In Matthew 18, Jesus shares two parables. Between these parables, He shares instructions for what to do if another believer wrongs you. The first parable (The Parable of the Lost Sheep) expands our understanding of Jesus’ instruction on how to respond to another believer who sins against you. Too commonly, that instruction is viewed as an impersonal policy to prove our point or to deal with difficult people. It’s easy to look at what Jesus says to achieve our own ends, prove our point, or dismiss difficult people.

But Jesus would never tell us to do something selfish. He wants us to understand that the goal is not to win the argument. The goal is to win the person. The goal is to find the person who is straying, who's prone to wander, and to invite them back. Jesus invites us to this ministry of reconciliation.

This passage calls us to humility and a broken heart for those who wander, not confrontation or escalation. True love motivates us to call others back to the right path and to partner with them discreetly in restoration. Even if they refuse, we continue to pray, always seeking their return. The main message is clear: pursue reconciliation with humility and love.

In the seemingly odd passage of Matthew 17:24-27, Peter is questioned by the religious leadership about whether Jesus pays the temple tax. Knowing this had happened, Jesus talks with Peter about it, and in this conversation, we see four characteristics of the Son of God:

The freedom of the Son – He was under no obligation to pay the tax.

The voluntary submission of the Son – Nevertheless, to not cause offense, He consented to pay.

The majesty of the Son – His command to Peter (a professional fisherman) to drop a line into the lake was peculiar, but he obeyed.

The miraculous personal provision of the Son – The coin found in the fish that was caught was sufficient for both Peter and Jesus.

This was not just a story about a fish and a coin. It was personal and powerful—especially for Peter. In his letter, Peter would later write to the church, “For you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The life of Jesus was paid on your behalf so that you could enjoy fellowship with God forever! That can start today! Simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Repent (turn away from) your sin and ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life.

As they walked with Jesus, the apostles argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus was out of earshot yet still knew what they were discussing. When they arrived, Jesus patiently and graciously called them to Himself to teach them about what makes someone great.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught by example. True greatness is found in being a servant and serving others, especially those who have no ability to serve you back or can benefit you in any way. 

To illustrate His point, Jesus places a child before them. In those days, children were considered just above property (they were to be seen and not heard). Yet even today, children are needy and need constant attention. They have no ability to bless you back. They can’t make you important. They were the “least of these”.

Jesus taught that true greatness is found in serving the “least of these.” It’s making others like this feel as though they are the most important person. Because they truly are. True greatness is not found in power or position. It’s found in looking into the eyes of those who can do nothing for you and serving them as if you were serving Jesus Himself.

After the transfiguration, Jesus came down the mountain to find his disciples arguing with others instead of ministering to the man who was looking for help. One of the most often made mistakes servants of Jesus make is wasting time arguing. It’s such an effective trap that saps our energy, grieves the Holy Spirit, and robs those around us who need help.

Wasting time arguing when people are hurting and need help is something that believers are to avoid (see 2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9, and Ephesians 4:29-32). When the Lord returns, may He find us serving and ministering, rather than fighting and arguing.

One of the most effective ways to serve others is to bring them to Jesus. Instead of wasting time arguing, we can bring those who need help to Jesus through prayer and fasting. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (Ephesians 5:16).

“…and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”
Matthew 17:2

For Peter, James, and John, witnessing the transfiguration of Jesus was an intense and glorious mountaintop experience. It would be difficult for them to want to leave that mountain with that company—Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and God the Father. Just imagine the glory, the clarity, and the intensity of that encounter!

But mountaintop experiences are intended to be temporary. They bring clarity so that we can come down the mountain. Like Peter, we can recognize that it is good for us to be in those places, but it’s not good for us to stay in isolation from the world. We seek Jesus on the mountain in solitude so that we can descend and serve those who are still suffering and struggling in the valley. 

So seek out times of solitude with the Lord and spend regular time with Him on the mountaintop. But also realize that He wants you to go down the mountain too. That’s where God has sent you to be, as salt and light for the world that is suffering because of darkness. 

​Caesarea Philippi was a satanic supermarket with all sorts of little temples to participate in all sorts of pagan worship. It was here that Jesus took His disciples to reveal to them that He is The Messiah, that He would suffer and die, and that they must be willing to suffer and die as well.

Jesus was declaring the necessity of self-sacrificial love and service in pagan places (like Caesarea Philippi) for pagan people so that they too can be saved. Soon, He would send His disciples to places like this for people like these.

We must understand that Jesus did not come to save you from your circumstances. If you look to Him for this, you will miss out on life. He came to save you from your sin. To do that, He needed to suffer and die. As The Messiah, He willingly sacrificed Himself to save others. To be His disciple, you must understand that He is calling you to a similar life—one that will include self-denial and self-sacrifice so that others can be saved. This is the life that is truly life!

Jesus will not be approached through ritual or religion. He is a person, and He is also God. There is nothing too hard for Him–not even feeding 5,000, or 4,000, or healing a blind man, or healing a deaf man, or casting many demons out of a man, or casting one demon out of a little girl.

​And yet, in the midst of all of this, the blindness of religion demands a sign. But if you approach Jesus through ritual or religion, you won’t see it. Jesus is not a robot. He does not perform at our whim or pleasure.

​How quickly we forget the lesson of the loaves. How swiftly we cease to remember that He is a person who isn’t persuaded by ritual or religion. But He has compassion on our condition and desires to draw us into a deeper fellowship with Him. Though it may seem that He doesn’t listen, He does–and continually reminds us that He loves us and will do anything that blesses us and brings Him glory. Jesus is God–nothing is too difficult for Him.

Even with all the good that Jesus did, the religious rulers were upset that His disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate. They came all the way from Jerusalem to evaluate His ministry, which was part of their responsibility to protect God’s people from false prophets. But they didn’t measure Jesus’ ministry against Scripture. If they had, they would have seen that there was no doctrinal error or disqualifying sin. Their legalism was rooted in the traditions, the culture, and the commandments of men.

Legalism is an attempt to tame a sick and wicked heart through outward rules and ropes. It might appear to have a form of godliness, but it just doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean we are hopeless to change. If you’re in Christ, you have been given a new heart, in addition to your old nature  that is “continually corrupted by its deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). Learning how to walk in your new nature as a new creation is extremely important.

Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Just like the disciples developed a reliance on Jesus, you can walk with Him daily. You don’t need rules and regulations. You just have to practice the presence of God. Start walking and talking with Him as you develop a personal relationship with Him. Like any relationship, it will take time as you walk and talk with the Holy Spirit every day.

​We often give Peter a hard time for failing in his faith after he got out of the boat (see Matthew 14:30). But we must remember that he was the only one of the Apostles who actually had the faith to get out of the boat.

When we consider this event (recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John), we realize that Peter was afraid of sinking in knee-deep water. It was only when he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on his circumstances that he began to sink.

We may falter in our ventures of faith, but we too must get out of the boat to be equipped by Jesus to do what He commands us to do—even if it’s impossible for us. When we take our eyes off of Jesus and fret over our circumstances, our faith will falter too—even if we are in knee-deep water.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author, perfector, and finisher of your faith. He will equip you to do what He commands you to do—even if it seems impossible. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord! 

Jesus could have miraculously prepared a meal for the multitude before Him without asking the disciples to do it. But He includes them in the work of ministry so that they can learn and grow. He will never command us to do something that He didn’t already intend to empower us to do. 

And yet, He often commands us to do something that is far beyond our abilities (”You give them something to eat.”) and calls us to Himself (”Bring what you do have here to Me.”).

In response, when we place what we have to offer in His hands, Jesus blesses it, breaks it, and multiplies it—equipping us to obey what He tells us to do. This pattern repeats in the lives of all those who want to love and obey Him. He constantly calls us to things that are beyond our ability, and as we learn along the way, we discover a very valuable lesson: where God guides, God will provide.