Daily Dose of Hope

July 23, 2025

Scripture – Matthew 27:57-66

Prayer:  Holy God, You are a God of order and a God of purpose.  The world may seem chaotic, but you are not.  You have ordered your world with perfection.  Help us trust you.  Lord, fill us with your perfect peace.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Wednesday so that means Recharge night.  I hope to see you at 6:30pm in the Garage for a time of worship, fellowship, prayer, and small groups.

In our reading today, we finish up Matthew 27, which includes putting Jesus’ body in the tomb and the Romans securing and sealing the tomb.  There isn’t a lot here to cover, so I would encourage you to take your extra time from today and just spend some time with Jesus in prayer.  I think the Passion narrative is difficult to take in.  I know it’s a story we have heard a lot, but when we really focus on the details, it’s both distressing and extraordinary at the same time.  What do all these different elements mean to you? 

Let’s finish up today’s chapter.  A wealthy man and member of the Jewish ruling council, Joseph of Arimathea, requests Jesus’ body from Pilate, who orders it to be given over to him.  Joseph wraps the body in burial cloth and places it in a new tomb, one he had just purchased.  At this point, everything feels very heavy.  And the women are there watching it all. 

I don’t want us to miss the significance of this.  Joseph has gone to great risk and expense to make sure Jesus’ body is cared for with respect.  Now, everyone will know he is believer of Jesus.  There is no keeping anything secret at this point.  Joseph is also making himself ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body right before the Sabbath.  Finally, Joseph is fulfilling prophecy from Isaiah, spoken 700 years before Jesus.  “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Isaiah 53:9).

The chapter ends with Pilate making sure the tomb is very secure.  It’s interesting that they recall Jesus’ words about rising again.  The disciples seem to have forgotten this but the Romans remember it clearly.  They post a guard in front of the tomb and seal it.  They want to ensure that no one can steal the body. 

I love how God basically took care of every detail here.  More tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 22, 2025

Scripture - Matthew 27:32-56

Prayer:  Holy and Perfect God, Thank you for your divine plan.  Thank you for not giving up on your people and sending Jesus.  Your love and care for us is hard to comprehend.  Help us be a better reflection of your love in all we do.  Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are diving into part two of Matthew 27, which includes the crucifixion and the death of Jesus.

Let’s start with the crucifixion.  Matthew has a lot of detail.  We meet Simon of Cyrene who was forced to carry Jesus’ cross.  While Simon certainly had no choice in the matter, I’m guessing his life was never the same after that.  He had carried the cross for the Savior of the world.  Jesus is offered wine with gall (which was very bitter and possibly offered to dull pain) but he tastes it and then refuses it.  His clothes are divided among the soldiers.  A sign is placed above him that says, “King of the Jews.”  And then there are all the insults hurled at him, from passers-by but also from those crucified next to him.  So much humiliation.

However, for those who witness Jesus’ actual death, it is life-changing.  The sky gets dark and Jesus cries out the first line of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At the time, people would reference a psalm by stating the first line and the rest of the psalm would be assumed.  Psalm 22 was written by David, and it’s a psalm that expresses abandonment and despair in the face of sorrow. 

But this leads to some questions.  Did Jesus really feel abandoned by God at that moment on the cross?  I mentioned this in when we discussed Mark 15 and I think it’s important to emphasize again. By quoting Psalm 22, Jesus is actually expressing confidence in the face of suffering.  He is trusting that God will ultimately deliver him. We gain confidence in this interpretation because it is faithful to our understanding of the Trinity as inseparable - one part of the Godhead can’t abandon another part of the Godhead.  There is also a distinct union of Jesus’ divine and human natures.  All of this comes together on the cross.  Let’s read Psalm 22, verses 1-8...

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me,    so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,    by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;    you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust;    they trusted and you delivered them.5 To you they cried out and were saved;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,    scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;    they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,    “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him,    since he delights in him.”

And as the psalm continues (it is a bit long to real in full here), we see how the psalmist begins to express trust in the Lord and praise his name.  He knows that God will deliver him.  The bottom line seems to be that on the cross, Jesus bore the weight of our sin as the Son of God, but the Father did not literally abandon him, as that would divide the Trinity and undermine Christ’s saving work.  Jesus knew that God would deliver him but also provide a way to deliver the whole world. 

Right before Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle. This is the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holiest of Holies) where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God remained. When the curtain tore, it was a sign that the New Covenant was instituted. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice (the final sacrifice for sin), those who believe in him can now go directly to the throne of God’s grace. When holy God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sinfulness but the blood of Christ. Thus, there are no more barriers that can separate us from God.  Hebrews 10 refers to this incredible phenomena...

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22

Matthew also adds that when Jesus died, the earth also shook and that some who were already dead were brought back to life. The centurion who was guarding the tomb declared that this man, Jesus, must have been the Son of God.

There are two questions that are important to answer when discussing today’s topic: Why was Jesus killed? and then, Why did Jesus die? They are both critical questions and the answers are different. I’m going to keep this brief but I want to at least address this. 

Why was Jesus killed?  Well, a number of groups colluded to kill him.  First, Jesus was killed because the Jewish leaders felt threatened by him.  They feared him.  He threatened all they thought was right and they were unwilling to open their minds to God doing something differently.  They refused to believe that he was the Messiah, or we could say he wasn’t the kind of Messiah that they were expecting.  And they didn’t like the way he had the support of the common people.  But let’s be clear, Jesus was also killed because his crucifixion was a political act by the Romans.  They didn’t want anyone out there claiming to be king of the Jews.  They wanted to ensure that the only one with authority was the Roman government.

Now, why did Jesus die?  That’s a whole different question.  Jesus died so that we could be cleansed of sin and walk intimately with a holy God.  Jesus, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, became the final sacrifice for all sin for all time.  Ever since the fall, God had been on a mission to redeem the world.  The Law was part of that but the people could not keep the Law.  What the Law did was demonstrate how broken, flawed, and sinful us humans really are.  Something much more drastic was needed.  So, God sent Jesus. 

Jesus was God with flesh on.  When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, that means that he was the second person of the Trinity, God himself.  He came to earth to live among us and demonstrate to us a new way of doing life, one in which God reigns as King.  Everything Jesus did – his whole life as well as his death and resurrection, was intended to demonstrate the fundamental values of God’s Kingdom.  Of course, one of those values was love.  Jesus was and is love.  We see this on the cross.  We’ve read about all the human actions that led to the cross but this was God’s divine plan.  Jesus knew it had to happen.  Jesus knew this was the only way.  So he went voluntarily to the cross.  He was God and he could have called a legion of angels down to save him.  But he didn’t.  He went through with all the humiliation and torture.  For us.  For all of us.  He died for us.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 21, 2025

Scripture – Matthew 27:1-31

Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you this morning, rejoicing in your powerful and holy name.  You are everything, Lord – Creator, Sustainer, Provider, the one who sees, the one who is most high, Mighty, Everlasting.  There are times that we are overwhelmed by your love and care.  How could the one who created all, also care about me?  God, we give you glory.  We are so grateful for how you involve yourself in our lives.  Most of all, we thank you for Jesus.  Oh, Lord Jesus, we give you glory, honor, and praise.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Monday. Today, we are starting Matthew 27.  This is another long chapter that is filled with a lot of substance so we will once again take three days to walk through it.

Today’s narrative about Judas’ suicide is found only in Matthew. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. I’m not sure what Judas thought would happen when he accepted the bribe. Maybe Jewish independence? Maybe some extra favors? Maybe some sense of satisfaction? But when Judas actually sees that Jesus is arrested and condemned, a man he knew was totally innocent, Judas is filled with remorse. He sees the consequences of his decision.

In his anguish, Judas brings the silver back to the religious leaders. Maybe he was looking for some kind of reassurance or guidance but they gave him none. They were, after all, simply using him to get what they wanted. When Judas realizes this, he appears to be consumed by both remorse and anger and hurls the silver into the temple. It’s then that he kills himself. It seems that Judas was overcome with remorse.

If you think about it, remorse produces extreme sorrow and grief. The goal is that remorse will lead to repentance and life change. This happened for Peter. He denied Jesus three times, a very significant betrayal. He must have felt incredible sorrow after what he did but he didn’t stay there. He allowed God to move him to repentance. But Judas, for whatever reason, could not get past the grief. Maybe he was overcome with fear about what his life would be like when people discovered it was him. Maybe he didn’t think he would be forgiven or he thought he would lose social position. Whatever it was, he couldn’t get past it.

Friends, I don’t know what you are dealing with right now, but there is ALWAYS hope. Things can be really, really bad. Life can feel totally dark. But God is light. With God, there is always hope for a better day. For some reason, Judas didn’t think so but he was wrong. Jesus would have forgiven him and loved him, just as he did Peter.

Jesus loves you. Jesus will always forgive you. Your life is valuable. If you ever get to the point where the darkness feels all-consuming, reach out immediately. Reach out to me or to a friend. And don’t forget that God is always there, just waiting, ready to listen and comfort. You are never alone.

In the next portion of today’s chapter, we have Jesus going before Pilate.  Pilate was a Roman, the governor of Judea who was serving under Emperor Tiberias.  While Pilate has been mentioned outside of the Gospels by several secular writings of the time, he is certainly best known for his role in Jesus’ crucifixion.  Let’s dive into that.

In Matthew’s Gospel, we get the impression that Pilate is reluctantly asking Jesus questions.  He doesn’t feel that Jesus is guilty of anything and this is weighing on Pilate.  Then, his wife sends him an urgent message, begging Pilate to ensure that nothing is done “to this innocent man” for she had suffered a great deal in a dream because of Jesus.

Pilate ends up seeking a compromise. Knowing Jesus had been handed over by the religious leaders out of envy and spite, Pilate appealed to the crowds at the Passover, asking which “criminal” should be set free, Jesus or Barabbas? Seeing Jesus as innocent, it appears that Pilate believes that surely the people will choose Jesus over the murderous zealot, Barabbas.  But they don’t.  The Jewish leaders convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released rather than Jesus. 

Pilate gives in to political pressure.  He knows Jesus is innocent.  Pilate, exasperated, declares that he is “innocent” of Jesus’ blood but then he hands Jesus over to be flogged and crucified.  He did what was easy, not what was right.  And Pilate will be forever remembered as a leader who chose the expedient route, rather than the one with integrity.  He is immortalized in the Apostles’ Creed and remembered by Christians around the globe when we say that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate.”

The final portion of today’s Scripture has the Roman soldiers mocking Jesus.  This was one more form of punishment and humiliation before the ultimate torture instrument of the cross. 

More tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 18, 2025

Scripture – Matthew 26:47-75

Prayer:  Almighty God, We thank you for this week.  As we go over the days of this past week, give us insight into what we did well and where we fell short.  How did we deny you?  How did we glorify you?  Lord, we truly want to reflect you in everything we do.  Give me self-awareness, Lord.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, we are hungry to hear your voice.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up Matthew 26.  We’ll discuss Jesus’ arrest in the garden, his time before the high priest, and Peter’s denial.

Let’s start with the arrest itself.  The Jewish leaders sent an armed crowd to arrest Jesus.  Maybe they were expecting resistance from the disciples.  One thing is certain – they needed to come at night and quietly.  They knew that if they tried to arrest Jesus during the day as he was walking among the crowds, that there would be a riot.  They needed an insider though to help them access Jesus privately.  They found one in Judas.

Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, literally.  Jesus seemed to be expecting him.  He knew what was about to occur.  Again, I wonder what is going on in Judas’ mind at the time.  Does he hesitate at all?  Is he so angry and resolute because Jesus wasn’t the Messiah he hoped him to be?  Is he just overcome with evil? 

The Scripture said that one of Jesus’ companions cut the soldier’s ear off.  We know from other Gospels that it was indeed Peter who did so.  Jesus wasn’t happy about that.  He makes this interesting statement about how the things that were prophesied must take place.  Jesus knows.  All of this is necessary, for our sake that is.

Jesus goes before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.  Caiaphas, the high priest, interrogates Jesus.  They are actually in Caiaphas’ home as they do this.  It certainly feels suspicious and secret.  They were looking for something for which to charge Jesus.  They feel so threatened by him.  False witnesses come forward, and Jesus is silent.  Finally, when asked if he is the Messiah, Jesus responds.  But he makes it clear he isn’t just a human Messiah sent by God to set up an earthly Kingdom and free the Jews.  Actually, he is divine.  And Jesus tells them that he will be seated on God’s right hand and will come back to earth on the clouds of heaven in judgment.  He is the rightful king now and in the future.  He is God and he will be on the throne.

Well, that does it.  The high priest can’t believe his ears.  He tears his clothes and calls out blasphemy.  The council decides that Jesus is worthy of death.  Of course, as they do all of this, they have no idea that prophecy is being fulfilled.  They have no idea that they are part of a grander plan that God orchestrated long ago.  They are clueless.  But God will achieve his purposes and he will use whoever he needs to use.

The final portion of the chapter has to do with Peter’s denial.  The man who said he would rather die than deny Jesus is now denying him three times.  And he denies him adamantly.  He doesn’t go hide somewhere.  He stands in obvious locations, allowing himself to be called out, and he vehemently denies knowing Jesus. 

One thing that is great about Scripture is that it doesn’t hide people’s sins.  Here is Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, and he denies Jesus three times.  He is scared.  He is embarrassed and scared of being ridiculed.  He is lacking in faith.  And while the chapter ends here, there is a lot more to Peter’s story.  Just like there is a lot more to our story.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 17, 2025

Scripture – Matthew 26:17-46

Prayer:  Almighty Father, You always know what is best for us.  Thank you for that.  We are sorry for the ways that we resist.  Help us to want what you want for us.  Help us to want to be patient, to want to be kind, to want to be obedient.  Conform our will, Lord,  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are looking at part two of three parts in Matthew 26.  This is a chapter with lots of substance!

Today’s passage includes what we would describe as “The Lord’s Supper.”  These are many of the words we say when we share Holy Communion together as a church.

Let’s dig into this text.  Jesus has prepared for the disciples to celebrate Passover together.  All the necessary arrangements have been made.  The fact that Jesus is celebrating with his disciples and not his biological family is significant.  It shows his solidarity with these men. 

But Jesus knows the solidarity won’t last forever.  He prepares this group for one of them to betray him.  None of them believe that they would actually do it.  “You don’t mean me, do you?” they all ask, even Judas.  I wonder what Judas is thinking at that moment.  We know he has already betrayed Jesus.  He is a liar and a backstabber and he must have convinced himself that it was the right thing to do.  How often do we convince ourselves that sin is okay, that it is justified? 

Passover, or the Festival of Unleavened Bread, is one of the most important Jewish celebrations.  It celebrates the Hebrew victory over Egyptian tyranny.  The Jews were freed from slavery under Pharoah.  At the time, there would have been the additional sub-text of deliverance from Roman oppression as well. 

Jesus takes the Passover meal and redefines it for his followers.  Jesus takes the bread and identifies it as his body.  Obviously, it wasn’t his literal body, as Jesus was speaker of the statement.  But it represents something very substantial.  Jesus is about to be crucified by the Romans, at the hands of the Jewish leaders.  In doing so, he will be the final sacrifice for sin for all time. 

He then takes the cup and declares that the wine is His blood of the new covenant, poured out for the forgiveness sins of the world.  Jesus is ushering in the New Covenant.  He is the New Covenant.  The Old Covenant is being fulfilled by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  Can you imagine how confused the disciples are when he says this?  This isn’t the typical liturgy of the Passover.  What is Jesus saying about his body and blood?  Remember, while Jesus has warned them of his upcoming death, they still don’t quite believe it or understand it. 

Let’s talk about Holy Communion for just a moment.  In the Lord’s Supper, the faith community, current day followers, come together to experience the grace of Jesus Christ on a regular basis.  There are some traditions that read the words in Matthew 26 and believe in transubstantiation, meaning that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.  We don’t believe that in Methodism.  However, we do believe that the Holy Spirit is present and at work as we receive communion. It is not just an act of remembrance, but truly a means of grace in which we are able to experience Jesus in a way that is real but also somewhat mysterious. It is a tangible way to experience an inward grace.

Methodists (of all streams) believe that in Communion, the Holy Spirit brings Christ to us, expressing the grace and love of God toward us through the means of bread and wine. In fact, John Wesley described communion as “the grand channel whereby the grace of his Spirit was conveyed to the souls of the children of God.” Through the Lord’s Supper, we can expect to experience Jesus' love, forgiveness, healing, holiness, presence, and even a foretaste of heaven. Because of this, Wesley encouraged Methodists to experience Holy Communion weekly if not more, as it provides “nourishment for the soul.”

One of the beautiful things about our theology is that we have an open table. Wesley viewed Holy Communion as “a converting ordinance,” through which the Spirit can lead an individual to faith in Jesus Christ. Because of our emphasis on prevenient grace, we trust that God has already been at work in the life of each person, continuously wooing them closer to Christ. Thus, in the Lord’s Supper, you don’t have to be a member of any church but simply respond to Christ’s invitation-he invites those who love him, who seek him, and who repent of their sins. 

For those who have not yet received salvation, we believe that the Holy Spirit can work through the act of communion to transform their heart in such a way they are ready to say yes to Jesus. In this sense, Holy Communion can be an act of justifying grace. For those who are already in the community of faith, Holy Communion tends to be an act of sanctifying grace, as it nurtures believers, points them back toward grace, and helps them grow and move forward in their faith journey.

Our reading for today also has Jesus predicting Peter’s denial.  I have always found this so fascinating.  Peter was convinced that he would never turn his back on Jesus.  He says that he will die before renouncing Jesus.  And it is only a few short hours later that Peter denies Jesus not once, not twice, but three times.  How quickly can sin and temptation enter our hearts and minds!  When push came to shove, Peter let fear take over. 

As we discussed in Mark, it’s wonderful to see how fearful, self-protecting Peter becomes bold, confident Peter after the coming of the Holy Spirit. On our own, we will falter.  With the power of God in us, we can change and do hard things.

Lastly, the poor disciples cannot stay awake.  They’ve had a lot of wine and food at the Passover meal.  Jesus has them praying and they just can’t keep their eyes open.  The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

It’s also here that Jesus submits himself to the Father.  The human part of him would like the whole ordeal to not happen.  But he knows that it must.  It will be the most important event in the history of the world.  Nothing will ever be as significant.  The course of human history is about to change.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 16, 2025

Scripture – Matthew 26:1-16

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We are so amazingly grateful for your grace and love.  Forgive us for the many times when we fall short, when we betray you, when we fail to be loving or faithful.  We want to grow stronger, Lord, but we can only do so through your power.  Lord, help us hear your voice.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers... In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is Wednesday so it’s Recharge day!  Yay!  Join us at 6:30pm in the Garage for fellowship, worship, prayer, and small community. 

Today, we are starting Matthew 26.  This chapter is the beginning of the passion narrative. These chapters will start getting longer and they are certainly worth reading carefully. We start the chapter with Jesus once again announcing that he will be arrested and killed.  At the very same time, the Pharisees and the high priest are plotting his death. Matthew has done a good job here showing us that while the Pharisees think they are being sneaky, Jesus has been in the know the whole time.  He is God and he knows what to expect.

Immediately after, we find Jesus being anointed for burial but certainly not in the typical way. It would have been fairly normal, in first century Jewish society, to anoint a guest with oil when they came to your home for a meal or gathering. It was an act of respect. The host would typically use an inexpensive oil but in this narrative, we find the woman (other Gospels name her as Mary) uses a highly valued perfume. She obviously saw Jesus as a very, very special guest worthy of only the best. Remember, the word messiah means “anointed one” so there is symbolism going on here too.

The woman’s act of devotion is lost on the disciples. They are rude and indignant. “Why this waste?” they ask. Giving the disciples the benefit of the doubt, we have to remember that they were very poor men .It also gave them a chance to sound pious, “This should have been given to the poor!” But Jesus knew all about the poor; he had been caring for the poorest of the poor throughout his ministry. The disciples weren’t telling him anything he didn’t already know.

But there is something going on here that goes much deeper than the disciples can even fathom. Jesus rebukes the men and says that what she did for him was beautiful; she was preparing him for burial. Of course, this is lost on them too. While it’s possible that Mary had some insight into the danger that lie ahead for Jesus, it’s clear that the disciples still do not understand what is to come. Mary’s act was one of honor and devotion. Rather than being practical, she was extravagant toward her Lord and Savior.

How often do we act extravagantly toward Jesus OR are we more likely to simply be practical?

Our reading for today ends with Judas making the decision to betray Jesus.  Most likely, his mind was made already but here we see him finish the deal – he sells Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver.  I thought this might be a good time to do a deep dive into Judas himself, but what I learned is there are very few, if any, reliable sources that describe the life of Judas (there are plenty of fictional or questionable sources).  Besides his betrayal of Jesus and subsequent suicide, we don’t know much about the man himself. 

But we know that betrayal doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  It got me thinking.  Was there a time when Judas genuinely wanted to follow Jesus?  At what point did he allow greed, selfishness, and evil, to take over?  What role did Satan play?  Was there a time when he had second thoughts? 

At times, we are all Judas.  We have all betrayed Jesus, whether we like to admit it or not. 

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 15, 2025

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Prayer:  Lord God Almighty, You have given us everything.  Not only did you create the world, but you created us.  Everything we have is a gift from you.  Forgive us for when we begin to think that things are “ours.”  Soften our hearts.  Help us become more generous.  Lord, I give you my whole self.  I want to offer myself as a living sacrifice; may I be pleasing in your sight.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are finishing up Matthew 25.

We closed up our devotional yesterday by talking about the importance of earning a spiritual profit for the Kingdom.  If you recall, we read the parable of the bags of gold, also called the parable of the talents, and we talked about how God expects us to be diligent with the resources he provides us.  Afterall, everything we have is from God and he expects us to use our finances, gifts, and skills, to expand his Kingdom, to earn a spiritual profit. 

But what does that look like in a very practical way?  Well, the rest of Matthew 25 gives us a picture of how God expects us to use our resources – our time, our money, our talents, and our skills.  It’s the text about Jesus separating the sheep and the goats. 

There are a lot of thngs about this parable that are worth mentioning.  First, Jesus is clear that the Son of Man, that would be him, will be coming in glory to judge the nations or all the people.  Some people say that Jesus will not return and others say he will not judge.  Actually, he himself says he will do both.  I think it is clear throughout the Gospels but it is also very clear right here.

What are the criteria for judgement?  It’s pretty clear.  Jesus has already spoken about how he came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20).  Thus, he expects us also to serve the least of these.  But we have to be very careful here.  Salvation, as we know, is a free gift that comes through faith in Jesus alone.  We have to not turn this into a lesson in works-righteousness.  The Kingdom is a gift.  Think about it.  Those who are deemed righteous in this text don’t even know what they have done.  They are like, “Lord, but when did we see you hungry?”  They haven’t been out there trying to earn salvation.  They have just been overflowing with the love of Jesus, doing what should come naturally to a person who follows Jesus.  Their actions are evidence that they have a relationship with a loving, compassionate, merciful God. 

Scripture definitely demonstrates that Jesus strongly identifies with the poor and oppressed. Whenever we use our resources and talents to help alleviate the suffering of the poor or oppressed, then it is like we are doing it for Jesus.  But we really have to examine our hearts.  Are we trying to earn spiritual merit badges?  Are we serving out of obligation?  Are we serving or giving to feed our ego?  OR...are we serving and giving as an outpouring of the love, grace, and mercy that Jesus has shown us.  Yes, God expects us to use our resources well.  He expects us the earn a spiritual profit for the Kingdom.  But if doing so leads us to resentment and bitterness, then we have to look deep in our soul.  God loves a cheerful giver.  God wants us to want to serve him.

I guess this would be a good time to stop and just allow all of us to spend time in prayer.  First, are we working to earn a profit for the Kingdom?  If not, why?  And then, where is our heart in all of this???  Do we feel joy in serving and giving?  What is our motivation?  Let’s just talk to Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 14, 2025

Scripture - Matthew 25:1-30

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Help us be productive members of your Kingdom.  I know we fall short.  I know we mess up.  Call us, let us hear your voice, and we will respond.  We will say yes.  Give us the courage and boldness to be the people you called us to be.  We love you, Lord.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope on this 14th of July, 2025.  How in the world is it already the middle of July?  Our lives move fast.  Anyway, this is a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts and today, we are diving into the first half of Matthew 25. 

This chapter is a series of parables, again describing different aspects of the Kingdom of God.  This first parable, though, needs to be interpreted from an eschatological perspective, meaning when Jesus returns in final victory to judge the living and the dead.  The parable of the virgins (some translations say bridesmaids) is somewhat of a continuation of the last chapter where we discuss the wise and evil servants.  There are ten virgins who are waiting for the bridegroom, but he is delayed.  Only half of the virgins bring additional oil for their lamps.  You can see where this is going.  All ten virgins fall asleep while waiting.  Then, they are awakened, learning that their man is about to arrive. Half of the virgins, the foolish ones, cannot light their lamps.  They ask their wiser sister to share their oil but that’s a no-go.  The wise virgins recommend that those without oil go buy some more.  Ultimately, the wise virgins are ready when the bridegroom arrives.  When the foolish virgins return, after finding the only 24/7 oil store in the area apparently, they aren’t allowed into the wedding.  They even cry out but the door is not opened.  The bridegroom denies even knowing them.  Ouch.

Every virgin fell asleep.  But only half were prepared with oil.  Thus, we can see that the focus here is on being ready, even when there is a delay.  As I dug into the scholarly discourse on this parable, it seems the most common interpretation is that having oil, being prepared, means more than simply saying yes to Jesus.  That is obviously important.  But while we wait for Jesus’ return, we are called to do his work.  While waiting, we aren’t supposed to be idle but to be actively working to expand the Kingdom, doing acting of love and mercy, sharing the Gospel, and pointing others to Jesus.  This is not just about getting ourselves ready but getting others ready as well.  Don’t be caught without your oil.

This is followed by the parable of the bags of gold.  Other translations call this the parable of talents.  Again, it offers us another glimpse into the Kingdom of God.  But before we talk about this parable, we have to have a basic understanding of what life was like during the time of Jesus.  Remember, the people Jesus was speaking to were living in the Roman Empire, and there was a huge disparity between rich and poor. There were wealthy landowners and tax officers, there was a very small middle class, usually tradesmen of some kind, but the overwhelming majority of people were poor. Many were small tenant farmers or day laborers. Its estimated that the unemployment rate may have been as high as 70%. Even if you had a job, it was typically low-paying and you made just enough to buy food for that day. Unless you were rich, there wasn’t disposable income. People were literally starving to death, not too unlike some Third World countries today.

Because of this, people who were very poor would sometimes sell themselves and their families into slavery. It’s estimated that 30% of people living in the Roman Empire at that time were slaves. For some, it was the only way they might consistently have food. Life was just that hard. People would also sell themselves into slavery if they had debt. Under Roman occupation, the tax burden was incredibly oppressive and unjust, particularly for small tenant farmers. People would accumulate debt if they couldn’t pay their taxes. If you had a debt and didn’t pay, then you were thrown in jail. Obviously, you couldn’t pay your debt in jail, nor could you work, and then your family would starve to death. So, sometimes people would sell themselves into slavery as a bondservant so their debt could get paid. Their master, or owner, would pay their debt and then they would owe them a certain number of years of service to pay off that debt.

Even though that isn’t necessarily the same way we envision slavery today, the fact was, in this parable, the Master did own the servants. Now remember, he had entrusted them with some talents. A talent was actually a measure of weight rather than an amount of money. It was approximately 130 lbs. so whether or not it was a talent of silver or gold, it would have been very valuable. Even one talent of silver would have been more than an average person would have made in a year. I read several places that one talent in today’s money would be roughly one million dollars. This Master had entrusted one servant with 5 talents, one with 2, and another with 1, a significant sum. The talents and the servants belonged to the Master and the crowd that Jesus was speaking to would have known that.

Okay, so what is the point of all of this?  Well, the first point is that ALL of us belong to God. He is our master. Our physical body belongs to God. All that we own-our money, our home, our possessions, they all belong to God. We may think we are in control but really we do not exist independently from God.  We may think that we own our stuff, our financial portfolio, our car, but really we are just the managers of it. Ecclesiastes 5:15, “Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.” Another version says, “You can’t take your riches with you.”

Now some of you may really struggle with this concept OR you may agree with it theoretically but it isn’t a practical reality for you. In fact, right now you might be thinking, but I’m the one who earned this money. I’m the one who made this sacrifice or earned this degree or did this or that to have a nice salary, to buy a home, to purchase a nice vehicle. You might be thinking that really, “I did this on my own.” But Deut. 8:17 says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me,’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth...” Despite how economically self-sufficient we think we are, God created us and it is God who gives us the ability to work, the ability to earn money, the ability to provide a living for our families...all we have is his; we are not independent from him.

Another important concept we learn from this parable is that God created us with the intention that we would use our money, our resources, and our talents and skills to produce a profit for him, a spiritual profit. Think about the parable. The master gives the first servant five talents and he doubles his money. The second servant was given two talents and he doubles his money and then the third one basically just hid his head in the sand and hoped the whole thing would go away. The master then says to him, “You wicked and lazy servant.” He had really harsh words for him.

At first glance, we might be taken aback by such hard words but think about it, the master bought these bondservants or slaves to make a profit for him. He would never have bought them if he thought they would make him lose money. Their purpose was to earn a profit for the master. Let’s bring it back to us...God expects to see a profit from us. He isn’t harsh. He doesn’t require that we do the impossible–he has given us abundant resources–and he has called us, he requires us to use our God-given talents and resources to produce a spiritual profit for God, for His Kingdom. 

One of my seminary professors used to say, “We don’t serve a mush God.” Our God is not all mushy love, rainbows, and unicorns. Yes, he is loving but he still has expectations for us. There are standards, there is accountability. And this is one of those areas...he doesn’t expect us just to sit and soak up all the love and wonderfulness of faith. He actually expects us to do something about it, to earn a spiritual profit. And he is serious about it.

What does this look like for us?  That, we will talk about tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 11, 2025

Scripture - Matthew 24:36-51

Prayer:  Almighty God, We thank you for a new day and we praise your perfect name.  We are grateful that your mercies are new every single morning.  Help us see you in this day.  Help us recognize your voice.  Lord, help us reflect you today in our words.  Help us reflect you in our behavior.  Help us remember who and whose we are.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  I apologize for this devotional being late.  My rhythm got knocked off a bit with Vacation Bible School.  It was absolutely wonderful and exhausting in a good way.  We had just over 200 kids and roughly 65 volunteers.  Please continue to be in prayer for every child and every family – may those who don’t know Jesus grow closer to knowing him and may those who don’t have a church home come join us at New Hope.

Today, we are finishing up Matthew 24.  This is really a continuation of the discussion in the first portion of the chapter.  Jesus is saying that the time and hour he will return are not known.  And we are not supposed to be guessing and predicting.  We are simply told to be ready.

Certain groups of Christians have focused a great deal on the coming judgment and the end times. I think what we find in this chapter is that there is more that we don’t know than what we do know. For thousands of years, people have predicted Jesus’ return and the coming judgment and each and every time, they were wrong. I’m always a bit skeptical of anyone who makes predictions like these. I mean, the Scripture says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” If Jesus doesn’t know, then why should we?

Keep watch. Be ready. We don’t need to worry about the coming judgment because we know Jesus. But we do need to be actively living as a follower. We need to be sharing the Good News with others. We need to be genuine, loving, and truthful in how we do life. Do your neighbors know that you love Jesus? Do your coworkers know that you follow Jesus? Is your faith obvious and real? Why or why not? Let’s take this Scripture seriously, friends.

The chapter ends with a parable about a faithful and unfaithful servant.  Jesus says that blessed is the servant whose master finds him working diligently when he arrives.  That servant will be put in charge of many possessions.  But the unfaithful servant is the one who assumes his master is delayed so he mistreats his fellow servants and drinks instead of working.  When the master arrives home unexpectantly, the servant will be cut into pieces and thrown in with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Well, that sounds pretty terrible.

What is the meaning of the parable?  Basically, Jesus is saying that our actions, our behavior, shows what we truly believe.  If we believe in Jesus, then we obey him and choose to do the right thing.  We live a faithful life, ready for when he will return.  If we don’t obey and don’t live faithfully, it’s like saying we don’t believe.   Don’t deny God with your actions.  Know God and be ready for his return at any time. 

Are you ready?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

July 10, 2025

Scripture - Matthew 24:1-35

Prayer:  Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!  We magnify your precious and powerful name.  How often we forget how mighty you are.  You created all.  You created us.  Thank you, Lord, for who you are.  Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness.  In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you.  We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion.  Help us see others through your eyes.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.

Today, we start Matthew 24.

We start with this interesting discourse about the Temple.  Jesus has taken awhile to get to this point.  He has given plenty of warnings as to what is going to happen.  But the disciples just can’t let it go; it’s all a lot for them to understand at this point.  They draw attention to the size and grandeur of the Temple buildings.  Even though they were from Galilee, most of these men would have seen the Temple before.  They were required to attend multiple festivals each year at the Temple in Jerusalem.  But they continue to be enamored by the Temple.  And it was a beautiful sight.  Psalm 84:1 reads, How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!

Thus, when Jesus tells them that the Temple will all be knocked down, they don’t know what to make of it.  They want to know all the nitty gritty details. 

What’s interesting about this is that Rome destroys the Temple roughly forty years after Jesus said this.  This would be an ugly season in Jerusalem’s history, with lots of persecution and oppression.  Is this what Jesus is referring to in nation rising against nation, famines, earthquakes, and so forth?  Scholars don’t all agree but I think it’s safe to say yes and no.  Yes, the Roman armies destroying Jerusalem in AD 70 was pretty horrific.  Much of the population was starved and/or eventually massacred.

But there is more to this.  This is more than just a “in the near future” scenario. It’s also likely that Jesus is referring to the end of times and when he will return to judge all people.  We certainly have images of Jesus returning on the clouds with the loud trumpet call; this echoes prophecy in Daniel.  Look at verses 30 and 31, Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

And up until this point, Jesus has often alluded to this.  He never tells people to be scared or worried, just to be ready.  As believers, we have nothing to fear.  We belong to Jesus.  Just be ready.  But there is still an urgency to this – how seriously do we take this?  Are we busy doing God’s business, which includes leading people to Jesus?  Is sharing the story of Jesus a regular part of who we are as believers?  If not, why?  Do you believe that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead?  These are serious questions that every single one of us has to reckon with. 

One other thing to mention about this passage.  At this point, the disciples still don’t understand that God’s presence now dwells in the person of Jesus Christ.  From their perspective, the Temple still holds the presence of God.  But the Good News of Jesus is that God’s presence is no longer in a building but in Jesus.  God is Jesus and Jesus is God.

If that isn’t enough to blow your mind, consider that the presence of God is now also in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Where does the Holy Spirit dwell?  Well, in us as believers!  So that means that the presence of God is in Jesus’ church, his people. 

That being said, are we living and acting like the presence of the Living God is in us?  I’ll be honest; I always find this question so convicting.  Think about your day.  Think about what you said and did.  Was there anything that you would change if you could, thinking about how you represent the Living God?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki