Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Matthew 17-19

Matthew 17 through 19 is filled with red letters: Jesus’ teaching, correction, warning, comfort, and promise. In chapter 17, at the Transfiguration, God the Father affirms His Son:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” -Matthew 17:5

God Himself makes it clear that Jesus is not just a teacher or prophet. He is the beloved Son, and we are commanded to listen to Him. The disciples care deeply for Jesus, but moments after this encounter they are filled with fear and awestruck. They fall down.

“But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’” -Matthew 17:7

Jesus then begins preparing His disciples for what is ahead. He speaks of and predicts His suffering and death two times.

“In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” -Matthew 17:12

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” -Matthew 17:22–23

When the disciples struggle with doubt, Jesus addresses their faith:

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” -Matthew 17:20

We don’t need to have some overwhelming, all-encompassing faith in the Lord. If you do, great! But I honestly still struggle sometimes and have my questions and doubts that arise. Ultimately though, I trust in the Lord and have faith in Him.

Chapter 18 shifts into teaching. A LOT to learn here. Jesus is now teaching directly and also teaching in parables. Jesus tells the parable of the wandering sheep:

“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” -Matthew 18:12

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” -Matthew 18:14

God pursues us, seeks us out, chases after us. He loves each one of us; after all, he knit each of us together. God wants a relationship with each of us!

The next few verses in chapter 18 go even deeper, explaining the seriousness of not only causing others to stumble into sin, but also falling into sin ourselves. Jesus emphasizes personal responsibility and spiritual awareness. He then teaches about addressing sin amongst other believers, calling us to lovingly and humbly confront a brother or sister in Christ who is in sin with the goal of restoration, not judgement or condemnation.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” -Matthew 18:6

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” -Matthew 18:18

There is spiritual weight to accountability within the church body. Church is not simply a building; it is believers gathered together to learn, worship, and praise Him.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” -Matthew 18:20

This reminds me of what we read elsewhere in Scripture:

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” -Ecclesiastes 4:12

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” -Proverbs 27:17

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” -1 Thessalonians 5:11

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:24-25

When God is at the center, whether in marriage, parenthood, worship, singleness, work, friendship, prayer, or daily life, there is strength. A life built with Him woven into every part is not easily shaken.

In chapter 19, Jesus speaks directly about marriage and divorce. He brings the conversation back to God’s original design and commands. Marriage is described as a covenant, a sacred union established by God.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” -Matthew 19:4–6

“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” -Matthew 19:9

The seriousness of these words shows how deeply God values covenant faithfulness. Adultery is not just a physical act; it is a breaking of trust and of a sacred vow. In today’s culture, it can be easy to minimize commitment, but Scripture calls marriage a holy union before God.

At the same time, this is not a message of condemnation. We all sin. None of us are perfect. The goal is not shame, it is alignment with God’s design. One way to guard against sin is to live intentionally according to His will and seek His direction through prayer and reading your Bible. In marriage, and even in friendship, choosing to be equally yoked with someone who shares your faith and commitment to Christ is a solid foundation to start on.

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” -2 Corinthians 6:14

If you are divorced or have experienced divorce, God’s love has not left you. His grace still covers you. When we repent and turn to Him, He forgives. If you are currently walking through difficulties in your marriage, might I suggest seeking Christian counsel. Even if one spouse is unwilling at the moment, it is never too late to invite God into the situation and ask Him to work. I personally know a couple that was married, had a child, divorced, and then remarried to each other.

Throughout these chapters, the consistent theme is this: when Christ is at the center—of our relationships, our marriages, our churches, and our hearts, there is strength, restoration, and hope. All we need is faith as small as a mustard seed, or childlike faith. Childlike faith that is trusting, dependent, sincere, and innocent, is precious in the eyes of the Lord.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Matthew 19:14

Later, when speaking to a rich young ruler, Jesus makes a powerful statement about goodness and obedience:

“There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” -Matthew 19:17

When asked which commandments, Jesus responds:

“You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” -Matthew 19:18–19

The conversation then shifts to the heart of the issue that Jesus is teaching on here which is attachment to wealth. Jesus tells His disciples:

“Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 19:23

The disciples are astonished, and Jesus follows with hope:

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” -Matthew 19:26

“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” -Matthew 19:29

From a worldly perspective, wealth, status, possessions, and success define what it means to be “first.” I know I personally have to check my own heart in this area. It is easy to elevate money, career, comfort, or material things above our relationship with God. What we consider rich here on earth is often the opposite of what heaven considers rich.

“But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” -Matthew 19:30

I believe Jesus is not saying that having money or possessions automatically keeps someone out of heaven. Scripture shows that God has blessed many faithful people with material abundance. The issue is not possession, it is priority. If wealth or success become greater than our devotion to God, then our hearts are not where they need to be.

Whether wealth looks like a large home, land, animals, a thriving business, a vacation home, financial security, or anything else that we value, if it takes the place of God, we are no longer putting Him first. This passage serves as a heart check. And again, I fully and personally understand how difficult this can feel from a worldly perspective. Ask yourself, are you living for the temporary rewards of this world, or are you living for the kingdom of heaven?

When we truly seek God and put Him first, everything else falls into its proper place. God may bless us in different ways, sometimes materially, sometimes spiritually, but the greatest blessing will always be eternal life with Him in heaven. The question is not what we have, but who comes first in our hearts. Take the teachings that Jesus provides us with in these chapters and do your best to apply them to your life. Above all, put God first.

Discussion Questions

1. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus speaks about faith as small as a mustard seed. Think of your faith like a garden. Where in your garden, your life, do you need to plant more seeds to grow in that area? Are you watering your seeds regularly by reading your Bible, worshipping, and spending time in prayer?
2. How does gathering with other believers strengthen your faith? In what ways can you be more intentional about presence in a Christian community?
3. What “wealth” (money, career, comfort, status, possessions, etcetera) are you most tempted to place above your relationship with God?

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