The Gospel of St. Matthew is one of interest...for anyone curious about the Christian faith. Matthew himself was a Christian coming from the Jewish faith, and his writings were focused on helping the Jewish community understand who the Messiah really is...Christ Jesus! It is said of Matthew he wrote the Gospel in a "Hebrew style", that the words he wrote might reach the hearts "of his own."
Matthew was not the first to collect and write about the life of our Beloved Christ, rather St. Mark has been given this distinction. In fact, some biblical historians conclude Matthew used the writings of Mark as a reference to all Matthew himself was describing...about the Messiah.
The Christian church is said to put Matthew's view on the Gospel as the first book of the New Testament because of his numerous references to the Old Testament.
Matthew had been...a tax collector...
In the Old Testament, the Scriptures upon occasion speak of life being a choice: a choice of choosing Life itself...or choosing Death and following ways which were against the lifestyle God has planned for each of us.
Moses made a Declaration in Deuteronomy 30:19, stating: "Today I have given to you a choice...to choose Life...or to choose Death. And from your choice, it will determine if you are blessed...or you are cursed..."
In Jeremiah 21:8, the Lord again speaks of choices. At that time, the people of Jerusalem had chosen lifestyles which basically had made God "sick", and He was now angry and 'fed-up" with their rude behavior and abusive treatment they were treating this God who simply loved them. As a result, the people of Jerusalem had come to a point where they were to make 2 choices: 1) Surrender to the Chaldeans who were at the gates of Jerusalem ready to attack...and if the Jewish community would surrender...they would live, or 2) stay within the walls of Jerusalem and fight...and the Jewish community would meet their death. For the Lord had had enough of the rebellious lifestyles of His people, and although He loved them, He was now at a point He would allow Jerusalem to be burned to the ground.
The Sacred Scriptures also point out in Psalm 1 the differences that arise after a person has made one of the 2 choices: choosing life or choosing death. Psalm 1 declares: "God blesses those who refuse evil advice...but finds his joy in the Laws of the Lord..." Psalm 1 also mentions : "grapes do not come from sharp and ugly thorns, nor do figs become full and luscious from growing on a weed..."
In St. Matthew 7, choices are again presented for people to make: 1) the reality of life is dependant on whether we choose to follow the "Ways of Evil", or we follow after "Life". Later on in this chapter Matthew writes of 2 fruits we can choose, good fruit or bad fruit. Also, Matthew writes about 2 different style homes: one built on a foundation of rock, the other built on basically no foundation, just sitting on sand.
So, our own...everyday lives can be greatly influenced by choices we make. Here in Matthew 7:12, Christ is saying here the entire Law and all the Prophets in what they had said and done can be summed up in the following statement: A Gleaning of Matthew 7:12...
" So here should be your focus on how to find Life... whatever it is you want in life, whatever it is you desire in life; hoping someone or others will do it for you or give to you your heart's wishes, take the initiative and do it for someone else. Aid, assist, or give to them what their heart's wishes are...make this moment count...give yourself...to another.
The Law and the Prophets can be summed up following this instruction: Finding "True Life" is dependant...on how you treat one another."
Matthew was not the first to collect and write about the life of our Beloved Christ, rather St. Mark has been given this distinction. In fact, some biblical historians conclude Matthew used the writings of Mark as a reference to all Matthew himself was describing...about the Messiah.
The Christian church is said to put Matthew's view on the Gospel as the first book of the New Testament because of his numerous references to the Old Testament.
Matthew had been...a tax collector...
In the Old Testament, the Scriptures upon occasion speak of life being a choice: a choice of choosing Life itself...or choosing Death and following ways which were against the lifestyle God has planned for each of us.
Moses made a Declaration in Deuteronomy 30:19, stating: "Today I have given to you a choice...to choose Life...or to choose Death. And from your choice, it will determine if you are blessed...or you are cursed..."
In Jeremiah 21:8, the Lord again speaks of choices. At that time, the people of Jerusalem had chosen lifestyles which basically had made God "sick", and He was now angry and 'fed-up" with their rude behavior and abusive treatment they were treating this God who simply loved them. As a result, the people of Jerusalem had come to a point where they were to make 2 choices: 1) Surrender to the Chaldeans who were at the gates of Jerusalem ready to attack...and if the Jewish community would surrender...they would live, or 2) stay within the walls of Jerusalem and fight...and the Jewish community would meet their death. For the Lord had had enough of the rebellious lifestyles of His people, and although He loved them, He was now at a point He would allow Jerusalem to be burned to the ground.
The Sacred Scriptures also point out in Psalm 1 the differences that arise after a person has made one of the 2 choices: choosing life or choosing death. Psalm 1 declares: "God blesses those who refuse evil advice...but finds his joy in the Laws of the Lord..." Psalm 1 also mentions : "grapes do not come from sharp and ugly thorns, nor do figs become full and luscious from growing on a weed..."
In St. Matthew 7, choices are again presented for people to make: 1) the reality of life is dependant on whether we choose to follow the "Ways of Evil", or we follow after "Life". Later on in this chapter Matthew writes of 2 fruits we can choose, good fruit or bad fruit. Also, Matthew writes about 2 different style homes: one built on a foundation of rock, the other built on basically no foundation, just sitting on sand.
So, our own...everyday lives can be greatly influenced by choices we make. Here in Matthew 7:12, Christ is saying here the entire Law and all the Prophets in what they had said and done can be summed up in the following statement: A Gleaning of Matthew 7:12...
" So here should be your focus on how to find Life... whatever it is you want in life, whatever it is you desire in life; hoping someone or others will do it for you or give to you your heart's wishes, take the initiative and do it for someone else. Aid, assist, or give to them what their heart's wishes are...make this moment count...give yourself...to another.
The Law and the Prophets can be summed up following this instruction: Finding "True Life" is dependant...on how you treat one another."
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