Matthew Series, Week 18 - The Groom’s Party

  When I got married I was given two bachelor parties. The first one was just with my groom’s men. They grabbed me, tied me up, and put a bag over my head. They then proceeded to take me to chevy’s where we had virgin margaritas, because we were all under 21, and dinner. Though the evening started off fun with the kidnapping, it ended with a whimper as we all went back to the hotel to sleep. 

But the morning was a different story. We woke up about 4 or 5am and drove the hour and fifteen minutes between San Jose to Monterey Bay in California. There, one of my grooms men, my dad, and several other family friends met to go scuba diving. My family had been diving since I was thirteen and it was a fun morning as afterwards we all went out to breakfast. In total there was about fifteen of us there. I still remember the blueberry muffin in the tiny little hole in the wall restaurant. The night before was a dud, but the next morning was fantastic. The day went almost perfect, and by three o’clock I was married. My groom’s men didn’t put on the best bachelor party, but I wouldn’t have had a different one that morning. Good friends and family, having a good time together. 

And it’s this idea of partying with the groom that brings us back into our Matthew series where we will be finishing off chapter 9 by starting in verse 14. And as we open up to Matthew 9 verse 14, let’s look back at where we are in these last two weeks.

We started looking at chapters 8 and 9 as a connected three-set, three-fold narrative structure that was a precursor to chapter 10. In the first set of this three-set three-fold narrative structure, we saw how, as disciples, we needed to realize that our home is with the willing God and not to cling to this world. In the first set of three, we saw that Jesus was calling us, who would be his disciples, to reject anything that would attach us to this world. Meaning, though we may have things, such as homes, vehicles, families, none must take precedence over our commitment to him.

Then last week we saw how, as disciples, we must realize that we are to live this life under the authority of God, following God as he seeks sinners. God’s authority over our life is key if we are to be his disciples. He is the God over the physical and spiritual realms, and therefore as his disciples, we submit to his authority to direct our lives. That direction he has for us, is to be working in pointing others to himself for their salvation. All other work that we do, is secondary to this one important calling.

It’s here that we now turn attention to the final set of three, in Matthew’s three-set three-fold narrative structure in chapter 9, starting in verse 14.

14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount we noticed that he had said, “When you fast…(6:16)” We talked about how fasting is a part of the Christian lifestyle. That we are called to fast, in keeping with Jesus’ words. Yet, when Jesus spoke those words, they were for a future moment in time. His disciples would fast, but not just yet. It’s because the time of fasting had not yet come, and because it had not come, the disciples of John the Baptist wanted to know why Jesus’ disciples were not engaging in the customary fasts that took place weekly. 

Notice how Jesus describes the reasoning. Jesus wraps up fasting with a wedding party. In our culture, the groom awaits the bride at the alter, but in Jesus’ culture the bride awaited the groom’s arrival. And when the groom arrived, the party began and could last for days. Jesus connects fasting as being separated from the physical presence of the groom. He is the groom, and since he is with his disciples, there is no need for fasting. But Jesus points to a time when the physical presence of groom will be gone, and then fasting will resume. 

We need to recognize Jesus’ words here, because it’s the first illusion from Jesus of his sacrifice on the cross that we get in Matthew. It’s here that we get our introduction to Jesus’ full mission on earth. Yes, he has come to seek and save the lost, those who are sick and in need of doctor,  but he has also come to die on behalf of his creation.

This is why Jesus then adds the cryptic words of new patches on old clothes and new wine in old wineskins. God’s salvation work in the nation of Israel was done under the covenant of follow these laws and you will be my people. Which means a right relationships had a two parts: God’s divine promise and man’s faithful work. Yet Jesus is fulfilling the Old Testament teaching that man’s actions, rooted in his rebellious heart, cannot hope to keep the law of God. Jesus revealed this through his Sermon on the Mount. Therefore a new covenant needed to be made, a covenant not based on two parts, but rather on one part, God’s. It was God who would be the bases of the new covenant. His actions would achieve the requirements, which left humanity with the simple task of simply accepting the achieved work of God on their behalf. 

Jesus’ sacrifice was a complete sacrifice. Whereas the old covenant required daily and yearly sacrifices, Jesus’ new covenant was based on his own sacrifice once for all. And so, through this interaction with John’s disciples, Jesus is pointing to his sacrifice and eventual new covenant through the cross.

And when we realize that Jesus is pointing to a new covenant through his sacrifice, the stories from Jesus’ life that Matthew now turns our attention to, make more sense. Let’s read  through these four stories.

 

18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.

In this first set of two stories, we see two females in need of Jesus. The first is an older lady who has been bleeding for over a decade. She believes that just one touch of Jesus would healed her. She was right, and Jesus sent her on her way in a healed state.

Next we see Jesus arrive at the young girls home, everyone believes she is dead, but death to Jesus isn’t the same thing as we perceive it to be. He tells the crowd she sleeps, they laugh, and he proceeds to wake her up. This is a monumental moment, because unlike other healings and exorcisms, resurrections didn’t occur.

Here we must recognize those that trust in Jesus and those that don’t, because it continues on in the next set of two stories.

We read in verse 27, 

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

These four stories are different in their details, but parallel in their purpose. Instead of two females, we get three males. The first two parallel the bleeding woman seeking after Jesus believing that he can heal them. All three are healed and sent on their way. 

The second story is similar to that of the little girl. Yet, where she was dead to this physical world, this man was dead spiritually. Yet both are healed by Jesus and given back their lives.

Yet do we recognize the implication of these stories that Matthew gives us? The people laugh at Jesus when he says that the girl is sleeping. After the man is exorcised of the demon, the Pharisees attribute Jesus’ works to satan. These two situations should bring to mind the fact that there are those that seek after Jesus and those that reject him. Those who are happy the groom has arrived, and those that are still in sorrow.

Matthew is trying to get us to make a decision, are we going to rejoice that the groom has come, or are we going to act in sorrow rejecting his arrival? Matthew is calling us to rejoice, but then attaches a teaching that links these narratives to the next sermon that Jesus is going to give in chapter 10. Let’s read in verse 35.

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

By the leading of the Holy Spirit, Matthew is directing us to rejoice that Jesus, the groom, has come, and then to the mission of Jesus’ disciples. If you are a part of those that rejoice that Jesus has come, then you must seek to be workers in the harvest. There are those that are seeking God, who need to be ministered to.

Here Matthew comments that Jesus, “…had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

The people seeking Jesus were in need of him, and he cared for them. This is reminiscent of what God spoke to Moses about in the burning bush. 

Starting in Exodus 3:7 it reads, “7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians…10 So now, go. I am sending you…”

Jesus too is seeing the plight of humanity and is compelled to act. In his actions he will give his own life for those that would seek him, that they may be physically, but ultimately spiritually healed and brought out of sin and death and into his new covenant of his righteousness and life. And who would he send? That’s the question. Who would God call to be workers in the harvest field? 

Jesus is asking this of the disciples that are gathered around him. That they would pray that God would send workers into the field. And we could easily feel a sense of relief because that seems to me that it doesn't have to be me. I can pray for others to be the workers. Yet, it’s from those disciples that in the next breath, in chapter 10, that we’ll see him sending out the twelve. And as Luke records, the 72 (Luke 10), and then eventually we see the whole sending of the Church in Matthew’s final chapter.

In other words, anyone who rejoices at the coming of the groom, those that enter into this new covenant with him, are the ones who are called to be sent out into the harvest field. If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, Christians, we must be at work in the harvest as God leads us.

Therefore as disciples, we must realize that we are to rejoice in Jesus’ presence and to work in the harvest fields as he leads.

So my challenge is this, first are you rejoicing in Jesus? With his physical departure from this world there are times when we need to fast, but are you experiencing the joy of the Lord more abundantly then not? If we are not to worry, nor be tethered to this world, are we rejoicing in God who transcends our circumstances? Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 5, “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Are we? People ask, “what is God’s will for my life?” Well, it’s to rejoice in him. Take some time and rejoice in whatever circumstance the Groom has allowed you to be in this week.

Second, are we seeking to work in the harvest? We should be asking God to prepare us for his harvest work. To give us, and our brothers and sisters, the strength, will, and words to share with those who are seeking Jesus. Let us be diligently praying for the harvest, and the workers that God sends.

Jesus calls his people to a bridal party the likes that none have ever seen. We experience only a minute fraction of it here and now. Yet when he returns, we will experience the Groom in his fullness even greater than those who walked with him on this earth. So, let us rejoice and persevere until the day the Lord Jesus is revealed and the real party begins. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 17 -Seeking God

  There’s this story where A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Alliance, is pastoring in Louisville Kentucky in the late 1800s. He was from Canada originally, but due to health concerns he moved to the States. While in Louisville he would take daily strolls into the forest. On one of these forest strolls, his back gave out. In an age without cell phones, and in a sparsely traveled area, there was no way for anyone to locate him. The story goes that Simpson only had one option, call out to God for help.

Now at this point in A.B. Simpson’s life, he understood God to be his Savior. Like most Christians, this central teaching is the bases for everything else we understand about God. That’s because without an understanding of God as Savior, we cannot enter into relationship with him, because we don’t understand our need for him. But in this moment of pain, Simpson called out to God, not for salvation, which he had, but for help. And God responded with a healing. It was in that moment Simpson’s theology grew into an understanding of Jesus’ not only being our Savior who seeks the lost sheep, but also our Healer who seeks to reveal himself through our suffering. 

Simpson went onto live a life that wasn’t absent from pain, but rather that in his pain, he saw God seek after him.

And it’s this idea of God not only seeking us to save us, but also seeking us in all facets of life, thereby bringing us ever closer to him, that brings us back into our Matthew series, where we’ll be coming back to chapter 8, starting in verse 23. And as we get back into Matthew 8:23, let’s remind ourselves where we are so far.

In the first severn chapters of Matthew, we learned about Jesus’ identity, and how his identity was to encompass who his disciples are. If a person desires to be a disciple of Jesus, then they have to follow as Jesus leads. Through Jesus’ first sermon that Matthew presents us, we learn that a disciple has to come to the realization that they cannot meet the standard of God’s perfection, therefore they must rely completely on Jesus for everything. A disciple has to rely on Jesus to save them from sin, to work through them with people, and to direct their thoughts and and actions through his word. Everything a disciple is, is wrapped up in who Jesus is.

Then last week we started moving towards the second of Jesus’ sermons, by looking at the first of three, three-fold narrative structures. In this first three-fold structure we saw that Jesus, the God come down, is willing to heal, he has the authority to heal, and because of these factors, he is deserving of our service. Jesus’ willingness to heal and the ability to do so flies in the face of ancient ideas of the divine. For most religions, we must prove worthy of the gods’ attention in order for them to act. Yet with Jesus, he willing acts, even before we seek him (Romans 5:8). And because he is willing and does act, a correct response from us is to serve him as he sees fit.

It was after this three-fold structure that we then get a teaching section by Jesus. This teaching has to do with his, and by extension his disciples, not being tethered to a world that has rejected him. Even though Jesus created the world, the world has rejected him (John 1). Because of this, in the state that the world is in, it cannot house the people of God. Therefore we cannot allow the things of this world to tether us to it, always remembering that everything we have are merely tools to accomplish the things of God.

This understanding of Jesus’ willingness and authority, our service and untethering from the world, leads us into our second set of three-fold narrative structure. So let’s read together starting in Matthew 8:23.

 

8:23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

This is one of those famous Sunday school stories. The storm is an impressive one, even to those disciples who are fishermen. These types of storms were common place on the Sea of Galilee, and they were not to be trifled with. But there are three things we are to notice. 

First, Jesus was asleep. Though it was a horrendous storm, it didn’t seem to bother Jesus, most likely because his physical body was exhausted from the ministry work. 

Second we need to recognize Jesus’ response to the disciples’ fear, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Well because there’s a deadly storm Jesus. But this follows the first three-fold structure where we learned that Jesus is willing to act in human affairs, he has authority and we cannot be tethered to this world. So there should be no fear of the storm.

Finally, we are to notice the disciples’ response, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” By leaving this narrative on a question, Matthew is inviting us to answer it. The obvious answer is, he’s not a mere man. This not only points us to the identity that Matthew has been presenting of Jesus being the God come down and taking on human flesh, but also the narrative carries forward the idea of Jesus authority. Yes, Jesus can heal, but so could others, but Jesus also has authority of nature itself. The disciples final statement moves us forward in our understanding of both Jesus’ identity and his ability to call nature to order.

This then moves us into our second narrative, which we pick this up in verse 28.

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes (Gad-ar-een-z), two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

This is an interesting story. We know something of the area from what Matthew gives us. This area is most likely filled with more Gentiles than Jews, or these Jews are more Hellenized to the point of allowing the raising of pigs, something that a strict Jewish observer would have nothing to do with. But we are to notice three things here as well. 

First, the demons recognize Jesus, this is the answer to the disciples’ question, “What kind of man is this?” Not only does nature obey him, but also the possessing demons. 

Now we’re not getting into why Jesus allowed them to go into the pigs, but rather we need to notice that he granted their request. This is Jesus’ authority over the spiritual realms on full display. Jesus does not only exercise a demon out of someone, something that did occur during this time, but he could tell the demon where to go, showing his authority over such creatures. 

Finally we are to notice that the people in the region rejected him. Though Jesus freed two men, he did cause a social crisis in the destruction of the pigs and therefore would lead to some economic problems.

As we finish this narrative, we should have a connection back to the first three-fold structure. Here again is the authority of Jesus, but this time extending to the spiritual realm. But also we should recognize Jesus’ call to be untethered to this world, yet here are a group of people who reject that untethering. Their pigs, were more important than the freeing of the two men. It’s a simple reminder that no economic need is greater than the Gospel message.

Next, we move to the third part of this second narrative structure in chapter 9 verse 1.

9:1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Whereas both the Gospel of Mark and Luke give us the fuller story of what is happening, Matthew only gives us the bare bones of what we need to know to follow his line of thinking (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-39). Mark and Luke tell us that this all takes place in a home where a large crowd has gathered. The friends cannot get the guy on the mat to Jesus so they bust through the roof. Matthew skips this background setting, so that we can focus on the interaction between Jesus and the teachers of the law. We are to notice that Jesus’ first reaction isn’t to heal, but to say, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” This is huge, and can be seen in the reaction of the teachers of the law, when they respond with, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

Why is it blasphemy? Because there is a theological underlying understanding that only God can forgive someone their sins. Sure, God gave ceremonies to perform for the removal of sin by sacrificing animals, but the actual forgiveness of those sins can only come from God. This is because, we may sin against each other, but ultimately our sin against God himself. This is illustrated in Psalm 51, where, even though David has sinned against Urial, Bathsheba, and against all of Israel, he writes to God, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (v.4).” The ultimate place where we sin is against God himself, and until we are reconciled with God, we can never be truly reconciled with each other.

It’s this underlying theological understanding that only God can forgive sins, that makes Jesus’ words of forgiveness so revolting to the teachers of the law. In saying he forgives the man sins, Jesus is claiming divinity. Jesus is calling himself God, and it’s not lost on the teachers of the law. 

So what does Jesus do? Jesus first says, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” The the obvious answer being your sins are forgiven, because that is unseen. Then Jesus proceeds to use his authority, that authority we have seen him use several times so far, and he heals the man. This in turns proves his point, Jesus is the God who has the authority to forgive sin. Except does it really prove his point? 

If we read carefully we see that Matthew adds a bit of commentary. In the last sentence we read, “When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.” They missed the point. They thought God had given Jesus this authority, yet we as the reader should understand, no, Jesus is God himself come down.

This is the third group that hasn’t grasped Jesus so far. The disciples’ question, who is this man? The pig farming town rejected Jesus, and now the people see Jesus claim to be God, yet they miss it.

This brings us into the end of the three-fold narrative structure with Matthew’s own conversion story in verse 9 of chapter 9.

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This is an interesting story, because Matthew tells it in the third person, but more than that, he doesn’t use his Hebrew name. Both Mark and Luke in their Gospel accounts use the name Levi, Matthew’s Jewish name. But to Matthew, that that name is gone, Jesus changed it, and therefore Matthew uses the name Jesus called him, rather than one that pointed to his life before he met Jesus.

Here we are to notice that Jesus does the same calling to Matthew the he did to his first disciples back in chapter 4, “Follow me.” And just like those first disciples, we’re told, that, “Matthew got up and followed him.” This shows us that the correct response to Jesus is to leave behind our old lives and follow Jesus in his life. Unlike the three groups who did not understand who Jesus was, Matthew understands that he must follow him.

Then Matthew host Jesus, along with other people that were not “good” company to have for a Rabbi of Jesus’ abilities. This is why the Pharisees spoke so derogatively towards Jesus and his eating with “sinners.”

It’s here that Jesus reveals his mission, to go to those who are in need, like a doctor to the sick, or God to the sinner. Jesus gives a little Old Testament jab at the Pharisees by quoting Hosea 6:6, pointing out their desire to perform un-heartfelt things for God, while God desires compassion on others.

Here we are to see the summation in this three-fold narrative structure. The God of nature and spiritual realms, who forgives sin, has come to sinners to bring them back to himself. Matthew understood this and used his new name, because he was living in Jesus’ new life.  

It is the same life that Jesus is calling us to as well. We must recognize that when we answer the call of Jesus to follow, that it isn’t a simple one time prayer that we say, but rather a new life that we live. We live this life in the power of the God who is over nature and the spiritual realms. We live in his life, because we are in desperate need of his forgiveness and mercy. If we are to be Jesus’ disciples we must realize that our lives are not our own, but Jesus’. We are to follow where he leads. And where he leads we will see storms quelled, demons cast out, sins forgiven. But above all, we will see the mercy of the Almighty God, given out to those who would accept it.

Last week I challenged you to ask if you struggled with Jesus’ authority in your life. This week I want to challenge you to ask the question, am I living fully under God’s authority? Following that up with, and I seeking out sinners to be reconciled to God as he seeks them. And finally, following that up with, as I follow, am I living in the new life of Jesus, is my identity in him like Matthew, or am I trying to hold onto my old self?

God has called us out of our old sinful lives into the life of Jesus. A life that seeks forgiveness, and mercy over ritual observations that have no life changing worth. Let us be a people who are known for forgiveness and mercy, as our God is known to us. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 16 - Willing God

  When I was in construction, there were times when we had to do some weird stuff to get the job done. We did a Sisco distribution center where we had to build an enclosure with 1” sheet rock for the oven hood, that went from the first floor through the second story roof. Tweaking our bodies this way and that to get the job done. There were times when we had to work our in the pouring rain to get a facade to a grocery store built. Then there was the time we had to work from 10pm to 6am on a facade for a Toys-R-Us. Now, there was times when the environment of the job was so hard, or hot, or cold, or whatever, that I wanted to quit, but of course I didn’t. I needed to get paid, and so I pushed through.

But there was one job that I absolute hated. I’ve been handing Sheetrock with my Dad since I was twelve. I’ve been helping him pick up scraps since I was eight, and I have been on jobs sites since I can remember. There’s been a lot of jobs, but the one that I almost lost it on was a demising wall in some no name warehouse.

The majority of the time I would work with my Dad, especially when I was older, was framing metal studs. When there were no metal stud jobs, the companies we worked for would have us hang sheet rock. Now sheet rock isn’t so bad if you do it consistently and it’s simple stuff, like eight foot walls. But this wasn’t. If you don’t know, a demising wall is a wall that separates two areas from each other. Usually two business from each other. 

In the case of this warehouse, the wall was two hundred feet long, and about thirty feet high. The first several rows had already been hung, so we were put on a scissor lift to hand the higher rows. Now, I’ve been on all types of lifts, handing off of them and everything. After my initial hesitation with lifts, I got over it. This particular lift was a massive thing. Long enough to hold 12’ sheets of rock, and wide enough to where I could lay down. Now these things are pretty stable, unless you get them rocking pretty good. Well, we started handing these 12’ sheets, and with the momentum we were building, that thing started to rock. We lift a sheet up, slam it on the wall, tack it on, and slam the next one. It was like a boat in the ocean and the waves were beating it. 

I got sick and couldn’t keep going. With every sheet, the ground got further, and my hands got slippery. My Dad laughed; he had done this stuff hundreds of times. Me? That was my last time. The height coupled with the sway, I couldn’t do it. We probably hung ten, maybe twelve sheets that day. I’m sure the boss ate the cost on that one. But the next morning, I was back out to another job, hoping that it wouldn’t be like that again. The reason, I needed the work. I needed the income to live. I wasn’t out there because I wanted to be, I was out there because I had to be.

But I was willing. I was willing to to do it, and deal with all the crummy jobs that awaited me. One of the greatest lessons my Dad ever taught me was to be willing to do the work that  was necessary.

And it’s this idea of willingness that bring us back into our Matthew series, where we will be picking up in chapter 8, starting in verse 1. And as we get into verse 1 of Matthew 8, let’s look back at where we are in our summer series so far.

We talked about how the first 7 chapters of Matthew can be summed up in one idea: Jesus’ identity encompasses the identity of his disciples. Jesus’ identity is established in the first four chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, and then in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wraps his disciples’ identity into his own. In other words, were shown and told, that if we are to be Jesus’ disciples, we must understand that who we are is only found in Jesus. Therefore, our salvation is in Jesus and no one else. Our good deeds are in Jesus and not from ourselves. And our beliefs must be built on Jesus and nothing else. Everything a disciple is, has its beginning and end in Jesus himself.

Then last week, we looked at the overarching themes of chapters 8 and 9. We looked at the three-fold, three part structure that Matthew uses to help us get a deeper understanding of the mission of a disciple.  This we saw could be summarized like this: Like Jesus, a disciple must view their home as being with Jesus and not in this world. Like Jesus was, a disciple cannot be biased against anyone with the Gospel message. And as we see Jesus at work, a disciple must work diligently for Christ in the harvest fields.

Now, it’s within chapters 8-9 that we return to look at each of the parts that make up this greater whole. Let’s begin in Matthew chapter 8, starting in verse 1, where instead of reading the whole section together, we’re going to read them in three parts. That way we continue to see the three-fold structure we’ve already talked about.

Matthew 8:1-4 reads, “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’”

As Jesus leaves the mountain where he was giving the Sermon on the Mount, we see a man with leprosy coming to him for a healing. Now there’s a lot in this small passage, but we need to see two major aspects to this interaction. First, this is the first miraculous act of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. That’s extremely significant, because the other Gospels give us two different miracles of Jesus as the first one they mention. Mark and Luke both give us a cleansing of a demon possessed man, while John gives us the water into wine sign. The purpose of Matthew giving us the cleansing of the leper, isn’t to give us a chronological time frame of the first miraculous work of Jesus, but rather to help us understand Jesus more. 

Up to this point, the divinity of Jesus has been emphasized, through God the Father’s proclamation, Jesus’ own words of “You have head it said…but I say,” and how we are to build our lives on Jesus’ word. That would place Jesus as divine, and therefore beyond the creation. Yet, by the Holy Spirit directing Matthew to show us this moment right after an emphasis on Jesus’ divinity, it brings greater emphasis to Jesus’ words. Look at what the leper’s says, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The leper has accepted the identity of Jesus, and because of that doesn’t say, “if you are powerful enough”, but rather
“are you willing”. This interaction is important because it shows us that people do have an understanding of who Jesus is at this point in this ministry. He is God come down. The question then begs to be answered is he willing to actually enter into the hurt of the creation he’s step into. 

To this Jesus replies, “I am willing…” Jesus being the God come down, makes his willingness to act in human lives all the more wonderful. And the fact that a leper, an outcast of outcasts is the one Jesus is willing to heal, is amazing. And so, we need to recognize Jesus’ willingness to act in human lives even to ones that would be lowliest of humanity.

But not only is Jesus willing, but we must notice that it says that, “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.” The physical act of touch, coupled by Jesus’ verbal willingness gives us a clear understanding that Jesus will reach down to the lowliest in all of society. The final scene, shows Jesus sending that man off to be presented to the priests and offer sacrifices as was prescribed in the book of Leviticus (14:4-7). Thus fulfilling the Old Testament law.

Now, let’s drop down to verse 5 of chapter 8.

“5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.’

“7 Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’

“8 The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this," and he does it.’

“10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that moment.”

From one end in the social structure in the leper, we swing to the other side of the sociality in the Roman Centurion. Instead of the outcast and untouchable leper, we get a captain in the Roman military. And there’s a couple things that we need to notice from this situation. First, from a Jewish perspective, the leper was an outcast, but so was the centurion. Sure the Roman was highly respected in society and allowed in the public square, unlike the leper, but the centurion was a Roman and a Gentile. These were things that a good Jew would try to avoid. 

Yet, this man comes to Jesus, and Jesus responds. And its Jesus’ response which is interesting. It's Jesus who asks if he should come to heal the servant who is suffering. The centurion doesn’t request Jesus’ presence, and when given the chance for Jesus to come, the centurion does something that’s strange. The centurion uses his own understanding of his authority to understand Jesus’ authority. 

It’s here that the Holy Spirit through Matthew helps us understand a key detail of Jesus. Whereas Jesus’ first healing was done through a physical touch of an untouchable person, this healing is done solely on the word of Jesus. By following up the leper’s healing with that of the centurion’s servant, we can better understand that it’s by Jesus’ command, which we are to build our lives upon, that healing occurs.

But not only this, but we are given a short monologue by Jesus commending the faith of the centurion, because unlike the Jewish people, this Gentile got it. With these comments, us as the reader are to begin to understand not just the power of Jesus, but also the scope of Jesus’ work. This will carry over into the second set of Matthew’s three-fold structure. From here we must realize that it’s not by Jesus’ physical presence that people are healed, but rather because of Jesus’ authority, that they are healed. 

The centurion’s story helps us realize that Jesus is beyond our finite understanding of God’s power. Whether by touch or not, Jesus’ ability to heal doesn’t come from sorcery, but from authority. In fact, this authority concept can be seen in the people’s reaction to Jesus Sermon on the Mount, and is an apologetic to when the Jewish leadership will eventually equate Jesus’ power to that of satan. Here, Matthew helps us see that it’s Jesus’ authority which is one of the keys in the ministry of Jesus.

We end with then Jesus’ proclamation that the servant is healed, though Jesus has not seen him. Pointing us to Jesus’ fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that a light to the Gentiles would come from Galilee (8:23-9:1).

Let’s look at the three-fold passage of this section. Dropping down to verse 14 we read, “14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

“16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’”

From the lowly of the leper, to the high ranking centurion, we are taken to the fevered mother-in-law (Insert mother-in-law joke here). Now, Matthew is trying to get us to realize a few things by giving us Peter’s mother-in-law. First, Jesus doesn’t just heal or respond only to men for healing; no, even women are healed by Jesus. Jesus doesn’t discriminate due to social status, ethnic background, and now sex. Jesus heals those that are in need and who recognize Jesus as the healer. But whereas the first two men come to Jesus for that healing, this third one, a woman, is approached by Jesus. He comes to her. There’s no dialogue in this interaction, just a simple understanding that Jesus healed her. But we are to notice how her interaction with Jesus ends. She gets up and serves him.

The God come down who is willing to heal, the God who’s authority it is to heal, is deserving of our service. The mother-in-law responds with a correct action, without prompting of any kind from Jesus. He heals, she serves. Is there are greater response that we could have? To serve the God who is willingly at work?

Matthew goes on to say that many come to Jesus to be healed of all sorts of afflictions. This caps off the understanding that it didn’t end here but that Jesus kept healing. And where each of the other situations that are presented in this three-fold structure point us to the Old Testament, this final one ends with a clear proclamation of the fulfillment of Isaiah 53 (v.4-5).

These three stories bring us back to who Jesus is. His identity as the Almighty God, who willingly comes to us, who has the authority to act in human affairs, and who is worthy of our submission in service.

This leads up to Jesus’ words about understanding what it means to follow him. Let’s read in verse 18.

“18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’

“20 Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’

“21 Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’

22 But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

Matthew follows the stories of the leper, centurion, and mother-in-law, by setting them before a time when Jesus was alongside the sea of Galilee. We’re not given that teaching the accompanies this setting, but rather a quick connection from the previous stories to this moment sets them together as to make a point. It was at that shore line, that Jesus is told by one person, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And by another “…first let me go and bury my father.”

Both seem like innocuous statements. One is a proclamation of devotion, the other a sign of a perceived fulfillment of the Law, in respecting parents. But through both we see the teaching that is being linked together by Matthew.

The God come down who is willing to heal, who’s authority it is to heal, and who is deserving of our service, is not a part of this world. In fact, this world rejects him. John writes this in his first chapter of his Gospel, “10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him; but the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him (John 1:10-11).”

This is why Jesus’ has no “den” or “nest”. He has no, “place to lay his head,” because his creation is going to reject him. Even though he is willing to heal, he has the authority, and is worthy of our service, this world will reject him, because it seeks its own wide path away from its Creator. If we are to follow Jesus, we must reject this world as our home, so that it cannot have any sway over us. 

And though the man looks to be fulfilling the law of God, he is placing something in front of his following of Jesus. There will always be a reason why I can’t follow right now. There will always be something in this world that draws us back. But we must follow as God leads, leaving behind the dead things of this world for the life that is only found in Jesus. It’s a hard path, it’s a narrow path, but it’s Jesus’ path, and all those that follow him, must walk it.

This week I want to challenge you to think through these three points. Do you question the willingness of Jesus to work in your life? Do you think that Jesus’ only worked back then and doesn’t today? Or maybe he does work, but only in those that have the strongest faith, but not for you? Jesus is willing, but we must be submissive, bowing to his will in all things.

Maybe it’s not the willingness of Jesus you question, but more base than that. Maybe you’re struggling with the power of Jesus. Can Jesus actually do what he says? Can he actually save me from my sins? Can he actually bring me peace? Can he actually fix my broken relationships? Can he actually heal? This week go before God and seek him to move in a way that will show you that he’s at work. That he would open your eyes to the things that he is doing right now.

Finally, this week, you must be willing to serve. Whether that’s in the service of the Gospel being presented, like we talked about last week, or praying for others in their pains and hurts, like our prayer tree does. We must be willing to respond to Jesus’ work, with service to him. We are not to be idle in our relationship, but active and willing to do what he has called us to do.

We must follow Jesus, the God who came down willingly to work in the lives of people, who has the authority to do so, and who is worthy of our service. Let us reject this world as our home, and let nothing tether us to. Let us follow Jesus as he wills, until the day when we are called home. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 15 - Accepting the Terms

  During our first Student Ministries Pastor search, I would get all sorts of resumes and applications from all sorts of people. I had new graduates that were looking for their first ministry position, and people that had been ministers for years. I had people with no schooling and people with doctorates. But the one that stood out at first was a guy that emailed me questions about the position. The questions were good, pretty straightforward, and I answered each of them. And I thought, this might be the guy, because he was thorough in understanding the position. But then I got a response from him that turned me sour. 

The position of Student Ministries Pastor is a position that oversees all people under the age of 18. That means that the teen group is the primary responsibility of the position, but they also watch over the children’s Sunday school and Hideaway Street program. It was concerning the Hideaway Street program that this young man followed up with an email. He told me that he didn’t think that program should be under the Student Ministries Pastor. I emailed him back, that it was a part of what was required and that we would be rejecting his application for the position.

Now whether that program should or shouldn’t be under the purview of the Student Ministries Pastor is not really the point. The point of the matter is, that it was one of the requirements of the position, which was clearly outlined, and it didn’t matter what this applicant thought, it was what was required. This young man didn’t want to have that responsibility, but it was a responsibility that we required the position to have. Therefore, he wouldn’t be a good fit for us, because he wouldn’t be performing the role, as it had been laid out by the leadership of the church. And we all know, that if you’re not on board with what is expected of you, we tend to not give our all. 

And it’s this idea of understanding the requirements of the position and accepting them, that brings us back to our Matthew series where we will be picking it back up in Matthew chapter 8. And as we do, let’s review really quick where we are in our summer series. 

We’re coming out of the first of several of Jesus’ sermons that Matthew records, which we call the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus revealed that his disciples’ identity is wrapped up in his own. This means that his disciples are those people who realize that they cannot meet God’s standard on their own. That any goodness they have flows from them is the goodness of God given to them. That they are to give up the illusion of control, and trust in the control of God. And that his disciples are to walk the narrow path by building their lives on the Word of Jesus, and nothing else. 

We can sum up the first seven chapters of Matthew like this, Jesus’ identity encompasses the identity of his disciples. Therefore when we know who Jesus is, we can understand who we are in him.

As we’ll see, Matthew sets these sermons to introduce a series of narratives that then lead to another sermon, which is then followed by another series of narratives, to which Matthew repeats this cycle several times. This first sermon leads into a three-fold narrative structure that points us to one main point: Jesus’ power is revealed through his own hand and through those he calls. 

But, before we get into the nitty gritty of these individual passages, we need to step back and see how this three-fold structure points to an overarching theme. Next week, we will return to chapter 8 and make our way through the actual events, but for this week, we need to see how all of it works together. 

Starting in chapter 8, we see the beginning of this three-fold narrative structure. We’re given the healing of the Leper, this is followed by the faith of the Centurion, then we’re told of Peter’s mother-in-law and the healing of many others. If we break down each of these as they fit in Matthew’s Gospel, we’ll see that the leper gives us insight into Jesus willingness to do this work. We’ll then see that the Centurion shows us the scope of Jesus’ work. And that the healing of many shows us how it all fulfills the Word of God spoken through the prophets.

We’re given these three narratives that reveal Jesus’ purpose and power, and then we get to chapter 8 verse 18. There, Jesus explains in this verse the cost of following him. How he has no home on this earth, and how those that follow him must come to the same reality. Jesus has counted the cost of coming to earth, now he is calling people to follow, counting the cost themselves as he has done. 

One of those people was Peter, who’s mother-in-law Jesus healed. Later in his life Peter wrote this in his first letter,  “18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God (v.1:18-21).”

What Peter is telling us here is that before Genesis 1, Jesus already knew he was coming to save humanity from its sin. When God steps down into the creation, taking on the flesh of humanity and all the restrictions he had, and bearing the name of Jesus, he knew that his own creation would reject their Creator. Why? Because the Creator was calling his creation back to their original design; a design that we reject every time we engage in sin, those rebellious acts that go against the Creator’s perfect design.

The way in which creation is right now, full of sin, gives no room for the Creator. In Genesis 3, we’re told that God walked in the garden, this is because God had a creation that welcomed him in. But after the fall of humanity, and sin’s infection of creation, there is no place for the Creator. In the nation of Israel, God’s presence rested in the middle of the encampment and later in the temple, but only with the Jewish people, who eventually rejected him. God’s presence depends in the person of Jesus to the world, but again the creation rejects him and crucifies him. In the Church age, the Holy Spirit indwells each believer, but the world continues to reject. Jesus understands that there is no place for him in the creation and calls his disciples to realize the same thing. As long as sin runs rampant, there is no room for God among his creation. Yet, there will be. Eventually, Jesus will dwell with humanity, which is what we see in the last chapters of the book of Revelation. But until that time, God wants us to understand that if we follow him, our home is not here, but with him. 

Therefore this section reveals Jesus’ power over the creation, and his calling of disciples to not see this world as their home.

Out of this, we move into verse 23 of chapter 8, where we’re told that Jesus calms the sea, he then heals two men that are possessed by demons, then Matthew tells us that Jesus heals a paralyzed man. If we break down these, as they are presented to us in Matthew’s Gospel, we’ll see the calming of the storm shows us that Jesus has power over the natural elements of the creation, and we hear the question of the disciples, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Because at this point, they haven’t realized that the Creator is with his creation. Then we see that the casting out of the demons from the two demon possessed men show us that Jesus has authority over the spiritual enemies of creation. To which he commands the demons where they must reside. Finally, in the paralyzed man’s story, Jesus not only heals the man but forgives his sin, showing that he has authority over the the payment and judgment of sin. In each of these, we see the mighty God over his creation yet again.

This second set of three ends with Matthew’s own calling. Matthew, that tax collector, that Jew who is a disgrace to his people, and who is hated by them. But through Matthew’s calling, we are being told that, if Jesus has authority over nature, over enemies, and over our eternal destinies, he can call anyone he wishes to be his disciple. The calling of Matthew shows us that Jesus’ disciples are not from the “good and righteous” leaders of the people, but from those that are hated and cast out of society, and who realize their own deficiency in their relationship with God.

Again Peter sees this, and eventually says in Acts 10:34 when the Holy Spirit reveals that he is calling Gentiles into the Church, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

Peter saw the Creator exercise his authority over all aspects of the created order, and called who he willed to be a part of his people. Peter then realized that anyone who would accept Jesus, is accepted by him. Your skin color, social or economic background play no part in Jesus accepting you. No struggle in sin, no hurt, or feeling of worthlessness will keep anyone from the love of God and the salvation Jesus offers. Anyone who seeks Jesus and him alone, will be granted entrance into God’s presence, and will become a disciple of Jesus. So, in this section of the three-fold structure, we see that Jesus alone chooses who will come to him, showing his disciples the they are to reach out to all types of people.

From here we continue in verse 14 of chapter nine. At the beginning of this set of three, Jesus does’t perform a healing or a miracle, but rather is questioned about fasting. In this, he points to his identity as a groom and how it is a time of celebration and not time of mourning. This is followed by two sets of healing, of two. The first is the dead girl and the hemorrhaging woman. The second set of two is the blind men and the mute man. 

If we break these down, we see that Jesus reveals that while he is there, the disciples are to celebrate as during a wedding feast. And they are to seek him as the groom, at the feast. We then see a father come to Jesus seeking him to save his daughter. While Jesus is on his way to see the girl, a woman touches him, seeking Jesus’ healing in her own life. Both the woman and the girl receive their healing, because they have sought the groom. 

We then see two blind men understand Jesus identify as the Messiah from the line of David, the Son of David who is willing to heal. This is followed by a man who is mute because of a demon. These people who seek out Jesus, emphasize how there are those out there who are seeking him.

This third set of threes ends with Jesus revealing the need for workers to meet those who are seeking. Jesus shows that there is a harvest, but few answer his call to work the field. This parallels Jesus final words from his first sermon, pertaining to the narrow road. This call for the message of Jesus to reach far and wide, is something that Paul asks for the church at Thessalonica to pray for when he writes, “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance (v3:1-5).”

If we have been called by Christ, it’s not simply to be saved from sin, but also to be workers in the harvest fields. We must carry the Gospel of Christ, both on our lips and in our actions because there will come a day when the harvest will be done, and the threshing will begin. In fact, in the chapter 26 of Matthew this very idea is what Jesus talks about. So it is in this third section that we see Jesus revealing that people are seeking him, and that his disciples must be at work in the harvest field. 

Through Matthew’s three sets of three-fold structure God is revealing how Jesus came to us to bring us back to himself, that he alone decides who may come to him, and that each of his disciples must be working in the harvest fields. If we are Jesus’ disciple, then we also need to work into the harvest fields. We must recognize our calling to not sit back and wait until the threshing begins, but be right in the thick of the harvest, following wherever the Holy Spirit cuts the grain. 

Everything we just went through, is wrapped up in Jesus’ own work, that we are to follow. We see that Jesus prepared his disciples with his words, he showed them his power, directed into his mission, and released them to accomplish his goal. We must wake up to that same pattern in our own lives. 

We must build on Jesus’ words; see his power at work in the past and in today. We must allow him to direct us into the missions fields he has for us, and we must follow through by walking the path to accomplish his goal.

We must view our home as being with Jesus and not in this world. We cannot be biased against anyone with the Gospel message. And we must work diligently for Christ in the harvest fields.

My challenge for you this week is to walk through each of these three ideas from this three-fold structure in Matthew 8 and 9. 

How do you view this world? Do you view it as a place to put down roots, or as a stop on the way to Jesus’ home? 

How do you view the people that God is calling? Do you have a sense that you can pick who to reach out to? Those that are easy and won’t push you too much out of your comfort zone? Wrestle with God to push you beyond your comfort zone with those he wants to come to him.

How do you view the mission? Is it for the evangelist, the pastor, the one who’s job it is? Or do you realize that it’s for all believers, for all disciples of Jesus?

Let us take some time this week, and go before God, so that he might prepare us for the work that he has been doing since before the creation of the world. This work will continue until the day when Jesus returns to this world, for those that have turn from their sins and embraced his salvation work.

Let us be those who are diligently at work, for the Kingdom that will one day be fully revealed and for the Savior who will reign over all. Amen.