In verses one through 13, we read about Jesus taking the three (Peter, James and John) to a mountaintop to witness His transfiguration. Jesus’ appearance changed, Moses and Elijah appeared, and God spoke. This event validated Jesus as the Messiah and increased the disciples’ faith via showing Jesus’ divinity. When coming down the mountainside, the disciples questioned Jesus as to why the religious teachers said Elijah had to come prior to Him (the Messiah). Jesus stated this was true before revealing that “Elijah” had already come; He said that the people had not recognized him and chose to abuse him. The disciples later realized that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist as Elijah. Friend, imagine the sight of Jesus shining as bright as the sun and His garments glowing in appearance. Imagine the voice of God being heard to validate Jesus bring the Messiah. Imagine the honor of being able to witness such an event. Then imagine how blind the religious teachers were; they were looking for someone who had already come and died. While caught up in laws, religious teachings and traditions, they missed “Elijah” and were missing the Messiah as well.

In verses 14 through 21, Jesus and the three met a crowd at the bottom of the mountain. A man came before Jesus kneeling. He explained how his son was suffering from seizures which caused him to be thrown into the fire and water. The man stated that he had brought his son to the disciples, but they were not able to heal him. Jesus rebuked the disciples for not having any faith and told them to bring the boy to Him. Jesus rebuked the demon, and the boy was healed. Privately, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast the demon out. Jesus replied they did not have enough faith; for with faith, nothing is impossible. He also added that it took prayer and fasting to cast out certain kinds of demons. The latter verse is a very popular verse in the “demon casting out” world. I would like to render you an explanation of this verse. Prayer and fasting are spiritual practices which decrease the desires of our flesh and increase the desires of our spirit. These practices build our faith and relationship with God. They also increase our spiritual power allowing us to walk in our God-given power and authority. As a result of the spiritual increase via such practices, we, enabled by God’s Spirit, are able to perform such things as casting out demons.

We read of a very similar scene to open this chapter. In verses one through four, the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus demanding a miraculous sign to prove His authority to them just as they had done in chapter 12. Jesus responded questioning them on how them they knew the signs to predict the weather, but they didn’t know the signs of the times. And just as He said in chapter 12, He mentioned the only sign they would receive was the sign of the prophet Jonah. If we are being honest, we have had or still have a degree of the Pharisees and Sadducees within us. Despite Jesus proving to us time and time again, we continue to ask for a sign. Despite seeing Him work in so many ways, we continue to need reassurance and clarity. But just as Jesus did not grant their request, there comes a time when He does not grant our request. We have to stand on His words. We have to trust Him at His words. We have to have faith that He will perform His words.

After that interaction with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and the disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. It is there where the disciples realized that they did not bring any loaves of bread. Jesus rebuked them telling them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples disregarded what He said and argued amongst themselves regarding the forgotten loaves. Jesus called their lack of faith out and referenced the miracles that He had performed with the loaves and fish. He then reiterated for them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It wasn’t until verse 12 that the disciples realized that Jesus was not speaking of yeast in bread but of the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. How could the disciples who had witnessed Jesus perform miracles with such little be worried about having nothing? How could they not just have faith in His power and authority? How could they allow the deceptive teachings and traditions of the Pharisees and Sadducees to override the manifestations of Jesus’ power? Friend, when I said “they”, I am referring to “us” as well.

Verses 13 through 20 contain a few of my favorite scriptures. Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”. The disciples respond. Then He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”. Peter had the revelation and insight, and we see it via his response in verse 16. Jesus called him blessed beaucse He knew Peter’s revelation didn’t come from a human viewpoint. He professed that His church would be built on the rock, and hell would not conquer against it. He professed that the Keys of the Kingdom would be ours to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Then He told the disciples not to reveal that He was the Messiah. How have people described Jesus to you? How would you describe Jesus to someone else? In reflection, I have heard people describe Jesus as such and such. But I didn’t know Him as a healer until I faced an illness needing to be healed. I didn’t know Him as the Lord over my life until I laid my will down and picked His will up. It’s something to hear about what God has done for someone else, but it is such an honor to experience Him for yourself.

In verse 21, we read that from that point forward, Jesus began to plainly tell the disciples that He would have to go to Jerusalem, suffer many terrible things, and be killed; but he would be raised from the dead. In verses 22 through 23, we see an exchange between Peter and Jesus as Peter was speaking against God’s will. Jesus rebuked him for doing so saying that Peter was looking at the prophecy from a human viewpoint instead of God’s viewpoint. But didn’t Peter just reveal that Jesus was the Messiah from God’s viewpoint? That lets us know that our emotions can charge us to the point of our eyesight being shifted from God’s viewpoint to a human’s viewpoint. I want to encourage you to keep charge over your eyesight, friend. As the devil desires to cause our eyesight to be obscured so that we cannot see things from God’s viewpoint.

This chapter is brought to a close with verses similar to those found in chapter 10. In verses 24 through 27, Jesus reiterated that we must give up our way, take up our cross, and follow Him. We must give up our lives for His sake so that we can be saved. He questions what the benefit is with gaining the world but losing our souls. He mentioned that He would come with His angels and judge all people according to their deeds. What type of deeds would you be judged for if Jesus came back today?

To open this chapter, we read that some of the Pharisees and teachers of religious law came to Jesus asking Him why His disciples didn’t obey their tradition of ceremonial hand washing prior to eating. The Pharisees and teachers were saying that the disciples not performing the ceremonial hand washing made them/the food unclean. Jesus clapped back by calling them out regarding them not obeying the direct commandments of God. How could they ask Jesus such a thing about the traditions that they had made up? How could they ask that question while knowing that they were not obeying God’s commandments? They were attempting to cancel out the word of God for the sake of tradition. If you were to think back over your life, I am sure that you would pinpoint times when you chose tradition over the Bible too.

In verses 10 through 20, we read about Jesus teaching the crowd regarding what defiles us ( makes us corrupt, unclean, or impure). It is not what goes into our mouths but what comes out of our hearts that defiles us. The disciples interrupted Jesus’s teaching in verse 12 telling Him that He had offended the Pharisees in His response. Jesus replied that every plant that is not planted by the Father in Heaven will be uprooted before referring to them as the blind leading the blind. After that, Jesus provided an elaboration on defilement. He said that the things we consume go into our stomachs and pass into the sewer. But the words we speak come from the heart, and those words make us corrupt, unclean, or impure; for from the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These things defile us; not eating with unwashed hands.

In verses 22 through 28, we read where a Gentile woman comes to Jesus seeking healing for her demon possessed daughter. Due to cultural differences, Jews and Gentiles were not a cohesive unit. We are allowed a view of this indifference via Jesus’ responses to the woman in verses 24 and 26. But the woman’s FAITH caused Jesus to grant her request, and her daughter was healed instantly. There goes Jesus again; healing due to a person’s faith. This has been a common theme for many of the chapters within this book. Take heed to it. I also want to mention verse 25 as I close this posting. After Jesus told the woman He had been sent for the people of Israel (which means she was not included), she came and worshipped Him pleading for Him to help her. Not only that, in verse 27, she told Jeuss that even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table. And friend, I believe that is what caused Jesus to move on her behalf. Basically, she said, “I know I do not belong to that population, but I know that you are my Master so I will take whatever they didn’t partake in”. Whew! We know from our previous readings that Jesus’ people had rejected Him…they left scraps in the rejection. And this woman was hungry enough to “eat” the scraps that had fallen beneath her Master’s table.

In verses one through 11, we read the backstory of John the Baptist’s arrest, imprisonment, and death. Basically, a man married his brother’s ex-wife, and John spoke out against it publicly. He told the man that his marriage to the woman was unlawful; this was because the man and the woman had divorced their spouses to marry each other. The woman was upset with John for speaking out against her new marriage. The man was upset as well and wanted to kill John, but He was afraid that the people would riot due to John being considered a prophet. Eventually, the woman, via her daughter, had John beheaded. Although you may not be imprisoned or beheaded, you will suffer consequences for standing up and speaking out against unlawful (unGodly) things/people. Take the stand and speak out anyways! When you are led by God in these moments, remember that Heaven is backing you up!

I know you’ve heard the miracle of the 2 fish and 5 loaves; this is referenced in verses 15 through 21. We read that Jesus took those 2 fish and 5 loaves, looked up to heaven, and blessed it prior to feeding 5,000 men in addition to all the women and children there. We read that there was an abundance of food as everyone ate as much as they desired, and there were 12 baskets of leftovers when everyone was finished. Friend, be encouraged and full of faith!! God is able to take that little that you have and multiply it into much!!

John’s disciples had told Jesus about John’s death earlier in the chapter, but He was occupied. After He had finished feeding the crowd, Jesus sent them and the disciples away so He could go and pray alone. Even Jesus took moments to address hurt and grief. So why do you feel as if you can tuck your emotions under the rug and not deal with them? Why are you afraid to face the things that you’ve buried with the lie of “I don’t care” while knowing you’re feeling a certain way? The best place to release that pain, hurt, disappointment, and sorrow is at His feet in prayer!

Another miracle is referenced in this chapter as well in verses 22 through 33. Jesus was walking on the water to catch up with the disciples after He finished praying. A great wind came upon the waters and the waves were great; the disciples were having a hard time on that boat. I can just imagine Jesus casually walking towards them, and Peter working up enough courage to request to do the same. Jesus told him to come, and just like that, Peter was walking on the water too. But Peter became afraid due to the wind and waves so he began to sink. Jesus saved him from sinking and rebuked Him by saying, “You have so little faith. Why did you doubt me?” In the midst of the storms, Jesus calls for us to exercise our faith and step out onto the water. Most of the time, we find ourselves remaining in the boat due to fear, lack of faith, and doubt. Most of time, we held ourselves back from experiencing the fullness of God’s power. He desires us to not doubt what He is able to do, but more greatly, He desires us to not doubt what we are able to do through Him. FRIEND, STEP OUT AND WALK ON THAT WATER!

Friend, I need you to read this chapter in its entirety. I love when Holy Spirit provides me with fresh revelation on scriptures that I’ve read in the past. I’m going to keep this reflection short and sweet because it is my prayer that you will experience revelation as you read it for yourself. I want to encourage you to ensure the seeds (God’s words) being thrown out to you are planted into your heart and produce harvest (a life multiplied by God). I want to encourage you to be the wheat and not the weed. Do not allow the enemy to convince you that living a life of sin is worth dying and going to hell for. Instead, realize that only living a life led by God ensures that you will see the Kingdom of Heaven. Lastly, I want to encourage you to address and allow Jesus to heal your heart from rejection that you’ve experienced from your family, friends, and your hometown. We read in verses 54 through 58 that Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth. The people were amazed by His teachings and miracles, but ultimately, they were offended and rejected Him due to “knowing His family”. Instead of Jesus attempting to convince them of His worth (like we do at times), He performed less miracles because they didn’t believe in Him. If people don’t believe in you, your calling, your Godly lifestyle, don’t attempt to prove yourself to them. Do as Jesus did!

Friend, throughout verses one through 40, we read how the Pharisees were hating on Jesus (lol). Jesus continued to heal the sick and perform miracles even on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees did not agree with this or like it. They began to challenge Jesus with questions, and in verse 14, it is revealed that they began to plot to kill Him due to not being able to accept and explain His authority and power. In verses 22 through 29, Jesus healed a demon possessed man, and the Pharisees had the nerve to say that He was able to do so because He was empowered by Satan. We know Jesus clapped back, right? He asked them if He was empowered by Satan, Satan would be fighting against himself and dividing his own kingdom. Jesus brought clarity to them by saying whoever isn’t with Him opposes Him and anyone who isnt working with Him is working against Him. The Pharisees were obviously working against Jesus and He knew it. Friend, are you working with Jesus or are you opposing Him? 👀

In verse 38, the teachers of the religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus asking for a miraculous sign to prove His authority. In verses 39 and 40, Jesus told them the only sign they would receive was the sign of the prophet Jonah. He elaborated by referencing Jonah being in the belly of the great fish for 3 days and 3 nights; and said He would be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights. (This is the first prophecy we see in this book which references Jesus’ future death and resurrection.)

I love verses 46 through 50 as they reference family outside of the bloodline. While Jesus was speaking, His mother and brothers stood outside of the synagogue requesting to speak to Him. His response was, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Now, Jesus wasn’t dissing His earthly family. He was teaching us that we are brothers and sisters in Christ which makes us family. A lot of us get caught up on being rejected as the “black sheep” of our families. These verses are great to reference during those times. I have people in my life that are not my blood relatives, but I love dearly and treat them as if they are my blood relatives. When you are neglected by your earthly family, know that you still have a family within the body of Christ. It is my prayer that you accept your place within your earthly family as well as your God-given family!

So John the Baptist is in prison when He hears about the miracles of Jesus. We know that John heard about it because verse two tells us; so he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Messiah or if they should be looking for someone else. Jesus instructed John’s followers to tell him everything they had witnessed including the blind seeing, the lame walking, leprosy cured, deaf people hearing, dead being raised to life, and the Good News being preached to the poor. My thought was, “In verse two, it says that John had heard about all the things Jesus was doing so why did he send his disciples to verify that it was him?”. But to be honest friend, we have done similar when asking God for another confirmation. We know what He said. We know His nature. We know what He has performed in the past. But yet we ask for another sign. So maybe John just needed some reassurance and another “sign”. I am sure that Jesus provided just that by telling John’s disciples to tell him what they had witnessed.

Verse 20 switches gears with the judgment for unbelievers being announced. Jesus denounced the towns where He had performed many of His miracles; He did so due to the people not repenting and turning to God after hearing His teaching and witnessing His miracles. Friend, He will do the same for you and I. When God shows Himself to us, it is not for us to continue to live as we once lived. It is for us to turn from our wickedness and back to Him. He issues warnings before the destruction comes so I encourage you not to take His warnings lightly, my friend.

Verses 25 through 27 mention a standard for the revelations of God. That standard includes us being childlike instead of portraying to be wise and clever. It also includes being chosen by Jesus for He chooses those who will know the revelations of God. So go before Him in a childlike manner, full of faith, lowly, and with an open heart. Lastly, Jesus bids for those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens to come to Him so that He can give them rest. When we connect with Jesus (take on His yoke) we will realize that the burdens are not for us to carry but for us to lay them at His feet. Then we are charged to exercise faith that He will take care of us completely. There is something about the peace of God that exudes from within when you allow Him to be Him. Take your hands out of it and give it to Him.

Friend, I love chapter ten. When I have discussions with believers who think that they do not know what their purpose is, I point them to this chapter. Although our methods of completing our purpose varies, we are all on one mission! So as you grow in your relationship with God, He will reveal your specific method. Also, I encourage you to have conversations with your pastor regarding your method as he/she is your shepherd and has God’s insight regarding you.

In verse one, Jesus gathers His disciples and gives them authority; the same authority that He possesses to cast out evil spirits and heal every kind of sickness and illness. After He gave them authority, He gave them a territory, target population, and instructions. In verses six through eight, He commanded them to go to the people of Israel (God’s lost sheep) and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; He commanded them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those of leprosy, cast out demons and give as freely as they had received from Him. What I love about Jesus is that He also gave warning of consequences for following Him. In verse 16, He told them that He was sending them out as sheep amongst wolves. In verses 17 and 18, He told them that they would be handed over to the courts, flogged with whips, stand trial, and be persecuted. But even during those times, He instructed them to see these circumstances as opportunities to tell the rulers and unbelievers about Him. But Jesus didn’t stop there. Next, He told that they would be protected. In verses 28 through 31, Jesus provided encouragement to the disciples by telling them not to be afraid of people who desired to kill their bodies as those people could not touch their souls; but to fear God who could destroy both the soul and body in hell. Jesus spoke of their value as well when He mentioned that the hairs on their heads were numbered; this brought further encouragement.

Friend, we are tasked with the same instructions Jesus gave the disciples. Our purpose is to announce the Good News and lead lost souls to Jesus. We have the same authority that He gave to the disciples. Although we will not suffer the consequences of that time, we will suffer consequences for following Him. Just think of the things that have occurred or the people you have lost since making the decision to live for Jesus. But even through the consequences, Jesus continues to show us His love, grace, and mercy. It is better to go through with Jesus!

In verses 37 through 39, Jesus reiterates leaving everything and everyone behind and following Him. He even told them if they did not give up their lives for Him, they would lose them. God is number one, even above yourself.

To open up this chapter, verse one tells us that Jesus returned to His own town, and a group of people brought a paralyzed man to Him to be healed. Initially, He told the man His sins were forgiven, but the religious teachers of that time claimed He was committing blasphemy. They questioned within their minds did Jesus think that He was God, and of course, Jesus heard their thoughts. He called their thoughts out and told them He would prove that He had the authority on earth to forgive sin. He turned to the man and commanded him to stand up, pick up His mat, and go home. And the man got up and went home.

Friend, I cannot express this enough; you NEED friends that are on the same spiritual journey as you. You need friends that have made a decision to live for God. You need friends that are able to see that you have become paralyzed within yourself and carry you before the King! You need friends that are able to see your vulnerabilities and areas of need. You need friends that are able to pray over you, speak life to you, and hold you accountable.

I want to encourage you not to doubt Jesus and His authority like the religious teachers did. God in the flesh was standing right before them, and they did not even realize it. Open your eyes, friend. See Jesus standing in the midst of those circumstances that feel as if they are overtaking you. See Jesus utilizing some of those circumstances to cause a shift within you, to increase your faith, to kill your flesh, to being you into submission to Him, to bring you to a place of complete surrender to Him. Friend, the same power that Jesus possesses to heal the sick, make the lame walk, make the blind to see, and cause the storms to calm rests within you. You were created with that same dominion and authority within you. Exercise your authority against the plots of the enemy, and see Jesus in the midst of the valley!

In verses nine through 13, Jesus calls Matthew as His disciple. Matthew was a tax collector, and He left His business to follow Jesus. We read that Matthew hosted a dinner party and invited Jesus and the disciples to join him. When the Pharisees saw Jesus there, they questioned the disciples as to why He was eating with those types of people. And you know Jesus clapped back. He told them that healthy people do not need a doctor, sick people do. Jesus told them He came to call the sinners, not the people who think that they are righteous. Jesus had a valid point. Why would He be dining those who thought that they had already arrived? I reflected on these points in relation to my personal life. I used to be the life of the party, but since turning back to God, I avoid those types of environments. I don’t avoid them due to believing that I would partake in the festivities because I know I have been delivered from that lifestyle. I avoid them because I felt out of place; I also felt as if I would be judged for being “out of place” as a leader within my church. But I realized that I had a similar mindset as the Pharisees did by thinking that I did not belong in such an environment. The same people that witnessed me being the life of the party have witnessed me be transformed. And just as Jesus dined with sinners, I have the duty to as well in an attempt to show them Christ! Because it is in these verses that Jesus revealed that He desires for the lost to be found. He desires to save the sinners. No matter how far we think we’ve come, we still have work to do within ourselves. No matter how righteous we think we are, we are not perfect and never will be perfect. So friend, everywhere you go, allow God’s glory to shine through you and render your vessel to His Spirit when He reveals a need for you to go into the uncommon places.

In verses 18 through 34, Jesus heals a synagogue leader’s daughter, the woman with the issue of blood, two blind men, and a mute man possessed by a demon. He did so in response to their faith. Friend, it takes faith! You have to believe wholeheartedly. And when those thoughts of unbelief attempt to plague your mind, you must cast them down by not thinking on them or entertaining them. This is why it is important to know and live the Bible. So when thoughts like, “You know you don’t have enough money to do that so you may as well sit down”, come into your mind, you can call on Jehovah Jireh! The woman suffered 12 years with her issue, but she did not give up. She had went everywhere and to everyone attempting to be healed. BUT she heard of a Man named Jesus! So she PRESSED through that crowd with healing on her mind. She thought “if I can just touch the fringe of His garment, I can be healed”. And that’s exactly what happened! After 12 years the woman got her healing. She believed, but she also acted!

To wrap this up, I want to reference verses 36 and 37. Jesus looked upon the crowd and had compassion towards them because they looked confused and helpless; they looked like “sheep without a shepherd”. Jesus told the disciples that the harvest for the Kingdom is great, but the workers are few; He instructed them to pray to God for more workers. Friend, you and I are the workers that Jesus was referencing. There are souls out there that are lost, confused, helpless, and they need Jesus. But we must show them Jesus, lead them to Him, and assist them in developing their relationship with Him. We have work to do so let’s get to it!

Jesus comes down from the mountainside after concluding The Sermon on the Mount, and the large crowds continue to follow Him. A man with leprosy comes to Jesus desiring to be healed. {Side note: Leprosy is a contagious, skin infection that still exists mainly in underdeveloped countries. Back then, people with leprosy were considered unclean, and they were isolated from their communities. They were made to follow very strict laws as well.} The man told Jesus, “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean”. So Jesus touched him and said, “I am willing. Be healed”. And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Friend, do you have “leprosy” within your soul? Are there parts of the inner you that you or society have deemed unclean? Have you isolated yourself due to your “uncleanliness”? Just as Jesus reached out, touched the man, and healed him, He can reach out, touch you, and heal you! In addition to the things that we have deemed unclean, I also want you to think of the sin that we choose to live in as unclean. Jesus was sinless, but He took on our sins and redeemed us when He laid His life down. How dare we pick and choose which sins we allow Him to heal us from? He wants your total person healed just as He wanted the man with leprosy to be clean!

In verses five through 13, we read that a Roman officer came to Jesus reporting his child was sick. Jesus told the man that He would come and heal him. But the officer told Jesus that he was not worthy for Him to come to his house. He told Jesus that all He needed to do was send a word. Jesus was amazed at the officer’s faith, and because of his faith, Jesus healed his child. Check your faith friend! If the officer knew that Jesus only needed to send His word, why are you acting as if the words that God sent to you are untrue or invalid? Whatever He has spoken will be performed according to His will and in His timing!

Just as He did in verses 24 through 26, Jesus is able to calm any storm, whether natural or spiritual. The disciples responded inappropriately to the storm. Instead of speaking to it, they became afraid and panicked. They did not exercise any faith. Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever faced a storm in your life and instead of looking at the One who is able to calm it you panicked? Have you ever allowed your feelings and lack of trust to override your faith? I definitely have! We must remember that the same power that resides in Him, resides in us. Use your faith! Use your power! Speak to those storms and tell them who your God is and what He is able to do!