Author: Norm

Reflecting on Matthew 26:36-46. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” (Matthew 26:39)As a follower of Jesus, I can relate to this prayer.There have been many times when I’ve prayed, ‘God, please, no!’Sometimes the Father does take the cup away.But many times I had to drink the cup anyway. Recently I…

Reflecting on Matthew 26:31-35. “‘I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.” (Matthew 26:35)Years ago I made a decision to be a Jesus follower.If you had asked me then, I probably would have said what Peter said.Actually, it was not just Peter: all the other disciples said the same!This is both humbling…

Reflecting on Matthew 26:26-30 Lord Jesus, thank You for inviting us all to be close to God and You, to sit and eat with God and You, and to know that we are loved and forgiven despite our flaws, foibles and failures. I welcome your sacrifice of love, and I offer my own with You to…

Reflecting on Matthew 26:17-25 “But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!” (Matthew 26:24)Have you ever warned someone by saying ‘woe to you’?It is not a word I would normally use, but it sounds ominous.The lexicon says the word ‘ouai’ is an exclamation of grief.Can you can hear the grief in Jesus when He…

Reflecting on Matthew 26:14-16 “One of the twelve … went to the chief priests.” (Matthew 26:14)As a Jesus follower, I am also in a sense “one of the twelve”.Not the original twelve, but those following with and after them.It is easy to look down on Judas and say, “shame on you!” Judas was disappointed with the way…

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 26:6-13 What do you sense Jesus saying to you in this passage? “The poor you will always have with you.” (Matthew 26:11)Matthew focusses on the indignation of the disciples.Did they really care about the poor (see John 12:1-8)?Jesus is not justifying ignoring the poor.He is honouring the deep devotion and love of this…

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 26:1-5 What do you sense Jesus saying to you in this passage? “They schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.” (Matthew 26:3)In these verses we have a sense of what is happening from two perspectives.Jesus has a sense of destiny, what He must do to maximize God’s purpose.The religious leaders have…

This week (Jun 16-Jun 22, 2025) I am listening with Jesus through Matthew 26. We are now approaching the moment when heaven and hell collide, and Jesus is caught in the middle. We will see the different responses to Jesus at this critical moment, and reflect on our own possible response if we were there at…

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 25:31-46 What do you sense Jesus saying to you in this passage? “They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)I read the bible through the lens of love.How do we view the final judgment through the lens of love?Jesus definitely affirms some kind of punishment…

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 25:31-46 What do you sense Jesus saying to you in this passage? “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty…” (Matthew 25:44)Here is a thought that could revolutionize our daily living.Imagine if you saw Jesus in every person you met today.How I treat them… this is how I am treating Jesus!When…