Christians are called to be like Christ in all that we do. We are called to be a forgiven people who are forgiving. Take some time this week and consider where you are holding on to hurt and unwilling to forgive. Ask the Lord to come in, and bring healing.

This week in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells us that it is never OK to put someone on blast on social media... .without ever really talking about social media.

Last Week in the Gospel of Matthew, we heard Jesus call Simon the Fisherman, Peter. The Rock on which he would build his Church. And this week, just four verses later, Jesus calls Peter Satan.

This week in the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus demonstrate some solid small group leadership skills, we hear an echo of Isaiah 22:19-23, and we witness inception on a scale that only God could pull off

Jesus says, "It is not right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." So, yeah, it sounds like he just called her a dog. But the woman does not become indignant. She does not freak out. She does not demand that he do what she wants. No, her reply is humble but persistent. "Even the dogs eat the scraps from their master's tables." And at that, Jesus declares, "Oh woman, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish!"

Sometimes life can feel like walking on water, in the middle of a storm. You may be in one right now. And the thing that is going to bog you down the most is questions like "what comes next" or "what are we going to do if" or statements like "I can't" "I am too tired" "I am so over this." The only way to move forward, without sinking, is to stay focused on where you are going. Who are you going to.

I think the context of this week's Gospel is so important. Here is the first line,

"When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself."

Maybe I am reading in to this too much, but it seems to me that Jesus was feeling a little like some of us have been feeling. Weary. Tired. Sad. He needed some time and space to mourn the death of his cousin. If you are like me, you never put that together with the rest of this story.

In this week's Gospel Jesus continues teaching through a series of "the Kingdom of heaven is like. . ." parables. For the most part, these parables express something simple about the Christan life, and God's Kingdom. But don't be fooled, just because the lesson is simple, it does not mean that it is easy. Often it is the simplest truths that are the hardest to apply.

This week's Gospel ends with the line "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;

Jesus famously tells that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And most people think that means life as a Christian should be easy. They miss something else very important that Jesus says about huility. Without humility, the burden will never feel light.