Summer is almost over and, as I shared several weeks ago, it’s time to get back into the routines of fall. In fact, last Thursday was the day that I started teaching another class for the Soul Sisters, a group of ladies who have “adopted” me as an honorary member of their group. Having studied the Gospel of John last fall and then Old Testament prophets this spring, I thought it was time to go back to the New Testament and study the first Gospel, the book of Matthew. I don’t mean that it is the earliest Gospel, as it is generally accepted that Mark has that honor, but it is the first Gospel to appear in the New Testament.
While the book was originally written for the Jewish people, as is evidenced by the fact that it starts out with a genealogy, it was very important for the people of the time to recognize that the lineage to Jesus started back in the time of Abraham, the first patriarch, the father of the Jewish nation. While it is certainly possible that the other Gospels are more widely read than Matthew, there are, nonetheless, many important nuggets that we would be well to read about and heed.
It’s the place that we first read about John the Baptist, who was six months older than our Savior. In fact, John the Baptist is considered the last Old Testament prophet (one who represents God to the people) even though he doesn’t appear until the New Testament. And Jesus Himself was the bodily fulfillment of prophecies from many of the Old Testament prophets.
Matthew is filled with examples of what’s is referred to as the upside down kingdom, a way of thinking that was promoted by Jesus and, even today, seems foreign to our way of life. Jesus reminds us that humility and love for one another are key mandates that Christ implores us to follow. We read about the call of the disciples as well as some of the lessons that they learned during their three year walk with Jesus. In fact, they were empowered to heal the sick and perform other miracles in the name of Christ. They were also sent out into the known world as “apostles” – those who were taught directly by Jesus and held special powers or healing and miracles bestowed on them by Jesus Himself.
We also have access to read about the miracles Jesus performed and the discourses he taught. Unlike several other Gospels, Jesus doesn’t necessarily go into great detail with every parable He relates to us. In fact, Jesus challenges us to learn from several examples and then figure out what He is trying to teach us in later examples throughout Matthew.
Another unusual thing about the way Matthew tells his story is the fact that many times throughout his Gospel, Matthew gives us the words of Jesus and we learn that Jesus doesn’t tell us what to do. He tells us on the Sermon on the Mount what we should be! He is fundamentally concerned with who we are and not necessarily telling us how to do it. We can only accomplish that through keeping our eyes on Jesus and never losing focus on what it means to be a Christian.
We also observe that the disciples had many examples of the way that Jesus wanted them to think and yet, even though they had been with Jesus throughout His ministry, the disciples just didn’t get it. More instances of the “upside down” kingdom – how Jesus expected things to be done as opposed to how we think things should be done.
As with every book of the Bible, it is important to pay attention to the small things that many of us overlook. It is so important to pick up the “nuggets” – things that we may have overlooked in the many prior readings we have experienced. Although it can be very difficult to do, we must also realize that the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) combine to tell a more complete story about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. My encouragement is for most of us to sit under strong biblical teaching and pray that the Holy Spirit will help illuminate us as to what God wants us to learn from each passage.
Although there is no “most important” verse in Matthew, tonight’s verse is a summation of what Jesus wanted for us – a summary of the Law that was given to the Jewish nation. Matthew tells us, in Matthew 22:37-40, the words of Jesus, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
My encouragement this evening is that Jesus wants us to love Him and to love each other. This summation of the Law would have resonated with the Jewish people of the time, just as it should resonate with us today. My prayer is that we will all continue to study the Bible and become closer to God in the process. Now is a great time to choose a study for this fall. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…