This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don’t worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you’ve missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
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11:1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers1 are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man2 dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet?3 Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,4 and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear,5 let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”6
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.7 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
[1] 11:5
[2] 11:8
[3] 11:9
[4] 11:12
[5] 11:15
[6] 11:19
[7] 11:26
(ESV)
"I'm too old for this." At least, that's what I was thinking as I boarded the "Freak Out" at the Corpus Christi carnival with a teenage youth from the church I was serving. At first I thought it wouldn't be too bad. But as I boarded the car, and the bar came down to keep me from flying out, my once ironclad bravery melted into trembling trepidation. And then, the ride began to swing. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Higher and higher it swung until I was being swung some 72 feet up in the air, my feet flailing in a chasm of open space below. My stomach began to churn and I closed my eyes. And it was on that day that I began to understand why they called the ride the "Freak Out." Because I was doing exactly that. I was just glad when it was over.
I have always found it funny how, oftentimes, we will forcefully claim the ability to confront even the most frightening and challenging predicaments with steely-eyed resoluteness, but only when we are not yet directly faced with them. For when reality hits and fear and uncertainty take over, our once rock-solid gallantry gets cut down to size. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you," Peter pompously pronounces to Jesus (Matthew 26:35). But then Jesus gets arrested and Peter gets scared. And when people begin asking Peter questions about his relationship to Jesus, he responds, "I don't know the man" (Matthew 26:72)! So much for Peter's valor.
In our reading for today from Matthew 11, what happened to me on the "Freak Out" and what happened to Peter when he was confronted by inquisitors, also happens to John the Baptist. As the chapter opens, John is in prison. According to the first century Jewish historian Josephus, John was held at a castle prison in Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea. John was not exactly staying in an oasis paradise! Apparently, John had been in prison throughout Jesus' Galilean ministry, perhaps for as long as a year. It is at this point that John begins to get a little bit antsy. "I thought Jesus was the Messiah," John reflects to himself. "Isn't the Messiah supposed to 'free the prisoners' and 'set the captives free' (Isaiah 61:1)? Why is it, then, that I remain here, languishing in prison?" Cracks of doubt and misgiving, it seems, begin to develop in John's normally impenetrable fortitude. And so, John sends some of his disciples to ask of Jesus: "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else" (verse 2)?
Many times I think we errantly perceive biblical characters to be people of heroic faith unmitigated by such struggles as doubt and fear. According to Matthew 11, however, this picture is simply not true. For even John the Baptist begins to doubt Jesus' messianic pedigree. Graciously, rather than scolding John for his lack of faith, Jesus gives him this kind reply via one of his disciples: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to poor" (verses 4-5). "Do not fear, John," Jesus says, "I'm not some wannabe Messiah. I'm the real deal. For I am fulfilling the prophecies concerning the Messiah's work, even if you remain in prison." And then, Jesus concludes with this beautiful beatitude: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me" (verse 6). Jesus knows that faith is hard. Jesus knows that his followers will doubt. But he gives them this encouragement: "Even when it's tough, even when it's dark, even when it's uncertain, don't fall away. Trust in me, even if your trust is only hanging by a thread. And you will be blessed."
Perhaps you, like John, sometimes struggle with your faith in Christ. Perhaps you are in a time of bitter anguish and you wonder how a loving God could ever allow you to experience such pain. Perhaps you see the brokenness of this world and you wonder how a righteous God could let this go on. Whatever question you might have, please know that you are not alone. You are not the first to have your fortified faith fractured by a tough trial. And you will not be the last. Then again, perhaps you feel strong in your faith right now. Perhaps you can say with Peter, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you, Lord!" Except that you, unlike Peter, would actually follow through. If this is you, praise be to God! By his Spirit, he has strengthened your faith. But remember also to be understanding of those whose faith is shaky right now. After all, your faith has been shaky before and it will probably be shaky again. As Jude, himself a very brother of Jesus, would remind us, "Be merciful to those who doubt" (Jude 22).
20:1 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3 and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4 for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’ 5 Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. 6 And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. 7 And is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.’ 8 And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.’ 9 And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
10 “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. 11 And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. 12 But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13 And when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, 14 but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you. 15 Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. 16 But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17 but you shall devote them to complete destruction,1 the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded, 18 that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God.
19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? 20 Only the trees that you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
21:1 “If in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. 3 And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. 4 And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. 6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. 8 Accept atonement, O LORD, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’ 9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.
10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.
15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,2 16 then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
[1] 20:17
[2] 21:15
(ESV)
God gave His people a wonderful promise. Even though the army coming against them was larger and more powerful, they need not fear, because the LORD would fight for them to give them the victory. Those who had built a new house, planted a new vineyard or taken a new wife were to be exempt from battle and were free to return home. Even those who were fearful were urged to return home so that their fear would not make their fellow soldiers fainthearted. In this way, it would be clear that the victory was the LORD's. Terms of peace were to be offered to cities surrounding the Promised Land, and when accepted the residents of those towns were to serve the Israelites. Otherwise, the residents were to be destroyed. The cities of "the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites" who occupied the Promised Land, however, were to be devoted to complete destruction. This was God's judgment on the wickedness of those people, which He had waited 430 years to bring about because their sin had "not yet reached its full measure" (Genesis 15:16). Now that their wickedness was complete, they were to be wiped out so that they could not lead Israel into idolatry. When a person was found murdered and no guilty party could be found, an atoning sacrifice was to be made for the people of the city nearest where the body was found. This provision, like so many others in Jewish Law, showed how precious life was to God. Laws were also established about marrying captive women, the rights of the firstborn son, and the treatment of a rebellious son. All these laws were intended to help set apart God's people.
88:1 O LORD, God of my salvation,
I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a horror2 to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O LORD;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O LORD, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.3
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.4
[1] 88:1
[2] 88:8
[3] 88:15
[4] 88:18
(ESV)