Scripture text for Monday, March 22nd, 2010: Matthew 5:1-6:4

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This passage is known as the Beatitudes from the Latin for “blessed” or “happy.” The scene is the beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry. In Matthew, Jesus has just called his first disciples and begun healing. And he goes up onto a mountain side, sits down and begins with these verses.

The Jews of the day believed that the first in the Kingdom of God would be the educated, the priests and teachers of the law (all males and middle to upper-class). The last in the Kingdom would then of course be the poor and often oppressed “people of the land,” along with women and gentiles.

Scripture text for Friday, March 19th, 2010: Matthew 3:13-4:17

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Our passage today ends with “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Jesus began his preaching career by calling the world to repentance. Too often we forget this important first step in our spiritual journeys.

When I was a kid growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, I would regularly sit before a priest and confess all of the ways that I had sinned against God, or at least all of the ways that I could remember. There were a lot. Still are.

Scripture text for Thursday, March 18th, 2010: Luke 3:1-3:20

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These passages tell the story of John the Baptist and how he was called to prepare the way for Jesus. “The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” Until now, the people were still living under the “old” law and John was called to prepare them for the message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

Scripture text for Wednesday, March 17th, 2010: Luke 2:1-2:40

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How often do you think what you do is insignificant because it doesn’t seem to catch anyone’s attention? You work at your job or at home with your children, often with little appreciation or recognition. While we hope our roles in God’s kingdom are important, they aren’t usually high-profile and often seem somewhat inconsequential in the world’s eyes. Luke’s portrayal of Jesus’ birth makes it clear that what may seem to be the most insignificant events can actually be incredibly significant. Luke 2:6 says “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son”. If this was all that you were to read, you would have no idea this was the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world! Jesus wasn’t born in a hospital or even a home, but a stable–a dark and dirty hovel, possibly even a cave. He wasn’t placed in a warm crib with a fancy quilt, but in a manger (a feeding trough for the animals in the stable). The cloths he was wrapped in weren’t royal robes made of silk, but were likely dirty scraps left in the stable. Despite his humble beginnings, Jesus was born as the only hope for mankind’s salvation.

Scripture text for Tuesday, March 16th, 2010: Luke 1:1-1:80

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When I was young, I was very curious about angels. What did they look like? Had I ever seen one without realizing it? Did I have a guardian angel watching over me?

When I was in high school, on a youth group road trip we got a flat tire and got stranded on the roadside in the middle of nowhere. Our leaders got out of the van to look at the tire and everyone stated to fret; however, within 10 minutes a pick-up truck stopped, a handyman jumped out and our tire was fixed in no time. The other kids in the van were certain that he must have been an angel sent by God to help us out—how else can you explain the divine timing?