Readings Matthew 8:18-22 Matthew 8:23-27 Matthew 8:28-34 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 8:18-22 We have seen how the previous three healing stories recall the temptation of Jesus in the desert, and pose the question of Jesus’ relationship with authority. In
Readings: Matthew 8:1-4 Matthew 8:5-13 Matthew 8:14-17 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 8:1-4 With the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew’s Gospel moves on to three cycles of stories concerning authority and discipleship. The first of these stories—our
Readings: Matthew 7:1-12 Matthew 7:13-23 Matthew 7:24-29 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 7:1-12 The first part of today’s reading concerns judging others. While this is often taken as judging someone’s character or actions, it seems that given the way that
Readings: Matthew 6:5-15 Matthew 6:19-24 Matthew 6:25-34 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 6:5-15 In first century CE Jewish literature, a piece of writing would have it’s climax in the centre, rather than at the end. Here, in the centre of
Readings: Matthew 5:38-42 Matthew 5:43-48 Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 5:38-42 Today’s reading comes to the heart of Jesus’ stance toward injustice and oppressive powers. Unfortunately, Jesus’ words here, typified by the saying, “turn the other cheek,”
Readings: Matthew 5:27-30 Matthew 5:31-32 Matthew 5:33-37 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 5:27-30 In this teaching, Jesus addresses adultery. As we read this and the following passage on divorce, the tone might strike us as archaic or even offensive—it is
Readings: Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:17-20 Matthew 5:21-26 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the land; but if salt has become foolish, how can its saltiness be restored?” (Mt 5:13) We pick up the reading
Readings: Psalm 37 Matthew 5:1-6 Matthew 5:7-12 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Psalm 37 This psalm serves as a backdrop for reading the Beatitudes. In it, the writer speaks of the threat, or most likely the reality, of losing their land.
Readings: Matthew 4:1-11 Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 Matthew 4:18-22 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Matthew 4:1-11 In the preceding story of Jesus’ baptism, we heard the voice from heaven announce, “This is my Son”. Now, however, another voice—the “tempter” (4:3) or
Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11 Matthew 3:1-12 Matthew 3:13-16 Devotion 1 Wait: Take time to sit in silence together, allowing space for God’s voice to be heard. Read: Isaiah 40:1-11 Isaiah 40 is God’s word, after a long and terrible silence, to Israel in exile. The people have been conquered, captured and subjugated by Babylon, losing their