Matthew’s Unique Insights
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have often said, ‘Jesus is
the answer’ to whatever issue may be wiping the deck with us at the
moment. Sometimes this idea has been
mocked because it is ‘oversimplistic,’ they say. Or, it’s not ‘realistic.’ In our study, this time, I want to go back
over the pericope we examined last time but continue to the end of the
chapter. We will look at this material
from a little bit different angle—that is, from Matthew’s viewpoint. Our last study looked at the events from
several gospel writer’s viewpoints and we saw how Jesus was moving from a
prophetic role to a priestly one. It was
more of a theological intercanonical interpretation. But this time I want to look
carefully at Matthew’s own insights of these events and we will see four basic but
related questions about life that only Jesus can answer! This is Matthew’s unique insight.
Recapitulation
Last time we discussed the debacle at the foot of the Mount
of Transfiguration. Just like Moses
descending Mount Sinai with the ten commandments only to discover his brother
Aaron mixed up in a major leadership failure, here Jesus descends the Mount of
Transfiguration only to come upon a leadership failure on the part of the
disciples who stayed behind. They had
failed to cast out a demon due to a lack of trust in Jesus. We noted that Mark’s gospel adds that they
should have prayed.
Four Questions
Last time, we also noted that two major questions were being
used to discredit Jesus and His mission.
As we read further we see there were actually two additional questions
of major concern. So, let’s examine
again verses 14-27.
1) What is truth?
The first major question Matthew wants to answer dealt with
Jesus’ authority. The Pharisees had already
denied that Jesus had any authority and even blasphemously credited Jesus’
ability to cast out evil spirits to an unholy alliance with Satan. Now the Scribes were attempting to use this
second case of demonization as a vivid proof that Jesus was obviously not the
Messiah. Of course, Jesus had time and
again demonstrated His credentials but when they began resisting the truth He
had decidedly shut the door on any further signs “except for the sign of
Jonah.”
It is one thing to search for truth – it is another thing to
resist it when it looks you square in the face.
Have you ever felt like you were no longer sure of the path that God had
once set you upon? Perhaps there is a
clear instruction from God that has been left undone. Oftentimes, God seems to only give enough
light for one task at a time. If you
feel like you are in the dark now, keep working on the last clear directions
you received. God gives you more light as you follow the light you already
have.
The Scribes and Pharisees were willing to believe that the Gentiles
needed to repent. But they failed to see
that the message of repentance was also directed at them. The people of Nineveh repented but not the
generation of Jesus’ day. Jonah had
survived three days and nights in the great fish. Once they saw Jesus come out of the grave
after three days and three nights, that would be the last sign! Jesus Himself was the answer to the question:
“What if the national leadership rejects the authority of Jesus—the One Who
claimed to be the Truth?” He is still
the answer today. But the ‘experts’ have
decided. It is apparently ‘settled
theology.’ The ‘experts’ are now facing
the answer to the question, ‘What is truth?’ and they have rejected it. The path to truth will require some re-examination
of some presuppositions.
2) What is Faith?
The second major question dealt with the disciples’
faith. They tried to stand up for Jesus
by casting out the evil spirit but were unable.
Jesus said, this is because of “your little faith.” Not little as in too tiny but little as in
inadequate. All they needed was some
“mustard seed faith.” But, they were
trusting in their own ability—not Jesus.’
Again, Jesus is the answer to the second question, “What if I try to
minister in Jesus’ name but I am unsuccessful?”
I need to ask Jesus for help. I
need to be trusting in Him, not me. It
doesn’t take much faith—but it must be faith in Jesus—and then I can move
mountains!
3) What is Life?
The third major question comes about as we see the distress
that His prediction concerning His upcoming death causes. “So, Jesus is the Answer. But of what use is
a dead Answer?” The truth is, Jesus is
alive today. So, He is still the answer. But for the disciples, this was still
future. It greatly distressed them. Jesus’ passion would destroy death as an
enemy. Today death is a door—not the
end. But they didn’t hear that although
Jesus has told them more than once. How
many times have we heard that Jesus is coming back—that He is gone to prepare
us a place with Him? Have we really
heard it? Does it distress you that He
is not back yet? Have you experienced
His Life in you as a foretaste of what is to come? The disciples heard that He would be
gone. We, too can feel overwhelmed
because He is gone.
4) How Can We Live by Faith in Light of the Truth?
The fourth major question concerns ‘cultural resistance’ and
our sense of alienation. It is found in
the pericope about the temple tax money found in the fish’s mouth. Notice that Jesus did not argue with the
authorities regarding the legitimacy of this tax. He did let Peter know that it was unethical
on the part of the tax collector to be collecting this anymore. It was originally done one time to pay for
the cost of furnishing the tabernacle and may have been repeated when the
temple needed some repairs. But in
Jesus’ day it was simply a money-making device that caused many foreign nations
to drool at the prospect of raiding the temple treasury in Jerusalem and was
the cause of much corruption in the high priesthood.
But, Jesus told Peter that this was not a battle that He
wanted to fight. He didn’t want to
offend anyone—or scandalize anyone—by not paying the customary head tax. Some historians point out that Rabbis were
supposed to be exempt but Jesus was more concerned that He not offend the
untaught or undiscerning people and cause them to stumble. Jesus and His disciples had no money, but
just as He taught His disciples to trust God to supply their daily bread, He
now teaches them that God will supply their tax fees as well. So, the fourth question that Jesus answers is
this: “If this world is not our home and we are citizens of the kingdom of God,
how involved should we be in this world’s system?” Should I pay?
Will God supply that need? Jesus
is once more the answer. He will provide
what we need—but we need to trust in Him.
There is a secondary question that is addressed here as
well: Where do we draw our line in the
sand with others who make demands of us that they have no right to make? Here, Jesus would say that we must be willing
to give up our rights—not our responsibilities—in the same way that Jesus did
(Phil. 2:5-11)—in order that we might bring the gospel to some (1 Cor. 9:22).
Let’s summarize these four general questions then:
1)
What is truth?
Ultimate reality is found in
Jesus. We grasp this truth by faith.
2)
What is faith?
Faith is trusting in Jesus
according to His Word.
3)
What is life?
Real life is found in Jesus. Nothing can separate us from Him
4)
How can we live by faith in light of the
truth? (--In the world but not of the
world?) In the meanwhile, we trust Jesus
to supply everything we need.
Yes, Jesus really is—and will continue to be—the answer. The disciples experienced these same general
issues in some very specific ways. We,
too, experience these issues in our lives and the solution remains the same –
Jesus.
© 2018 Eric Thimell
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