Day 261 (Year 2) 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 262 (Year 2) 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 263 (Year 2) 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 264 (Year 2) 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 265 (Year 2) 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 the 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
Day 266 (Year 2) The Greatest Servant “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11 NASB) Having understood the supremacy of the Lord Jesus and the dignity of His followers, the disciples are no longer afraid to be servants in our community. The whole Bible indicates that God’s people are industrious, while
Day 267 (Year 2) Humbling Yourself “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12 NASB) “Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?” (2 Corinthians 11:7 NKJV) Believers who have received great
Day 268 (Year 2) Can Hypocrites Possess Knowledge? “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.” (Luke 11:52 NASB) In the Gospel of Luke, several verses are similar to those in Matthew 23, but their points also slightly
Day 269 (Year 2) Gate Blockers of the Kingdom of Heaven “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13 NKJV) This was the first woe Jesus
Day 270 (Year 2) Handling the Hindrances Others Pose to Your Faith … “For you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13b NKJV) At the gate of the kingdom of heaven, believers may encounter some people who do not enter but prevent others from entering.
