Day 265, Year 1 The Anointed Leader … “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” (Matthew 23:10 NASB) The word “leader,” hathegetes in Greek, appears only in today’s verse in the New Testament. It means “a guide, a great master, or respected teacher,” and had been applied to several […]
Day 264, Year 1 Only One Father … “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9 NASB) It is possible that the Pharisees, etc., in New Testament times adopted the Old Testament prophetic tradition, referring to the teacher of disciples as their “father”
Day 263, Year 1 Prioritizing Your Relationship with the Lord “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.” (Matthew 23:8 NASB) In my opinion, believers should first settle our relationship with Jesus and other Christians for us to solve the problem of “being able to say but
Day 262, Year 1 Being Complimented, So What? … “And respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.” (Matthew 23:7 NASB) Greetings were a common practice among Israelites during biblical times. Unless there were urgencies, they would usually greet their acquaintances when they met, chat for a while, and then go
Day 261, Year 1 Do You Long for the Attention of Others? … “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues.” (Matthew 23:6 NASB) Those who enjoy boasting about their knowledge also seem to like being the center of attention in a crowd. As today’s verse indicates, they
Day 260, Year 1 What is the Use of Appearing Pious? “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.” (Matthew 23:5 NASB) To avoid being exposed, some religious people refuse to listen to God’s Word but put on a pious
Day 259, Year 1 Being Hypocritical is Actually Agonizing “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” (Matthew 23:4 NASB) What is the condition of those who “can say but cannot do …”? Actually, they carry a lot
Day 258, Year 1 Understanding Those Who Lay Heavy Burdens on You “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” (Matthew 23:4 NASB) Believers who have heard the teachings of the Bible may, at the initial stage of
Day 257, Year 1 The Righteousness Required to Enter God’s Kingdom Jesus said, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20 NASB) Jesus’ words above respond to the aforementioned scribes and Pharisees, etc., who could speak God’s
Day 256, Year 1 A Heart that Seeks the Truth Jesus said, “Do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” (Matthew 23:3b NASB) From Jesus’ perspective, believers who can practice their faith are more valuable than those who only speak without practice. Probably, among the crowd at
