Let's lift up today's needs: **
Hello everyone! Let's lift up 
**Prayer Needed:** 
**Housing Concerns:** Please pray for 
**Job Requests:** Let's pray for 
**Emotional Support:** Pray for 
**Other Requests:** Pray for 
The Pharisees learned that Jesus told the Sadducees things they could not argue with. So the Pharisees met together. One Pharisee was an expert in the law {of Moses}. That Pharisee asked Jesus a question to test him.
—Matthew 22:34-35
Key Thought
We have a real sense of rivalry and pride playing into this situation. The Pharisees could gloat a moment at the Sadducees inability to trip up Jesus. "But we're better than they are. We study harder and follow God's Law more closely than the Sadducees. We'll trip him up for sure!"
But when truth is not the goal, when pride, comfort, and recognition become tantamount to life, then motives get jumbled and truth ends up getting forgotten. Those who seek the truth lose it when their goal is simply defeating someone else rather than searching for the truth.
Today's Prayer
Holy God, help me not become so blinded by someone I view as an opponent or antagonist that I forget my search for your truth. Please help me grow more determined to find and celebrate your truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
The Pharisees learned that Jesus told the Sadducees things they could not argue with. So the Pharisees met together. One Pharisee was an expert in the law {of Moses}. That Pharisee asked Jesus a question to test him. The Pharisee said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" Jesus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question. Jesus said, "What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees answered, "The Christ is the Son of David. " Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Then why did David call him 'Lord'? David was speaking by the power of the {Holy} Spirit. David said, 'The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control. ' David calls the Christ 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question. And after that day no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions {to try to trick him}.Matthew 22:34-46
Related Scripture Readings
Why are the people from other nations so angry? Why are they making foolish plans? Their kings and leaders joined together to fight against the Lord and against the king he chose. {Those leaders said,} "Let's rebel against God and against the king he chose. "Let's break free from them!" — Psalm 2:1-3
Jesus answered him, "It also says {in the Scriptures }, 'You must not test (doubt) the Lord your God.'" — Matthew 4:7
After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, "You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be given {to his enemies} to be killed on a cross." Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest's name was Caiaphas. In the meeting, they tried to find a way to arrest Jesus without the people seeing it. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. The men in the meeting said, "We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don't want the people to become angry and cause a riot." — Matthew 26:1-5
Ⓒ 1996-2017 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
View the full article
—Matthew 22:34-35
Key Thought
We have a real sense of rivalry and pride playing into this situation. The Pharisees could gloat a moment at the Sadducees inability to trip up Jesus. "But we're better than they are. We study harder and follow God's Law more closely than the Sadducees. We'll trip him up for sure!"
But when truth is not the goal, when pride, comfort, and recognition become tantamount to life, then motives get jumbled and truth ends up getting forgotten. Those who seek the truth lose it when their goal is simply defeating someone else rather than searching for the truth.
Today's Prayer
Holy God, help me not become so blinded by someone I view as an opponent or antagonist that I forget my search for your truth. Please help me grow more determined to find and celebrate your truth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
The Pharisees learned that Jesus told the Sadducees things they could not argue with. So the Pharisees met together. One Pharisee was an expert in the law {of Moses}. That Pharisee asked Jesus a question to test him. The Pharisee said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" Jesus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question. Jesus said, "What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees answered, "The Christ is the Son of David. " Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Then why did David call him 'Lord'? David was speaking by the power of the {Holy} Spirit. David said, 'The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control. ' David calls the Christ 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question. And after that day no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions {to try to trick him}.Matthew 22:34-46
Related Scripture Readings
Why are the people from other nations so angry? Why are they making foolish plans? Their kings and leaders joined together to fight against the Lord and against the king he chose. {Those leaders said,} "Let's rebel against God and against the king he chose. "Let's break free from them!" — Psalm 2:1-3
Jesus answered him, "It also says {in the Scriptures }, 'You must not test (doubt) the Lord your God.'" — Matthew 4:7
After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, "You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be given {to his enemies} to be killed on a cross." Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest's name was Caiaphas. In the meeting, they tried to find a way to arrest Jesus without the people seeing it. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. The men in the meeting said, "We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don't want the people to become angry and cause a riot." — Matthew 26:1-5
Ⓒ 1996-2017 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware. Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
