Matthew 16:13-20 ~ “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”"

Matthew 16:13-20


Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Herod's Palace

What was Jesus telling about Himself, as Christ, to say, "Tell no one?"

Jesus was saying, that while we are completely transparent to God, who knows all of our thoughts - best and worst - He doesn't say "HEY, I'M THE MESSIAH!!! WHOO HOO OVER HERE!!!"

Jesus, instead, is Living doing His Father's work.


The Miracles of Jesus 
Jesus asked to be met in faith, as this:

Water made wine	Fill up the jars, look for the improbable, in hope	John 2:1-11.
Traders cast out of the temple	Righteousness above conformity.	John 2:13-17.
Nobleman's son healed	To believe without proof, sight unseen.	John 4:46-54.
First miraculous draught of fishes	Let down the nets, continue to work - with faith.	Lu 5:1-11.
Leper healed	Put forth your hand, try, even if it's hard to be self-revealing. They who sow in tears, will reap in Joy.	Mt 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Lu 5:12-15.
Centurion's servant healed	Faith in the Word of God. God only needs to speak a Word for miracles.	Mt 8:5-13; Lu 7:1-10.
Widow's son raised to life	Self-control. Jesus didn't need hysterics. God rushes in during great need in this life.	Lu 7:11-17.
Demoniac healed	Be quiet. Discretion. Faith from Good Fruit.	Mr 1:21-28; Lu 4:31-37.
Peter's mother-in-law healed	Other's asked Jesus for Peter's mother. Intercessory prayer. Gratitude and service.	Mt 8:14, 15; Mr 1:29-31; Lu 4:38, 39.
Paralytic healed	Pick up the bed, go home. Put away the past, let go of illness, bring wellness to your home.	Mt 9:2-8; Mr 2:1-12; Lu 5:17-26.
Impotent man healed according to King James Version	Pick up the bed, go home. Put away the past, let go of illness, bring wellness to your home. 38 years of endurance with hope rewarded.	John 5:1-16.
Man with withered hand healed	Put your hand out in effort, even during distress and disagreement	Mt 12:10-14; Mr 3:1-6; Lu 6:6-11.
Blind and dumb demoniac healed	When misunderstood, to do as Psalm 23, be in good deeds. Goodness and mercy follow your footsteps in your path	Mt 12:22-24; Lu 11:14.
Tempest stilled	Going to God with full expectation in the most fierce of storms.	Mt 8:23-27; Mr 4:35-41; Lu 8:22-25.
Demoniacs dispossessed	Realizing strong bullies are pigs! With problems! And will come to the end of their path with no where to turn. Be angry, do not sin.	Mt 8:28-34; Mr 5:1-20.
Jairus' daughter raised to life	Jesus put aside His right to be a Temple ruler, and gave grace and mercy for the needed request from the fortunate.	Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu 8:41-56.
Issue of blood healed	Reaching past shame, asking Jesus.	Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu 8:41-56.
Two blind men restored to sight	Praying out loud in public. Asking the Lord Jesus.	Mt 9:27-31.
Dumb demoniac healed	Gratitude for answered prayer. Telling of the mercies of God.	Mt 9:32-34.
Five thousand miraculously fed	Giving God what you have. Sharing what is in your power to share. Expecting Him to provide.	Mt 14:13-21; Mr 6:31-44; Lu 9:10-17; John 6:5-14.
Jesus walks on the sea	Knowing God is God. We are not. Trusting on God to be righteous and our advocate.	Mt 14:22-33; Mr 6:45-52; John 6:15-21.
Syrophœnician's daughter healed	When God says no, to be humble and petition Him. Expect with prayer even small mercies. See, like David, if God will be willing to help more with gratitude of His favor.	Mt 15:21-28; Mr 7:24-30.
Deaf and dumb man healed	This miracle is a great indication of Personal Relationship with Jesus. Our Friend, Hero, Savior.  Be open to God.	Mr 7:31-37.
Four thousand fed	Seeing God puts His Hands into our Lives. Even the aroma of fish. That we might be fed. Our Father God.	Mt 15:32-39; Mr 8:1-9.
Blind man restored to sight	Walking with God by faith, unseeing of the path. Going a distance. Seeing modern medicine explained 2,000 years ago. A miracle for today's generation.	Mr 8:22-26.
Demoniac and lunatic boy healed	Long term prayers in extreme difficulty, sticking with faith. Asking God for more faith. Parenting even when it's difficult and embarrassing. Even when the ego would rather stay at home.	Mt 17:14-21; Mr 9:14-29; Lu 9:37-43.
Miraculous provision of tribute	When being ridiculed by a group, remaining faithful to God.	Mt 17:24-27.
The eyes of one born blind opened	Believing in spite of Trouble that God is for you and calls you as His own Child. Adversity is not your label.	John 9:1-41.
Woman, of eighteen years' infirmity, cured	Glorifying God when straightened out. It's a blessing to receive instruction from God.	Lu 13:10-17.
Dropsical man healed	Being set up not to win, in public, and still finding dignity in good.	Lu 14:1-6.
Ten lepers cleansed	Going past what is required, to be the one to find God. Retaining Gratitude.	Lu 17:11-19.
Lazarus raised to life	Going out to meet Jesus.	John 11:1-46.
Two blind beggars restored to sight	Imploring God for mercy in our unchangeable circumstance.	Mt 20:29-34; Mr 10:46-52; Lu 18:35-43.
Barren fig tree blighted	Asking God for fruit when we feel fruitless.	Mt 21:12, 13, 18, 19; Mr 11:12-24.
Buyers and sellers again cast out	Expect God to clean house.	Lu 19:45, 46.
Malchus' ear healed	In extreme circumstance, recall Jesus healed.	Mt 26:51-54; Mr 14:47-49; Lu 22:50, 51; John18:10,11.
Second draught of fishes	In total loss and finality, expect God to be there.	John 21:1-14.

Jesus didn't shrink from declaring His Kingship when he spoke to the Woman at the Well. 

Jesus told the Sanhedrin Council who He is.

Jesus did agree when the faithful found Him to be God.

Jesus, as God, Responds when people ask, seek, and knock. Usually, just as the life He gives us today - Jesus required people to feed, encourage, walk,  pray, be open to, reach higher, go further, be humble, dwell in Faith, Hope and Love.

We bring this into our homes, our honest conversations, any place we converse. This is where we truly are in Relationship to Him.

Father God, be my center. Let my life be for You, hold on to me and make me Your Child. Jesus, please, do this for the ones I love. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 16:13-20 ~ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 

14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it [the Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar ]. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Scriptures are multifaceted. They are historical, for today; also important in mere verses and the way the parables are structured together. We've already thought about Jesus' important decision to bring the disciples to Caesarea Philippi for this important declaration.

Let's think about Peter. The man Jesus chose to walk His journey with Him.



John 1:40-42 40  
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Peter is Not chosen because he had the good spiritual eyes to see Jesus for all that He is. And point out Jesus first.

We are God's family and we will embarrass Peter, for a moment, with all of our funny remembrances of him. (Like your mom telling your Jr High Prom date how cute you were in the bathtub as a baby.)

Matthew 14:28-30 The Message
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." 29-30 He said, "Come ahead." Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"



Matthew 15:14-16 New International Version
Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.


Matthew 16:22-23 The Message Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!" 23But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."


Matthew 19:27
Then Peter chimed in, "We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?"



What did our Jesus see in our Peter?

Mark 5:37
He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: "Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping."

Mark 9:2-4
Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.


Mark 8:29
He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter gave the answer: "You are the Christ, the Messiah."


John 6:67-69
After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"

68-69 Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God." 


We know God can see into our souls and see us at our best - perhaps Peter was chosen for the spiritual growth ahead. Being such a perfect leader....

Acts 2:14
That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight."

Acts 2:37
Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"


Acts 2:38
Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:13
They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
So what are we learning about Peter - with spiritual growth we are made perfect to face the lion's den??? So ... perfect we are God's mirror image?

Acts 12:9 
 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

Acts 10
And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean
Paul said about Peter...


Galatians 2:11-14
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
So what does Peter do with the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and what can we learn from Peter's life?

Acts 10:26 
 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

Peter was never perfect. He could not build a Church of God's to last 2,000 years. I was talking to a woman, today at Church, weeping because she has need for more tests for re-occurring cancer. Ashamed of crying for her fear, because it would not please Jesus. Jesus never loved Peter because he was perfect. Not once.

Hezekiah sure cried and cried & God wasn't upset with him for that.

Did Jesus love Peter? Yes - ! He died for Peter. Jesus always loved Peter for who God created him to be. Jesus tells us over and over. We do not save ourselves. Peter was like David - willing to walk on water for God, but when Peter got over his own self-righteousness - he still was willing to get into the water and swim to Jesus. Jesus thought eternity of David and Peter because they looked to Him, asked Him, loved Him. He loved them first.

What does God say about the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven???? I am sure it pleases the living man named Peter, Keeper of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. God says the 12 Gates of Heaven are always open.

Revelation 21:21-27
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. 

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 

and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Blessed are You. Lord God Almighty. Lord God of Hosts. Blessed be Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 22:22
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

1 Peter 5:7  
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 23:26-31 ~ people

Today in Jerusalem, below is a model of the 2nd Temple with a close-up of Solomon's Porch.







Luke 23:26-31

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio   
       

And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.              


   

         

We are 2 millenniums past Jesus giving us all of God's promises and changing Heaven forever.

And how often I pictured Jesus dying like "Godspell" with just a few sympathizers. Here we read, the truth, a great multitude of people Mourned for Jesus. These are the people in the Book of Acts who filled the Temple.  They are referred to as a multitude again.    

Acts 2:6       
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  

Acts 5:12 -15      
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.           

Joel 3:14 

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

People will forever disagree if the day is all at once, or like the people who come back from near death experiences - immediately. Time belongs to God. It is His invention. I suppose He can use time any way He wants. We, who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, will find out what time is all about in Heaven when we get there. 
 

What does the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, say about this time?   
   But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel ^{[2nd Chapter of Joel]}:  
 

before the day of the Lord comes,  the great and magnificent day.

 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’  
 

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD. Guide us and lead us in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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1 Chronicles 2 ~ Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, the sixth Ozem and the seventh David

Matthew 13:31-32
He put another parable before them, saying, 
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 

It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

1 Chronicles 2 ~


1 These were the sons of Israel:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

3 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death. 4 Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all.

5 The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.

6 The sons of Zerah:
Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda - five in all.

7 The son of Karmi:
Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things.

8 The son of Ethan:
Azariah.

9 The sons born to Hezron were:
Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb.


10 Ram was the father of
Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, 12 Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse.

13 Jesse was the father of
Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, 14 the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 15 the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. 17 Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.


18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel.

21 Later, Hezron, when he was sixty years old, married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead. He made love to her, and she bore him Segub. 22 Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. 23 (But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair,  as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements—sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.

24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.


25 The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron:
Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

27 The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel:
Maaz, Jamin and Eker.

28 The sons of Onam:
Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai:
Nadab and Abishur.

29 Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid.

30 The sons of Nadab:
Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

31 The son of Appaim:
Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan.
Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.

32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother:
Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.

33 The sons of Jonathan:
Peleth and Zaza.

These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

34 Sheshan had no sons—only daughters.
He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai.

36 Attai was the father of Nathan,
Nathan the father of Zabad,
37 Zabad the father of Ephlal,
Ephlal the father of Obed,
38 Obed the father of Jehu,
Jehu the father of Azariah,
39 Azariah the father of Helez,
Helez the father of Eleasah,
40 Eleasah the father of Sismai,
Sismai the father of Shallum,
41 Shallum the father of Jekamiah,
and Jekamiah the father of Elishama.

42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel:
Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah,  who was the father of Hebron.

43 The sons of Hebron:
Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.

46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

47 The sons of Jahdai:
Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph.

48 Caleb’s concubine Maakah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah and to Sheva the father of Makbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Aksah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah:
Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

52 The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were:
Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.

54 The descendants of Salma:
Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of scribes  who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the Rekabites

How can we turn dusty genealogy records into something we don't think of every day? How to connect the dots from 300 B.C. to 2019 A.D......

Well, it is the genealogy of the Son of God. So, Bonus. We are adopted into the family. Big Bonus, this is our family.

So how long did people dwell on these dusty tomes? Today. Even in this generation, the Family of David still gathers and has family reunions of the descendants of King David. Me? I'd love to get in on this.

And many of the births are recorded with the reality of broken families. The Scriptures are real. What was without all of the Blessings is seen by Father God and recorded as His.




What about the family of Mary? Luke tells us she is related to her cousin Elizabeth - a daughter of Aaron. The Sanhedrin portion of the Talmud was interested in Mary's family. Very interested. While Jesus is also called Naggar bar naggar - "The carpenter son of a carpenter", also Ben charsch etaim - "The son of a woodworker"; Mary is identified as being the daughter of Heli.





And who records Jesus' genealogy right away? 
Matthew. All of the Gospels are identified by author personality and its characteristic - let's think about Matthew and why he started out telling us about Jesus' family.

A.J. Saldarini summarizes Matthew as : "The Gospel of Matthew addresses a deviant group within the Jewish community, a reformist Jewish sect seeking influence and power (relatively unsuccessfully) within the Jewish community as a whole."

So... Levi was bad to the bone. 
(Levi's part of the tax collector group looking too loyal to Rome for Jewish standards, even though the Temple Priest choices were made by Herod/Roman Puppet King. Levi, now called Matthew, was trying something new. But still part of the opposite end sect making the Temple unhappy.) Why would this tax collector, Roman Emperor employee/thug, named Levi who, in redemption, became our sainted Matthew start telling us about a list of the establishment?

Dang it. Again. Those pesky, exclusive Christians at it again. Offering to include everyone. What?

Matthew 9:10
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.

While Matthew may have felt more comfortable with the racketeers & invited the upwardly mobile thugs to his party, he invites the establishment into his Gospel in the first chapter. He throws the door open to them. 

Why? Matthew believes Jesus includes all people. And Matthew remembers Jesus began His ministry to the Children of Israel. The earliest dated fragment of the Gospel of Matthew is 26 A.D to 70 A.D. By then, Matthew knew Christianity was moving out of Israel into Asia, Rome and Europe. Matthew begins like Jesus, he invites all and he starts with the Children of Israel.


Matthew 19:23
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."


Matthew 5:15-17
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.17 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.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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Genesis 49 ~ because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel

Jacob Blesses his Sons, painted by Dr. Harry Anderson

Genesis 49 ~    New International Version





Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down among the sheep pens.
15 When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.

16 “Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.

19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.

20 “Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
23 With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
24 But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, who blesses you
with blessings of the skies above,
blessings of the deep springs below,
blessings of the breast and womb.

26 Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
thanthe bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.


29 Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.




Jacob believed he was the descendant carrying Abraham's blessing. "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” He seems, to me, to be very positive as he wants to bless his children. This is not a man fading away, but relinquishing his spirit in gratitude and verve. The Blessings Thief, interestingly enough, wants all his 12 sons to be blessed.

 "God Gives You What you Need for Each Day, hang on to that." Jacob lived this.

Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
and/or King James Bible
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Jacob is telling us of his life remembrances ~ as a father, as a child of God, and as - Father God.

Jacob is gathering his life together - to go on. Look at this with me a unique way; not as a man with 11 children, but a lifetime of memories. 







Biblical illustrations by Balage Balogh

Reuben ~ recall with me, tried to save Joseph. In personality, Rueben stands out in Scripture, however Reuben has laid waste his relationship with his father over Jacob's concubine, Bilhah. Jacob and Bilhah had two sons, Dan and Naphtali. God is telling us sexual sin can cross boundaries and cause irreparable harm.

Simeon and Levi ~  have astonished Jacob with the ability to have supreme violence towards mankind and animals. How quickly humanity can destroy. Here is Jacob, called Israel, telling us families can have moments that stun and take the breathe away. We can see this two ways, a depressing event  or we can recall things in our family we would like to have improved, with merely a thought. Even God's chosen saints have these events.

Judah ~  The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, is of course, JESUS. And we are celebrating a birthday each year of God willing to come to us. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. We Rejoice in the Days God has blessed us. God is in His Heaven and all is right with the world. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. Palm Sunday Events. 

Zebulun ~ a haven. Life forces compel us like the Mighty Mississippi river. We rejoice in the times of haven, days stretching before us like sunlight on water.

Psalm 107:30
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven

Issachar ~ a work in progress, a work horse.

How good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land. In Ecclesiastes 5 we learn about this. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Dan ~  providing justice for his people. Dan's verse is inspiring, a man of valor. For the days of our lives when we have so much appreciation for being protected and spoken up for.

Proverbs 29:4
By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.

Matthew 5:25
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison."

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Gad ~ can be relied upon to give all that back.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Asher ~ is gifted. Don't we love to see the gifts our children have.


Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.

1 Corinthians 12:4
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

Deer lithograph by Samuel Howell

Naphtali ~ is a doe set free, that bears beautiful fawns. We are, obviously, treated to a moment in Jacob's memories of Naphtali's mercy. And the reward of seeing the unusual and appreciated fawns the next year.

Ephesians 2:4-6
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Benjamin  ~ Jacob's treasured son with his wife Rachael, this passage seems to suggest Benjamin is a yuppie with determination and skill.  As Benjamin's  life develops - he gives back blessings to others.

Ephesians 4:13
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Of all the gifts we could possibly give our children, what we would provide for them......

Joseph~ here we reach the crux of this passage. Forgiveness. Trust. Blessings.  Jacob, Israel, wrestler of blessings, believed Joseph was killed by a wild animal. His sons are never recorded asking for forgiveness. And yet, importantly, Jacob wishes to bless his sons. An example of Father God.

Jacob had a life with misery, upon occasion, with difficult events - yet he Believes himself to be the bearer of Almighty God's blessing. Jacob has joy in discovering, God has raised his beloved son. What has Jacob enjoyed about learning about Joseph, the man? 




 
But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

because of your father’s God,

who helps you,
because of the Almighty,

who blesses you
with blessings


Let these blessings bless all my family, I pray, Father God in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves +

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