Matthew 12:15-21
I've always wondered why Jesus often told the people that he healed to not tell anyone about what had happened. I speculated that it was because Jesus was not coming to create a spectacle and he wanted people to know him as more than just a miracle worker. I guessed that Jesus knew that as soon as he went public that it would ultimately culminate in his death on the cross and he knew that there was a perfect agenda regarding the timing of his death. In this passage, Matthew tells us why.
The way that Jesus went about his ministry reminded Matthew of the words of Isaiah where God describes his servant as meek and gentle but with a core of strength. It's no wonder to me that Jesus' ministry would have recalled these words to Matthew. It matches very well with Jesus' ministry and his own description of how the kingdom will work: like some yeast hidden in some dough or like a mustard seed planted in a garden. The kingdom is not by force or by spectacle but by quiet, subversive, below the surface work that ultimately results in justice being led to victory and nations placing their hope in Christ.
Does my ministry reflect the ministry of Jesus? Am I shouting in the streets and creating spectacle or is my ministry such that a bruised reed would not suffer further damage, that a smoldering wick would not be snuffed out? Is my ministry all surface, all show and no root? I want to be like yeast hidden in dough: hidden, unobtrusive, subversive but radically redeeming the culture.
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1 comment:
Amen, I think we are all trying to figure this one out, what should our ministry look like, especially in comparison to Jesus, no we are not Jesus but we can learn everything we need from him. Good thoughts.
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