In Matthew 7:6, many people understand Jesus to be saying something like: you don't need to share the gospel with hostile, unworthy people. However, I agree with the minority who understand Jesus to

The log in your own eye versus the speck in your neighbor's eye is a powerful image of willfully living a lie. Jesus warns that if you condemn other people for their sins, you are ignoring a fundamen

At first reading, Matthew 6:25-34 seems simple and straightforward:  Don’t be anxious.  God knows what you need and He will take care of you. The tricky part of this passage is figuring out exactly wh

Why is the kingdom of heaven so incredibly valuable? In this passage, Jesus gives one of many important reasons:  We cannot keep the treasures of this earth, and we cannot lose the treasures in heaven

This last request is not to avoid the choice posed by temptation. This request is to be preserved through the choice. Father, do not let me fall into temptation to my doom.

It's not surprising that we find forgiveness in the Lord's prayer. For believers neither sin nor mercy are hypothetical concepts. We should be staggered by the power and beauty of mercy as proclaimed

In Matthew 6:11 we don't know with certainty what the word translated "daily" means. This leads to much debate and two good interpretations: one literal and one metaphorical. Both understandings ha

In giving us the Lord's prayer, Jesus is not giving us a ritual to perform or a spiritual discipline to ensure our prayers are answered. Jesus is challenging us to consider what is our hearts are set

Being religious is no guarantee that you are genuinely following God.  Whatever you define as obedience to God (being in full-time ministry, church attendance, praying, fasting, giving to the poor, a

Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In one sense, loving your neighbor is a simple, practical guide to good conduct.  But it is also a truth we have to embrace