9/8-9/14 Matthew’s Gospel Reading Plan

Introduction

In the prayer Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, he instructed his followers to pray, “Our Father in heaven…Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10 NRSV). This points towards an intimacy with God by referring to him as “Father.” Jesus had a oneness with God that he invites us to experience and live as well, which includes daily time alone with God through prayer. The Lord’s Prayer also reveals the ultimate desire of the God of grace and love, that His will is done here on earth and throughout creation, just as it is done in the kingdom of heaven. Much like the sermon Jesus shared on the mountain in Matthew 5 through 7, he revealed his divine glory and oneness with God the Father on a mountain in Matthew 17, with Peter, James, and John as witnesses (Matthew 17:1-8). On the mountain the three disciples heard God the Father say, “this is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well please; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5 NRSV). We are God’s adopted children through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). We are people made in God’s image and likeness for his glory (Genesis 1:26). Like those three disciples on the mountain with Christ, our heavenly Father is instructing us to listen to his Son, our Lord and Savior. To listen to Jesus, we have to spend time with him. Prayer and studying scripture are essential for ongoing encounters with the living God who revealed himself in and through Jesus. In the chapters in Matthew’s Gospel, we will read this week we will receive many more of Jesus’ teachings, follow him into Jerusalem during his triumphal entry, and be reminded of the greatest of the 613 commandments found in the Torah.

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture each day:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small group.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App or Bible Gateway App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.Bible.com or www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online.

 

WATCH: If you did not watch them recently, you are invited to watch the Bible Project Overview videos about Matthew’s Gospel before you read the chapters for this week. There is also a video about the prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6 that could be helpful to watch. The videos are available on YouTube and the Bible Project website:

 

Overview Matthew:1-13 by the Bible Project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI

 

Overview Matthew:14-28 by the Bible Project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGCF3OPWN14

 

What Did Jesus Pray for? Here’s What He Taught His Followers by the Bible Project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-YlqQfKkKk

 

 

OPENING PRAYER – Pray the following words as an invitation for God to speak to you during your daily devotional time before you read and try to memorize the Memory Verse:

 

“Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:9 NLT

 

Memory Verse:

God said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” – Matthew 17:5 NLT

 

SILENCE and SOLITUDE. You are encouraged to spend at least a few minutes or more alone with Jesus seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and be silent with God, consider laying down, kneeling, sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat, or going for a walk.

 

 

Sunday – Matthew 6:9-15 (Our Father)

PRAY Jesus’ prayer from Matthew 6 throughout the day, for yourself, your family, friends, the church, the people of greater Hendricks County, this nation, and the world.

 

 

Monday – Matthew 17

PRAY, praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let the words of the verses guide you. You may also want to pray throughout your day, including praying for the people you will be with, or have already been with, as well as for what you will do, or what you have already done. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it, or as it is written in Matthew 6:9-13.

 

 

Tuesday – Matthew 18 and 19

PRAY, praising the Lord and letting the words of the verses guide you. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it, or as it is written in Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Wednesday – Matthew 20

PRAY, praising God and letting the words of the verses guide you. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it, or as it is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13.

 

 

Thursday – Matthew 21

PRAY, letting the words of the verses guide you, while also offering thanks to God for the many blessings you have received and continue receiving. Then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it, or as it is in Luke 11:2-4.

 

 

Friday – Matthew 22:1-40

PRAY, letting the words of the verses guide you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help the people of AUMC to live the virtues of Christ that include humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love. Then conclude with the Lord’s Prayer as you have memorized it, or as it is written in Matthew 6:9-13.

 

 

Saturday Verses: Leviticus 23:3 and Matthew 11:28-30 (Jesus’ invitation)

Pray: Let the Holy Spirit and Bible verse guide you.

*Sabbath theme: REST

 

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. You may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.