by Rev Dr Noel Due
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[Jesus] said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping’. And they laughed at him (Matthew 9:24).
Read Matthew 9:18–26
Jesus suffered many forms of rejection. He was betrayed, denied, misrepresented, ignored, and tortured to death, to name just a few. And sometimes he was treated as a joke.
While most of the narrative in this section of Matthew’s Gospel describes Jesus’ deeds and words, there are also some references to the responses they provoked. Those responses were essentially two: belief and unbelief. And of those two, belief is the rarer.
Here, the unbelief is expressed in derision. Jesus is treated as an ignorant fool, who cannot tell the difference between death and sleep.
But in Jesus’ kingdom, there is no difference. It is notable that elsewhere in the New Testament, the death of believers is also spoken as ‘sleep’ (for example, John 11:13, 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15).
On the one hand, death is indeed ‘the last enemy’ (1 Corinthians 15:26) and, in the end, death itself will be done away with (Revelation 20:14). We live in a world that is not yet heaven, so we experience death in the midst of life.
On the other hand, we also experience life in the midst of death! Death does not have the last word – Jesus does. He has conquered death through his resurrection. He has joined us to himself through baptism. And he lives in us through the Spirit. That’s why death, though inevitable, is not final. That’s why our hope is rooted in Jesus’ power and promise to bring us through death to life.
Thank you, dear Father, that you have brought all things into being, even me. Thank you that you sustain all things by the word of your power, even me this day. Thank you that you are the Lord of both life and death, even my life and my death. Thank you that no-one and nothing can snatch me out of your hand. Amen.
Noel is currently serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor of the Top End Lutheran Parish. He lives in Darwin with his wife, Kirsten, a medical doctor who mainly works on remote Indigenous communities. He also serves as a professional supervisor for pastors, chaplains and others.
by Rev Dr Noel Due
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. The skins burst, the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins (Matthew 9:17).
Read Matthew 9:9–17
In Jesus’ day, wineskins (literally, made from the skins of animals: tanned, stitched into a container shape, and provided with a corked spout) were expensive items that took a long time to produce. Consequently, they were not disposed of but reused. Over time, the acid content of the wine made the skins brittle and subject to catastrophic failure. If you put new wine, still yeasting and fermenting, into these old skins, both wine and skins would be lost as the new wine burst the old skins.
What is Jesus referring to?
This metaphor appears in the context of his actions and words about various forms of religious legalism.
On the one hand, the Pharisees thought that Jesus was contaminating his holiness by mixing with ‘tax collectors and sinners’ (both well-known titles for people whom the religious elite rejected).
On the other hand, some of the disciples of John the Baptist lived a very austere life to underline the seriousness of the message of repentance. They were critical because neither Jesus nor his disciples engaged in ritual fasting, which they thought marked serious spirituality.
But neither understood.
Jesus was providing the new wine of the Spirit, bringing grace and freedom to those who had been captive to legalistic religion. Those who had been rejected by the brittle legalism of the Pharisees were welcome in the new wineskins of Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus’ kingdom is one of freedom and joy, not fear and austerity.
Just as in a wedding feast (Jesus says he is the ‘bridegroom’ in this passage), the focus is not on the potential trials and sufferings the married couple may eventually face, but on the overwhelming joy of being together at the feast. Here, Jesus says that when he is present it is like the feast is underway.
It is very easy for us to forget that the main thing in the Christian faith is Jesus. He is not only the foundation but also the active, present and eternally faithful ‘bridegroom’.
It is very easy for us to become like them: hard and brittle, unable to cope with Jesus’ new day of grace and the new wineskins he was creating to contain it.
Heavenly Father, thank you that you continually break down our resistance to your grace, to preserve us from becoming brittle and legalistic in our faith. May we be filled with your Spirit so that Jesus’ life flows through us to bring joy, freedom and blessing to others. Amen.
Noel is currently serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor of the Top End Lutheran Parish. He lives in Darwin with his wife, Kirsten, a medical doctor who mainly works on remote Indigenous communities. He also serves as a professional supervisor for pastors, chaplains and others.
by Rev Dr Noel Due
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? (Matthew 9:5)
Read Matthew 9:1–8
Jesus’ enemies came in many forms. There were demonic forces, political schemers and religious purists, to name just a few.
Today we meet some people heavy on doctrine but light on compassion. The context is a beautiful gift of friendship. A paralysed man was brought to Jesus by his friends, who had faith that Jesus could help him.
I suspect that they wanted Jesus to heal the man, but Jesus’ first response was to say, ‘Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven’ (Matthew 9:2). Jesus knew that the man’s problem was not just physical, but that he was also crippled by sin. What that sin was we are not told, and it matters little. What does matter is Jesus’ assertion that the man’s sins were forgiven by Jesus’ word.
Now that was asking for trouble.
In the Old Testament, God alone could forgive sins. We commit all our sins against him. We break his commandments, we profane his holiness, and we take his name in vain. Because all sin is ultimately against God (even if we damage human beings along the way), it is God’s prerogative alone to forgive. That’s why the whole sacrificial system in the temple was set up: to make atonement for sin against God.
But, if Jesus says he can forgive sins, that would be the same as saying that he was God. That, in fact, was the case. But no-one even bothered to ask if it might be true. The religiously minded immediately accused him of blasphemy, punishable by death.
To show that what he said was true, Jesus pushed his critics to the edge of a logical cliff. Uttering words of forgiveness might be only an empty gesture. But what if he commanded the man to walk? And what if his words made that happen? Clearly, if he could prove his words had power by healing the man, then his word of forgiveness must also have the same power!
We know the story. At Jesus’ words, the man stood and walked. The conclusion should thus have been obvious: ‘if my words can effectively heal, then they can also effectively forgive’.
Will you believe this?
Dear Father, thank you that you have sent your Son into the world to bring the gift of forgiveness. Thank you that his words assure us that this is not an empty gesture, but a dynamic reality. Thank you for the forgiveness of sin and the lifting of the burden of our spiritual paralysis. Amen.
Noel is currently serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor of the Top End Lutheran Parish. He lives in Darwin with his wife, Kirsten, a medical doctor who mainly works on remote Indigenous communities. He also serves as a professional supervisor for pastors, chaplains and others.
by Rev Dr Noel Due
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
And behold, they cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ (Matthew 8:29).
Read Matthew 8:28–34
Yesterday’s devotion reflected on Jesus’ deeds and words of power. We saw that his deeds included the freeing of people from demonic forces, as well as healing from their diseases, and that his words explained the nature of God’s kingdom.
In today’s passage, we see another example, perhaps the most dramatic of all, in which Jesus expels demonic powers. When he draws near, the forces of darkness are forced back.
One of the most remarkable elements of this truly extraordinary account is that the demons recognised Jesus’ true nature. This is in sharp contrast to his disciples and to the crowds, who are repeatedly shown as being dull of heart and spiritually blind (for example, Luke 18:34).
In other words, the demonic forces knew something the rest of the world didn’t. That, in part, explains why Satan and the forces of darkness were so intensely active during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Even though, for example, the Book of Acts covers almost 40 years, we see only a fraction of the demonic manifestations there when compared with the three years of Jesus’ public ministry.
Why might this be? Because the powers of darkness mistakenly believed that if they could destroy Jesus, they would overthrow God and rule the universe. So, they threw everything at him, all the time. They knew he was not only Jesus the Nazarene but also Jesus the Son of God. That’s why they tried every trick in the book.
They even thought that by aligning all the forces of human greed, political cowardice, religious pride and human betrayal, they could put him to death.
But the outcome was not as they expected.
Though the powers of darkness planned the cross as Jesus’ destruction, God planned the cross as Jesus’ exaltation and our salvation.
This should give us great comfort. Though the forces of wickedness are opposed to God, to his Son, and to the people of the Spirit he has brought to birth, none of their deeds or schemes will prevail.
As Martin Luther’s great hymn says: Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing …And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us … one little word shall fell him.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of Jesus, the Son of God, and King of Heaven. Thank you that he has overcome the greatest of our foes and that their schemes cannot prevent your reign and rule in our lives. Help us to live in the truth of Jesus’ victory over the evil one. Amen.
Noel is currently serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor of the Top End Lutheran Parish. He lives in Darwin with his wife, Kirsten, a medical doctor who mainly works on remote Indigenous communities. He also serves as a professional supervisor for pastors, chaplains and others.
Luke 6:17-26 Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
4 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
by Rachael Stelzer
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For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction (Psalm 1:6).
Read Psalm 1
Today’s psalm is the first and introductory psalm. It is poetry but also reflects Old Testament wisdom literature. It contrasts the one who delights in the law of the Lord with the wicked.
I love the peaceful picture of the one who meditates on God’s law, day and night, being like a tree planted by streams of water. It is a picture of growth and flourishing. In stark contrast, the wicked are ‘like chaff that the wind blows away’. This is reminiscent of the foolish builder in Jesus’ parable, who builds without a strong foundation.
This short psalm is well worth meditating on, as it presents some clear pictures and wise life advice. Let’s aim to be like that tree planted by the stream, with the Lord watching over our ways.
Dear Lord, you watch over the way of the righteous. In my own strength, I am no more than chaff that the wind blows away. Thank you for the righteousness that Jesus has won for me on the cross. Lead me in your way and teach me how to flourish in you. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is Primary Head of Faith and Spirituality at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale.
by Rachael Stelzer
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm (Matthew 8:26).
Read Matthew 8:18–27
Earlier in our passages this week, those listening to Jesus marvelled, because he spoke ‘as one with authority, and not like the teachers of the law’ (Matthew 7:29). And the Roman centurion had correctly identified Jesus as one in authority, and he would know, as one who was used to telling others what to do.
Now, in case there was any doubt about the authority of this man, he told off the storm that had his disciples in fear for their lives. ‘Who is this man?’ they wondered. ‘Even the wind and waves obey him!’
The disciples were in awe of Jesus’ authority. They learned to trust him in all situations. And we can too.
Lord Jesus, when I take my eyes away from you, I am tempted to forget that you are in control. Remind me that you are with me and that you are more powerful than my fears. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is Primary Head of Faith and Spirituality at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale.
by Rachael Stelzer
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed’ (Matthew 8:8).
Read Matthew 8:5–17
This week we have seen Jesus at work in the lives of a number of different people. After teaching about the difference between true disciples and false ones, Jesus interacted with and healed a number of ‘outsiders’. After healing the man with leprosy, a Roman centurion came to Jesus to ask him to heal his paralysed servant. Jesus asked the centurion if he should come with him to his house. The centurion’s response floored Jesus.
Don’t worry about coming to my house, he said. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
The centurion’s actions spoke volumes. His trust and respect for Jesus were rock-solid and marked him as a true disciple. His ethnicity and his politics did not disqualify him from Jesus’ assistance – his life showed the fruit of sincere faith and trust in Jesus. May we also look further than the superficial and see the fruit of faith in the lives of others.
Dear Jesus, the centurion took your breath away with his understanding of your authority and power. None of your ‘true believers’ had shown that amount of certainty in your healing power. Grant me that faith and certainty. Drive me humbly to my knees to acknowledge your sovereignty. And never let me judge others as beyond your help or love – you see the heart. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is Primary Head of Faith and Spirituality at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale.
by Rachael Stelzer
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing’, he said. ‘Be clean!’ (Matt 8:3)
Read Matthew 7:28–8:4
After Jesus taught the crowds on the mountainside, in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 and 7, a man with leprosy came to Jesus. Lepers lived outside the city at this time, in communities of similarly sick people, who had been cast out of the town, and forbidden to enter the temple. They could not even hug their families goodbye and had to carry bells to warn others to stay away from them. Catching their disease, in Jesus’ day, was a death sentence.
This leprous man had the audacity to come dangerously close to non-leprous people and even walked up to Jesus and knelt before him. He showed beautiful simple faith when he said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean’.
Jesus honoured his faith, saying, ‘I am willing! Be clean!’ This was more than just a physical healing. Jesus gave him not just healing, but the opportunity to rejoin life inside the city walls, to reunite with his family and to enter the temple community once again.
And, in keeping with Jewish law, Jesus instructed the man to go and show himself to a priest – who could pronounce him officially clean – and to make the offering that went with this pronouncement. Jesus restored the man to his community. This was healing in every sense – physical, social and spiritual. And Jesus gladly gave this man back his life.
Lord Jesus, you come near to us in many ways, offering healing and restoration of our bodies, our souls and our relationships. Help us to take a step of faith, and to praise you for your abundant grace. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is Primary Head of Faith and Spirituality at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale.