family ties

Matthew 10:34-39

Jesus explores several family relationships leading up to his conclusion of his instructions to his disciples. The key words are: peace (in contrast to the sword) and not worthy of me. Jesus asks his disciples to compare their love for their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters to their love for him. He also uses an oxymoron: whoever finds their life will lose it and whoever loses their life will find it.
This connects to what Jesus said earlier in his speech about brother betraying brother to death. He comes back to that theme here, quoting Micah. It also echoes Jesus' teaching about the cost of discipleship in several other passages, especially the phrase "whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
The point of this passage is that no matter what the people who are closest in my life think of me, I have to put Jesus first and follow him, even at the cost of family relationships and even to death if necessary. I struggle with this teaching because so much of what I hear today is that I should make my family my priority (after God and before my ministry). I agree that my ministry is not my job and that I could tend to make my job my priority but I'm not sure how people can seperate their obedience to God and their ministry so cleanly and I'm concerned that North American Christians are sometimes using their families as an excuse to not take risks for the kingdom of God. I wonder if we are showing Jesus that we actually love our families more than we love him. If that is the case, then we are not worthy of Jesus. Again, I'm asking the questions because I don't have the answers - I'm just trying to understand the teaching of Jesus here.

you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

Matthew 10:32-33

The key word in this passage is public. Jesus is comparing my response to him in public to his response to me before the Father. The comparison is very clear: if I publicly acknowledge him, he will acknowledge me before the Father; if I publicly disown him, he will disown me before the Father.
This doesn't sound very grace-filled. It sounds a little bit selfish, actually, and petulant. If I ever said anything with this kind of tone to one of my friends I would have likely been punished by my parents. It sounds a bit contradictory to even Jesus' statements about how we are supposed to treat each other. It sounds a bit like the old tradition of "an eye for an eye."
However it does fit very well with Jesus' statements on forgiveness; unless you forgive your brother or sister, your heavenly Father will not forgive you. Jesus often makes the point that how we live our lives here on earth determines our treatment in eternity: whatever you did for the least of these, for example.
The question I clearly need to ask myself this morning is, am I publicly acknowledging my Lord?

do not be afraid

Matthew 10:26-31

The key word in this passage is "afraid" which is mostly used in the phrase "do not be afraid". Jesus contrasts humans who can only kill the body, to God who can destroy both the body and soul. He compares the value of sparrows and the care God has for them to the value of humans, specifically disciples, and the care God has for them. The main point that Jesus is making is that his disciples should not be afraid because all hidden motives and actions of the persecutors will be uncovered, the gospel will be proclaimed despite their efforts, they can only affect the body and not the soul, and God cares very much for his disciples.
This encouragement is given in the direct context of Jesus' instructions just before he sends the twelve disciples out to spread the message of the kingdom. In the middle of talking about how the disicples will face persecution, likely even from the people who are closest to them, Jesus offers this encouragement.
While this encouragement was given directly to the disciples I can take comfort from it as well. The truth of Jesus' statement still applies today: the hidden motives and actions of those who persecute Jesus' disciples will be uncovered; despite the best efforts of the persecutors, the message of the kingdom continues to spread all over the world; the persecutors can still only destroy the body - only God can destroy both body and soul; God still cares very much about his disciples, right down to knowing how many hairs I have on my head (a number that is easier and easier to keep track of...). This connects very nicely to 2 Timothy 1:6-12 where Paul gives even more reasons for me not to be afraid or ashamed: I have everything I need to testify about the Lord (a spiritual gift, the spirit of love, power and discipline, the gospel itself and a people through out history who serve as examples for me). So, what God has whispered to me in private I will shout from the rooftops; what has been told to me in the dark I will proclaim in the day.

the gospel of peace?

Matthew 10:21-25

The language of this passage is startling and graphic. What makes it so startling is that Jesus talks about the extreme discord that will take place because of the gospel of the kingdom in families. The place where we are supposed to find shelter, love, acceptance will be so affected by the good news message of Jesus that a brother will betray a brother to death and a child will rebel against her parents and have them put to death.
Jesus uses another relationship, that of the teacher-student, to explain why the disciples should not be suprised by such opposition or think it strange when it happens: a student is not above his teacher so if the teacher is treated this way (betrayed to death) than the student should expect no less. If the teacher is hated, the student should expect no less.
This ties directly to what Jesus said in the paragraph just previous: the disciples are being sent out as sheep among wolves. It also ties very closely to his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake...
I guess the message for me is that I should be more surprised when I am not facing opposition than when I am. If I am not facing opposition, could it be because I am not really living according to the teachings of Jesus?

a very brave or very foolish sheep

Matthew 10:16-20

Jesus uses a word picture of a sheep going out among the wolves. I have to work really hard to picture this. i can picture a wolf coming in among the sheep but that's not what Jesus tells us to picture. He tells us to picture a field full of wolves and a sheep walking through them. Jesus uses a lot of animals in this paragraph: sheep, wolves, doves, snakes. Jesus also includes a list of what the disciples can look forward to: arrest, flogging, trials. Even though they were not to go to the Gentiles at this time, they would attract the attention of the Gentile rulers and would be brought before their courts. Jesus tells his disciples to not worry about preparing a defense but to just speak as they are lead by the Spirit.
This all go against common sense: you don't send sheep out to combat wolves and you don't leave your trials to "chance". However, it fits completely with what Jesus had instructed his disciples to do so far: go on a journey but don't take any money or clothes besides what they are wearing. Again, against all common sense.
I wonder if Christians have taken on the characteristics of the wolf. I wonder if we have tried to fight fire with fire as a group. I wonder what it would mean for me to go as an innocent but shrewd sheep. Sheep are pretty vulnerable and humble animals. It would force me to rely completely on Jesus for protection and guidance. Do I dare?

the disciples' practicum

Matthew 10:5-15

Jesus gives three basic instructions to his 12 disciples before he sends them out:
- go to the lost sheep of Israel, not to the Gentiles or Samaritans.
- preach "the kingdom of heaven has come near" and back it up with miracles.
- rely on others (and, by doing so, on God) to provide your basic needs.
At first, relying on others to provide for basic needs seems like the hardest thing to do but, as I think about it, backing up the message of the kingdom with miracles would also be very difficult. I can imagine the adrenaline rush as the disciple finishes his message with, "and to prove that what I am saying is true, I am now going to restore the sight of this blind man..." all the while wondering if it is going to work and realizing what a fool he will look like if it doesn't.
The character of God is revealed in this passage in the promised judgement on those towns and cities that would not welcome the disciples. Jesus says that it would be worse for them than it was for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement. This, in conjunction with Jesus' teaching in chapter 18 (not offending little ones) and chapter 29 (whatever you have done for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine) shows me that God takes hospitality very seriously. He is a God who welcomes people in. Am I revealing that part of God's character?

choosing.

Matthew 10:1-4

The key words are: disciples, apostles, authourity. Matthew then lists off the twelve in pairs. I am guessing that these are the pairs that Jesus sent them out in. I'm not sure how chronological Matthew is in his report but it is interesting that Jesus just finishes talking about the harvest and the small number of workers and in the very next verse he is giving his authourity to twelve of his disciples (which, I think, is why they are immediately called apostles) and sending them out.
So, what can I learn from this passage? A couple of things. The first is that I must be ready for when God calls me to be the answer to my prayer. If I am going to pray that the Lord of the harvest sends out workers into the fields, I must be willing to go where ever he tells me to go. I cannot pray that God sends someone else (well... I guess I can but it would be rather hypocritical to pray that). And as I go, I can have full confidence that I go with his authourity.
Secondly, I need to be willing to work with whomever God assigns me to work with. Simon the Zealot was assigned to work with Judas Iscariot (the one who would betray Jesus). Andrew had to work with his impulsive brother, Peter. James and John, two brothers who were called the "sons of thunder", were assigned to each other. I don't imagine any of that was very easy. I don't know why Jesus put the pairs together like he did but, from what I know about him, I do know that he had a purpose. I want to be clear, I have no issues with anyone I am working with right now! The point is that God has a purpose for putting me in the context that I am working with in and part of that purpose involves the people I work with: learning from them and, in turn, teaching and guiding them.

harvesting sheep?

Matthew 9:35-38

This is a summary statement of this stage of Jesus' ministry: travelling, teaching and healing. The motivation for his ministry is seen in verses 36-38: Jesus cares about the people and he has a sense of urgency in his mission (the harvest is ready to be brought in but there are not enough workers).
There are two word pictures in this passage. Matthew uses the picture of sheep that are being harrassed by a wolf or dog and there is no shepherd to give them protection or direction. Jesus uses the picture of produce that is ready to be harvested. However, there are few workers and the produce is in danger of rotting or being wasted.
The main point is that there is an urgency to the work that I have been called by Christ to do. People are frantic, harrassed and helpless. They lack security and direction. They need to hear the good news message of Christ so they can respond and have purpose for their life. People are desperate to hear the message and are ready to respond but there are so few people who are sharing that message with them. There are so few who are willing to invest the time, relational energy and love. There are so few who genuinely care for them enough to journey with them to Christ.
The application? According to Jesus it is to pray that God would send more people to listen to the hurting and harrassed and to share with them the good news message of Jesus that God loves them, that there is forgiveness for sins and restoration to God, and that there is no longer a need for religion - each person can have direct access to God through Christ.

tsn turning point

Matthew 9:32-34

This happens immediately on the heels of Jesus restoring the sight of the two blind men. There is an interesting parallel between Jesus casting out a demon and the Pharisees accusing him of submitting to demons. This is really the turning point in Jesus' conflict with the Pharisees. They have gone to the next level in their opposition of him and his work. He is no longer just a misguided person but he is now under the influence of Satan and his demons and is on the side of evil. Rather than recognizing the work of the Spirit of God in what Jesus was doing, they attribute it to the work of demons. If this is their conclusion, they have no choice now but to get rid of him. This is why, I believe, Jesus wanted to keep his early miracles as quiet as possible.
I'm not doubting the truth of what Matthew writes but I do wonder if there was a purpose in putting this miracle and this accusation together. Keeping in mind that Matthew's purpose is to prove to his Jewish audience that Jesus was the Messiah, I wonder if he is attempting to show how ridiculous the opposition of the Pharisees was. Jesus points out the absurdity in another passage: Satan is not stupid. He would never start a war against himself. Demons being in opposition to each other does not make sense. Using the idea of C.S. Lewis then, if Jesus was not under the influence of a demon, and therefore a liar, then he was either who he said he was (the Messiah King) or he was insane. I don't know for sure that this is what Matthew had in mind by including this encounter and this accusation so closely together but it definitely supports his thesis.
This encounter raises some questions for me: if this man was living today with all its medical technology, would we have attributed his disability to a demon or to a medical problem? Would medicine have been able to allow him to talk? Are there medical mysteries today that are actually caused by demon oppression? How do we know which ones we should be seeking medical treatment for and which ones we should be exorcising? Have western Christians become so calloused to the spiritual realm that we no longer can discern what is purely physical and what has a spiritual element? Is there anything that is actually purely physical?
The other questions I have are prompted by the Pharisees accusation. In my conservative evangelical comfort zone, I am often suspicious of the spectacular and claims of the supernatural. While I may not directly say that such things are of Satan, by jumping to the conclusion that they are not of God... logically there is only one other conclusion. I recognize that things are not so black and white in this world; everything that humans are involved in is tainted by sin (and conversely, the grace of God). So what I am actually saying is that there is more of sin and evil in these things than there is God. The question, then, is: have I attributed a genuine work of God's Spirit to the work of Satan and his demons? I must be very careful in my judgements! I don't want to be in the same boat as the Pharisees.

Not a very well kept secret

Matthew 9:27-31

I wonder why Jesus didn't heal these guys right away? Maybe because, again, he didn't want to become too public a figure. Everything about Jesus' ministry is about timing. It seems clear that he knows that he is supposed to go public with his ministry and that going public will ultimately result in his death. It also seems clear that he has a very clear idea of when his death is supposed to occur - that the timing of it is very important. So, he waits until he is inside, away from the crowds who have been following him, before he heals these two blind men and then tells them to keep it quiet. This echoes his request at the beginning of chapter 8. In this case we know that it doesn't work very well: "they went out and spread the new about him all over that region." This echoes the statement in v.26. There is a sense of building momentum.
There is a significant question that Jesus asks the blind men; "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" It's an interesting question because it seems very obvious that the men did believe he could do it from their behaviour and request. However, it convicts me because I know there have been times where I've asked Jesus to do something but haven't really believed that he can or will. Immediately upon finishing my prayer, I am taking action on my own to answer my own prayer. I say I believe but my actions betray my lack of belief.

sleeping or dead?

Matthew 9:23-26

This is the end of the story that started in verse 18 and was interrupted by the woman who touched Jesus' cloak. I think that it is significant that Jesus raised this girl from the dead (see the previous post) but also significant is Jesus' reaction to the traditional mourning crowd: "go away!" Again, I don't know all the traditions associated with death at that time period, but I do know that often professional mourners were hired - this family even had a band of pipe players to help them express their lament. I see a connection here to Jesus' teaching about new wine and new skins - he is sick of the traditions that burdened the people, even in death.
I think the fact that there was a crowd of mourners makes the dad's decision to come to Jesus even more significant. I don't know exactly what was going through the dad's mind but I imagine he was thinking that asking Jesus to come and raise his daughter from the dead certainly couldn't hurt and might help. I wonder if he was surprised when Jesus agreed to come...
If this happened to me, I know that I would tell everyone that I came across about the wonderful thing Jesus did in bringing my child back to me. As significant as this was, what Jesus did for me in saving me from eternal death is even more significant. When I know that Jesus could do the same thing for whoever puts their faith in him, I wonder why I'm not shouting the news from the rooftops...

Touch

Matthew 9:18-22

The key idea in this passage of Scripture is touch. The synagogue leader wanted Jesus to come and touch his daughter to bring her to life. The anonymous woman just wanted to get close enough to Jesus to touch him to bring healing (which is another key word in this passage: heal). I think both people demonstrate incredible faith: Jesus had not raised anyone from the dead at this point. He had cast out demons and healed people from diseases but this was a different category entirely. Yet, the man simply asks Jesus to come and place his hand on her. The woman also showed incredible faith because I don't know of any other person who was healed this way in Jesus' ministry. Yet she believed that Jesus was powerful enough that he could heal her if only she could get close enough to touch him.
I don't think that it is by mistake that these verses occur right after Jesus' teaching about new structures and new wine. Both of these healings were new to Jesus' ministry, very rare in Israel's history and announced the new covenant that God was making with his people. It also continues to build Matthew's case that Jesus is the Promised One: he raises a child from the dead just like the prophet Elijah (or Elisha - I can never remember) and he heals people without ceremony - all you have to do is bump into him.
I need to remember two things: 1) I need to reduce my scepticism and cynicism when it comes to the miraculous. Since we still live under the new covenant and since Christ still refuses to fit into categories and structures for long, I must be willing to at least consider the miraculous. 2) I need to have the same trust that this man and woman had in Christ. Nothing was impossible for him to do. Death seems pretty final and yet Jesus is more powerful than even death. I can trust him for anything: to help us adopt another child, to provide even in the midst of economic uncertainty, to save middle and high school students in Lethbridge, even LDS ones.

new wine, new skins

Matthew 9:16-17

Jesus uses two word pictures in his continuing response to the question: "Why don't your disciples fast?" He talks about patching old clothes with a new patch - it doesn't work because the new patch shrinks while the old cloth doesn't, creating an even bigger hole. He talks about new wine being put into old wineskins - it also doesn't work because, as the new wine ferments, it expands but the old wineskin has already stretched to capacity so it bursts and the wine is lost. Jesus is making a point about inflexible structures of religion. He is saying that God wants to do a new thing through Christ but it cannot be put within the old structures of religion. He is making a point that the Jews have become so enamoured with the structure of religion that they have forgotten that the point of the structure is to bring life in relationship to God.
This is a good reminder for me. I like routines. When I go to the gym, I like to do the same thing over and over again. I'll switch it up every four months or so but I want to do the same things in the same order so I don't have to think. This love for routine makes its way into my relationship with God: I do the same things in the same order expecting the same results. Eventually, the things I do and the order I do them in become more important than actually connecting with God and I've become attached to a wineskin instead of loving the wine.
Notice that Jesus isn't saying that we should get rid of wineskins all together. He is just reminding us that they only serve a purpose for a certain time. The way we "do church" serves its purpose for its time but eventually the structures may have to change in order for people to experience God more fully.
God, help me not to fall in love with structures and wineskins but to use those structures to pursue and to discard those structures that don't help me to experience you.