Matthew's Gospel - Yes, All of It!

 

Read Matthew 1-28

If you are here for the first time this morning, this may seem strange to you.  We have just completed an extended study of the gospel of Matthew in which we read one chapter every day for a week and then moved on to the next.  It took 28 weeks, but we finished.

This will be a 30,000 foot flyover.  If you have walked the ground, much will be familiar.  If not, hopefully, you will acquire an appetite to find out more.

Matthew starts with the genealogy and ends with the Great Commission.  It begins with the lineage that comes to Jesus and ends with his disciples going into the world.  That going into the world business includes us today.

The Christmas story gives us Joseph’s dilemma, the visit of the Maji, the escape to Egypt, and the return of young Jesus and his family to Nazareth.

We jump quickly to John the Baptist at the Jordan.  We don’t get to see Jesus at age 12 teaching religious leaders in the temple.  The next thing we know, Jesus was Baptized, his Father in heaven was pleased, and the Spirit flung him out into the wilderness for fasting and temptation.

He lived in Capernaum for a while, but mostly he hit the road preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God.

He called disciples.  Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.  He was not just calling disciples but he began to heal the sick.

Then we come to one of the most famous parts of the New Testament, the Sermon on the Mount which begins with the Beatitudes. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.

 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus proclaimed us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  We were never made to go unnoticed, but when people do notice us, it should bring glory to God.

Jesus told those with ears to hear that he did not come to do away with the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.  For those with eyes to see, we know he did just that.  He did what he said he would do. He fulfilled everything required by the law and those things spoken of him as the suffering servant and atoning sacrifice by the prophets.

There is more to come.

Jesus taught about murder, adultery, divorce, and even taking oaths.  He focused more on the condition of the heart than anything else.

He talked about moving beyond an eye for an eye and even loving our enemies.  It sounds crazy.  What’s an enemy for if you can’t hate them?  The blessing of living in this age when we have a more complete story is that we know while we were living as God’s enemies, Christ died to save us.

From that perspective, this whole love your enemies thing seems to be something to which we can at least strive. It might be one of those a man’s reach should exceed his grasp situations, but we should at least be reaching.

Jesus noted that our thoughts and actions and offerings and everything we do should be done for the glory of God.  When we do something or give something and seek gratification from others, we have received our reward in full.

You didn’t store up anything in the kingdom of heaven.  You cashed in on your payout to your ego right now.

Jesus taught that the hypocrites prayed with a lot of fancy-sounding words.  We are to pray with a genuine heart.  He said that our Father in heaven already knows what we need before we ask him, but ask him anyway.  Most of the time, do it as a quiet, personal conversation.

If we fast or do anything out of obedience to God, don’t put on a long face or use your Eeyore voice or go around saying look at me obey God—look at me.  When you obey God, do it with joy in your heart.

We are still in the Sermon on the Mount and we come to verses that we know well.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus continued to explain the relationship with our money or wealth.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Jesus did not say that we can’t have money, just that it cannot be our master.

Does anyone remember how many hours or days or years we can add to our life by worrying?  Zero.  That’s right, zero.  Worry debilitates.  If you start to worry, stop and pray instead.

We come to some of the toughest words in the Bible.  They are tough because they require us to examine ourselves.  We are better equipped and more inclined to evaluate others, but here is the counsel of our Lord.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We judge all the time.  We discern all the time.  I make a judgment as to what is better for household use and the budget when I select Ziplock bag sizes. But my judgment must not be a condemning judgment.  I am not to judge another person.

I may decide-discern-make a judgment call that I am not going to witness to the neighborhood drug dealer because I might relapse, but I am directed not to condemn him or her.

I may judge it to be in my best interest not to proclaim the good news in the casino if I have a gambling addiction.  That would be a good boundary for me, but I don’t condemn those who are inside the establishment.  We stand or fall before our Lord.

The next verse is one of the most powerful in the Sermon of the Mount, though some just read over it as some archaic metaphor.  I think it’s much more.

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Here’s Tom’s take.  Don’t take the best of what God has entrusted to you and use it for those things that will produce little or no fruit.  Use your best to produce your best.

Ask God for what you need.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Not everyone will take what Jesus taught and put it into practice.  Some will not know him but others will and will do what he taught and will be like the person who builds their house on solid rock.  It will weather the storm. Your faith put into practice will weather the storm.

At this point in Matthew’s gospel, we are told the people were amazed as Jesus taught with authority, not like the religious hypocrites did.

Jesus healed many, among them was the servant of a Roman Centurion who had faith greater than any Jesus had seen in all of Israel.

Jesus challenged those who said they would follow him with some terse verbiage.  Let the dead bury the dead.  It seems a precursor to why do you look for the living among the dead.

Jesus calmed a storm and healed many including those possessed by demons.  Then, about a third of the way through this gospel, Jesus called Matthew as a disciple.

Jesus saw doubt in John the Baptist and unrepentant cities, yet he stayed the course of his ministry. He noted that all things had been committed to him by the Father, so when we get to the Great Commission and Jesus proclaimed that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, this wasn’t something new.

The Pharisees and other hypocrites noted that Jesus and his followers didn’t seem to be playing by the Sabbath rules.  Jesus declared to those listening that he is Lord of the Sabbath, then went on to heal a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath.

People didn’t understand that the Sabbath was made for man and not made as a burden to mankind.

The religious hypocrites began thinking about how to stop Jesus.  They tried to tell people that he was from the Devil but Jesus shredded their arguments.  Jesus continued to heal many.

The hypocrites demanded a sign but Jesus had given all sorts of signs and miracles to those with eyes to see.  He told the hypocrites that the only sign they would see was the sign of Jonah.

Then we come to several parables:  seeds and soil, wheat and weeds, and even one based around the mustard seed.

Pearls and hidden treasure as well as a net full of fish described the kingdom of God in parable.

Jesus fed 5000, walked on water, and his disciples worshiped him.  For good measure, he fed another multitude of about 4000.

The hypocrites still demanded a sign.  What they wanted was for Jesus to perform for them on demand.  He must kowtow to their authority if he wanted any support from them.

Jesus warned his disciples about the teaching of the Pharisees and asked his followers who they said he was.  Peter answered for all.  You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Sometimes we like to pick on Peter, but he nailed this one.

As we grow closer to his death on the cross, Jesus told his disciples more than once that he must die.  He will be handed over to sinful men and he will be killed.  OBTW—he also told his followers that he would rise from the dead.

Jesus gave his disciples and gives us these words that we would be wise to heed.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

We are 17 chapters into Matthew’s gospel and Jesus is transfigured and Peter, James, and John see a brief glimpse of his coming glory.  Moses and Elijah make a cameo appearance as well.  We generally see them as representing the law and the prophets.  Perhaps this was a final coordination meeting.  Jesus said that he would fulfill all the law and the prophets.  It would have been prudent to check before heading to the cross.

The disciples wondered about greatness in God’s kingdom and Jesus told those with ears to hear that if you wanted entry into that kingdom, you must become more like a child.  Think of becoming eager just to be in your Master’s presence.  Think about the excitement for the things of life.  Think of having a teachable spirit instead of the desire to prove what you think to be correct.  We must come as a child.

Jesus taught some things that seemed harsh and we often consider them to be hyperbole, but the underlying truth is present in both the literal and figurative application.

It’s better to get into heaven missing a hand and an eye that to be the epitome of fitness and health and be destined for hell.

We see Matthew’s account of the lost sheep and the direction of our Master to forgive much more than we thought we could forgive.

Jesus gave more parables and teaching and then reminded his disciples of his death and resurrection to come.  That’s three times recorded in this gospel.

Again, the topic of service emerges and Jesus noted that he did not come to be served but to serve.  Follow his example.

And it was finally time to enter Jerusalem as a king, riding on the colt of a donkey to shouts of Hosanna and Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Jesus became angry at the den of thieves that his Father’s house had become.  As he turned over tables and caused quite a stir, the religious hypocrites puffed up and asked just who are you to do this?

Had they known, it would have been difficult for Jesus to get to the cross.  The ignorance of the leaders paved the path to the cross and God’s sacrifice for our sins.

There are more parables.  This last week was full of prime-time teaching.  The hypocrites tried to best Jesus before throwing in the towel on this method and just deciding to kill him.

Is it legal to pay taxes to Caesar?  Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.

Whose wife will she be at the resurrection?  There is a resurrection and this question will not be relevant.  We won’t be angels, but we will be like them.  There is a resurrection.

Which is the greatest commandment?  Love the Lord your God with everything you’ve got and the second is like it.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.

When we get to chapter 23, the hypocrites know better than to ask Jesus anything.  Jesus, however, found it time to chastise these hypocrites who would recruit a new follower then make him like a son of hell for all of the requirements they heaped on him.

These hypocrites wanted to look good on the outside while paying no attention to what was going on inside.  Whitewashed tombs!

Chapter 24 is the short course on eschatology.  Do not be deceived.  Deception in the end times will be so great that even those who follow Jesus will have to muster everything they have to stay strong to the end.

As we continue, Jesus used more parables to describe the end of the age.  Among these is my favorite, the Parable of the Talents and my deduced question.

What did you do with what God gave you?

We all want to hear:  Well done good and faithful servant.

We surely do not want to hear: I never knew you.  Ouch!

For those with eyes to see what we are to do and who do it, we also hope to hear:

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Jesus was anointed at Bethany, betrayed in the garden at Gethsemane, put through a kangaroo court in which he would not defend himself. He said nothing that would acquit him of the manufactured charges.  He would go to the cross and die for our sins.

It was a brutal death but Jesus gave up his life freely for us.  He could have summoned legions of angels and put a stop to this nonsense, except that these impossible actions and verdicts were necessary to get the unblemished Lamb of God to the altar on which he would shed his blood for us.  Jesus would get to the cross.

He suffered.  He died, and we know what’s next.  On the third day he rose again.  Along the way, the sky turned black for 3 hours.  There was an earthquake.  The curtain of the temple was torn top to bottom, and just for good measure, some righteous people emerged from their graves.

The Roman Centurion that oversaw the execution noted:  Surely this was the Son of God.

There isn’t a lot in Matthew’s gospel following the resurrection, but the gospel concludes with the Great Commission.  The end of Matthew’s gospel brings us to the beginning of our discipleship, service, and evangelism.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Some will hear this message and think, “Wow that was a lot.”  Other’s will say, “But you left out so much.”

It remains for your reading at any time.  The messages that were given are provided online.  The commission that we have been given remains in effect.

Don’t just say, “Yeah we went through Matthew.”  Put the words that you heard from your Master to work at once.  Build your house on solid rock.  Produce a return for your Master.

Fulfill your commission!

Amen.