: Jesus teaches that marriage, under heaven, is designed to be indivisible. Man is made for woman. A man is made for a woman. The union of their flesh equals a oneness that ought to endure. A husband cannot leverage Moses’ instruction on a whim, legally divorcing for any reason. He, under God, is inextricably enmeshed with the wife he ought to honor and cherish and uphold. Instead of divorcing, save for very few causes, he ought to die to self.

And the disciples say, “If that’s what marriage is, maybe we shouldn’t.”

That’s what our world has concluded. The selflessness of marriage—the total commitment to purity and provision and protection, with the other and for the other—is anathema. Our neighbors don’t reject marriage because they don’t like marital things. They reject it because everything is subject to their supremacy first. Anything that asks him to love her like Christ loves the church—upholding her and shielding her and dying for her—doesn’t fit in a selfish age.

You see this verse everywhere.

Pray, repent, and love—so that it won’t be seen in your home.

— Tyler

From Matthew 18: A Promise in Context

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” (v. 20)

You and I have definitely quoted this one before. It was probably in the context of church, or maybe a small group or a Bible study, or perhaps even a Jesus-rooted meal with friends.

But we have definitely quoted it:

“Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them.”

It’s a precious truth. Worth quoting.

Just don’t miss the context:

Jesus isn’t merely promising to be with us, by the Spirit, when we are doing churchy Christian things. He is promising to be with us in the hard conversations. To be with us when we address sin, as brothers and sisters. To be with us when we seek restoration on the other side of repentance. To be with us when, contrary to every fleshly impulse, we have to forgive as we have been forgiven.

Jesus promises to be with us when two or three of us step into the steep callings of Matthew 18.

Will you trust Him, then? Will you follow His Word into brave conversations—into humility and grace—and meet Him there in the moment? Will you treasure His presence in the church’s serious callings?

He made the promise. And we have clung to it.

Let’s be sure to apply it in context.

— Tyler

From Matthew 17: The Voice from Heaven

“While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!’” (v. 5)

In an unexpected way, this verse summarizes the reality of the Bible, the Word of God.

Try it this way:

The Voice from heaven points to Jesus.

There’s a lot of religion in the Transfiguration episode. Jesus is revealed in holy power. The two great Old Testament prophets—Moses and Elijah—show up. Peter wants to build shelters, evoking the Festival of Booths and the commemoration of God’s presence among Israel. It’s a religiously rich moment.

Yet through all of the history and all of the religion and all of the wonder, the Voice comes from heaven, the Father thundering so that His people would hear and know…

…and He points to Jesus.

“Listen to Him!”

This has always been and will always be the point of God’s speech. Every word He has given has ultimately been to single Jesus out. The Law looked forward to its satisfaction. The Prophets anticipated fulfillment. The gospels will look back to make it all abundantly clear. The message from heaven is, “Look for and listen to and live in Jesus!”

May you hear that same voice as you abide in the Word.

— Tyler

From Matthew 16: Church Quintessentials

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (v. 18)

A few quintessential insights about the life of the church.

(From Jesus. So pay attention.)

First, it is built upon the confession of faith—specifically faith in Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God. Peter’s “I get it now” confession sets our tone. The answer to the only irreducible question of faith—Who do you say Jesus is?—is the church’s first matter.

Second, it is Jesus who builds the church. Faith is a gift. The Father draws whom He wills. The Spirit convicts men to repentance and confession. Jesus is the one doing the building—so don’t get confused, chasing church growth trends with clever marketing. Simply stay faithful to Jesus’ invitation.

Finally, the church is meant to crash into hell’s territory. Gates aren’t an offensive weapon. If the church is designed to overcome hell’s gates, then, it has to bump up against them. In other words, the church Jesus builds isn’t a fortress for the enemy to assault. It’s a force that puts the enemy to flight.

Church, are we living up to the essentials?

— Tyler

From Matthew 15: The Performance Trap

“‘Do you still lack understanding?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.’” (vv. 15-20)

Here is the key to religion under Christ:

It’s less performance, more purity.

There will always be religious practices in the church. Any time a people covenant together as a body, under Christ, that body will determine some boundaries. There are some things we will do, because we believe. And there are some things we won’t do, for the same reason.

The religious church will always have some traditions, practices, and boundaries.

The key for the Christian, though, is that those practices aren’t the point. They aren’t the thing we do that pleases God and satisfies the Scriptures. Religious performance isn’t our yardstick.

Purity is.

Jesus is much more concerned with your repentance than your rule-keeping. Matters of the heart are what matters most in the saved life. You can be perfectly churchy…yet miss purity.

Are you keeping the rules of confession and repentance? Are you chasing holiness? Do your heart and your thoughts and your words reflect a Jesus-rooted religion?

Don’t fall into the performance trap. Repent, and aim for purity instead.

— Tyler

From Matthew 14: Where Peter’s Eyes Go

“But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (v. 30)

Our problem is, we’ve got eyes that go where Peter’s went.

We look at our health.

We look at our responsibilities.

We look at our budgets and our debts and our earning potential.

We look up from the bottom of the pits we dug in sin. We see our relationships strained and our children flailing and our spouses distant.

We stand at the foot of the steep mountain of calling, unwilling to move, for weakness.

All we see is the strength of the waves.

And when your eyes go there, like Peter, you sink.

So get your eyes on Jesus! Read, and remember His faithfulness. Pray first about Him—to Him, in worship and in trust—before you consider the rest of your list. Stop being too busy for life together in Christian community, where we grow together as Jesus’ body, manifest on the earth.

Get your eyes off of the waves and onto Him!

— Tyler

From Matthew 13: Soils

“So listen to the parable of the sower….” (v. 18)

The Parable of the Sower stands among the better-known teachings of Jesus. Not just because it is richly illustrative, but because the Lord actually explains it, which is a real gift to all who seek to follow Him.

Now, you have probably already had an encounter with one interpreting lens here, and it probably sounded like this: “Which kind of soil are you?” Maybe you are starved without root or choked by worries—or maybe you are tilled with repentance and ready for growth—which means it is easy to see yourself in the picture.

I’d like to encourage you with another angle:

Don’t forget, as you pour yourself into service and pour your heart out in evangelism, that everyone else is every kind of soil, too. What’s more, you don’t really get to know which, and you certainly aren’t in control of it.

That means your Gospel-giving life will meet every kind of result. You will sow the Word alongside the Lord, and it will be everything from snatched to withered to choked to flourishing. And—don’t miss it—it’s three out of four soils that prove unproductive! That means this work will be spiritually, emotionally, and relationally hard.

But sow! There is good soil out there, by grace. Let those who have ears, hear.

— Tyler

From Matthew 12: Comforted and Compelled by Hope

“The nations will put their hope in his name.” (v. 21)

This is the promise—out of Isaiah, through Matthew, about Jesus—that comforts us and compels us:

Jesus is hope for the nations.

All of them.

And, what’s better, some of all of them will indeed trust Him. Every nation and tribe and tongue is anticipated around God’s throne, in worship, forever.

Such is the comfort: Almost without exception, you and I are receiving this Gospel as the nations. American familiarity is not the same thing as Abraham’s biological family. This Good News had to flow from Israel to us by grace. The promise of nations trusting Him is the promise I am living into.

And such is the compulsion: There are literally thousands of people groups who have yet to hear of Jesus, and, without hearing, have not trusted Him by faith. Their hope is in a Gospel that yet needs to go to them. So we are compelled! We have heard, believed, and found hope. Now we go, so that they might, too.

Jesus is the hope of the nations. All of them. Let that comfort you. Let that compel you.

— Tyler

From Matthew 11: Counterintuitive

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (vv. 28-30)

Have you ever had to learn something that is counterintuitive?

Whatever you thought was right…isn’t. The way forward proves to be the opposite of your expectations. Like a GPS that reroutes you from the predictable path, instruction moves you out of the pattern—on the road to your purpose.

Jesus’ way is like that.

He promises rest—such a gift!—but it’s not the kind of rest you might expect. It’s not a “lounge in church until you get a cloud and a harp in heaven” kind of rest. That’s lazy, both here and there. The rest He gives is the rest of security, of hope, and of the grace that frees you from works and self-justification.

And…

…that rest comes with a yoke and a burden.

(Say what?!)

Yes, the Jesus Way means being yokes like an ox, means carrying something. You are yoked to Him—which means you go as He goes and go as He sends, ultimately following Him and His purposes. You are carrying something—bot the weight of your guilt and shame and ineffectual offerings, but a cross, as you die to self and live for Him. This is not a nothing calling. Rest has a yoke and a burden!

But…

…it is so much lighter.

It is borne of mercy. It frees and it saves. And it carries you home.

That’s counterintuitive!

— Tyler

From Matthew 10: The Answer to the Prayer

“Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions….” (v. 5)

Remember that prayer?

The one where we added our hearts to Jesus’s passion, where we prayed over a ripe harvest, and where we prayed for the Lord to send His workers into it?

Guess who is the answer to the prayer:

Disciples.

In history, it was these Twelve, chosen of Christ to be His first learners and ambassadors. They were given a specialized ministry with especial spiritual power. And—don’t miss this—they were totally dependent upon the grace of God.

I know it’s easy to think that all of that was only for them way back when. But let’s get real:

Their calling—their role in answering the harvest-worker prayer—is our calling, too. It foreshadows our own disciple-lives. This is for us!

A disciple is sent. A disciple brings Good News. A disciple depends on God’s provision. A disciple proclaims, hopes for peace, and keeps moving if peace isn’t found. A disciple meets people, hears needs, and ministers with prayer and practice. A disciple goes—even if conflict, adversity, and accusation are all assured.

You and I are the answer to the prayer of Matthew 9. Matthew 10 is simply the handbook.

So…will you go?

— Tyler

From Matthew 9: What Jesus Sees

“When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.’” (vv. 36-38)

It can be hard to see the world with a sheep’s eye view. We have to learn to see what Jesus sees.

When Jesus looks upon the people—the crowds, the masses, from whichever background in whichever place—He sees sheep without a shepherd. He sees wanderers. He sees creatures who are likely to find themselves in any number of straying fixes.

Ultimately, He sees His beloved, who need the Shepherd’s voice to call them back and call them home.

You and I, as sheep, have been on that side of His eyes before.

Here, He invites you to see with Him.

Will you see that there are yet so many more wanderers? Will you see the harvest teeming? Will you see the incalculable number of those waiting to be called home, by His grace?

And, if you will, will you also pray for the harvest home-calling work to go forward?

If so, keep reading. You’re going to love Jesus’ solution for the sheep in our midst.

— Tyler

From Matthew 8: Storms

“He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (v. 26)

You are already familiar with life’s storms. Not all of them, for you are bound to know storms you’ll never see coming. But you’ve seen some, for sure.

My guess is that you’re like me:

You’re desperate for Jesus to calm the storm, especially when you’re in the middle of it.

The good news is, yes, He can. The better news is, sometimes, He does. It’s a keen grace.

Yet the actual truth that anchors us—our ballast in the storms of life—is not the fact that Jesus can and sometimes does calm things down.

The good news is that He is with us.

You are in the boat with the Sovereign. You are in the boat with the One whose words rescue. You are in the boat with the One whose purposes do not fail—which means you are with the One who secures you, even when the storms aren’t stilled.

It’s why Jesus turned this moment into a lesson of faith, not power. When He is with you, the circumstances are back-seated by trust. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pray for His mercy. It means, ultimately, that you are secured by it already.

Have faith, even while the waves rise.

— Tyler

From Matthew 7: Genuine Gratitude

“Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” (vv. 9-11)

Are you genuinely thankful?

There’s an easy way to tell:

If your gratitude only covers the things you knew you wanted—if you are only grateful so long as what you’ve got is what you craved—you may be missing the point. We aren’t urged to gratitude only when the getting is good. It’s a question worth asking, then, if you only ever offer thanksgiving for the stuff God gave off your wish list.

Genuine thanksgiving is gratitude for what He had given, period. It’s the gratitude that harmonizes two fundamental truths: your undeservedness and the Father’s wisdom. Everything you’ve got is gift, pure and simple. And we have to presume that what He’s given is given wisely—for He knows our needs, our wants, and our ability to manage it (or not).

Maybe you asked for more money, but He only gave you enough.

Maybe you wanted nicer things in cozier places, but you’ve been given real life, not reality TV.

Maybe you wanted sweet kids and harmonious relationships, but you’ve been given ministries all around the table.

Will you yet be thankful? Will you trust that He knows what to give—to you, for His glory?

Because that’s genuine gratitude.

— Tyler

From Matthew 6: Forgiven to Forgive

“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (vv. 14-15)

Maybe you found that alarming. Jesus teaches—explicitly, unequivocally—that you might not be forgiven. And His rubric is simultaneously simple and daunting.

Do you claim a forgiven identity in Christ? Then you must also be a forgiver.

This is what it means to be conformed to His likeness, which is a sanctifying gift of grace, given through the Holy Spirit. If the Gospel—if faith—saves us so that we’ll look like Him, then it must save us to forgive. You can’t plead for His mercy while denying them yours. Your taste of His grace will compel you to set your own tables with grace, too.

Which means it’s time for some challenging introspection.

Who do you need to forgive?

Who do you need to welcome home?

Who do you need to release—from your anger, from what they owe, or from the purgatory of radio silence?

Whatever they did to you, know that your own transgressions against Holy God are far worse and far more. The magnitude of His mercy for you ought to stun you. And, knowing it, it ought to open your heart to mercy for them.

Begin with a prayerful, personal forgiveness, for them in your heart. Then, so far as it is safe and legal, welcome them back to your table. Tell of mercy—yours, and His.

— Tyler