If genealogies are not the most engaging reading, why would Matthew begin his history of Jesus with one in Matthew 1:1-17? Actually, genealogies can be very engaging if we find in them connections with our story. Because Matthew wanted to connect Jesus with Jewish people, he emphasized Jesus’ descent from the patriarch Abraham and from King David. At the same time, he included some fascinating details that connect Jesus not only with Jewish people but with all of us.
If someone hears a message but does not act upon it, sometimes we say that “it went in one ear and out the other.”...
In the earlier parables, Jesus left people wondering what he meant. In the latter parables, Jesus was often very direct. For example, in Matthew...
Jesus told his disciples how to handle not only adversity, but also prosperity, both of which require faith in God.