“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” - Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought you were going the right way and then it turned out, disastrously, that you weren’t? I can remember the tail-end of a trip to England with my sister. We were returning home on different airplanes from diffe

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (vers

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (verses 1-2) - What’s the most famous verse in the Bible? I previously would have answered by quoting John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …” But I’ve heard it said the scene has now changed. There’s a new verse that’s more famous, at least in the non-churched world – more famous, and certai

Every Child Matters. Truth Matters. Reconciliation Matters. May the Lord help us to live each of these to the full. - "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfast of Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5) - to his glory. - Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (verse 33) - We’re lingering for a second day on this portion – we simply couldn’t leave without focusing on this key statement: “Seek first his kingdom.” Jesus has been talking about how easy it is to focus on earthly treasure, indeed to become a doting servant of Money. Equally, we can so easily become nervous about life’s necessities – food, drink, clothing, shelter – won

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? … “See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not

“Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth … But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven …” (verses 19-20) - Here are some reflections from a crisis moment seven years ago, along with a postscript giving the resolution: (Summer 2019) We’re in the midst of trying to sell our house, having put an accepted offer on a new home, in an effort to downsize and eliminate some debt. We thought we were being wise, in that it was apparently still a seller’s market and there wo

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” - In the church circles in which I grew up, we could quite happily skip

“This is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.’” (verses 9-13) - This is a model prayer given us by Jesus, carrying his full endorsement, introduced with the words “This is how you should pray.” What more encouragement do we need? But

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in heaven. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their m

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous … Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (verses 43-45, 48) - The “command” that Jesus quotes is only partially from the Old Testament. Leviticus 19:18 says, “

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” - What’s your gut response when you experience pers

Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all … Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.(verses 33-34, 37) - How readily do we keep our word? How easily do we let ourselves off the hook from promises we’ve made or commitments we’ve spoken? In a time when misinformation or disinformation deliberately d

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.” - The people of Jesus’ day were interested in the legality of divorce. They wanted to nail down the exact parameters for carrying it out, convinced that if they did it in the right way, then it was okay. They

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your wh

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against y

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (verses 17-18) - On the first Resurrection Sunday, on a road north-west of Jerusalem, two men walked with a stranger. They told him of the recent events in the city, how Je

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise

(Once again, there is a video version of today's devotional - to watch or listen, click on one of the Social links above.) Matthew 5:1-12 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (verse 8) - This verse, so familiar, often passed by, stands out to me today. Yes, I believe it encompasses a future hope of standing in God’s very presence, face to face in that great day – praise God. But I also believe this promise has something within it for right here,