Devotion

For the rest of Lent everyone is encourage to read the gospel according to Matthew. If we read
approximately a chapter a day, we can read through this gospel.
As you are reading Matthew keep these five questions in front of you:
What does this passage teach me about God?
What does this passage teach me about humanity?
What does this passage teach me about the church?
What does this passage teach me about myself?
How does this passage help me love more?
Enjoy! Comments about the devotion can be e-mailed to pastor@colpres.org.
Monday, March 16
Read Matthew 8-9:34
In these two chapters, Matthew shared ten miracles. In placing these ten miracles in this order
he was recalling the ten miracles that Moses performed in Egypt. Matthew was showing how
Jesus was the new Moses.
These miracles probably didnt happen in this precise historical order, but Matthew was editing
the story of Jesus to make his point about Jesus.
Which of these healing stories speaks most to you? Which of these stories illustrates Jesus to
you? As you pray today, meditate on your favorite healing story in these two chapters. Give
thanks to God, that God sent Jesus to heal peopleespecially people who were on the fringes of
the world.
Tuesday, March 17
Read Matthew 9:35-10:42
In these verses Jesus gave instructions to his apostles. He sent them out two by two into the
villages to proclaim his message.
In these instructions he talks about success and failure. If the apostles werent welcomed in a
village they were to shake the dust off their shoes and leave. Sharing their message was not like
a sales job. They werent to stay in a village and convert people who didnt want to be
converted.
At the end of chapter ten Jesus talked about rewards. The indicator of success was welcoming
or hospitality. Look how many times the word welcome is used in this passage.
Whoever welcome you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent
me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophets rewards;

and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the
rewards of the righteous; Matthew 10:40-41
Wednesday, March 18
Read Matthew 11
It took a long time for the message of Jesus to be accepted. Even John had a hard time
accepting what Jesus was doing. John had shared a strong message of repentance and baptism.
Jesus believed in repentance, but he also wanted to heal people. When Jesus was asked by
Johns disciples or followers, he said this, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind
receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at
me. Matthew 11:4-6
At the end of this chapter Jesus shared a message of comfort. These are the words that Pastor
Paul often shares before we celebrate Communion. We will find rest for our souls when we go
deep into Jesus!
Thursday, March 19
Read Matthew 12
In this chapter we see the contrast between Jesus and the religious leaders, the Pharisees. Jesus
believe in following the law, but he wanted to reform the law so that it helped people. He didnt
hesitate at all to heal a man who had a withered hand in a synagogue on the Sabbath.
However for the Pharisees this healing was a violation of the Sabbath. From then on they looked
for ways to destroy or kill Jesus.
We get a hint from Jesus for the first time in Matthew of his impending death and resurrection.
In verses 38-42 he said that just as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days, he would be
in the heart of the earth. Another way to say this is Jesus would die and then three days later be
raised from the dead.
Friday, March 20
Read Matthew 13
The parable of the sower or soils is a significant one for us. What soil describes our life at the
current time?
Is our heart like a path where the Word or seeds are put, but quickly eaten by birds or taken
away?
Is our heart like a rocky ground where the Word or seeds can take root quickly? But because the
seeds have no root, they quickly are scorched when the hot sun comes out.
Do we have thorns in our heart where the Word or seeds are easily choked.

Or is our heart like good soil where the Word or seeds put forth grain, some a hundredfold and
some sixty and some thirty.
Sometimes like a garden we need the soil in our heart to be turned over. Our spiritual disciplines
can keep our soil rich and not hard. When we worship, participate in a small group, serve and
give financially we can turn over the soil in our heart.
As you pray today, pray that the soil of your heart can remain soft.
Saturday, March 21
Read Matthew 14
The first twenty-one verses share the compassion in Jesus heart. We can learn quite a lot about
Jesus in these stories.
Jesus had just found out that John had been brutally executed by Herod. Herod was so prideful
and arrogant that when he was overwhelmed by his nieces dance he promised her one wish.
She and her mom asked for Johns head to be put on a platter.
This was horrible. When Jesus found out about it he withdrew to be by himself. But the crowds
found him and chased him down.
Instead of being resentful that the crowds had interrupted his grief, Jesus was full of compassion.
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their
sick. Matthew 14:14
He is an example of having a soft heart! Pray that our heart can be as soft as the heart of Jesus!