12: Just as those who are physicians of the physical maladies with which we are faced, Jesus was to be the Great Physician for the spiritual needs of mankind. As a physician, he would, naturally, have to find himself among the sick. By implication, the Pharisees, who would think themselves the spiritual physicians of the day, were not meeting the spiritual needs of these people. Beyond this, when Jesus suggests that some are ‘whole’ it need not be thought that he meant so literally. He was speaking to the Pharisees directly, and knew their state of mind. He knew they already considered themselves to be ‘whole’ spiritually whether they were in actuality or not. Indeed, we are all spiritually in need of Christ’s help at every moment. Thus it might be even better to see the ‘sick’ as those who recognize their need, and the ‘whole’ as those who do not.
13: Jesus here refers to Hosea 6:6. His initial phrase about going to ‘learn what that meaneth’ was a figure of speech to say, in effect, go study the Scriptures and see what is written. It is a tip off that what he was about to say would be a quote. Indeed, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice’ is a direct quote from Hosea 6:6.
   This clarifies his meaning quite well and is a slap in the face to the self-righteous pharisees. The quoted verse is referring to the fact that Almighty God had become dissatisfied with the self-righteousness of the Jews in their observance of the law. They were literally ‘sinning that grace may abound’, as Paul would say. The Jews kept up the sacrificial rituals, but even the priests were involved in murders and lewdness. Thus, God was looking for the Jews to keep his sacrifices with a mind to obey, not as a cover for more and more sin.
   Jesus was saying, then, that he was not there to call those who were unwilling to recognize their need for grace. He had come to call those who knew they were in trouble, and wanted to get out of it.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 23:1-24:51

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: John Leland was a Baptist minister who had an influence upon James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in the formulation of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. For some exceedingly interesting reading, take a look at The Writings of the Late Elder John Leland: Including Some Events in His Life, which can be read, for free, at books.google.com.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all of Your amazing love for us! It is so good of You to not only be patient with our sin, but to make a way of salvation from it, and then to teach us how to obtain that salvation. You do not simply give us some small hint about you and then expect us to figure the rest out. Instead, You are actively at work among mankind. You draw us to You and show us Your love and Truth. How wonderful You are! I love You! Father, the wisdom of Your plan is so apparent. I think I shall never stop wondering at it. Nothing could be better than what You have conceived for us. I could never say that Your way is anything less than perfect. I only hope that I will live in a manner that honors Your great will for us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for three families that have recently lost loved ones. Pray for several persons who are sick at this time. Pray for a doctor who has cancer in his nose.

Personal Journal Entry #13019

11: The religious leaders in Jesus’ day had lost touch with the true face of ministry. They had no means by which to reach those who needed Almighty God the most. They had cut themselves off from ministry to the sinner. They had created an elite of hypocrisy.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 21:1-22:46

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Daily Tidbit: James Buchanan was the only president who never married.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. We are glad that, even when we are rushed, You are not. You have never run short on time. You always have more than enough time to hear us and be near us. Oh Father, You are always available no matter where we are or what we are doing. Thank You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a young lady hoping to get training to be a CNA.

Personal Journal Entry #13018

10: In this verse, two things must be remembered in order to maintain a balanced view of the situation. First, Jesus did not have any problem at all with eating a meal with those who were obviously sinners. Jesus, of course, would have been eating with sinners if he ate with only his disciples. However, these folk were very open with their sin, it was less hidden that the sins of the more religious Jews. Jesus knew that these were the people he had come to reach. Secondly, it must be noted that these persons came to Jesus, not the other way around. Jesus had called Matthew, and now he was eating at Matthew’s house. The other tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were invited to the meal. In other words, Jesus did not walk into a tavern, or visit a house of ill repute, or get caught up with ruffians. He simply went to the home of a man who now followed him and associated with that man’s guests.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 19:1-20:34

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

Daily Tidbit: A giraffe’s tongue is 18-20″ long! Wow!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for this wonderful day! We are so glad that You sent Your Son to save all of us. Any who are willing may be washed clean by the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. Nobody is left out. There has never been any person that Almighty God could not save. Oh glory to You, Father! We are so glad to know Your Truth. Jesus is eternal life! Thank You so much for Him, Father. It is great to be involved in taking Your message to the world. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a family in our church who just lost a loved one. Pray for a man having trouble with his knee. Pray for a man that just started some schooling today.

Personal Journal Entry #13017

9: In all likelihood, Matthew and Jesus had seen each other before. Indeed, Matthew may have taken a toll from Christ on several occasions since Jesus lived in that area with Peter. Matthew was not acting as a tax collector in the regular sense of the word.He was at a toll booth, likely taking tolls from those seeking passage over the nearby Sea of Galilee. Thus, Jesus would have seen him before, or may have paid toll to him before.
   Also, Matthew would have been familiar with Jesus and his ministry. Being a man who came into constant contact with the public, he could not help but be so. When Jesus told him to follow him, he knew what he was doing, and, likely, Who he was following.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 16:1-18:35

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: According to the Hayes Presidential Center Library, Rutherford B. Hayes was the first president to have a telephone. Alexander G. Bell installed it and the phone number was “1”. Imagine that for a phone number!

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are amazing! May we be filled with the joy of Your presence at all times. You make this world much friendlier and more livable. Without You, it is a place full of self-serving beings with no real reason to love each other. With You there is hope of selflessness and true love. Thank You for the joy, peace, and hope that we can have in You. It is more than just a great comfort to be able to depend upon You, it is a necessity of life. Living in Your will and Word brings us to a place of security. It gives us a sense of our position in the grand picture of everything. It shows us our true worth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man who just started a new job. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one. Pray for a good doctor that has inoperable cancer in his nose.

Personal Journal Entry #13016

7: It is likely that this man lived nearby and that he was fairly well known to the people assembled about Jesus.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 14:1-15:39

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

Daily Tidbit: The oldest president (at time of election) was Ronald Reagan and the youngest was Teddy Roosevelt.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for You love and concern for us. Your Word tells us the story of Your mercy and grace. Thank You for not giving up on us, and for being so patient with us. You are the kindest person there is. We long to live in Your presence at all times. What a day it will be when we live in heaven with You! How great it will be to see Your face! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman with the flu. Pray for a man with bronchitis.

Personal Journal Entry #13015

6: There have been many who have made the claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, or even the Messiah. This is, of course, a great error. This verse is one of the most obvious cases of Jesus’ assertion of his identity not only as Messiah, but as Almighty God incarnate. He purposely forgave the man’s sins before them all in order to remind them that he was no ordinary miracle worker. His miracles were real, and his power was Divine.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 12:1-13:58

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: Many have commented on the horrible sin of slavery that caused so much heartache and bloodshed in this country. However, precious few are ever heard to comment upon the chief cause of slavery. The slave trade in America at first met with opposition when it threatened to grow. Indeed, it never did take hold strongly in the North as we know. But, in the end, it grew quite prevalent due to an age old problem. That problem is greed. Greed was the primary reason that slavery grew to the extent that it did. Though our nation has, by paying a great price, rid itself of the slave trade, has it ever been rid of the problem that caused the great growth of that trade? May we each day rid our hearts, by the power of Christ, of the horrendous sin that brought about the possession of other human beings in slavery.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for Communion, the Lord’s Supper, which we enjoy so much. You know just what we need. You ask us to celebrate the things that will bring us closer to You. You are so wise! It is great to be able to draw upon Your infinite knowledge. Drinking deeply at the fountain of Your Truth is like sipping from the purest spring we could ever taste. You are so worth living for! Thank You for Your great love for us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for missionaries in Africa. Pray for a man with shingles. Pray for a man who has only two weeks to live.

Personal Journal Entry #12277

5: Jesus reveals the true nature of their evil thoughts by simple logic. If Jesus had the power to heal the man, would he not also have the power to forgive sins? Jesus is bringing attention to his authority as the Messiah. He was not simply a prophet. Jeremiah or Isaiah would not have presumed to forgive sins. Even John the Baptist could not forgive sins, though he issued a call to repentance. Jesus is purposely highlighting the fact that his miracles were signs of his Messianic authority, not simply blessings that Almighty God chose to heap upon those living in that day. Keep in mind that Jesus did more miracles during his time on earth than had ever been done up to that point. The only ministry that even comes close was that of Moses (or perhaps Elijah and Elisha).

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 10:1-11:30

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Daily Tidbit: Matthew 10:29-30 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, remind us of Your great power. It is to our shame that we do not rely on You more than we do. You are the Sustainer of all things. Without you the universe would unravel in no time. You are the One who made it all, and You are the Reason for it all. May we rest in Your greatness . In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a woman recovering form pneumonia. Pray for a woman with the flu. Pray for an elderly woman who needs to have a risky surgery.

Personal Journal Entry #12276

4: It is much easier for many to believe that the gospel writers got this little verse wrong. This is one of the chief reasons that we are given four gospels. No one man alone heard and saw these events. They were well-known facts shared by a whole group of witnesses. They knew that Jesus read the minds of these scribes. Some may object that Jesus just made an educated guess. Though Jesus might guess that they would think this, his statements in the synoptic gospels confirm that he did more than guess. He was absolutely certain. As Matthew here tells us plainly, Jesus knew their thoughts.
This is, by the way, one of the key differences between Almighty God and the devil. If God chooses to, he may listen to every thought we think. The devil, on the other hand, may only make extremely educated guesses. Make no mistake, the enemy’s guesses are very good, and almost always accurate. But, they are nothing more than that, guesses.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-9:38

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:2 “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

Daily Tidbit: When discouragement comes knocking, may it find we were too busy for the Lord to stay at home.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You mean to me! Thank You for answered prayer! You are so kind. I will sing Your praise every day. My lips find a better reason to move when they speak Your praise than at any other time. You are worthy of our worship. Thank You for sending the ‘eternal life’ for us. Jesus is the greatest thing that ever happened to me! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a young mother that is under the weather. Pray for a lady that needs to have a potentially risky surgery.

Personal Journal Entry #12275

3: It is amazing the the scribes knew the law so well that they recognized blasphemy, and yet many of them never understood that Jesus was the Messiah. Yes, if Jesus was just a man, this presumption to forgive sins would indeed be blasphemy in one of its ugliest forms. However, Jesus is not just a man, he is the God-man, he is the Messiah of Israel, he is the Savior of the world.

Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-6:34

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: Many early Baptists were willingly baptized during the winter months in outdoor streams, rivers, and lakes. In some cases, ice was broken before the service began. Imagine if Baptist converts today were asked to do the same. Many hesitate to be baptized in a heated church building in a heated tub of water. What a change in our sense of need! Our need to obey the Lord is no less great than theirs was. What is different?

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do each day. We could not possibly, in a lifetime, list the things that You do in a single day. And yet, to You, it is ‘all in a days work’. Oh Father, if we had a full picture of all You have done just in our individual lives, it would completely overwhelm us. You are so intelligent! Thank You for giving us Your wisdom when we ask for it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for an elderly lady that needs to have a potentially risky surgery.

Personal Journal Entry #12274

2: This is the story in which those who brought this man to Jesus broke up the roof to get the man before Jesus because of the throng of people in and outside of the house.  This man was either the victim of a form of palsy, or had been paralyzed due to some injury. In either case, the condition was obviously severe, since he was unable to move about on his own.
 Matthew here refers to the faith of an unidentified ‘they’ without filling in the details. However, from the accounts of Mark and Luke, it is obvious that he is referring to those who brought the paralytic, and to the man himself. In response to this faith, Jesus forgives the man’s sins. Some may object that the man was brought to Jesus for healing, not for forgiveness of sins. Only one thing need be said in response to that – the paralytic had no objections.

Daily Bible Reading: Malachi 4:1-Matthew 4:25

Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;”

Daily Tidbit: The work of world missions is one of the strongest testimonies for Christ in this world. Knowing that those who love Christ will brave the difficulties of living in dismal conditions voluntarily, and for no profit but souls, is a benefit to the hardest of hearts. And yet, the numbers of persons from this country surrendering to the mission fields of the world continues to decline. We must ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest, and we must be willing to go ourselves.

Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, You are so worthy of our praise! How glad I am that You forgive sins! Being healed of sickness is great, but being free from sin, that is truly amazing! Your plan of salvation is masterful and perfect. No person is left out. Grace through faith is such a wonderful message for this lost world. Why anyone would not want Your grace is truly a mystery to us. You know everything though. We trust You and depend upon You. Lord, You are worth knowing and loving. May we live to love You more each and every day. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man recovering from a heart attack. Pray for a woman recovering from a stroke. Pray for a family who just lost a young mother.

Personal Journal Entry #12273