Reading Plan for Apr. 26 - May 2

April 26, 2026 | Matthew 8:23-27
Reflection:
What manner, what kind, what wonderful, how great, what quality, what sort of person is this? These are all the questions that derive from three Greek words: potapos estin houtos? The word “man” or “person” is missing. It’s not a question of the ontological nature of Christ's divine-human being. Not here. The disciples are merely in shock. They exclaim, “What the heck just happened!? Who is this….Jesus!?” It’s not a theological pondering. It’s sheer, jaw-dropping amazement. A very similar amazement comes in 1 John 3:1, where the author uses that same word potapos above, “Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God, and we are!!!” This is truly amazing love: through this same Jesus, through whom God stilled the raging storm, God has also made us each a child of the Father. What wondrous love is this!

April 27, 2026 | Matthew 8:28-9:1
Reflection:
Reading this passage, you may think, “This sounds familiar…but different.” That’s because we encounter a very similar story in Mark’s gospel. What’s different is that the region name is a bit different (Gadarenes vs. Gerasenes), there are two men in Matthew’s account, and, uncharacteristically, Matthew shortens Mark’s version, leaving out the part where the man delivered from demons begs to go with Jesus. I think we miss something if we only read Matthew: we miss seeing how the man was restored to himself and seemingly then to community. We miss as well the man asking to go with Jesus, but Jesus tells him to stay among his people and tell them all that God has done. Matthew’s account makes it seem only that neighboring peoples are inhospitable to Jesus and the gospel. Mark says that Jesus went to the area of the Decapolis and preached the good news, and many people were amazed. Matthew’s version leaves that out, too. Reread Mark 5:1-20. Is there anything else that’s different? What else would we miss if we only had one gospel account of Jesus’ life and ministry?

April 28, 2026 | Matthew 9:2-13
Reflection:
After noticing the differences between Matthew and Mark’s accounts yesterday, we come to another place where Matthew deletes details from Mark in today’s passage. The most significant difference in Matthew’s telling is that the men carrying the paralyzed man do not lower him through the roof. This is such a great detail, because it shows the earnestness of their faith (which Jesus makes note of). Otherwise, the story is much the same. When we pray for others, often we use the language of “lifting them up” to God. In Mark’s telling of this story, the faithful lower their friend to Jesus. In Matthew’s account, the friends do carry the man to Jesus. Either way, effort is extended in faithful action on behalf of another. In what ways can we “lower” or “carry” another into the healing sphere of Jesus? In our second story, pay attention to the way people respond to Jesus’ choosing of a “tax collector.” Whom would people object to today, not seeing Jesus’ calling on their lives to be spiritual leaders? What ways can we make room for the grace of God to work through those whom society rejects?

April 29, 2026 | Matthew 9:14-26
Reflection:
We have two stories today. In the first one, notice how Jesus uses the question posed to him to speak of bigger truths. Notice too that Jesus doesn’t answer the question, “Why do your disciples not fast like other pious people?” Two things seem important to Jesus: timing and newness. It isn’t the time to fast, and it’s really hard to accept the new things, because the old things hinder the new. I could imagine that those who asked the question were frustrated because Jesus diverted them. Have you seen the short videos where parents can disrupt their toddlers’ tantrums by calling out the name of an unknown person, “Jessica! Where are you?” The toddler’s brain is completely disrupted as it tries to figure out who Jessica is, and the tantrum stops.” Jesus disrupts the disciples of John’s questioning. He knows it’s not a genuine question; they seem to want to trap him. Jesus diverts their attention and gets them thinking about God’s timing and God’s newness. How is God calling you to see and experience something new?

In the second story, we encounter other kinds of disruption. One story is put on pause by the immediacy of the healing power of God. The Greek word for power is dynamis. (We get dynamite from it.) This word is also translated as “miracle” in other parts of the Bible. Whatever it is, it flows out from Jesus in response to the faithful and trusting audacity of a desperate woman. This power also shows up as Jesus takes a young girl by the hand, and she appears to rise from the realms of the dead. And the news spread. What would your reaction have been if a neighbor told you, “This guy Jesus just brought someone’s kid back to life!”? Would you wonder at such power? Would you be skeptical? Would you be drawn to meet this Jesus?

April 30, 2026 | Matthew 9:27-34
Reflection:
Matthew seems to double things up. In Mark’s account, there was one man among the tombs of the Gerasenes. In Matthew, there were two. In today’s passage, Matthew has two men calling out to Jesus, “Have mercy!” Mark told a similar story where there was one man, named Bartimaeus (Mark 10). Matthew seems to want to intensify the impact of this story. We could look at it one way and think, “Well, at least in Matthew’s telling, these two blind men have each other to rely on. Whereas Bartimaeus was alone before his sight was restored.” Notice how in all the healing stories, faith and faithfulness are key parts. Sometimes the faith is in the person being healed, sometimes it lies with the friends who accompany one seeking healing, and sometimes the faithfulness lies with Jesus. Notice how those in the story react to healing: some rejoice and tell everyone they know. Others are reticent and skeptical. How have you responded when you’ve heard others speak of their healing? Treat healing stories as an opportunity to recognize the faithfulness of God present in the midst of it all.

May 1, 2026 | Matthew 9:35-38
Reflection:
Notice in today’s passage how the healing ministry of Jesus intensifies. Wherever Jesus goes, he heals…every disease and sickness. Things are heating up. It’s like the turning of the ages is about to happen. All the talk of the “harvest” is about God’s timing. When is God going to usher in the kingdom? When will all things be righteously restored? The harvest is nigh, Jesus says. Jesus tells his disciples to pray for guidance in such a time of change. Notice how the metaphors of “kingdom” and “garden” are often placed near each other in Jesus’ parables. How is it that two different realities (kingdoms and gardens) can be closely related? What needs to be nurtured and tended for a kingdom to prosper?

May 2, 2026 | Matthew 10:1-15
Reflection:
The word for “disciple” in Greek is mathētēs. It has the same root as mathematics, math-, which refers to "that which is learned," "knowledge," or "a lesson." We may think of disciple as meaning “follower,” but it comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning "learner, pupil, student." In the first translations of the gospels into English over a thousand years ago, the word was first “learning-knights.” [knight carried the sense of “young man” then.] Read the list of assignments that Jesus gives these learners: proclaim good news, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and tell about the kingdom. Is this the point at which the learners become something more? Or is this another way that they are to continue learning: by living the liberating gospel life? In what way are you called to continue to be a learner of Jesus and the mission God had sent him to achieve? How do you seek a place of welcome for the love of God you’ve been called to bear?