matthew – Bible About Money

Truth: Tax Collectors and Prostitutes — Parable of the Two Sons

40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:40

Matthew 21:28-32

Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. ³⁰Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

³¹“Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”^[a]

31 Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
Matthew 21:31c

³²For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Matthew 19:30

References & reflections

[1] http://catholiclivingtoday.blogspot.com/2011/09/tax-collectors-and-prostitutes-are.html

[2] https://paintingtheword.com/2008/02/08/prostitutes/

[3] https://pythiastheology.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/prostitutes-and-tax-collectors/

[4] https://www.girlsaskguys.com/religion-spirituality/a52975-why-the-prostitutes-tax-collectors-were-better-than-the-pharisees

[5] https://tvaraj2inspirations.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/jesus-and-the-tax-collector/

[6] http://www.godlywoman.co/2012/12/prostitutes-and-gods-forgiveness.html

[7] https://msy316.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/jesus-the-friend-of-tax-collectors-and-sinners/

[8] https://frankboulet.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/tax-collectors-prostitutes/

[9] https://www.prostitutesandtaxcollectors.com/home/prostitutes-tax-collectors

[10] https://www.gotquestions.org/first-last-last-first.html

[11] https://ssnet.org/blog/bible-truth-rapture/

[12] https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/is-matthew-2441-talking-about-a-secret-rapture

Lord, Look! See Our Savior, Gift of Spiritual Sight — Matthew 20, Zechariah 9, Isaiah 62

Jesus, Touch the Apples and Heal Our Eyes! – Zechariah 2:8

“Tell the people of Jerusalem,^[a]
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”^[b]
Matthew 21:5

Matthew 20:29-21:22 NLT

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

²⁹As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. ³⁰Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³¹“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³²When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

³³“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!”

³⁴Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Matthew 21:33-34

**The Coming of Zion’s King**

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

— Zechariah 9:9

**Zion’s New Name**

¹¹The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”

— *Isaiah 62:11 NIV*

References & reflections

[1] https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/joel-2-28
[2] https://www.rengzolnews.com/christians-all-over-the-globe-celebrates-palm-sunday/
[3] https://manna.amazingfacts.org/amazingfacts/website/amazingfacts/images/scripture-pictures/zechariah_9_9.jpg

Ransomed for Many. Price of Redemption: Jesus #1

Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

²⁰Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. ²¹“What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

²²But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

²³Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

²⁴When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. ²⁵But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. ²⁶But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.

²⁸For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28

References & reflections

[1] https://reflectionsintheword.org/2012/05/27/cross-cultural-cross-unmatchable-cost/
[2] https://flcshelby.org/series/the-cost-of-the-cross/
[3] https://www.slideshare.net/CliveAshby/new-testament-survey-no5-mark-his-gospel-account
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransom_theory_of_atonement

Adultery Defined by Jesus: Prenuptial Prototype of Moses Explained

Matthew 19 New International Version (NIV)

Divorce

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ²Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

⁴“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^[a] ⁵and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]? ⁶So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

⁸Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:8-9

¹⁰The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹²For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

references & reflections

[1] http://www.comereason.org/new-testament-contradictions.asp
[2] https://telioschurch.com/sermons/matthew-05m-jesus-on-adultery/
[3] https://slideplayer.com/slide/10717442/

Kingdom of Heaven —Matthew 19 Children of God #3

The Little Children and Jesus

¹³Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Matthew 19:13-14

references & reflections

[1] https://achristianpilgrim.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/todays-gospel-matthew-1913-15/
[2] http://fralfonse.blogspot.com/2012/08/mt-1913-15-why-kids.html
[3] https://goodnewsshared.wordpress.com/2019/08/17/let-the-little-children-come-to-me-and-do-not-hinder-them-for-the-kingdom-of-heaven-belongs-to-such-as-these/

Saving the Lost & Littlest: Son of Man — Matthew 18 Children of God #2

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

[11] ^a For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12“What do you think?

If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:12b-14

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2kwcHmAR8s/

References & Reflections

[1] https://chongsoonkim.blogspot.com/2015/08/become-like-little-children-if-you-want.html
[2] https://themillennialbridge.com/matthew-181-6greatest-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven1-at-that-time-the-disciples-ca/
[3] https://www.catholicteacherresources.com/webquest-parable-of-the-lost-sheep/

Debt Forgiveness — Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. ^g

23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold ^h was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. ⁱ He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Matthew 18:23-35

Tax-Exemption: Christ’s Children! Free From Tax — Fish Miracle #1

Silver Coin in Fish’s mouth miracle – Jesus’s tax exempt parable – Children’s Artwork

The Temple Tax

Matthew 17

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

26“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.
Matthew 17:26

27“But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Soul’s Worth? Christ’ Name Sake, Save Your Life! — Count the Costs #2

Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26b And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Matthew 16:27b

Soul’s Benefit? Christ’ Name Sake, Save Your Life! — Count the Costs #1

Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.