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.
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