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.
