Day 69 ~ multitudes and miracles

Matthew - Jesus answers his proponents questions with questions. Many times it is mentioned that Jesus was surrounded by multitudes, and healing multitudes. Just try to imagine this scene over and over and how you might handle it. Jesus did take some time alone to recharge when he could. It's hard to give my thoughts in this fast moving full to over flowing content without just giving you an outline of the book, but here we go.
Chapter 12 -

• 12:7 - as we've seen many times in the Old Testament, God desires mercy, not sacrifice
• :16 - this is at least the third time Jesus has told someone not to tell what He has done for them
• :25 - a house divided cannot stand
• :31-32 - blasphemy of the Spirit is not forgiveable
• :34b - the mouth speaks what is in the heart.
• :38 - sometimes it is quite clear that these people are Jews by their hard-headedness - how many signs do they need?
• :40 - the answer to the sign that they need - Jesus, like Jonah who was 3 days in the belly of the whale, will be 3 days in the heart of the earth (he gives this as an answer a bit later in Matthew as well)
• :50 - whomever does the will of the Father in heaven are brothers and sisters with Christ

Chapter 13 - many parables - sower and the seeds, tares and the wheat, the mustard seed. Nazrareth rejects him as prophesied.

• :55 - the actual brothers of Christ are named - James, Joseph, Simon (not Simon Peter), Judas (not Iscariot) and unnamed sisters

Chapter 14 - John the Baptist loses his head, literally. Jesus feeds multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fishes and walks on water with Peter.

Chapter 15 - Pharisees go out to meet Jesus from Jerusalem - they were becoming focused against Jesus. But they make a pretty weak argument about washing hands in verse 2.

• :24 - Jesus says He was sent only to the Jews (the lost sheep of the house of Israel). Remember in the beginning of Matthew when the disciples are sent out specifically to the Jews first?
• Disciples are sometimes thick-skulled - 15:12 they ask Jesus if he knows that he made the Pharisees mad. 15:33 - where will we get food? Did they forget about the feeding of the multitudes with only 5 loaves and 2 fish?

Chapter 16 - Pharisees are now joined by the Saducees - well at least they can get along when they have a common goal - getting rid of Jesus.

• :15 - who do you say that I am?
• :18 - Peter is the rock on which the church will be built. The Catholics consider him the first priest, I think based on this.
• :20 - again, tell no one that I am the Christ
• :23 - a short 5 verses after the spirit-supplied answer of "you are the Christ, the son of the Living God" is given by Peter, Peter is rebuked by Christ for his doubt with "get behind me Satan"
• :24-27 - deny, take up your cross, save your life by losing it

Chapter 17 - transfiguration

• :11-12 - Jesus states that Elijah, who appears with Moses at the transfiguration with the "inner circle" of disciples and Christ, had come again through John the Baptist.
• :17 - Jesus is frustrated with the disciples lack of faith to cast out demons. There is a parenthetical verse 21 (why?) that says this kind of miracle required prayer and fasting.

Chapter 18 - become like little children - humble / don't be a stumbling block / keys to conflict resolution / forgiveness examples with the master and servant

Chapter 19 - Divorce discussed

:12 - what is a Eunuch from his mother's womb? A hermaphrodite?

:13 - let the children come to me - did the disciples not listen in chapter 18?

:23 - hard for rich man to get to heaven

:26 - with God, all things are possible

Chapter 20 - the first will be last the last will be first - the parable of the Vineyard owner is a tough nut to crack - I don't really get it.

• :18 - Jesus tells the disciples exactly what is going to happen - my guess is that they don't get it or don't believe it, or they think he's talking in a parable they don't understand. He will be delivered to the chief priests, die and raise again.
• :22 the sons of Zebedee's mom is vying for position in heaven - pretty tasteless.

Chapter 21 - Jesus is procurred a donkey to ride. He overturns the money changers tables in the temple. He "calls a spade a spade" and leaves no question about how he views the Pharisees and the chief priests, and they receive his message (vs. 45)