Matthew 9 - January 9th, 2024

Well, good morning.

Welcome back to this morning's Bread Devotional.

We're on day nine, and so we're gonna continue uh our journey through the gospel of Matthew and encountering the Lord as we read his scripture this morning.

And just a reminder, we are using the acronym BRED for our time today, and it simply stands for Breathe, Read, Encounter, Apply, and Devote.

And so as we begin to approach the scriptures this morning, I just want to invite you to maybe grab a pen or a pencil and a notepad, a journal, find a quiet space this morning, as we begin to get alone with God and remember that you are coming to encounter the living God this morning.

We're not just reading uh words on a page or just checking off the next thing on our to-do list, but we are actually meeting with the living God, and he wants to meet with you.

And so as we dive in, I should invite you to uh quiet your mind and your heart, and we'll start by simply just breathing this morning to center ourselves and focus in on the Holy Spirit, focus in on the living God and what he wants to say to us this morning.

As you breathe, maybe just invite the Holy Spirit in.

Ask God to fill the space.

Put all your attention on Him.

Focus your whole self onto the Lord this morning.

And now we'll move into the read portion of our time together.

Remember, we simply just slowly read through today's passage and we listen and look for anything that we feel like the Lord might be saying to us, any verse that might stand out or grab our attention, and just invite you to write that down and begin to process what you think the Holy Spirit might be saying to you.

So we'll continue through the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew chapter 9.

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth.

Follow me and be my disciple, Jesus said to him.

So Matthew got up and followed him.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guest, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.

But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with such scum?

When Jesus heard this, he said, Healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do.

And then he added, Now go and learn the meaning of this scripture.

I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices, for I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.

And one day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, Why don't your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?

And Jesus replied, Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom?

Of course not, but someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth?

For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

And no one puts new wines into old wineskins, for the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.

New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.

As Jesus was saying this, the leader of the synagogue came and knelt before him.

My daughter has just died, he said, but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.

And so Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.

And just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him, and she touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.

And Jesus turned around, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be encouraged.

Your faith has made you well.

And the woman was healed at that moment.

And when Jesus arrived at the official's home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music.

Get out, he told them.

The girl isn't dead, she's only asleep.

But the crowd laughed at him.

And after the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand and she stood up.

The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

After Jesus left the girl's home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, Son of David, have mercy on us.

They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked him, Do you believe I can make you see?

Yes, Lord, they told him, We do.

Then he touched their eyes and said, Because of your faith, it will happen.

Then their eyes were open and they could see.

Jesus sternly warned them, Don't tell anyone about this.

But instead they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn't speak was brought to Jesus.

And so Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak.

The crowds were amazed.

Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel, they exclaimed.

But the Pharisees said, He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the Prince of Dons.

And Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom.

And he healed every kind of disease and illness.

And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

He said to his disciples, The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest.

Ask him to send more workers into his fields.

This is the word of the Lord.

Now we'll move to the encounter portion of our morning.

This is where we just begin to reflect and meditate on what we feel like God might be saying to us.

What was the verse that stood out to you?

Maybe what was something you underlined or jotted down during the this morning's reading.

Just begin to process how does this verse make you feel?

Maybe write a short reflection on what God what it is that God might be trying to say to you.

And so maybe over the next few moments, begin to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and ask how you should live this out today.

And then we'll close our time out this morning with a devote.

And simply uh maybe just spend the next few moments writing a a prayer of devotion to God in response to all that He is saying to you this morning.

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow as we continue journeying through the Gospel of Matthew using the bread method.

Hope you guys have a wonderful day.

I pray that the Lord fills you again with his hope, his joy, and his peace as you commit your day to him.