In Matthew’s biography of Jesus, he repeats one phrase three times: “When Jesus had finished saying these things…”
This phrase signals a transition in the story. Jesus spoke to the people and afterwards the people respond:
- One time they were amazed.
- One time they followed him.
- One time they did nothing.
Today people react to Jesus in the same three ways:
- They may respect him as a teacher, but nothing more.
- They may follow him.
- They may ignore him.
Respecting Jesus is a great place to start, but following him is what he desires.
[Matthew 7:28, 19:1, and 26:1]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.