Reading Plan for Apr. 19 - 25
April 19, 2026 | Matthew 6:16-24
Reflection:
In today’s passage Jesus offers us more patterns for living: fast prudently, horde nothing, look on the world and those in it with compassion and lightness of heart, and choose how you will serve God. Each of Jesus’ teachings here point us to a singleness of heart: do not be divided within yourself (that is, don’t be duplicitous). When we have a singleness of heart and a directedness of mind, we will practice our devotion, we will seek out just what we need, and we will view all things through the lens of committedly loving attention and intention. Jesus shows us the way. We are to walk this merciful path with grace, letting go of what does not serve us on the journey. What is God calling you to let go of now to lighten your path this day?
April 20, 2026 | Matthew 6:25-34
Reflection:
Try telling someone not to worry. What’s the first thing they’re apt to do? Worry. When Jesus speaks of “worrying” in this passage, the Greek word that is used comes from a root that means “to separate or divide.” Jesus is not saying, “Don’t ever take steps to prepare now for things that will happen in the future.” A helpful way of hearing what Jesus is saying throughout this passage is, “Don’t let your attention be divided, so that you are distracted from what is most important in the present moment.” Worrying really is all about being mentally divided. It can also “separate” us from God. As you read the passage, focus on the way Jesus draws our attention toward the God who not only provides for us but also draws us ever closer in a trusting relationship.
April 21, 2026 | Matthew 7:1-11
Reflection:
From the three sections of this passage come some key admonitions from scripture:
Do not judge others,
Do not cast pearls before swine,
Seek and you will find.
The first two are stated negatively, as prohibitions. The last is stated affirmatively: do this. If we were to turn the first two around to be affirmative, what would we get? Perhaps this:
Assess your own behaviors to see if you conform to the law of love.
Honor and treasure everything you have as a gift from God. Respect what God has made whole (from the same root as holy), especially the image of God in others.
Create your own summary of the third section. What does “knock and it will be opened for you” mean? How is Jesus calling each of us to a deeper trust in God’s provision?
April 22, 2026 | Matthew 7:12-20
Reflection:
“Be disciplined in thought and action” could be one way of summing up this set of verses. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” sounds like a call to transactional reciprocity as Jesus sums up the Law and Prophets. Yet, we have heard Jesus and Paul say throughout scripture that “love” is the summation of the Prophets and the Law. The life of faith is more than exacting discipline in our thinking and acting and more than transaction. Jesus calls us to “bear fruit,” and in doing so, he calls us to live organically related one to another through love. How does the love of God call you to a deeper relationship with all whom you meet this day?
April 23, 2026 | Matthew 7:21-28
Reflection:
Jesus seems to be talking about a life that appears to be shaped more by hypocrisy than genuine loving action toward others. For the ancient Greeks, the word hypocrisy was a theatrical term; it meant “to play a part on the stage.” It gradually came to mean “acting disingenuously.” The Apostle Paul uses the word when, in his letter to the Galatians, he calls out the Apostle Peter for his “hypocrisy” in vacillating between eating freely with the Gentile members of the church in Antioch and then separating himself out from these Gentile members when certain leaders from the church in Jerusalem come and say, “Everyone in the church must follow the old laws that say Jews and Gentiles cannot eat side by side.” Paul calls out Peter publicly, as if they were on a stage, telling Peter, “Everyone is watching, and you are not playing your part truly. If you act out of fear of human laws that separate and not trust in God’s love in Jesus that breaks down the old laws of separation, then Christ died for nothing!” Jesus says to the gathered crowd, “Don’t act like foolish hypocrites. Stand on the foundation of God’s love and let your every thought and action flow forth from the trust you have in God. This is genuine wisdom!” How are you challenged to take off the mask of hypocrisy and live more genuinely this day?
April 24, 2026 | Matthew 8:1-13
Reflection:
Jesus’ healing stories are each and every one unique. Read these two stories to see what we learn about Jesus from each one. Do you notice in the first story that Jesus does the unthinkable? He actually touches someone who is unclean because of a skin disease. And when the man is healed, Jesus directs attention away from himself, telling the man to give thanks to God. What else do we learn about Jesus from this story? In the second story, we have a rare encounter between Jesus and a representative of the Roman occupation of Palestine. This man may not have been “Roman” - as in “Italian” - for the Roman army was made up of men from every territory Rome occupied. The point here is that the man was an outsider to the culture and religion of Jesus and his people. Notice what Jesus does: he points to a faithful trust in this foreigner that he sees lacking among his own people, especially other representatives of power, especially religious leaders. There are plenty of people in the gospel narratives who turn to Jesus in faithfulness. Yet Jesus finds this centurion remarkable and worthy of being lifted up. Put yourself in the centurion’s shoes (or sandals). How do you hear Jesus’ words, “Go. It is done according to your faithful trust”? What impression do you take away from this healer, Jesus, that you live with the rest of your life?
April 25, 2026 | Matthew 8:14-22
Reflection:
We read two very different passages here. The first takes us into the very personal world of the disciples. We know very little about what their lives were like. We know James and John had a father, whom they left behind to follow Jesus. Peter clearly has or had a wife, since the woman in this story is called his “mother-in-law.” It’s a rare glimpse of the disciples’ humanity. Don’t pass by it too quickly. We never hear about any of the disciples needing Jesus’ healing touch themselves, but clearly, this woman does. Jesus doesn’t hesitate to heal her of the “fire” that grips her. And because of his willingness to heal, others came, and Jesus cured them all. Were the relatives of other disciples in their midst? Did James and John’s father come to see what all the fuss was about, why his sons had left him for this wandering healer? The second story offers us a bit of a challenge. Where is the kind, compassionate, and understanding Jesus whom we expect to say, “Yes, go and bury your dear father! And when you’re ready, come and follow!” Didn’t Jesus just take time to heal Peter’s mother-in-law? Perhaps there’s more going on in this story than meets our eyes. Jesus seems always able to discern what others cannot see. Perhaps in this instance, Jesus sees that this one follower is looking for any excuse to step away from the rough road of discipleship. Maybe Jesus is telling him, “Leave the old ways behind you. Follow me, and step away from the tomb you’ve made for yourself. New life is here now.” What do you think Jesus is telling disciples like you?