Key Thought

When hearts have chosen to be hard, they can ignore God's work no matter how spectacular it is. What is most scary about this situation is that we often find that those people who choose to harden their hearts are often God's people who are trying to defend a tangent, a position, or a tradition and in the process miss the work of God.
Jesus' ministry is for the lost, last, least, and left out and those who are willing to become that in his service-- they notice, change their hearts, and offer their lives to Jesus. They are transformed. When you have nothing to protect and only the grace of God to capture your heart then it's easy to declare the truth when you see it. That's why a song like "Amazing Grace" is so important: it reminds us that we were once "lost, last, least, and left out." Because of his great love for us, Jesus came to find us, to make us first, to give us significance, and to include us in his family!

Today's Prayer

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Almighty and loving Father, thank you for paying the cost in Jesus to adopt me into your family and share with me your grace. I praise you for your holiness. I praise you for your might. I praise you for your work in history. I praise you for your love, justice, mercy, and righteousness. I praise you for redeeming your people and keeping your promises. I praise you, O God, because you are worthy of all praise. In Jesus name I offer up my thanks and praise. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus went into the temple area. He threw out all the people that were selling and buying things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to the men that were exchanging different kinds of money. And Jesus turned over the benches of those men that were selling doves. Jesus said to all the people there, "It is written {in the Scriptures }, 'My house will be called a house for prayer.' But you are changing God's house into a 'hiding place for thieves.' " Some blind people and some crippled people came to Jesus in the temple area. Jesus healed these people. The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw what Jesus did. They saw that Jesus was doing great things and saw the children praising Jesus in the temple area. The children were saying, "Praise to the Son of David. " All these things made the priests and the teachers of the law angry. The leading priests and the teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Do you hear the things these children are saying?" Jesus answered, "Yes. The Scripture says, 'You (God) have taught children and babies to give praise.' Have you not read that Scripture?" Then Jesus left that place and went out of the city to Bethany. Jesus stayed there that night. Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. Jesus was very hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree beside the road. Jesus went to the fig tree {to get a fig to eat}. But there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus said to the tree, "You will never again have fruit!" And then the tree dried up and died. The followers saw this. They were very surprised. They asked, "How did the fig tree dry up and die so quickly?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. If you have faith and no doubts, you will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen. If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer." Jesus went intothe temple area. While Jesus was teaching there, the leading priests and the older leaders of the people came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, "Tell us! What authority (power) do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?" Jesus answered, "I will ask you a question too. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from God or was it only from other people?" The priests and the Jewish leaders talked about Jesus' question. They said to each other, "If we answer, 'John's baptism was from God,' then Jesus will say, 'Then why didn't you believe John?' But we can't say John's baptism was from someone else. We are afraid of the people, because they all believe that John was a prophet. " So they answered Jesus, "We don't know {where John's authority came from}." Then Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you what authority I have to do these things!

— Matthew 21:12-27 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.