It’s been said that failures are like a compost heap — they stink but are the most fertile part of the garden! We’ve all experienced failure to varying degrees of severity and publicity, making mistakes in things we’ve thought, said, and done. Sometimes the blunders are containable, rectifiable, and forgettable. Other times, however, they’re not. At those times, failures do, indeed, stink. But they can also be very fertile times in life. When our missteps and mistakes are examined, they can be fodder for growth and recalibration. A thoughtful and intentional person learns from failure, identifying factors that contributed to it, and recognizing how best to avoid its repetition.

Matthew 12 has recorded one of the greatest failures in the history of the world: Israel’s rejection of their messianic King. What were the consequences of such a blunder? What were its causes? Is there a cure that could help us avoid similar foolishness?

Key Passage: Matthew 12:38–50

Series: Matthew: Of King and Kingdom

Speaker: Josiah Boyd