The New Testament Books Of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, And John
Made available from Light Heart at www.PracticeGodsPresence
Contents
Introduction
The Gospel Of Matthew
The Gospel Of Mark
The Gospel Of Luke
The Gospel Of John
Introduction
This edition of The Gospels is based on the King James Version. The New Testament Books Of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are free of numbered lines, notes, and comments. The chapter and paragraph style, as well as the page and text format, is designed for easy reading and reflection. Ample margins provide room for personal remarks.
The Gospels
The Gospels, presented in the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; is like a musical quartet. Four distinct voices blend and harmonize to present the fullness of the composition. Also, we can enjoy listening to each voice separately for its distinct purity and quality. Each voice presents the entire composition. For example, we can listen to the voice of Mark and hear a faithful rendering of the complete composition, the gospel message.
When we turn to Matthew, Luke, and John; again, the same thing, a distinctly pure voice that presents the complete work. As we listen, over time, our ear becomes sensitive to the nuances and special qualities of each voice. Here is a sample of what we can learn about God's message, from each of the four voices.
The Gospel of Matthew
What is God's will for us? The answer can be found in the pages of the Gospel of Matthew, a rich source of information detailing the Son of God's instructions from Our Father to us.
Here we learn, through Jesus' teachings and actions, what we must keep of the old. We find what must be replaced. We see what has been fulfilled and has come full circle. We discover the new material and the new message. The Gospel of Matthew holds the keys to 'this generation's' entry into the kingdom of heaven ... if we have ears to hear and eyes to see.
The Gospel of Mark
This book of The Gospel, the accounting of Mark, is the story of God in action; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The movement of the story is swift. The details are presented with precision and economy. We often see the word 'immediately'. This denotes not only quickness in the temporal sense, but, more importantly, it denotes the key ingredient necessary to enter God's kingdom. The ingredient is obedience.
In the Gospel of Mark we are able to see the clear, decisive, and certain result of the Son's obediently representing the Father and transmitting His message of the meaning of pure and simple faith.
The Gospel of Luke
Luke's Gospel is a letter crafted to accurately convey all that we must know about the Son of Man who is the Son of God, so we may clearly see what it means for God's children to believe.
The Gospel according to Luke presents a close-up of the Son against a background of humanity. Luke paints a beautiful word picture that shows us that the only way to please Our Father is by following His Son in all our earthly thoughts, words, and actions.
The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John is called the Gospel of Love. It is written by that disciple whose heart was, over time, totally surrendered. John, the Beloved Disciple, focuses on the practical, simple, and direct.
The Gospel according to John shows us the exquisite beauty and simple yet practical message of God's nature and the meaning of His commandment for all who would call themselves Christ's disciples: the law of love. This love is love of the highest order, the divine love that enables us to love God and each other as He loves us. In no other book do we find stated so clearly the answer to the question: Who is God?.
The Gospels, The Word, God's Presence
What comfort and closeness to God we feel when we sit back and just read The Gospels. In the silence of our reading we lose ourselves in God's words. His thoughts become our thoughts. His view becomes our view. Though we may have read the words many times before, God gives us new insight each time we just read with Him.
When read prayerfully, The Gospels bring us directly into the presence of God. As we begin, we simply turn our attention to Him. We sit at the feet of Our Master, Our Teacher. As we read and pause to reflect on the words of Our Lord, we engage in an actual conversation with God. As we read, we take in the words. As we reflect, God responds.
This act of prayerful reading, reading and reflecting from the heart, puts us, not only in the presence of God, but also puts us into a kind of sacred rhythmic exchange, like gently breathing in and out. We become aware of our complete dependence on God for this simple act of reading. Without Him, without the breath He breathes into the words, without His message, we are lost, in despair, and without comfort.
An excellent way to read The Gospels is to begin afresh with Matthew, then Mark, Luke, and John; the first book to the last book. We must put away the calendar, dictionary, reference books, concordances, and clock for now. All we need is a bookmark or something to note the place where our next reading begins.
Each day we do some reading. A chapter a day or at one sitting is often a comfortable pace. However, it is important not to make a hard and fast rule because sometimes we may read more or less. The point is to read prayerfully, depending entirely upon God to guide our reading.
Whether we have never read The Gospels from beginning to end or have read it this way dozens of times, it doesn't matter. Each time is a new beginning and an opportunity for God to bring us into His vision, His kingdom, and His Word.
We need to read leisurely and resist the need to understand each word. When a question forms in our mind, as it will from time to time, we simply note it to God and move on. Later we see that He never forgets anything. Also, when we realize that we have drifted away, we just find the place where we left off and read it again. We need to read things a couple of times anyway! Before we begin reading and when we finish, we take a moment to thank God for being with us. Without His guidance we could easily lose our way and, perhaps, give up on our reading. This would really be a tragic loss.
Pay particular attention to Our Lord's words and instructions to His Own -His close disciples and followers. In God's presence we are no longer a part of the crowd. Reading The Gospels with the awareness of God's presence will highlight the uniqueness of our relationship with Our Lord. We will want to know all the information that Our Lord shared with His inner circle so we, too, may keep His Word and enjoy the fullness of faith.
Eventually, the times of reading and reflecting on The Gospels becomes an essential part of our life, a sacred habit that influences all our thoughts, words, and actions. The Gospels, from beginning to end is a circle of love and protection that surrounds us and becomes a vital part of our very being.
