Matthew 6 and 7

I have to apologize that I did not get home early enough to write my thoughts about Matthew 6.  So tonight I am writing for both 6 and 7 to get caught up.  The challenge to read a chapter a day can at times be a real challenge especially when life continues on.  It is the dedication to continue and even when we fall short is not to give up and forget it but pick it up and start anew.

Carter talks about Matthew 6 continuing the Sermon on the Mount and that this chapter focuses on living justly.  The first verse warns us about how we practice our justice.  I often think about am I doing this to make me look good or to please God.  We are reminded that when we do things for others that we need to remember for whom we are doing this.  This will tie into Jesus talking in chapter 25.

6:2-4 talks about the first act of justice being almsgiving.  When we give to others don’t go around announcing it but rather have the left hand not know what the right hand is doing.  Have you ever done something and not let other know what you have done?  Often we want people to notice and give us thanks or accolades for our charity.  This is human nature.  Jesus reminds us the only reward we should seek is doing God’s will in this world.  We are to do justice and mercy not for the honor of others.  Think how often one has heard all the great things another has done.  It can become almost a time of competing with one another as to who is the greatest based on what charity each has done.

6:5-15 the second act of justice is prayer.  The author contrasts two forms of prayer that were common at the time and how this is not the way a disciple should pray.  The first is to stand out on the corner or synagogue or church so that others can see how pious they are.  They love to stand and pray.  It becomes a show look at me.  See how pious I am.  Jesus says rather it is better to go into a room by ones self and remember that we are praying to God not for people to notice.  The second error in prayers to ramble on as the pagans do.  There have been times when someone is praying and they go on and on and on.  As if they say many words, that their prayer is that much better.  Possibly if texting or tweeting were around Jesus might have pointed out that may be the best way to pray.

Here we have the Lord’s Prayer as it is written in this gospel.  There is one also in Luke with some differences.  I will be doing a sermon series on this prayer in November but here are some things to think about.  First the prayer is plural  Our Father, our bread, our debts.  There are three divine petitions and 3 human petitions.  Also note that what we add to the prayer is not present except in the King James translation. 

The third act of justice is fasting found in 6:16-18.  John Wesley encouraged every member of the church to fast at least once a week.  Jesus says if you do this don’t make a big deal of it.

6:19-34 talks about justice and materialism.  It is broken down in 19-21 warning about being distracted by material things.  22-23 a single focus on God’s kingdom.  24 how material things and God compete for the human heart.  25-34 trusting in God to supply what necessities of life.  This last section has been particularly meaningful in my life regarding living in a world the focuses not on trust but on anxiety.

Chapter 7 focuses on 1-6 a community of compassionate correction not condemnation.  How we treat others will be how we are treated.  There is a sense that we can become so concerned about correcting others or pointing faults of others and never developing the self-awareness of our own flaws.  We are tasked to remember that we are also sinners and that judging others without thought about our own sins is not just and is not love.  At the same time we are need to be accountable.  When we seek to help others, it may not be well received.  There is a time of letting go without judgment.  In Jewish life, dogs and pigs were unclean animals.

7-11 talks to about seeking God in life and prayer.  Reflect in your experience of times that you have sought God in prayer.  One person told me in my first appointment that God does answer prayer and sometimes it is yes, sometimes it is no, and sometimes it is not yet.  What do you think about this statement? 

12 summarizes the whole of this sermon.  This is the golden rule that we were taught in school.  “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

The last part of the chapter deals with eschatological issues.  This is the judgment at the end of time.  The assertion is that God’s Will will prevail not the world’s.  It is important the choices that we make and people or things we covet or follow.

Matthew 5

The Gospel of Matthew has five great discourses.  The first begins with this chapter.  The others are Chapter 10, chapter 13, chapter 18, and chapters 24-25.  What sets these apart is clear from the refrain that concludes each discourse “When Jesus had finished saying these things” or similar  words found in 7:28, 11.1, 13.53, 19.1 and 26.1.  These five discourses could be modeled after the Torah the first five books of the Bible.

The sermon on the mount begins in chapter 5 and ends in chapter 7.  All of these chapters tie together in a way to indicated what it would mean to live a disciple life.

Chapter 5 begins with Jesus seeing the crowds and going up a mountain side to speak.  Again the similarity of Moses going up the mountain to hear God’s word.  Jesus presents first God’s vision of the kingdom which is included in the beatitudes.  They contain, according to K. C. Hanson values of honor and affirm conditions and behaviors which God regards as honorable and esteemed and which are to be practiced by the audience.  As you read them, note how they emphasize an almost reversal of what the world would hold of value then and now.

Jesus follows this with two images of what the mission of the church is, salt and light.  It is the hearer of Jesus’ words that are to be the salt flavoring and purifying the world and light to which the  “nations will come to Mount Zion.”  It is not the political empire that will do this or even the religious elite.

According to Warren Carter verses 17-48 focus on Jesus interpreting the Torah.  It lays out arguments that those who are familiar with the Torah might make regarding what Jesus is teaching.  Most of these statements begin with you have heard it said but I tell you which takes the scripture and interprets the meaning.  Verse 17 begins with Jesus saying that he has not come to do away with the Law but to fulfill it.  Many of the interpretations support a more just action especially to those who are marginalized and without power (poor, women, being examples.)  5:48 ends with be perfect as the Father is perfect (NIV).  This echoes Leviticus 19:1-2 which states “Be Holy because I, Lord your God, am holy.”

Matthew 4

I am sorry that this is later than normal.  I was having problems with my internet last night.  We are beginning to encounter in Matthew Jesus being commissioned and the beginning of his ministry.  I am going to use some insights from Dr. Warren Carter who was my professor in the New Testament who has written extensively on the gospel of Matthew.

Immediately after Jesus is baptized, he is led to the wilderness.  Carter talks about how this being led would remind the Jewish readers about God leading the people from Egypt into the wilderness.  Actually the verb carries more connotations than being led, almost being driven into the wilderness.  The wilderness represents the unknown and often associated with danger, demons, and other evil spirits.  Carter also points out another similarity with Moses when the people were led through the water (John’s baptism) to a place of testing and temptation.

While there Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  Throughout the Hebrew Testament the number 40 appears.  Noah’s story of the ark and raining 40 days, Moses on the mountain top receiving the commandments for 40 days, Elijah lying on his side for 40 days, and Jonah predicting the destruction of Nineveh in 40 days.  The number 40 when applied to years represent a generation such as the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.  There is a sense of mystery, divine judgment and temptation associated with the number.

The temptations that are presented to Jesus are part of this time in the wilderness.  The tempter comes at a time when Jesus is at the most vulnerable.  I often think about when people who have given their lives to God who believe that they will never have to be tempted or that somehow by their action they will be blessed without any concerns.  Our baptism does not immune us to trials and tribulations, just as Jesus baptism did not immune him from temptation.

The first temptation was to use the power of God (gifts and talents maybe for us today) for our own needs without consideration of God’s Will.  How often do we take the gifts that we have and serve ourselves first and than what is left over goes to God?  And this is not just us as individuals but sometimes as an institution.  Jesus responds to this temptation again evoking the Exodus by quoting Moses from Deuteronomy. 

The next temptation has to do with power, political and religious power.  Jesus is taken to the center of both political power and religious power in Jerusalem.  It is interesting that the tempter uses scripture as a means to tempt Jesus.  I am reminded of how often even today leaders both political and others use scripture for their own agenda.  Jesus responds again from Deuteronomy.

The last temptation is for total control of the world.  Perhaps this is the greatest temptation.  What would be like to end hunger, poverty, illness, wars, and even death?  Would one be willing to forgo God’s will to seek to establish a status quo where we become gods unto ourselves?  Jesus will seek to end hunger, provide healing, raise the dead but not for his glory but for God’s glory.  One last time Jesus quotes Moses.

The rest of the chapter begins to focus on Jesus’ ministry.  John is arrested and Jesus goes to Galilee.  Jesus goes not to the political centers but instead goes to where the people are.  He does teach in the Synagogues but he is an itinerate preacher.

We have his first call to the disciples.  Those that he chooses are not the rich, educated, religious leaders, or even that popular.  He chooses very common poor laborers.  His ministry is first to those who are marginalized by those in power and interested in maintaining the status quo.  Note that Jesus calls them.  Those that are called do not belong to a certain birth status or tribe and later not even gender.

Jesus proclaims the gospel or good news both in seeking those to repent but also in healing and feeding those who were hungry.  In my training as a psychotherapist we learned about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Before one can deal with their spiritual needs they must have their physical, safety, and belonging needs met.  Jesus provides for not just spiritual healing but healing that is holistic.

Matthew 3

Today we begin to look at Chapter 3 of Matthew.  The very first part of the chapter starts with John the Baptist preaching in the desert to “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”  Later Jesus will say the same thing.  The use of Kingdom of Heaven only occurs in the gospel of Matthew and appears 33 times.  Mark and Luke talk about the Kingdom of God.  The author equates John the Baptist as fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah spoke.

Nowhere in this gospel are we told of the relationship between Jesus and John.  People would go out to him confessing their sins and being baptized.  Notice how John reacts to the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The author begins to foreshadow the conflicts that later would lead to John’s arrest and the conflicts that would occur with Jesus.

John is the prophet who foretells of Jesus.  Jesus is greater than John.  At the time, there were disciples of John who questioned whether or not Jesus was the one that John pointed.  The author states the differences between John who baptism for repentance and Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit and judgment. 

Jesus is baptized by John.  When God announces that “This is my son whom I love, with him I am well pleased” only Jesus hears this and sees that spirit descend from heaven.  Note how this is different when we get to the transfiguration.  The act of baptism confirmed that Jesus was God’s Son and in the public act affirmed Jesus’ ministry.

Take some time to reflect on the differences of John and Jesus.  What do you think about Jesus demanding to be baptized when he was righteous and had no need to repent?

Matthew 2

I hope that those who are taking the challenge have read chapter 1.  For anyone coming to this later these posts will be on our website or my blog so that you can catch up at any time.
Chapter 2 of Matthew
Think about your nativity set that you have or see.  Notice in the gospel there is no manger, no shepherds, the only angels that are present come in dreams to warn of danger.  It is easy to take the birth stories of Jesus and combine them into one story.  Here the birth of Jesus is matter of fact as to place and the political situation in which he was born.
The author tells the story of the magi and the interaction with King Herod.  Following the star to find their way, reflected the belief that when extraordinary events happen there is often signs in the heaven portending the event.   Reflect on how King Herod responds to the information of a new king being born.  The magi go to the political capital of Judea seeking this new king.  Yet the King of Kings is not in the political capital but in a small village outside of Jerusalem.  What do you make of this fact?
Notice that throughout this chapter how many times the author says about this is what the prophet said or this was to fulfill what the prophets had said.  Why do you think that the author would continue to speak about the prophets regarding the birth of Jesus?
The magi find Jesus in a house.  They are overjoyed and present their gifts to the mother and child.  Notice how messy the birth of Jesus becomes.  The quiet peaceful birth is reacted to by those in power through fear and death of innocents.  The child is rescued by dreams that Joseph has to go to Egypt again to fulfill prophecy.  This also foreshadows the future conflicts that will occur with Jesus and those in power both religious leaders and political leaders.
When the family returns from Egypt, they return to Nazareth rather than Bethlehem.  There was no mention about why they were in Bethlehem in the first place.

Gospel of Matthew

Last Sunday I mentioned how important it was to get back to scripture.  I mentioned that if one wanted to begin to study scripture and I recommended starting with the Gospel of Matthew.  I know that it is important to read the entire bible but starting with Matthew and reading closely what it says will point to Jesus’ scriptures found in the Hebrew Scriptures what we sometimes call the Old Testament.  Our church is offering a bible study on Matthew.
I began to reflect on doing something different.  So here is the challenge that I would like to present.  I would like to challenge people to read a chapter a day of Matthew.  The night before starting tonight, I will offer some insights and questions that may help focus on what we are reading.  We should be done with the gospel in 28 days.
So the challenge is to read Chapter one of the Gospel starting tomorrow.
Here are some insights to think about.  Why does the author start with a genealogy of Jesus?  What does it mean to be the son of David, the son of Abraham?  Genealogy for the Jews at that time determined status and one’s place in the history of the people.  Then as it is today status came from who your parent’s were and what tribe you belonged. 
Notice the people that are listed.  Were all the ones listed righteous people?  See Judges, Ruth, Kings, and Chronicles.  What would you make of the idea of 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the Exile, and 14 to Joseph?
The author than tells the story of Joseph and Mary.  The focus of Matthew is more on Joseph than Mary which is focused more in the Gospel of Luke.  Notice verse 22 and 23.  Where is that prophecy?  Notice how important dreams are.