Victory Ortigas

Jesus teaches the disciples that the spiritual discipline of fasting can become a vain tool if it is focused on getting people’s attention and making an impression. Instead, He emphasized the value of fasting and instructed His followers how fasting should be carried out properly.

Reference: Matthew 9:14–17; Isaiah 58

Jesus exempli!ed a life of prayer, and the disciples often witnessed Him praying during their time together. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught both the heart and the pattern behind prayer.

Jesus warned of performing good deeds for outward appearances. He not only taught about the right motivation for generosity, but also provided instructions on how to be generous in a righteous manner.

Being a disciple of Christ entails persecution, which may even lead to death. This separates those who are servants of the Lord from those who are of the world.

Being a disciple involves denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus. This separates the disciples from the crowd.

Being a disciple of Jesus involves choosing the difficult and narrow way, which leads to fruitfulness and a life of obedience to God. This separates those who are being led to destruction from those who are being led to life.

To love God and t o love others are inseparable commands. Loving others is a tangible expression of our love for God. One of the ways we can express His love t o others is through our hospitality and being His hands and feet to those around us.

Love is a command in the Bible, and the standard in which we are to love is the way God loves us. Knowing His perfect love naturally results in a deeper relationship with Him. As His love removes all fears and secures us, we will be able to speak, listen, and act in our relationships through the lens of love. (Reference: 2 John 1:5-6)

God's fundamental nature is love, and His perfect love was displayed in Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross. As our knowledge and understanding of His love grow deeper, the more we are transformed and able to know how to love others.

Mary Magdalene was the first to testify to Christ's resurrection.