Seeds for 01/25/2024 - Matthew 26:1-5
Scripture: When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill Him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”
Observation: After a lengthy block of parables, teaching, exhortations, and confrontations, the story turns to action.
Before we move into the vital scenes that hurl the plot of Matthew’s Gospel story toward its conclusion, this spare narration sets everything on course.
There seems to be a parallel here between Jesus and the chief priests and elders of the people. They are both making a turn, setting their sights on what is to come, and turning the corner within themselves for the course they are taking.
In the case of Jesus, He is matter of fact about what is coming His way: “the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” He is facing His reality, walking towards it, and even preparing His disciples for it. Jesus’ turn displays courage and strength.
In the case of the religious leaders, they are making a deliberate turn in their outward actions—plotting and planning to do away with Jesus, accruing as little PR damage as possible. This outward turn is also an inward turn. Whether they see it clearly or not, they are moving toward wickedness and corrupting their souls.
We all have moments where we make the turn. We have some clarity about our current reality and what our options are, then we make a choice. Our choices matter deeply, both to others impacted by them and to our own souls.
Application:
Who have you seen choose courage in the face of a tough reality?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, guard my heart and mind. Lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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