After Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to be His disciple, there were “many tax collectors and sinners” who were “dining with Jesus and His disciples” (Matthew 9:9-10). The Pharisees questioned this, asking why Jesus was associating with such people (Matthew 9:11).

Jesus’ critics did not ask Him this directly, but Jesus heard it and addressed it. He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).

Jesus provides an important example for us, but we need to understand the purpose behind His association with these individuals. They were labeled as “sinners,” but He did not participate in their sin. When He associated with them, He made it clear that He was not condoning or encouraging their sinful behavior. Instead, He called them “to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

So remember why Jesus associated with sinners. His goal was to turn them from their sin so that they could follow Him. In the same way, we do not want to encourage anyone with whom we associate to continue in sin; instead, we want to encourage them to repent and follow Christ.

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When Jesus visited the country of the Gerasenes, He met a man who was tormented by an unclean spirit that identified itself as “Legion; for we are many” (Mark 5:9). Jesus cast out the demons into a nearby herd of swine who then rushed into the sea and were drowned (Mark 5:11-13).

The herdsmen reported what happened to the people in the city. When they came out, they “began to [implore Jesus] to leave their region” (Mark 5:17).

It is amazing to think that anyone could see such evidence of the power of Jesus, and their immediate reaction is to want nothing more to do with Him. Yet the power of Jesus is proof of His authority. If the natural and spiritual world is subject to Him, then we must be as well.

The people in this area were keeping animals that the Law had designated as “unclean” (Leviticus 11:7-8). Who knows what else they might lose if Jesus stuck around? Unfortunately, many people today do the same thing as those residents. They refuse to welcome Jesus once they recognize His authority and what it implies. By doing this, they forfeit all the help He could provide them.

So let us not reject the Lord. He is able to provide spiritual healing to the sickness of sin. Yet we must be willing to submit to His authority and give up anything in our lives that is contrary to His will.

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When Jesus cast out a demon that had rendered a man mute, His enemies accused Him of casting out demons “by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons” (Luke 11:14-15). Jesus pointed out the absurdity of their charge (Luke 11:17-19), then used this event to teach a lesson about the heart.

Jesus said, “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).

Though we do not experience demon possession today, Jesus’ point has an application for us. If we remove some sinful practice from our lives, we must replace it with something good. If we fail to do this, we leave the door open for that sin to be reintroduced into our lives and even be compounded into an even greater problem.

So leave no room for sin. Extended periods of idleness and boredom can make us more susceptible to temptation. Our lives need to be filled with those things that are pleasing to God.

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During Jesus’ teaching, He offered the following invitation: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). There are a few important points to notice about this.

First, this invitation has been extended to all. Everyone is “weary and heavy-laden” with the burdens of life and the consequences of sin.

Second, Jesus promises rest. This will be fully realized when we are with Him for eternity in heaven.

Third, we must choose to come to Him. He has extended the invitation, but we must exercise our free will to answer the call.

Fourth, responding to His invitation requires us to take on His “yoke.” A farmer would use this to guide his animals in the direction he wanted them to go. This signifies the fact that we are to follow His guidance throughout our lives.

Fifth, the “yoke” of His teaching is “easy” and “light” compared with the weight of sin and folly that weighs us down.

So remember that Jesus invites us to come to Him. We can overcome the trials of this life and look forward to the hope of eternal life. But we must choose to follow Him and allow His word to direct us.

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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The Pharisees had a reputation for being sticklers for the Law. So this may have seemed like a daunting challenge.

However, regardless of how the people viewed them, the Pharisees were fallible human beings. They were like the ones described by Paul, who sought to “establish their own [righteousness]” and “did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). In other words, they created a standard that was not in harmony with God’s law.

Rather than following the man-made standard of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). If surpassing the Pharisees sounded daunting, being perfect as God is perfect surely sounded impossible.

However, the point of these verses is to make sure we are following the right example. If our goal is to be like others, our aim is not high enough. We need to strive to be like God.

So follow the right standard. God’s character, wisdom, and instructions are perfect. Therefore, we must seek to be like Him and do His will in all we do.

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When Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, His opponents began persecuting Him because He did this on the Sabbath (John 5:1-16). Interestingly, instead of correcting their misunderstanding of the Sabbath law, Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17).

Jesus’ opponents knew exactly what His statement meant. By “calling God His own Father, [He was] making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). Because of this, they were “seeking all the more to kill Him” (John 5:18).

In response, Jesus said, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:22-23).

Jesus’ point was that we cannot separate the Father from the Son. If we reject Jesus, we cannot expect to please the Father. Those who think they can come to God apart from Christ will realize their error when they “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

So we must honor Christ. His opponents accurately recognized His claim to be equal with the Father but would not accept it. Instead of rejecting Him as they did, we must acknowledge His Deity and serve Him accordingly.

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Immediately after Jesus gave the parable of the sower, He told the crowd, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8). His will for us is contained in His word; therefore, it is vital that we are willing to listen.

However, it is not enough just to listen. Shortly after explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “So take care how you listen” (Luke 8:18). It is possible to listen to the right message but not benefit from it because we did not listen in the right way.

How might we listen so that the message does us no good? If we are too arrogant to admit being wrong, we might hear the right message but immediately reject it because it differs from what we believe. We may be biased toward a particular viewpoint and reject the truth that contradicts it. We might be prejudiced against the speaker (for whatever reason) and refuse to accept the message because of that. There are many other possibilities as well.

Rather than listening the wrong way, we need to listen humbly and honestly. This will enable us to accept the truth when we hear it.

So be careful how you listen. If we hear the truth but fail to listen in the proper way, the message will not do us any good. Once we learn about what is right, we must be willing to believe and practice it.

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One of the most well-loved verses in the Bible is Jesus’ statement in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

However, immediately after highlighting the love of God, Jesus proceeded to talk about the judgment of God and why it was coming: “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Jesus had already been identified as the “Light” (John 1:7, 9). His arrival brought light and hope but also judgment against those who responded negatively to His coming.

The reason why people “[do] not come to the Light” is because they practice what is “evil” and do not want their deeds to be “exposed” (John 3:20). Yet Jesus said, “But he who practices truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:21). In other words, those who come to Him will be recognized as doing God’s work, which will bring a reward.

So we must come to the Light. Rather than hiding from Him in our sin, we must give up the deeds of darkness. We then must practice the truth as it brings us to Him and the blessings He offers.

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John began his gospel account by introducing his readers to Jesus. He was “with God” and “was God” and helped to create all things (John 1:1-3).

Not only was Jesus “in the beginning with God” (John 1:2), but He also left heaven and came to earth. John wrote, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

John then explained one of the benefits we gain from Jesus coming in the flesh: “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). Later when one of Jesus’ apostles asked Him to show them the Father, He answered, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). When Jesus was here on the earth, He displayed the same purpose, character, compassion, wisdom, and more that the Father possessed.

So remember that Jesus explained the Father. We can know God by learning of Jesus. Therefore, it is important that we take time to study the life and teachings of Christ because He points us to our heavenly Father.

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John the Baptist was sent in order to prepare the way for Christ. He drew a large crowd as he preached in the wilderness, with people coming from Jerusalem, Judea, and the district around the Jordan (Matthew 3:5).

His message called people to “repent” in anticipation of the coming kingdom (Matthew 3:2). Those who responded to his teaching “were being baptized…as they confessed their sins” (Matthew 3:6).

However, when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, he called them a “brood of vipers” and warned them that “the axe [was] already laid at the root of the trees” (Matthew 3:7, 10), signifying the divine judgment that was coming against them. So he told them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).

This is an important point for us to remember. Even today, God calls people to repent and turn to Him (cf. Acts 17:30). Yet repentance, like faith, must be demonstrated by our actions (cf. James 2:17). It is not enough to say we are turning to the Lord. We need to change our behavior and conform our lives to His will.

So bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Following Christ means that our lives must be different from the world around us. If we want to please the Lord, we cannot continue to live as we did before choosing to follow Him.

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When Jesus was born, wise men came from the east in order to worship Him (Matthew 2:1-2). They asked Herod the king where they could find the one who was “born King of the Jews.” This “troubled” Herod (Matthew 2:3).

After determining that “a Ruler” for the people would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5-6), Herod sent the wise men there. He also asked them to return after they found the Child so that he could “come and worship Him” as well (Matthew 2:8).

However, the wise men were “warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod” (Matthew 2:12). The reason for this warning is obvious when we read what happened when Herod realized the wise men went back to their country without informing him of the Child’s location. Herod “became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem” (Matthew 2:16). Obviously, he hoped that by doing this, he would kill the Child the wise men came to see. Yet the Lord warned Joseph to flee to Egypt in order to keep Jesus safe (Matthew 2:13).

Though this is an extreme case, Herod shows us that just because people claim to want to worship the Lord does not mean their heart is right. Some may want to join us in serving the Lord but have ulterior motives and only seek to gain something for themselves. If we are not careful, we can do the same thing.

So remember that not all worship is sincere. Let us examine our hearts to be sure we worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

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John began his gospel account by introducing Jesus as “the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). Sadly, not everyone recognized Him for who He was.

John wrote, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). They did not see Jesus as “the true Light.” Instead, they saw Him as a mere man. However, there was a special benefit for those who recognized Him as “the true Light.” John explained, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

It is important to notice that receiving Jesus did not automatically make one a child of God. Salvation does not come at the point of belief in which one accepts the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. Rather, recognizing the truth about Jesus gives one the “right” or power to become a child of God, which occurs when one is “born again…of water and the Spirit” (John 3:3, 5).

So remember that those who believe have the right to become children of God. We have no hope if we do not accept Jesus for who He is. However, if we do recognize Jesus for who He is, we need to take advantage of the right that God has granted us to become one of His children by being born again.

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In the last book of the Old Testament, God rebuked His people for failing to respect Him (Malachi 1:6-14). Even though they offered some type of worship, He was not pleased with it. What was wrong with their worship?

First, they were “presenting defiled food upon [the] altar” (Malachi 1:7). God demanded and deserved an unblemished sacrifice. Yet they were offering blind, lame, and sick animals to God that they would not even present to their governor (Malachi 1:8).

Second, they were “profaning” the name of God (Malachi 1:11-12). Rather than exalting His name as being “great among the nations” (Malachi 1:11), they treated their service to God as something that was common.

Third, they saw worship as “tiresome” (Malachi 1:13). It was too much of a chore for them to worship God in the way He prescribed, so they offered an inferior substitute.

We need to guard against the attitude of the people in Malachi’s day. We must view worship as a privilege rather than a burden. We are doing it to praise Him, not to satisfy ourselves.

So remember that our worship must honor God. This is done by worshipping according to His instructions. He is worthy of our best efforts and thoughtful obedience.

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After completing the work to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, the people gathered together to listen as the book of the law was read to them (Nehemiah 8:1-3). On the next day, the heads of the households came to Ezra, the scribe, in order to “gain insight into the words of the law” (Nehemiah 8:13).

Upon closer examination, they learned about the command to “live in booths during the feast of the seventh month” (Nehemiah 8:14; Leviticus 23:34, 40-42). Yet the people “had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day” (Nehemiah 8:17).

Generations had passed since the people observed this command. It would have been easy to disregard this because they had neglected it for so long. Yet after learning of their obligation to observe this feast by living in booths for seven days, they “circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem,” calling for all of the people to take part in this. The people did so, and “there was great rejoicing” among them (Nehemiah 8:15-17).

So remember that it is never too late to correct a wrong. No matter how much time has passed, we always have the option to do what is right. Let us not allow our previous failings to prevent us from making whatever changes we need to make in our lives.

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While Nehemiah and his Jewish brethren worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, they were being threatened by their enemies. However, they did not stop their work because of the possibility that they might come under attack. Instead, they continued to work while preparing to defend themselves.

There were a few things they did to ensure they were ready for a fight. First, the builders “wore [their] sword…as [they] built” (Nehemiah 4:18) so they could be ready to defend themselves immediately. Second, they cooperated with one another by having some build while others stood armed and ready to fight (Nehemiah 4:17). Third, they listened for the sound of a trumpet that would signal them to come to the aid of any of their brethren who were being attacked (Nehemiah 4:19-20). Not only did this allow them to defend themselves against their enemies, but it also enabled them to complete construction on the wall in just “fifty-two days” (Nehemiah 6:15).

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle as we also strive to carry out the work of Christ. To be successful in this, we need to do as Nehemiah and his brethren did – put on the armor of God, work together with our brethren, and help one another when any of us come under attack.

So be ready for the enemy. The devil is like a lion hunting its prey (1 Peter 5:8), so we must not let our guard down. Instead, we must help each other stay faithful as we serve the Lord together.

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Nehemiah was permitted to return to Jerusalem to help rebuild the walls of the city. When he assessed the situation, he saw the difficulties that needed to be overcome but trusted that God would be with them.

He told the leaders of the people, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach” (Nehemiah 2:17).

Yet he wanted them to understand that his plan was not based upon wishful thinking. There was good reason to believe their efforts would be successful. He explained to them “how the hand of…God had been favorable to [him],” along with the help promised by the king (Nehemiah 2:18). Upon hearing this, the leaders said, “Let us arise and build,” and they began the work.

Today, we have many reasons to be discouraged as we consider the work we have to do for the Lord. Yet we should not allow difficult circumstances, previous losses, or outside opposition to paralyze us in fear. Instead, we should recognize the goodness of God and the promises He has given us, and then focus on diligently carrying out the work before us.

So let us arise and build. God has given us a “good work” to do (Nehemiah 2:18; cf. Ephesians 2:10). Let us put our trust in Him as we labor according to His will.

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While King Ahasuerus had trouble sleeping one night, he ordered that the “book of records” be brought and read to him (Esther 6:1). The portion that was read contained the account of Mordecai exposing the plot of two of the king’s servants who planned to assassinate him (Esther 6:2).

When the king inquired about this, he was told that “nothing has been done” for the one who saved the king (Esther 6:3). So he determined to correct this oversight and honored Mordecai before the people (Esther 6:10-11).

Mordecai probably assumed that his good deed had been forgotten forever. Yet there was a record of it, and once the king was reminded of it, he received the honor he deserved.

Even if we have never saved someone’s life like Mordecai did for the king, we have all likely had a similar experience. Despite the good we did for others, our actions seem to have gone unnoticed and unappreciated. This oversight may never be corrected among men in this life. Yet we have the assurance that God sees what we have done. Even after we die, our “deeds follow with [us]” (Revelation 14:13). In the end, the Lord will judge us from “the things which [are] written in [His] books, according to [our] deeds” (Revelation 20:12).

So remember that our good deeds are not forgotten. Even if no one else acknowledges the help we have offered to others, we know that God sees all things. If we are faithful to Him and continue to do what is right, we can take comfort in knowing that we are pleasing Him.

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After the queen fell out of favor with King Ahasuerus, a plan was enacted to find a replacement. When “many young ladies” were taken in order to see who might be chosen, Esther was among them (Esther 2:8).

After Esther’s father and mother died, she was raised by Mordecai (Esther 2:7). She was “beautiful in form and face” (Esther 2:7) and quickly “found favor” with the king’s servant who was in charge of the young women (Esther 2:9).

When the time came for the young women to take turns meeting the king, they were each permitted to take “anything that she desired…to the king’s palace” (Esther 2:13). This had the potential to help her stand out from the rest of the young women and distinguish her before the king. However, when it was Esther’s turn, “she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised” (Esther 2:15).

Despite her youth, Esther was wise enough to realize that Hegai’s insight was valuable. Rather than assuming she knew what was best for her (as the other young women surely did), she followed his suggestion. The result was that “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:17).

So listen to advice. Others have knowledge and experience that can benefit us. Rather than arrogantly thinking we know what is best in every situation, let us take advantage of the help that others can offer.

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Throughout the Bible, the Lord often referred to His people as His “flock.” Yet they were “doomed to slaughter” (Zechariah 11:4), partly because of the neglect of the shepherds tasked with overseeing, protecting, and feeding His sheep.

One of these worthless shepherds is described in this way: “For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs” (Zechariah 11:16).

Though the sheep would certainly suffer because of the neglect and abuse by this shepherd, he would be held responsible by God for his actions. The Lord said, “Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind” (Zechariah 11:17).

We may not be in the same position as this shepherd, but the principle applies to us. No matter what position we find ourselves in, we need to be committed to carrying out our duties to the best of our abilities rather than abandoning our place whenever it seems advantageous for us to do so.

So remember that we must not forsake our responsibilities. Whatever obligations we have, we need to fulfill them faithfully. While others will suffer for our failure, God will hold us accountable for not doing what we should have done.

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When God punished His people over their unfaithfulness, He used other nations to do it. Yet He was still “exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion” (Zechariah 1:14) and would restore His people to their place.

However, the harm inflicted by the other nations went beyond what God desired. He said, “But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease, for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster” (Zechariah 1:15). Even though God was using them to punish His people, they were not at liberty to do whatever they wanted against them.

Upon seeing what had happened, the Lord said He would “return to Jerusalem with compassion,” and the “cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:16-17). At the same time, He would raise up others who would “throw down…the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah” (Zechariah 1:21).

There is an application we can make from this. When we have been given a responsibility from God – whether in the home, the church, or any other sphere of life – we must make sure we do not abuse or mishandle our position. If we do, God will hold us accountable for it.

So remember that we must not go beyond what God intended. No matter our position or authority in this life, we are still under His authority. Knowing that we are accountable to Him, let us use whatever role we have in a way that is in harmony with His will rather than do whatever we please.

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