In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), the worldview of those who reject God is on full display. 

LET’S DIVE INTO TODAY’S READING!

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), Jesus heals three people in order to expose others’ faith and unbelief. He sends His disciples out as workers in the fields of harvest, preparing them for the kind of work that must be done.

Jesus’ disciples are called to the same work Jesus has been doing, but it is not a glamorous job.

However, God has prepared the work before the foundations of the world.

LET’S DIVE INTO TODAY’S READING!

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), we read three healing stories.

To some, Jesus’ instructions are to not tell anyone what has happened. To others, He gives the freedom to share what He has done for them. There is a difference between the crowds who witness these healings, and there are differences in how Jesus addresses those who are being healed.

The differences we need to notice involve faith, fear, and foolishness.

LET’S DIVE INTO TODAY’S READING!

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), Jesus identifies the primary issue defining faith that pleases God. He teaches five truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. He falls asleep to uncover the disciple’s fear problem.

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), four groups of people make their opinions known. Jesus calls one of these groups His family. Jesus testifies that He is stronger than three individuals. Jesus teaches a parable that no one understands but Him. There is a reason for this, and this reason is important! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), Jesus heals two people in households that were on the fringes of the Jewish community.

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), we continue studying what we call the SERMON ON THE MOUNT. We read the final 6 of 13 corrections Jesus is making to how the people have been taught Scripture.

The introduction commentary to today’s reading says:

Jesus contrasts God-centeredness with self-centeredness and self-exaltation. Jesus differentiates between those who truly know the Father and those who only know religious activity.

There is a difference between religious activity and genuine faith-relationship.

In today’s reading, Jesus summarizes all of the corrections He has made to the way Scripture is being taught, and He articulates clearly what it means to be His disciple.

In today's reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team), we encounter what we know as THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

The benefit of reading the Bible chronologically is on full display today because we are able to see the big picture. Jesus is articulating the contrast between what it means to live in God’s blessing and what it means to live outside of His boundaries. It is very reminiscent of the Law’s blessings and cursings sections (Deut 28 and Lev 26).

The introduction commentary to today’s reading helps us see the context of this Scripture.

Jesus teaches the sermon on the mount to many crowds to help them differentiate the difference between the religion they have been taught and the faith relationship He is offering.

In today’s reading in Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team),

Jesus confronts the Pharisees’ distortion of God’s word. He does this by healing on the Sabbath and allowing His disciples to gather grain for immediate consumption on the Sabbath.

The introductory commentary for today’s reading written by the CBT team explains that the Pharisees’ Sabbath theology is the perfect area to confront and expose their rejection of Jesus because their Sabbath theology distorts the character of God. Their stewardship of Scripture in this area teaches people that God’s law is not for the good of His people, but rather a burden for them to dread.

But Jesus wants all people to know that He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Scripture should have ensured the Pharisees believed Jesus because of His teaching and His miracles. However, because the Pharisees viewed themselves to be the rulers of the Sabbath and misused the Scripture, that very Scripture would indict them on the Day of Judgment.

In today’s reading of Tyndale’s OYCSB (with featured content written by the CBT team),

His choosing of these men is an invitation for them to spend the rest of their lives learning from Jesus how to fish for and catch people.

By following Jesus, these men are going to swim upstream of the religious culture of their day. They will become trophies of contrast between those who are sick and know they are sick…and those who are sick but continue as if they are fine.