Matthew 4:17-25

 Matthew 4:17-25

Jesus began preaching about the kingdom and immediately started calling disciples. Making disciples is apparently pretty important for Jesus and for his ministry purposes, but is apparently of little value to the contemporary American church. What does it mean to make a disciple? To be a disciple means to follow. It is certainly more than to listen of a weekly sermon. It is time together with the Master consistently in order to hear the teachings of the Master. Often the disciples had Jesus to themselves and in these times they discussed in detail his public teaching. Going out and repeating the process is a part of being a disciple. The disciples Jesus called were evidently successful in their trades. Entering into poverty for the kingdom is an excellent trade off.

Three aspects of Jesus‘ ministry are mentioned in this passage. First, teaching in the synagogues would have been the exposition of Scripture. Those who would follow Jesus must be a people who know the Word of God. Second, proclaiming the kingdom would have been the public ministry of Jesus in his teachings. It is tragic that almost all the proclamation of the church is directed at the church. Most of Jesus’ teaching occurred outside of the context of the synagogues. Third, healing ministry of Jesus-making a difference. The Lord’s presence meant that things were going to change for people. That cannot always be said for Christians or for the church today.

As disciples we must ask ourselves are we following the Lord’s pattern? Currently, the American church is spending the vast majority of its budget, time and energy on taking care of its own. The church expects the lost to come in, in order to receive. Many Christians feel that to watch or perhaps participate in the church’s function is enough. It isn’t. But serving the Lord can be difficult. But to enter into trouble, hardship, frustration or poverty while doing these three is a great trade.

Prayer thought: Lord, don’t let us waste so much as one day of our lives. Instead, let us give every day to You in order that You may do through us what You will, Amen.

Matthew 4:12-17

 Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus has returned to the Jordan valley and from the other Gospels we know that He also had a ministry of teaching and his disciples were baptizing in the river. When Jesus learns that John was arrested Jesus leaves the Jordan valley to go to Nazareth. In the same verse we learn that Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to Capernaum.

There is an important principle in these geographic verses. That principle is that Jesus is completely subject to the Father’s timing and leading. There will come a day when Jesus will be tried in a Roman court, but that day is about three years away, it was not yet time. John’s ministry was widespread and well known and with John in prison if Jesus had continued His ministry in the Jordan River region He would have most likely picked up John’s followers and have enjoyed extreme popularity. With such popularity in that location and in the circumstances of John’s arrest an anti-Herod movement may have developed. This could have resulted in a premature arrest of Jesus. Herod rejected the message of repentance, so Jesus will move on. Jesus returns home and in Nazareth His stay, according to Luke, was short and unpleasant. Again the message of repentance is rejected and Jesus willingly walks away.

So, His home becomes Capernaum. Galilee of the Gentiles was the land of outcasts. The people of Jerusalem and Judea generally regarded Galilean Jews as tainted, the hick rubes of the family tree. They lived and co-existed with a large Gentile population. This was a land closer to the pagan and heathen influences. This was the land of the political, educational, economic, religious and social underdogs. Into the land of a troupe of castaways, untouchables, undesirables, has-beens that never really were, the Lord finds His people. Verse 16 is poetic and beautiful; in the dark, in the land of the dead, Light and Life have come. Lovingly and offering hope, Jesus begins letting people in on the secret that the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived.

Because our faith so mimics our society we often want our place in the Lord’s service to be a place of upward mobility. Think for a moment of how the church works toward bigger, better, wealthier and more publicized ministry. Jesus was unconcerned with upward mobility. He was concerned with speaking the Kingdom’s news to those who would listen.

Prayer challenge: Ask the Lord to move you toward meaningful service and ministry with eyes that are blind to the trappings of success, power or prestige. And with eyes open to see where you can serve Him with those open to the Good News of the Kingdom.

Matthew 4:1-11

 Matthew 4.1-11

It is better to call this episode the “Testing of Christ” because ultimately it is the Spirit that led Jesus into the desert for the purpose of His testing using the enemy. Matthew is going to contrast the failure of Israel in the wilderness with the obedience of the Son.

In the first test Jesus is asked by the enemy to use His power to meet his own needs. After 40 days with no food Jesus is beginning to starve. The temptation is to look at His own needs and the incredible resources at His disposal. But Jesus will not take His eyes off the Father and be distracted from obedience to the Father? Not even by something so vital as bread.

The second test also reflects back to Israel’s failure in the wilderness. A consistent theme for Israel in the wilderness wanderings was, “Is God with us or not?” Constant worry over “is God with me” reflects a doubt about God’s faithfulness. The temptation is to take the focus off the Father and direct toward the circumstance. To create a crisis to force God’s intervention reverses the roles in which we are testing God to discover what is in His character and thus indicating serious doubt on our part. God’s faithfulness and character are so intertwined that to doubt one is to question the other.

The third test is the offer of a short cut. The enemy offers world-wide dominion without the cross. Jesus can have it all and do so without the agony. What great good could come from the loving magnanimous reign of Jesus as world king? All this good can be accomplished with one compromise in the process. There are two problems. First, it is an invitation for Jesus to focus on the needs of the world and not the will of the Father. Second, the process matters! There are no short cuts. To attempt to accomplish the right ends via the wrong means indicates that we are starting in the wrong place.

When Jesus had passed the last test the Father sent relief. We should not miss the point that what the Lord would not do for Himself the Father did for Him, when the time was right.

• Let nothing distract me from obeying the One who has called me.
• Living in faith and asking for God’s provision is appropriate; questioning His character by challenging His faithfulness is not.
• Achieving great things in the wrong way by the wrong means is still wrong.

“Lord, save me from the hour of testing, but if I must face testing let me always keep my focus on You, Amen”