Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this FIRST day of 2026!
The 2025 story of your life and mine is closed now, and our brand new, ‘life story book’, with 365 blank pages of 2026, lies open before each of us. While we can reflect on our 2025 book and we can perhaps make commentary on it, we cannot change anything written in that book. That’s how it is with history, isn’t it?
We cannot rewrite history! We can remember, we can discuss, we can learn from it, but we CANNOT change the past. And today we each begin writing our 2026 life story, one day at a time. So… how do you think God wants us to begin this new year in the best way for each of us?
In the past few days, we’ve begun our 2026 “Grand Narrative” journey through the New Testament. Of course, we’ve considered that monumental event, the incarnation of God here on earth, which we call Christmas. (Matt. 1,2 & Luke 1,2) We’ve watched the public introduction of Jesus, as God the Son, in His baptism (Matt. 3 & Luke 3) We’ve watched Jesus personally invite two sets of brothers and business partners, fishermen John and James, Andrew and Simon Peter. What was Jesus’ invitation?
Jesus invited the brothers to leave what was familiar and had shaped their identity fishing; to come and follow Jesus. Jesus promised they would find their new priorities, new passions, and a new life mission! (Mark 1)
And finally, yesterday, we watched as Jesus claimed to be the living fulfillment of one of the most significant and revered prophecies for all Jews, Isaiah 61. In His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus declared Himself to be the Messiah, and the men of Nazareth reacted by running Jesus out of town! (Luke 4)
Over and over these past few days we’ve been challenged to consider WHO we believe Biblical Jesus, Christmas Jesus IS, and WHAT difference that should make in our lives now, 2000 years later? So, we need to pause again… what has the Holy Spirit been saying to you and me, individually, personally, about HOW God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit want to APPLY those Bible stories into your life story and mine, right now, as we transition from ’25 into ’26? Over the past few days, I’ve urged us to take time to prepare. So, are we ready now to enter this new year?
Today, is first day of 2026, join me on a hillside outside the town of Capernaum in Galilee. Jesus is watching hundreds of people gather for a very significant experience. I think it was happening spontaneously as word was spreading that this new miracle worker Jesus was in town.
Matthew was a tax collector in that town, Capernaum, and I don’t think he had yet been called by Jesus to leave his tax collecting and join Jesus as one of His disciples, since that calling is recorded for us a few chapters later in Matthew chapter 9.
So, I think Matthew, the tax collector, may have been a somewhat skeptical, sideline observer watching this hillside event that day. It so powerfully impacted Matthew, that years later when he wrote his account of the life of Jesus, Matthew devoted 3 chapters to this event! (Matt. 5,6,7)
It may well have been Matthew’s defining moment which prepared him to say YES when Jesus stopped by his tax collector booth and invited him to leave his tax books and his very lucrative, albeit ugly business, and follow Jesus. (Matt. 9:9)
Jesus began by describing the types of people who will find themselves blessed by God. It’s a shocking list because few of those gathered on that hillside that day would view themselves as being included! Then Jesus challenged the people to be the Salt and Light so desperately needed in our world.
You’ve heard it many times and I wonder what you have concluded Jesus meant? More importantly, how do you see yourself in those few verses? Are you a welcome salty in your bland or even decaying world? Are you a bright light or a barely flickering flame in the darkness of your world?
And then what about the contrast & comparison examples Jesus put forward in Matt. 5:21-48? It should not be difficult, if we’re honest, to place ourselves on the spectrum of each of those important issues, when looking at our reputations?
For the legalists in the crowd or maybe the overachievers, I wonder how many squirmed and maybe made some fresh new year’s resolutions as they listened to Jesus that day? And I wondered if Jesus paused between what Mathew recorded in chapter 5 & 6, just letting the dust settle a bit before Jesus next took on the religious folks in the crowd who worked so hard to earn God’s favor. Generosity with the poor; Praying and Fasting. Oh my.
As we begin a new year, what has God been saying to you and me about how HE sees our spirituality? “Smoke and mirrors”? Rituals and traditions? Rapidly fading to insignificance or gaining traction as a cornerstone priority in our lives? What Jesus said is true, isn’t it? “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… No one can serve two masters…” (Matt. 6:24) In the final analysis, what reigned supreme, what gained the most attention and investment of all your resources, especially TIME, in your life in 2025?
And what about WORRY! Oh my, as Jesus spoke those powerful words urging the people to look closely at how much they really trusted God, I imagine heads bowed all across that hillside that day as they, like us, considered how easily we all worry, we all scratch and claw to control our lives. But Jesus said: “Can any one of you by worrying add one single hour to your life?” (Matt. 6:27) How will this issue of worry be different for you and me in 2026 if we learn to trust God FULLY, with everything?
And then Jesus, looking deeply into the eyes of those listening to Him that day, said: “Therefore anyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew…and that house fell with a great crash.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
So today, the first day of 2026, Jesus invites you and me, as He did the people on that hillside that day…to decide: WHAT we will do with Jesus and His wisdom in the year ahead of us? What first decisions will you and I make today that we will be glad we did, one year from now? Pause. I urge you my friends to carefully read those three chapters Matthew wrote and make some important ‘first day of 2026’ decisions and commitments, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Of course, as you know, “life lessons” for further reflection are at the “Grand Narrative” link below, and a wonderful worship song to begin our year in worship. May I pray with you?
Today’s Scripture: Matt. 5,6,7.
Choose below to read or listen.
Matt. 5
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Matt. 6
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Matt. 7
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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