Mar 7, 2017 | Blog
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (Matt 14:13-21): “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (verses 13-14).
Stories of Jesus feeding huge crowds with only a little were an important part of the earliest traditions of Jesus’ followers. Matthew’s Gospel includes two near-duplicate stories (see also Matthew 15:32-39), which are close parallels of two in Mark (6:32-44 and 8:1-10). Luke (9:10-17) and John (6:1-13) also include the “feeding of the five thousand” or a parallel.
Feeding a Crowd: The narrative of the feeding of the crowds in the wilderness is notably straightforward. Jesus was moved by compassion for the crowds and healed them. Late in the day, the disciples assessed the situation (in the wilderness there is nothing for the hungry crowds to eat) and perhaps they, too, were moved by compassion when they suggested the crowds be sent to nearby towns where they could buy food. Jesus had another idea: feed them right here with what we have. Taking the five loaves and two fish the disciples had on hand, Jesus blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples. The disciples fed the crowds, numbering five thousand men, plus women and children. Everyone had enough to eat, and they gathered up the leftovers. The story does not tell us how the hungry crowd is fed in the wilderness; only that no one leaves hungry. And so the story invites us to use our imaginations.
Bread: Blessed, Broken & Given: Multiple feeding stories in the gospels should not surprise us. They echo a common theme in Israel’s scriptures. As bread and fish feed the hungry crowd in the wilderness (translated “a deserted place” in Matthew), manna in the wilderness provided daily sustenance for the Israelites.
Jesus Walks on the Water (Matt 14:22-36)
From this setting, we already see Jesus as a man of prayer (v. 23). Rather than sticking around to reap the political benefits of his miracle, Jesus retires to prayer. (Mt 14:23).
If the disciples were still struggling against the winds at the fourth watch of the night—the Romans divided the night into four instead of the Jewish three watches—the disciples must have been exhausted. Probably accustomed to awakening around 6:00 a.m., they instead found themselves still trying to cross the lake between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. We may criticize the disciples for accepting the popular notion of ghosts, but the biggest offense here is that they still underestimate Jesus’ power. It has not occurred to them that he could know their plight, walk on water to come to them or catch up to them in a storm! To their credit, however, the fear issue seems to be solved once they recognize that their teacher is with them. They knew him well enough to know that if he was there, he would bring them through their storm.
Although the proposal that Peter walk on water is first Peter’s idea (v. 28), Jesus’ response indicates that he approves of it (v. 29). Peter is gently reproved not for presumptuously stepping from the boat but for presumptuously doubting in the very presence of Jesus (v. 31; compare 6:30; 8:26; 16:8; 17:20. Disciples were expected to imitate their masters, and Jesus is training disciples who will not simply regurgitate his teachings but will have the faith to demonstrate his authority in practice as well.
Mar 7, 2017 | Blog
As stated last week, a parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus relied heavily on parables; now let’s look at the meaning of two parables from Matthew 13.
The Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-9) – Jesus explains this parable in verses 18:23. Let’s look at the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the evil one comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. “The seed falling on rocky ground – this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But since they have no root, when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears the word and understands it, and then produces a harvest, yielding 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl (Matt 13:44-45) – God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is filled with joy – what a find! Then proceeds to sell everything he/she owns to raise money and buy that field. Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, the finder immediately sells everything and buys it.
These two parables teach the same truth. The kingdom is of such great value that one should be willing to give up all he/she has in order to gain it. Jesus did not imply that one can purchase the kingdom with money or goods.
John the Baptist Beheaded – A Prophet Martyred: The parallels between the missions of John and Jesus have been building toward the climax of this paragraph. John has introduced Jesus, proclaiming the same message that Jesus would (3:2; 4:17).
The murder of John the Baptist is also in (Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9). “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,” (Matt 14:1), “Herod Antipas,” identified as Herod the tetrarch in the Gospels, was the son of Herod the Great and brother of Archelaus (2:22). Of the Herods, Antipas figures most prominently in the Gospels since he ruled over the regions where both John the Baptist and Jesus conducted most of their ministries, Perea and Galilee. Antipas is remembered primarily for his imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. Antipas had married his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Though Antipas respected and feared John, nevertheless he had John beheaded as the result of a plot by Herodias.
John had been arrested because he challenged the legitimacy of Herod’s divorce and incestuous remarriage. “Herodias” was the daughter of Aristobulus, a half-brother of Antipas. She had been married to her uncle, Herod “Philip,” and had borne him a daughter, Salome. However, she divorced her husband and married Antipas, who was already married.
Herodias was a guilty and vindictive woman who wanted John dead, and she devised a plan to get rid of him. At the king’s birthday party, her daughter performed a provocatively enticing dance which so appealed to the drunken Herod that he “promised with an oath” she could have whatever she wanted. She asked for “John the Baptist’s head in a charger” (a table platter).
John the Baptist paid the ultimate price!
Mar 2, 2017 | Blog
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath: “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests… For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (verses 1-4 & 8).
Stretch Out Your Hand: “Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus” (verses 9-13).
Jesus and Beelzebul: “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons” (verses 22-24).
The Parables – Mathew Chapter 13
A Parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. Parables come from the Greek word parabole, which means “placing beside”—and thus a comparison or an illustration. Jesus’ parables were stories that were “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth. His parables were teaching aids and can be thought of as extended analogies or inspired comparisons. A common description of a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
For a time in his ministry, Jesus relied heavily on parables. Its common use in the New Testament is for illustrative stories that Jesus drew from nature and human life. The Synoptic Gospels contain about 30 of these stories. John’s Gospel contains no parables but uses other figures of speech.
Jesus speaks in parables because of the spiritual dullness of the people: “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving” (verses 13-14).
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More on the Parables ( 13)
Herod’s Reaction to Jesus’ Ministry (14:1–12)
Jesus’ Withdrawals from Galilee (14:13—17:20):
To the Eastern Shore of the Sea of Galilee (14:13—15:20)
To Phoenicia (15:21–28)
To the Decapolis (15:29—16:12)
To Caesarea Philippi (16:13—17:20)
Mar 1, 2017 | Blog
The Commissioning of the 12 Apostles
“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him (verses. 1-4).
The Cost of Discipleship: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (verses 14 &38).
Jesus’ discourse on the disciples’ mission to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (10:6) alternates between images of warning and promise. The disciples are granted remarkable powers, even to raise the dead (10:1, 8), but are warned repeatedly of the suffering and threats they will face (e.g., 10:16-18, 21-23, 34-36). Their closest and most important relationships will be ruptured (10:21, 34-39), and yet they participate in the most integral of relationships not only with Jesus, but with God.
Finally, the call to discipleship renders secondary all other claims upon one’s identity and allegiance, even to father or mother, or son or daughter (10:37, cf. 8:21-22, 12:46-50). To “take up the cross” (10:38-39) aligns the disciples’ mission and fate with that of Jesus, that is, with the humiliation, suffering, shame, opposition, and death that Jesus persistently speaks about here. Taking up the cross implies identification with the marginal people (slaves and rebels) who were subject to Roman crucifixion, because they did not align themselves with or submit themselves to Rome’s authority. But Jesus promises that those who “lose their life” for him will in fact “find it,” while those who “find their lives” in the world will lose them (10:39).
Jesus and John the Baptist (Chapter 11)
The question of John the Baptist to Jesus is one of the most important question: “After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (vv. 1-3)
Matthew 11:4-6 gives evidence that Jesus is the one. People who have been unable to see can now see. People who have been unable to walk can now walk. People afflicted with leprosy are now cleansed. People who could not hear can now hear. People who live in poverty can look forward to economic regeneration. “Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
John the Baptist paid the ultimate cost of discipleship!
