The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 19

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 

TO MATTHEW

 CHAPTER

 19

1. When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2. Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 1 to 2)

Oh Jesus different groups of people follow You for different reasons, some to see the signs, however others out of pure and genuine faith along with the need for healing seek You and your ways.

3. Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" 4. He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5. and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? 6. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 3 to 6)


Oh Jesus by promulgating laws on divorce and mixed marriages we are making a mess of the framework that in Your Wisdom You made for the world. The devil is in control of the minds of the law makers and has persuaded them to legislate laws in favour of divorce and marriages or unions between people of the same gender. This leprosy is found even among those chosen by You. You strictly told us that the model is to consist of a man and a woman, however the devil is convincing the legislators to accept marriages between couples consisting of men and women. Moreover men who for a long time have been accepted by this gender all of a sudden have become aware that they were not men but women and are behaving accordingly. Oh Jesus we are living in a state of utter chaos.


I pray oh Jesus that You end this reign of chaos and discord that is plaguing our world. Have mercy on us I beg You for we are heading on the road to destruction. Those who will come after us may not find anything to benefit from for although we are advancing in technology we are socially corrupted by our sinful ways. In many spheres of life there exist sinful ways, even in simple matters such as when purchasing appliances or buying an insurance policy, the small letters concerning the terms and conditions may at times of need be used against us instead of in our favour.


7. They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?" 8. He said to them, "It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 7 to 9)


On reflecting one may also stop and reflect why divorce was introduced in Malta and was accepted by the majority of the voters. In the background as in the case of Moses, there may have been those who at all costs really believed and desired divorce for a personal reason and did all they could to be influential in order to persuade the voters to vote in favour of divorce. However all who voted in favour of divorce are not on God's side because they voted in favour of evil that was personified in those who lobbied in favour of divorce. It had to be a negative force such as Satan personified that was strong enough to harden the hearts of the voters to go against the will of God. Therefore those who issued the bill of divorce are as guilty as those who lobbied and voted in favour of divorce and shall all pay for this major act of disobedience against the will of God. They are the cause behind the breakups of many couples because they were instrumental in sowing this negative seed. However it is You oh God who is competent of passing such judgement!


10. His disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11. but he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 10 to 12)


Marriage is a commitment. It is a way of life that is very challenging because it implies the sacrifice of one's self for the good of others. It also requires great humility to accept that I am not always right, and that apart from my needs there are those of others. Marriage implies both duties and obligations. It requires more giving than receiving. At times I dread the moment that I decided to marry, however on reflecting oh God I realize that during such moments my focus is no longer on You but on my own sinful self that by nature gives priority to myself above others even family and this is totally selfish, for in order to imitate You oh God I am to find pleasure and satisfaction more in giving than in receiving.


13. Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14. but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven's belongs."15. And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.


(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 13 to 15)


Oh Jesus by means of children You set us a very good example of what our attitude is to be in our relationship with You. As in the case of children, they are innocent and dependent on their parents in order to cater for their daily needs. They are happy and young in spirit, free from the tensions and anxieties of the world. Oh Jesus how I wish to be like children in the sense that I be totally dependent on You free, from worries, stress and anxiety. I also pray and wish to have a spirit that is not contaminated by the ways of the world but one which is totally focused on You.


16. Then someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17.And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18. He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19. Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20.  The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" 21. Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 16 to 21)


On reflecting oh Jesus we all wish to be united with You in heaven, however as in the case of the rich young man we may have issues that are blocking us from reaching this goal. As in this youth's case the issue was material possessions. In our cases we may all have sensitive issues that could be anything that we are giving a greater value than necessary such as hobbies, cars, possessions and at times even our families and own self or even our jobs and careers. Oh Jesus You are to be given the first place in our lives. Nothing is able to stand before You, for You always merit the first place in our lives. Amen.


22. When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

(Matthew Chapter 19 verse 22)


Oh Jesus this may also be our case. We would like to walk in Your ways, however we are already loaded with our cares for the world and have no space for You. Oh God please help us make the right choices and decisions. May You be our number 1 priority above all else.


23. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 23 to 24)


Oh Jesus when we have many riches the great risk is that we are bound by those same riches, we may think that we are powerful and that we can purchase even death and live forever in our life of luxury and commodity, while others are starving to death. One might say oh God I deserve to be rich for I studied and invested in myself and in my property therefore I deserve to be rich. My friends are these riches more important than the riches of God. Will money, power and prestige save your soul. One thing is certain is that one day we will die and leave all our blogs, riches, careers, behind us and others will take our place and benefit from the fruit of our hard labour and studies. So it is better to invest in the ways of God, for they are ever lasting and do not have an expiry date such as death or retirement or pension age.


25. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26. But Jesus looked at them and said, "For Mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

(Matthew Chapter 19 verses 25 to 26) 


Due to the fact that we are humans and prone to sin by our human nature, it is impossible for us according to our own devices to save our selves, however with the help of God all things are possible. For You oh God there is nothing that is impossible to accomplish for You are God of the impossible. 


27. Then Peter said in reply, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?"

(Matthew Chapter 19 verse 27)


Peter asks You oh Jesus a very interesting question. We all do something for a reason, and generally that reason is for something in reward. The reward greatly encourages the act of giving. It is a great time to ask You oh God as Christians or Roman Catholics or humans at large our reasons for following You and what will be our reward or else we might end up very disappointed as in the case of Peter. Our greatest reward is a place in heaven in Your presence oh God. This present is more precious than all the money in the word. Although I long for this presence I do not wish to come near You by myself but also with others. This is the reason why I wished to share these reflections with others so that by means of the 'Word of God' or the 'Good News' as in the Bible we will be inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to change our lives and experience Your Salvation as one big family.


28. Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Matthew Chapter 19 verse 28)

I thank You Jesus for the reward of heaven. I need not have such an important place such as that of the apostles, as long as I am with You in Your presence I am happy and fulfilled.


29. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. 30. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

(Matthew Chapter 19 verse 29)


As in the case of Peter one might ask the fatal question what is in it for me? I will try to live a good life and then what if I cannot reach my aim? However oh Jesus You show us the other side of the coin. When we love each other as You do, You will compensate us, when we go out of our egoistic self and reach out for others in order to help them cater for their needs, we make new friends who become new brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.


However, it is the humble who are admitted first into the kingdom of God and not those who are proud and haughty and full of themselves who have such a high self-expectation that they raise themselves above others.

I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Dear Father who loves us so much more than any other in the world. I offer You all the families in the world. Please place them under Your protective caring wing for the evil one is harassing us day and night. I also place intercession for Your priests, bishops and all the fishermen of our time. Protect them from the forces of evil for they are also under the evil one's attack. I pray that you protect the Roman Catholic Church from the plague of homosexuality that is infecting the Church and our society, for many are abusing of this condition in order to harm Your body on earth Amen. 

The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 18

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 

TO MATTHEW

 CHAPTER

 18

1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verse 1)

Oh Jesus we are so different from each other. We operate on two different wavelengths. This makes communication so challenging but never impossible. While You based Your life on humility as humans we seek honours and grandeur and high status manifesting many signs of our status by means of our property and even the stylish language that we may use when in public. 

Oh Jesus this is all vanity because what is really and truly of value, is all that has to do with Your Kingdom. It is of value to take care of our physical welfare and to have enough resources to cater for our own needs oh Jesus. You are aware of this and shower us with Your bounty of providence, however what is really important is our spiritual welfare because this is our greatest investment on leaving this world. You are our treasure oh Jesus and all that has to do with You. I pray that I always give You the first place in my life and encourage others to do likewise. Amen.

2. He called a child, whom he put among them, 3. and said, "Truly I tell you change and become like children,, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 2 to 4)


On observing my daughter oh Jesus I observe that as a child she highly depends on me as a parent to provide for her needs. When in need she comes to me or her mother and asks us for this and for that. At times we accept her request but at other times we have to say no. With You it is the same oh Jesus. We are to be humble and offer our issues to You in a spirit of humility instead of keep on relying on our own resources and when we have exhausted all our options, only then do we refer to You. We may think that we are living a good life, praying on the bible attending mass or prayer meetings, however if we are not humble with ourselves and with others we are still not on the right track. In order to assess our progress with God in humility it is helpful to assess how humble we are in our relationships with others, because how can we love the God whom we do not see and hate the persons with whom we relate both at home and at work in other environments?.

It is a proper time to stop and reflect on this issue and then offer to You my God those issues and or people or situations that are blocking our humility valve from functioning. In order to make an assessment of our humility it is helpful to refer to the ten commandments and make a checklist. The following may be of help:-


Commandment Number 1: I am to be Your only God.


On reflecting on my life, is God the only God or are there others who are sitting in the God seat? On the other hand it can be that I am sitting on the God seat and I think that I am in control of my life. If so my humility marker is flashing red. I am proud. I have made plans to control every aspect of my life or at least I think I have. Nobody on earth or in heaven can violate those plans! I have become God of my life!


Commandment Number 2: Do not worship or serve idols.


On reflecting do I have time to pray and worship You oh God or have I placed myself in the centre and have a great desire to receive praise from others. At the present time who I am worshipping; my work, on line games, my family, my car or maybe my friends.


Commandment Number 3: Do not misuse God's name


When I speak of You my God, what are my feelings; am I ashamed of talking about my faith in public. Do I refer to You by another name such as deity or concept in order to shadow the fact that I am a Christian. Do I proclaim Your name in the presence of believers and ridicule it by placing science, psychology or other religions in the centre instead of Your name.


Commandment Number 4: Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.


Do I show respect to the days of God such as Sunday and make it holy by going to mass with my family, friends or others or is this day as common as other days of the week. Is Independence day, New Year or maybe Christmas more important than Saturday which is the day of God? Am I humble in the observance of such important moments in our spiritual life or is my life centred on myself and my successes?


Commandment Number 5: Honour your Father and your Mother.


Do we still share the hurts of the past that we acquired on behalf of our parents? Are we still angry and hurt by the grievances that we received. Are we humble to admit that such people may not have had the tools in order to behave better and thus they behaved as they did? Are we still harbouring a grudge because our brother or sister was treated differently and you ended up being the underdog? If so we need to forgive in a spirit of humility in order to be able to receive God's forgiveness. Forgiveness gives us both physical and even psychological healing. I am a witness of such healing. I am 43 years old and for a long time I had had my self esteem crushed by my father who was always criticising me. To make a long story short my life became a life of misery. I was living my past but never the present. By means of a group of people who attend a prayer group I was helped to become aware that I was focusing on the blame and not on the fact that by holding back my forgiveness I was blocking my spiritual development.


Commandment Number 6:  Do not commit murder


Do not commit murder. This form of murder may be attributed to the destruction of the body, however this can also imply the murder or destruction of the soul. This is a device that can be commonly found in the married life. The weapon used is silence. As humans we are social beings created to communicate with both God and our fellow persons, however when we shut each other out of our lives this is very painful and frustrating to the spirit that is yearning to communicate and love although we are sinners and prone to sin and hurt each other. Therefore instead of being proud and haughty it is best to get down off our high horse and admit that we all make mistakes and instead of passing judgement on each other it is more fruitful to pray and try to establish the road to love and reconciliation, with ourselves and others especially those in the married life.


Commandment Number 7: Keep Your marriage promises

Oh Jesus this is one of the most challenging commandments especially when considering that during our times the family structure is in a radical state of change. Our change of values and worldly choices are placing the family under alot of stress and this is causing many problems. I am sorry to say that we are violating the concept of marriage that is a union between You and humanity and am resorting to partners that means female and male counterparts that are taking place of the wives and husbands. To make matters worse the evil powers of Satan are convincing people in powerful places to promulgate laws that encourage and support such a union or partnerships.



Commandment Number 8: Do not steal

Do not steal has a wider connotation than that of material goods. When we are spending excessive time in worldly activities such as work and the least time for prayer or with our family we are stealing the family and God of the time that is duly theirs. When we speak falsely about our colleagues we are stealing their good name and reputation and doing at times harm that may be irreparable. Humility compels us to consider others before ourselves and not above others.


Commandment Number 9:  Do not lie.

Oh God when You commanded us to be humble and pure in spirit You also meant that the truth is to be present in us and that what we declare is to be the truth and nothing but the truth. This means that we are never to say lies whatever the circumstances. Moreover You never made a distinction of colour in relation to lies, whether they are white black or red lies. These categories have been created by humans in order to justify one form of lies over the other.


Commandment Number 10: Do not want what others have


In the name of humility oh God I am to be happy with all that You have given me and not be envious of the benefits and gifts that You have given to others. Instead of being jealous for people with different gifts in talents it is better that we pray for such people so that Your Holy Spirit will continue to give them even more gifts to share with others.

In order to refer to the ten commandments please refer to the following link:-


The Ten Commandments

5. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verse 5)


All the good works that we do in order to be of help and support to others is greatly appreciated by You oh God and Father. When doing so we are continuing the unfolding the plan both for our salvation and even for that of others.


6. "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 6 to 7)


Oh Jesus when reading and praying on these verses one may easily be tempted to refer to the many cases of child abuse that have taken place in the Roman Catholic Church. Moreover we may even feel happy to find somebody to use as a scapegoat in order to cover our own misgivings towards our children. Due to the fact that You permitted me to work with such cases of children who had experienced different forms of abuse, I am more than familiar with the harm that takes place in such cases. Moreover oh Jesus I thank You for permitting me to experience abuse for I now have a better idea of what such children may have experienced.


However oh Jesus there is more to the term abuse than the physical aspect. When we deny our children of our time and prefer to spend our time in hobby time, prayer time or at work this is also abuse of our children who after a day's work would like nothing better than to spend time with their mothers and fathers. Therefore before passing judgement on others it is best to stop and analyse our own behaviour in order to see if it is being abusive in some way or another.


In light of this issue oh Jesus I would like to refer the readers of this blog to an article that gives statistics of cases of child abuse in the United States and other places in the world


Statistics of Child abuse cases


8. "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into eternal fire. 9. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better fir you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 8 to 9)


Oh Jesus your counsel is wise. It is better for me to avoid all that is of spiritual and physical harm than to lead an alienated life of sin and end up in the fires of hell. I thank You again and again for raising in me this morbid awareness.


10. "Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that went away? 13. And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verse 10 to 13)


Oh Jesus thank You for assigning guardian angels to our little children. I thank for doing so even in the spiritual life. I believe that even when we mature and grow of an age Your guardian angels are still with us standing on alert to help protect us against the forces of evil. Oh Jesus although we grow up in truth we are still frail and prone to sin as much as little children. Although we grow up we are still at the risk of becoming lost, for at heart we are still children. I pray oh God that You keep on protecting our children. I also pray for all the social workers who work in the area of child abuse around the world especially those working in Malta for their task is becoming ever so challenging throughout each day of our lives. Give them the wisdom, courage and faith to act at the proper time according to Your Holy Will Amen.


14. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verse 14)


Therefore oh God as adults and as Christians it is our responsibility to take care of our children and protect them from both physical and spiritual harm. We are to go against the ways of the world that promote ways of aborting children. We need to be pro life and not in favour of a culture that promotes death and destruction. God did not create death, it was only, the consequence of our sins that death was introduced and not according to the will of God.


15. "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member  listens to you, you have regained that one. 16. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 15 to 17)


Oh Jesus had this process been applied in particular cases of abuse and in other cases the consequences may have been more positive than in fact were. For as a consequence of simply accusing the persons involved and exposing them to the media mud was thrown at the Roman Catholic Church regardless of the integrity of many priests, nuns and monks whose lives are so exemplary that they out stand among those who blemish Your body on earth that is the Church. I believe that if these persons were confronted face to face in the presence of others as You explained the outcome may have been totally different and less harm would have been done.


18. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20. for when two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them."

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verse 18 to 20)


Oh Jesus You love us so much that You are so close to us. In fact as You said You are only one prayer away from us. It takes only two or three people to express their prayers and You respect or needs and respond to them. However one may ask "Why are there moments when my prayers seem to be unanswered?"  Oh Jesus You strictly said when we pray "In Your Name". Do I invoke the name of God or are my prayers simply give me this or that? This is something that we always have to keep in mind because without knowing I may be praying in 'my name' and not in 'Your Name'.


21. Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" 22. Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you seventy-seven times.

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 21 to 22)


This Issue of forgiveness is very important. I had personal issues with it my God, and if it was not for your love and intervention I would have remained a slave of my emotions and self-pity forever. When we decide not to forgive a person oh God we close the doors on our spiritual, social and psychological well-being. We cannot reach others due to our hurt feelings and in turn we cannot be reached by others because any attempt may be associated as an intrusion or a lack of understanding even if the person offering help has good intentions of helping us. Our relationship with God is also blocked. God is love, love results in forgiveness. Therefore if we have closed the doors on forgiveness we have closed the doors on receiving God's love. Moreover if we have our hearts full of our hurts and feelings of anger how can we receive Your forgiveness without first letting go of our sinful selves and forgive those who trespass against us. Unforgiveness and forgiveness are like to polarities of which one is negative and the other is positive. They both have a force that is very strong however one empowers us and switches us on that is forgiveness and the other is strong enough to shut us down on all levels of being and function.

In light of the issue of forgiveness I would like to share the following prayer on which we can all stop, pray, reflect on our sins for we are also sinners and are all in need of Your forgiveness oh God.

Prayer for forgiveness



23. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves, 24. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25. and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27. And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29. Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 30. But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32. Ten his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?" 34. And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 18 verses 23 to 34)


Oh Jesus with a heart full of joy and gratitude I thank You for this parable, for by means of this parable and by means of three special persons in my life You showed me what a big mistake I was doing when I was holding back my forgiveness for almost 43 years towards my father who had hurt my feelings so much at the time of my childhood that scars had developed in me and I could not function as human. I was so hurt that when anybody mentioned the word father tears would come from my eyes. Even though I was the injured party due to the fact that I was holding back my forgiveness I was the one who was suffering.

In order to make a long story short I grew up and graduated as a social worker and when I was put to the test by You oh Jesus in the area of abuse I broke down emotionally during the evaluation after my first care order where we had taken a child who was being abused from her grandparent from a school. During this evaluation the issue of my past surfaced and because of it I lost my job because the agency said that if they were aware of my past they would not have employed me because this issue had caused a great blockage in me so much that I could not function.

Even though I have stopped working in this profession ever since this episode I thank You God for in the meantime You started the process of my inner healing. While attending a prayer group called "Kommunita' Gesu Salvatur" which means "Community of Jesus Christ our Saviour" the group leader was talking about the issue of non forgiveness. Among the list of many scriptures that the leader gave us on which to reflect was this parable on forgiveness. While in groups in tears I shared my experience with the group leaders and tears flowed again and again. However the group leaders Marion and Clyde Attard explained to me that if I was to be healed I was to forgive my father 'from the heart' and not only from the lips.  

As in the case of the slave I was strangling my father and insisting that he forgives me, however I was not willing to forgive him. However in truth I was the one in an emotional prison, When browsing on the issue of forgiveness among the many sources You gave me a video clip showing the reality that as humans  due to our upbringing or level of education we simply do not always have the necessary tools needed to express ourselves in a healthy way and we end up using our selves but instead of expressing our selves in a healthy way we end up hurting each other and this even lead to hurting and or abusing the others emotions.

In a spirit of prayer oh God You made me aware that my father had endured a very difficult childhood. At an early age his mother with whom he was close had died and this was a great loss and caused a great emptiness in him that nobody could fill in humanly speaking. Throughout the days of his life my father had not received healing from this loss and these feelings turned to anger. His development as human became stunted and blocked so much that he could not even make rational and responsible decisions as in the case of marriage. In fact the marriage between him and my mother was annulled in relation to a lack of discretion during the time of consent. He simply did not have the tools to carry out this role. He was in need of a carer, somebody to love him, somebody who9 may some day replace the love and care that he had received from his mother. However like an abandoned creature in the wild instead of love and care he received bites and scratches which added to his hurt and already damaged state of development.

So before passing judgement on each other and deciding not to forgive somebody please stop and reflect. It could be the case that the person concerned does not know better due to issues that you and even the person are not aware of!


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-

Oh Jesus I would like to place before You the hearts of many people who have been or are still being hurt by others. I pray that as You healed me, You also heal these people for it is a living hell to live such a life. I would like to thank You for many people by which You enlightened me and led me to my healing such as Clyde Attard, Marion Attard and Josette among others whom You used in order to help me realise that by not forgiving my father I could not receive forgiveness from You oh Jesus for I am also a sinner who hurts other people.

Thank You Jesus.  

The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 17

MATTHEW 

CHAPTER 

17

1. Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.

(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 1)


As in the relationship between two people who are in courting or in a relationship, when one wishes to share something personal or intimate, one takes the other aside, to a private place away from public awareness. Oh Jesus, You also do the same when You want to share something personal. When You gave me my call You called me when I was fast asleep in bed and not when I was among the community of believers, because what You wanted to share was special and intimate so, special that it changed my life forever.


2. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 2)


Oh God You decided to manifest Your real true self to those of Your inner circle. During the transfiguration You manifested Your glory and a bright light shone through Your person. Indeed people of God have that particular shine that is not found in people who are far away from You. I have friends members and at times leaders of the prayer group that My family attends that when I look in their eyes it is evident that they have made an experience of You because this experience is still alive and shining in their person.


3. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 3)


It could be oh Jesus that Moses and Elijah are significant of the old testament and the new or close to the introduction of the new testament. The discussion taking place may be preparations for your Crucifixion which had been planned long before You were born. On reflecting even before our own birth You had already making plans for our salvation and that of the world.


4. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 4)


Oh Jesus Peter was in such a state of awe that he surely did not know what he was saying. however I understand that he surely did not wish that glorious moment to come to an end. He may have been feeling so much at home in Your heavenly presence that at all costs he wanted to preserve this reality by building tents. Peter may have remembered the holy tent of the presence that we find in the book of Leviticus in which You manifested yourself to your people on the wings of the golden Cherubims that were fixed on the lid of the ark of the covenant.


Indeed oh Jesus it is true that when we make a genuine experience of Your presence, when You manifest Yourself to us, although it is a great surprise or even traumatic, we still would not like this state of being to end. When You talked to me during the dream that I had I was surely on the verge of a heart attack. My heart started beating many beats per second, and even though I felt a strong wind surrounding me, even though I did not have a fan on, I ended up sweating all over. This is an experience that I will never forget and stop talking about.


5. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud over-shadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"


(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 5)


Believe it or not if I pray for a tent God gives me a housing estate. Peter asked You oh God if he wanted to build tents for Moses, Yourself and Elijah and You sent a great cloud that overshadowed everyone present on the mountain. I needed to change my car, and indeed through a colleague at work You provided me with a car that has not only the basics but even extras such as power steering and air condition. However among the extras You also gave me a box of tissues to wipe away the tears.


I so greatly appreciated this new Fiat Panda that I became obsessed in taking care of it. I do not allow my daughter to eat snacks while in the car. This car eventually became something of an exaggerated value, and that is where I made the biggest mistake of my life. You warned me by means of my wife that it has become a treasure for me, and that as You have given it to me, You can also take it away from me. At that time I did not understand the meaning of the message but now I do. On Friday the 28th of August while on my way to work I had a collision with another vehicle. In order to avoid a pothole in the road which in my opinion would harm the tyres of my treasured car I swerved the car. Another driver who instantly got mixed up in which I direction I was going exited from a side street and hit the car in its mid section, and now the car is out of action awaiting the jurisdiction of the warden before repairs are implemented.

Oh Jesus from this experience I learnt that You are my only treasure. I thank You for this experience even though I know, that, I am going be given the blame and will end up paying for the damages incurred on my car and that of the other person, however I still thank You because this car has indeed become a treasure for me. Moreover I thank You for the outcome of the accident because it could have been much worse. I thank You oh God for taking control of the car while I was in a state of panic and kept the car in balance instead of rolling of the road. I thank You that my colleague and myself who were on our way to work were not injured. Thank You Jesus for Your protection. Amen.


6. When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid."8. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.


(Matthew Chapter 17 verses 6 to 8)


When You saw that the disciples could no longer bear the stressful situation You brought it to an end. Oh Jesus You never permit us to experience more than we could bear, each of us according to our own personal threshold of stress. Moreover you never want us to be afraid, for fear is not the lot of the person of God but of the person who is in a state of sin and has many issues to be afraid of, due to ones sinful lifestyle.


9. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."


(Matthew Chapter 17 verse 9)


Oh Jesus all that happens in our lives is according to the plan that You made exactly for us, even if the events that take place are not always that positive as in my case a car accident. Therefore as in the case of the apostles we are to respect this order and not seek to know it before it even happens as in the case of fortune tellers. Oh Jesus loving father You expect our obedience as you obeyed your father up to the last second of Your life and fulfilled all that He had asked You to do for our salvation. From the moment of Your birth as a human to the last step on the mount of Calvary the issue of obedience was always inscribed in Your heart and in Your mind, likewise we are to adopt the same attitude.


10. And the disciples asked him, "Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11. He replied, "Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; 12. but I tell you that Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands."13. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

(Matthew Chapter 17 verses 10 to 13)


At times oh Jesus we also may feel frustrated and confused, because there are many who give different version of the so called truth. The Jehovah Witnesses have their version of the truth, Roman Catholics have their version, Therefore we end up asking who are we to believe. As a roman Catholic  I believe in You and the teachings that You give to the Roman Catholic Church by means of Your Holy Spirit. However I also believe in the truth that You give me when praying on the bible every day of my life. Amen.


14. When they came to the crowd, a man to him, knelt before him, 15. and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."

(Matthew Chapter 17 verses 14 to 16)


During these times many people mistook the symptoms of epilepsy with that of a demonic possession. In order to become aware of the symptoms of epilepsy please click on the following link that shows us the experience of John a person who experiences episodes of epilepsy:-


Symptoms of Epilepsy case of John


According to our source who is an exorcist the symptoms of some mental illness are similar to that of a demonic possession or oppression and great care must be taken by the exorcist to discern if it is one or the other. Therefore before passing judgement on somebody and placing a negative label on a person and imply that the person is sick or possessed we better stop and think again for even the experts think twice before passing such judgement. In light of this issue I invite you to click on the following link in order to see the difference between the presence of mental health symptoms and that of demonic possession or oppression.

Signs of demonic possession


17. Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me."

(Matthew Chapter 7 verse 17)


Oh Jesus I wonder what You would comment on us your disciples priests and laity of our times. I wonder if You would find the degree of faith that You are to find. On the other hand we have no other healer who can heal the body and spirit but You oh Jesus. Mother technology and science are inventing many instruments in order to detect terminal illness however people are still dying of cancer. It is You who can help us and not the world as testified by those such as myself who have received healing on both a physical level and even on a spiritual level.


18. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.

(Matthew Chapter 7 verse 18)


Oh Jesus You put up alot for us. Your endurance is very strong in Your relationship with us, however I love You more because You never give up on nobody. We may give up on ourselves and even on others and even on You at times, but You are always faithful Amen.


19. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20. He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

(Matthew Chapter 7 verses 19 to 20)


Oh Jesus You make it look so simple, and in fact it is, however at times my faith withers, even though I have witnessed You working directly in my life and even indirectly. I pray oh Jesus for more and more faith for even though I proclaim to believe i You with all my heart and all my mind, according to Your criteria my supply of faith is still below the average.Oh Jesus we may think that You expect alot from us, however in truth all You want from us is to simply believe in You with all our heart and mind and place our trust in You alone. I pray oh Jesus that You boost my faith even to the size of a mustard seed Amen.


For some reason in both versions of the Bible that I am referring to verse 21 has been omitted, therefore I am compelled to move on to verse 22 of the 17th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.


22.  As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, 23. and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised." And they were greatly distressed.

(Matthew Chapter 7 verses 22 to 23)



Oh Jesus how distressing is the reality of death if viewed from a human perspective as in the case of the apostles. It means a total failure a life of agony separated from ones loved one. However from Your perspective the reality is totally the opposite. For those of us who have in them the fear of God death is one of the most beautiful moments of our lives. I admit that on being aware of my sins I tremble to appear before You however I know that before this stage I will experience a period of time in purgatory so that I will be then be worthy to appear before You. It would be the fulfilment of my life to spend the rest of my life in Your presence oh Jesus. I simply thirst for that day. my wish is that I come before You along with my family or else please find a better than husband than me for my wife and daughter if we happen not to come together. This is one of my greatest wishes.


24. When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?"

(Matthew Chapter 7 verse 24)


Oh Jesus the world asks You if You pay Your due fee to the temple. What cheek and arrogance. You the provider of the whole world, our only means of support and we treat You in the same way as we treat each other. If we had to ask ourselves oh Jesus if we are paying what is due to You our attitude instantly changes, from that of the accuser to that of the one being accused. If I had to ask myself if I am doing all that You ask of me in both the Old testament messages that You give me and even in the messages of the Gospels I would say that I am still in debt. I consider myself to be an aged debtor and that the percentage of my debts is always on the increase, however You already paid the full price of my redemption when You redeemed me by means of Your loving passion. You were the same fee or offering that was needed to make the offering complete. I do not have words to thank You my loving Father.


25. He said, "Yes, he does," And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?"26. When Peter said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the children are free. 27. However, so that we do not give offense to them, go the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up and; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me."

(Matthew Chapter 7 verses 25 to 27)


 As being the Son of God You were above the law of the temple. As a human in the eyes of  the authorities you were not exempt from paying the temple tax. However it all depends on how we perceive You oh Jesus. If we see you as human we think of You only as such, however this is not a correct perception because in You there was both the human and the divine.


However as humans and members of a society as You well know we are subject to the payment of taxes that appear to be never ending. At times we may not see the fruits of what we are paying for. However as citizens even You oh Jesus decided to obey the customs of the times and paid the required fee. Oh Jesus You are our provider. We only need to trust in You, because You are aware of our needs and wants.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


Oh Jesus I would like to thank You for showing yourself to me by means of the messages that You give me when meditating on Your Word. I would also like to thank You for all the messages that You have been giving me throughout my life even if I did not always understand what You meant by them. I also would like to thank You for preparing a dwelling place in Your presence on my leaving this earth. I pray that I be worthy to appear in Your presence for although I love You I am still a sinner. 


I would also thank You for Your out -standing and never ending providence. You are always present in my life and have never stopped showering us with both spiritual and material blessings especially during critical moments of need.  I would also like to thank You for our welfare system. By means of it you take care of all our needs from the cradle to the grave. I would also like to offer You all the people who manage the taxes of the world, so that You continue to enrich them with the wisdom to distribute to all according to the needs of the situation.  

The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 16

MATTHEW 

CHAPTER 

16

1. The Pharisees and Sadducees came and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 1)

Oh Jesus during my relationship with You I realise how much You hate being tested because this reflects distrust in You oh Jesus. During the time of Your temptation You strictly commanded the Devil not to test You, therefore I am to be sensitive in relation to this issue and even though the clouds of my situation may be thick and black I am to place my trust in You alone and have absolute faith that You are in control of the situation.

2. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3. And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening,' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 2 to 3)



Oh Jesus we appear to be so proud and haughty and full of knowledge. We have built instruments that we think give us accurate results, however You are the Master of all knowledge. Even freak storms and volcanic eruptions that may not be detected by such instruments in time to save lives You are aware of because all is under Your control. I am sorry to say that as humans we may think that we are in control of our lives and destiny but in reality even the smallest raindrop or ray of light is under Your control.



4. An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 4)



Oh Jesus even today You are giving us the sign of Jonah which was a call for repentance. This is also a time in which we are called to make a radical change in our lives, in both thinking, values and also in our behaviour. May all our actions and judgement be based according to the values found in Your Word oh Jesus instead of on the values and ways of the world.



5. When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 5)



Although the apostles had forgotten to bring any bread with them they were not lacking in resources for they had You with them oh Jesus thus they had all the nourishment they needed especially for their souls.


6. "Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."7. They said to one another, "It is because we have brought no bread."

(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 6 to 7)


Oh heavenly Father at times You speak to me as in the case of the apostles and  I do not understand what You mean. When You told me to leave my belongings and follow You, I thought that You wanted me to be a priest, however on the way You showed me that this is not Your will for me. Therefore in order to discern Your will it is wise of us to have a spiritual guide as in spiritual direction in order to help us discern the light from the dark according to Your will in the different situations of our life.


8. And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? 9. Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10. Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11. How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread?


(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 8 to 11)


Oh Jesus at times you try to communicate with us however we happen to be on a different wavelength. Our perception and interpretation of the world is so different that, even when You speak openly to us and try to show us the truth about our self we may not always understand what You mean to tell us. Oh Jesus that You may always give us the ability to always discern what You mean to tell us.



12. Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 12)


On reflecting oh Jesus even during our times the media and many other sources are spreading messages that are contrary to Your teaching and instruction. The forms which these messages are given are very subtle therefore we need to be very careful of what is put on our plate to see by the media in its many forms on line and even offline. I pray for heavenly wisdom so that we be able to sift what is Yours and good from what is not yours and is of a negative nature.



13.  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"14. And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"


(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 13 to 15)


Today oh Jesus You are asking me to answer a very important question. Who are You in my life. Are You the God of the old Testament who appeared in a cloud or in mighty wonders, are You Jesus the loving and caring Son of God? Indeed You are more than that my Father. Although I am a sinner and not worthy of Your love I still consider You as my loving Father. Even though I do not always I understand You  I consider You as being the love of my life and greater than knowledge above all knowledge merciful than all existing mercy Amen.



16. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah,  the Son of the living God."

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 16)



Oh Jesus may we all share Peter's declaration and even more.On praying over this issue of who are You for us, we can all stop and form our own declaration of thanksgiving to You my God friend and father.



17. And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 17)


At times when our Holy Spirit decides to make use of our senses in order to pass on to ourselves or and to to others we end up as in the case of Peter, making such wonderful declarations and giving such a bold and powerful testimony that is greatly appreciated, by You my God and Father.



18. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever yo loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."20. Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 18 to 20)



Oh Jesus how greatly You reward us for such simple acts, especially when we permit ourselves to be the mouthpieces of Your Holy Spirit. From a simple fisherman, You ordained to be the first Pope who after Your resurrection would lead us, to our eternal home in heaven. I thank You oh Jesus Son of God for giving us all the Popes, throughout the course of time and especially, for Pope Francesco and his down to earth character and simplicity. In more ways, than one I compare him to You oh Jesus. May he and other popes that may precede him, will continue to be filled with Your Spirit values and determination in order, to continue to overcome the forces of evil that will never stop harassing Your Church. I pray for the protection of Your Holy Spirit, and that of Your Angels St. Michael and his legions, for I am also attacked for what I believe do and say. Amen. May I never stop giving testimony of You and Your holy Word amen.



21. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.


(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 21)




Oh Jesus You know us more than we know ourselves, You are aware when we are ready to take on new responsibilities and when we are ready to move on as in the case of the disciples. Now that they had been formed and matured in their faith You started preparing them for the most important part of their earthly life with You. The moment that You had been waiting for. The moment when You would claim a final and total victory over the forces of evil by means of Your death and resurrection. Oh God You also prepare us for peak moments of our lives, however we are not always aware of, the ground work that You are doing behind the scenes.



22. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, "God forbid it,  Lord! This must never happen to you."

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 22)



The devil had long been in waiting for such an opportunity. He chooses people who are close to us in order to test us by means of actions and situations.



23. But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 23)



Oh Jesus this is a great conflict that we face throughout our daily life. I am aware that certain issues that are negative however in order to justify my reasons I focus on worldly reasons instead of placing my focus on the divine. In truth it may be that, when You rebuked Peter You did not rebuke him as human but the negative presence in him that was trying to use Peter in order to misguide You in Your mission for our salvation.



24. Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 24)



To deny the self oh Jesus can be achieved only with Your help oh Jesus, for our nature is egotistic. If given the opportunity we will first cater for our needs over those of others. When I start using the terms 'me' and 'mine' over that of 'theirs' or of 'others' my human self is being given priority over that of others. This does not imply that I am to neglect my personal needs and fall into a stage of degradation, however when I think of others needs before that of my own You always compensate for my needs. Taming the self and its urge to have more, to be sexually fulfilled, to be the best in life even if this means denying others of their rights is to be our main goal in life. It is a spiritual goal that we must aim for if we want to be followers of Jesus. Therefore this means a radical change in my lifestyle oh Jesus. During traffic jams I am always to give others the right of way, in a cue or in a supermarket I am always to give others to shop before me. When You see that humility has become part of my daily life in some way or another on earth, or in heaven I will receive Your reward Amen.



25. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 25)



For those of us who think that they will never die and do their best to live a life of comfort and worldly carnal pleasure they are in for a surprise for all the good things come to an end, and on leaving this world as souls we will take nothing with us but all the good deeds and sins that we have done while still alive on earth. Therefore it can be said that those who love their life will loose it. However those who loose their life in proclaiming Your name or simply beheaded because they are Roman Catholics of Christians will also loose their life but will find a better life in Your holy presence, while those who are worldly will live a never endless life in the fires of hell or in purgatory.



26. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

(Matthew Chapter 16 verse 26)



Many people oh Jesus have reached the peak of their career, of which many are happy, however others even though they have been successful according to the standards set by the world, end up committing suicide or ending their career by some form of abuse that brings their career to a drastic end. However those who invest their life in living according to Your will will never toil in vain for they are aware that our reward is the kingdom of heaven.



27. "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 27 to 28)




As much as reality is true so is the second coming of Jesus the Son of God. Although some of us seem to deny it by the way they speak, act and promulgate laws that at times clash with the teachings of the Church, the truth is that the second coming is true and will eventually take place. I would like to end this chapter with a prayer to You my Father that we all be found well prepared for Your second coming and that we will all meet again in heaven amen.

The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 15

MATTHEW 

CHAPTER 

15

1. Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2. Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not was their hands before they eat?

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verses 1 and 2)

It seems oh Jesus that the forces of evil as in the case of the Pharisees and scribes were already united against You for in relation to this issue they had discussed and even travelled together in order to confront You with such an issue. Therefore when negative forces join together against us, we are to join with You the most powerful positive Spirit in a spirit of prayer and thanksgiving.


3. He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4. For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.' 5. But you say that whoever tells father or mother, 'Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,' then that person need not honor the father. 6. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God.

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verses 3 to 6)


Traditions at times oh Jesus can be very harmful indeed. When filtering the basic premises of certain tenets we may find out new things about ourselves and may even become aware of false beliefs about ourselves that have controlled our lives for a long time and have become part of our life-script. A typical example is the following. When I was a little boy my mum always told me that I was like my father who had been unfaithful to her and hurt her very much. On the other hand my father told me that I was a very forgetful person and as a consequence I would never be good at Arithmetic. When going through the family tree the trait of unfaithfulness is very dominant in the family tree to this very day. When I grew up and was married I started fearing that I would also live up to this tradition and be unfaithful to my wife or be emotionally abusive to her as others had been to me. Theory holds that the abused will become abusers themselves, however such traditions may be fallacious. I have been married for 14 years and to this very day I am happy to say that this tradition has not lived up to its name. On the other hand the mentioned theory is also not water tight, for although I have been emotionally abused many times even to this very day I am very sensitive in relation to this issue and am very careful not to hurt others by what I think and say. I am not saying that I never make mistakes and hurt others oh God because I am still human, however I believe that You oh God are able to smash such traditions and empower me to live according to the commandment of love more than on traditions.

7. You hypocrites ! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 8. 'This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me; 9. in vain do they worship me teaching human precepts as doctrines.'

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verses 7 to 9)


This is one of the most verses that sends tremors running up and down my spine because its message hits home. I have been meditating on the word of God and sharing my prayers for all these years, however I am still afraid of falling into the trap of the hypocrite by not living a life that reflects the presence of God in me. I pray oh Jesus that You save me from falling into this trap.


10. Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: 11. it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles."

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verses 10 to 11)


On having meditated on the book of Leviticus mainly chapters 10 to 11, I have found a whole list of creatures that are considered by God as being considered to be unclean for human consumption. However Oh Jesus when making such a declaration I understand what You are referring to. When we consume food that is contaminated we bring harm on the body however when we formulate a negative thought this is more harmful than when we contaminate the body. The process is also longer and more complex, and the consequences may afford both the body and even more the soul. In order to understand how our brain works please click on the following link:-

How the brain works


However when we process negative images and thoughts as in viewing negative pornographic material or negative thoughts and process the process of such images becomes more complex and is harder to reverse this is what You my God may have been referring to which in the ends causes the contamination of both the body and the soul. As referred to in the following link negative thoughts are toxic as much and more than bacteria in the body. I invite you to click on the following link Negative thinking is toxic


12. Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said? ". 13. He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another both will fall into a pit."

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15 verses 12 to 14)


It is the case oh Jesus that to many of us who believe in You Your Gospel is a guidelines and means of encouragement and support, however those who do not believe in You may find the same Bible as being illogical , biased non-scientific and even offencive if viewed from different perspectives. However when reading praying, or meditating on Your Gospel we are to pray Your Holy Spirit to help us understand the meaning behind the meaning so that we can sustain our souls with the bounty of Your Word.


15. .But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." 16. Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17. Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? 18. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles, 19. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15 verses 15 to 30)


Oh God for how long can You put up with us and our complaints or problems. It seems that You have a high tolerance threshold but enough is enough. I admire You oh God that instead of calling Peter a silly, ignorant and dumb person and smashed his self esteem as  people did to me, You calmed down and positively educated Peter so that he would reach the understanding that he was lacking. You oh God are more than aware of our limitations. You do not scold us for it  because You know our strengths and weaknesses and show empathy and understanding instead of being judgemental and critical. Thank You for being such a loving and caring father and may we imitate You during our interactions with others and with ourselves.


31. so that  the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15 verse 31)


oh Jesus this is the best attitude and disposition in the sense that the people were not only influenced by the miracles that they had witnessed but were also moved to offer their praise and thanksgiving  to You.


32. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way."

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15 verse 32)



Oh Jesus thanks for having compassion on the human condition we try and follow in your steps but our sinful nature at times gets the better of us. However when we keep our focus on you we are never hungry.


33. The disciples said to him, "Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd? 34. Jesus asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15 verse 33 to 34)


When we are facing a crisis oh Jesus it is as if we are in a desert. There are no signs of resource even if they are right under our noses, we might not be able to access them. However You know that no case however difficult it may appear is not a lost case. You questioned the apostles regarding the quantity of loaves that  they had and not if they had any available because You were aware that in all situations there are always resources at hand. The greatest resources are Your presence and our faith in Your divine providence and the knowledge and faith that You love us so much that You do not want us even to be in such a situation.


35. Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36. he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39. After sending the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

(Gospel of Matthew chapter 15)


This is what I call faith in action and in practise this is how it should be. On observing the example set by Jesus, we have the following procedure to follow during the course of our daily lives. Jesus knows that we have inner potential. He tells us to use that potential or use it to broaden our opportunities to improve our situations. Oh Jesus You believe in us more than we actually believe in ourselves. Thanks for doing so. Following this step oh Jesus even though the miracle has not yet been accomplished in faith and gratitude You thank Your Father that He was going to make this miracle in effect. Before it had actually taken place oh Jesus You thanked Your father for it. Even before difficult situations are resolved we are to pray to God in gratitude and thank Him in faith that He is going to resolve our situation or else provide a much better alternative for our own good. If nothing happens we still thank Jesus because the delay may also have been an act of God in order to protect us against making a wrong decision or maybe it is simply not the time. However whatever the issue we are always to have an attitude of faith and thanksgiving before the issue is actually resolved. Instead of accusing Jesus for having placed us in such a situation we are to thank Jesus for this situation and he will surely respond to our positive and faithful thanksgiving attitude Amen



I would like to end this chapter with a prayer of thanksgiving to You oh Jesus I invite you all to click on the following link:-

Prayer "Thank You God"

The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 14

MATTHEW 

CHAPTER

 14

1. At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; 2. and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him."

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 1 to 2)

Rumours Rumours everywhere! They spread like weeds and they become a nuisance to who ever comes across them. This is a sheer contrast to the spreading of Your Good News, which takes time to penetrate the hearts of mankind and bear fruit. On the other hand rumours spread not only fast but they can destroy a persons life and reputation.


3. For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4. because John had been telling him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 3 to 4)


John had been put in prison because of the truth because he stood up for what he believed according to his faith that was true. There are people oh Jesus whom You choose to be sign posts for us. By means of such people You make us aware of situations that are both positive that help us to remain free to love and worship You from others that bind us with strong chains of sin.


5. Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 5)


Oh Jesus what agony in disgust can we offer to You by means of our sinful self. Herod was afraid to have John the Baptist Killed however no mercy was shown to You oh heavenly father. The people held John as a prophet and as You declared many times that the people were in the presence of 'more than a prophet' but the actual Son of God and still they and we rejected You to be put to death. However what is of consolation is that in the background their was the Divine hand at work which permitted all that took place to happen according to Your Divine will.


As humans we are impressed by others. Moreover even our decisions and behaviour can be different when in the presence of a relative or a foreigner whom we wish to impress and win over for instance in a business deal. This change in self is explained in the following video clip called the Johari Window. I invite you click on the following link-


The Johari Window


In order to assess yourself on where you stand after using the Johari Window please click on the following link


Scoring the Johari Window


6. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod 7. so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. 8. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."9. The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; 10. he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. 12. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 6 to 12)


At times Jesus you give us the opportunity to make choices in according to Your will however as in the case of Herod we forsake our free will and make choices go beyond Your will. Moreover at times these bad decisions may even have a negative impact on other peoples lives and liberty and thus that person involved may experience negative consequences as in the case of John.


13. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 13)


According to verse 13 on hearing on the beheading of John the baptist you retreated to a quiet place by yourself. We are not told for what reason and what actually took place, however on knowing You my Jesus I would imagine your love and feelings of sorrow for John who was not only a baptiser but also your cousin. Although You had nothing directly to do with his death, however humanly as all humans you might have considered it partially your fault for John acted on sound spiritual values in defending what was right which ultimately was based on Your Word.


During such moments of grief it is healthy for us oh Jesus to spend time in Your presence, far away from the chatter and commotion of the world. It is also healthy to vent our feelings in Your presence. God already knows our issues, but it is still nice of us to communicate our feelings with our loving father. He is always available for us and has a very good ear to hear us and a strong shoulder for us to rest on.


14. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 14)


Oh Jesus even today You still feel compassion for us. During our times it is more heartbreaking than during Your times. During that period the level of education and resources to learn were very limited, however the people had You as their direct point of reference in order to grow in faith.


15. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 15)


If i was among the crowd oh Jesus I would also have remained in Your presence regardless of the physical and safety needs. My relationship with You is of top priority which is above all else. I find my security only in You my God.


16. Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 16)


Jesus  your message is totally clear however it may be misunderstood. When in a tough situation it is easy to invite the person to pray and feel satisfied that we have done a good deed for the day, however this is simply not enough. Oh Jesus You are asking us to give of our selves, of the food and fruit of Your Good News that You have shared with us, so that we could share it with others. As Roman Catholics, Christians, Protestants we have been entrusted by You my God to share with others all that we have received from You and not keep what we have received for ourselves.


17. They replied , "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish."

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 17)


This one of the most common objections that we may put forward to You oh Jesus in order to defend ourselves when You ask something of us. We say " Are you kidding do You really think I can do this or that, forget it go and ask him or her "Mr or Mrs successful " but not me I do not have the stuff. However God has given us enough resources in order to be of help to others in many ways. You oh god enables us to use all our skills. The secret is to find the skill, the solution of our prayers by praying and reflecting on what we can do instead of what we cannot do. Our God is a can do God. He is able to make possible what seems to be impossible according to human logic and the ways of the world.


18. And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19. Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 18 to 19)


Oh Jesus we put before you all that we cannot do, all our boundaries and limitations, and expect to receive a solution from beyond us, and You oh Jesus choose to work with what we already have that is already within us. You make us aware of the skills and resources that You have already given us and stimulate us to use them in order to solve our problems.


20. And all ate and were filled and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 20 to 21)


It was no coincidence oh Jesus that there were twelve apostles who claimed to be empty in the sense of having nothing to give to others while on the other hand there were also twelve baskets full of leftovers after the great multitude of people had been more than satisfied with the loaves that they had eaten. You oh Jesus fills up our emptiness with divine providence. You give us the skills, the means and even stimulates our inner self where most of the resources are already stored. If You think that You have nothing to give discuss it with Jesus and He will fill up Your emptiness with an enormous abundance.


22. Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 22)


Oh Jesus this is the way of life that we are to adopt. We are not to be stuck in our ways or accomplishments in order to please others. Once our goal is accomplished we are to move on and seek further ways of accomplishing Your will before the same task becomes spiritually, physically, socially or psychologically suffocating at our own costs. At times friendships and relationships can become very demanding to the point of hindering our relationship with God and with ourselves. However You tell us to move on in life, because it is You Yourself who is going to befriend us from such negative surroundings. We do not need to terminate our relationships but place our focus on doing God's will. You oh God will take care of the rest.


23. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24. but by this time the boat battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 23 to 24)


After the great success with the people which surely had a positive impact on both the crowds and the apostles, Jesus may have wished to decrease the level of stress and popularity and seek comfort in prayer instead of titles and worldly honours. After moments of grandeur and consolations come moments of desolation so that our successes will not make us proud and haughty. Moreover during such positive moments following Your pattern we are to seek moments of prayer and thanksgiving and praise, because it is from You and by You that all our accomplishments are fulfilled. Even though our lives may be battered by the waves of tribulations as is mine in the present, I am still to make time to be reunited with You in prayer, because when I am reunited with You all forces both natural and spiritual are tamed and controlled in my favour, however when I am walking on another pathway that takes me far from You my boat is exposed to the harsh elements and forces that are there to protect me.


25. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 25)


Oh Jesus You love us so much yet You do not instantly come to our salvation. However when it is time for our deliverance, when we have no more strength to endure or fight the given circumstances, You triumphantly intervene on the situation and take control of it. You who are able to solve any situation, I pray that You come and walk over the waves that are breaking against my boat. Water is leaking in, my marriage is a shambles, there is no love or communication left between me and my wife. My only reason for staying in the marriage is that I gave my word to marry my wife and I am to stick to my word that I gave even to You on the altar. I thank You for giving me my sweet daughter by whom You are loving and caring for me Amen.


26. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified, saying. "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 26)


On seeing something that we do not understand what it is, we start jumping to conclusions and end up panic stricken both in ourselves and in those who happen to be around. This is our reality and that of the twelve apostles on seeing You walking on the stormy waves. In the chaos of life during moments of stress, even if You are there which I believe You always are we may not see You or even if we did we may not recognise You. Therefore during such moments it is best to try and move out of the situation and place our focus on You my father who although seems to be a ghost is indeed alive and active and even present.


27. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I: do not be afraid."

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 27)


Again we find the word immediately being used. Oh Jesus You do not wish us to waste time in being afraid. In every situation You are still inviting us not to be afraid because You are with us, present and active in the given situation which is under Your control and therefore we have no reason to be afraid. Oh Jesus give us the gift of faith so that we adopt it as a good habit to place our trust, faith love and hope in You in any situation so that we have a spirit of peace in us.


28. Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

(Matthew chapter 14 verse 28)


Although You assure us that You are with us oh Jesus, we are still overcome by doubt. The seeds of the evil one are fast growers and we immediately experience strong feelings of doubt and insecurity and this blocks our faith. However You oh are Jesus are not discouraged by our lack of faith.


29. He said "Come". So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 29 to 30)


As in the case of Peter we would all like to be full in Your Holy Spirit, however our sins make us become heavy and due to our unbelief we start sinking down to the point where only You can save us and not the ways and means of the world.


31. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and caught him saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32. When they got into the boat the wind ceased. 33. And those in the boat worshipped him saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 31 to 33)


Oh Jesus You love us so much. You permit us to experience tests in our lives, however You do not let us be overcome by them. At the point of crisis, when we can stand the trial no more, You intervene as in the case of Peter and pull us out of the circumstances or solve our problem once and for all. You love us so much that You do not want us to be harmed in either body or soul. 


34. When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, 36. and begged him that they may might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

(Matthew chapter 14 verses 34 to 36)


This is what I call true faith. During such positive circumstances that is both friendly and healthy Your healing energy flows abundantly because it is like a seed placed in the correct environment.  


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer;


Oh Jesus when situations appear to be complex and difficult to understand please help me make the great leap of faith and place all my trust in You. In Your name I place before You my family. I am more than 100% sure that You not only can restore it to its original state of love and care, but You can make it even better. I place my family under the wing of Your protection oh Father. May we all be like the people of Genesaret and place our trust in You. May we always be open to Your presence. I pray that You continue to make us aware of our gifts so that in a spirit of generosity we will be able to share our gifts and talents with others and not say that we cannot help others. Oh Jesus all things are possible for You, You are able to change our tribulations into a perfect state of order. Thank You Jesus.