Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

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.

Matthew 10:1 – 4

The thing that strikes me first, I suppose, is how Matthew refers to himself as “Matthew the tax collector.”  Only two others have a designation, Simon who was a national and religious zealot, a member of the movement who were intent on lifting the Holy Land from Roman rule, and Judas Iscariot who did in fact betray Jesus.  The other nine were not engaged in politics nor do we read that they had any political leanings.

What strange “bed fellows,” we say, Matthew and Judas Iscariot.  Matthew worked to collect taxes for the Roman occupiers, Judas wanted nothing at all to do with those who collaborated with the Romans. Like Matthew.  Had I been choosing disciples, I would not have picked two such different people.  How they learned to live together for three years or so I cannot imagine.

It sounds very much like the church of today.  We represent a great variety of interests.  Nationalism, idealism, political leanings and so on are present among the church around the world today.

For that reason, we must keep in mind that Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom but the heavenly kingdom on the earth, a kingdom that is eternal.  This is at the heart of our life with Jesus Christ.

Ben and Jack, 3 years plus, sons of Sara and Joel, granddaughter and grandson, enjoy a story.  They are sponges for books and that sort of things.  I love their pj’s. Twins are rare for us, so we enjoy doting!

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 

Matthew 9:35 – 38

As Jesus healed the sick he proclaimed “the good news of the kingdom.”  As I see it, his healing ministry opened the door to a deeper understanding of what was happening.  Certainly the healings were wonderful but what Jesus proclaimed was ever more so. He spoke, again and again, of the good news of the Kingdom.  This was the central theme of Jesus’ ministry.  Healings are good but all are temporary, of course.  That which stands eternally is the kingdom of God.

Matthew notes that the people “were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus offered them life in the Kingdom he came to establish. It is for just such people.  He offers to be their shepherd, like a new flock of those who need God desperately and who are hungry and thirsting after righteousness.  Nothing in Jewish life at the time even faintly resembled the kingdom that Jesus came to establish.  There were many “schools of thought” and “points of view,” all competing for attention. Some saw salvation as throwing off the yoke of the Roman Empire.  At the other end of the spectrum were those who, like John the Baptist, saw withdrawal as the way to go.  It certainly did resemble a restless field of sheep who had many little shepherds, but no Shepherd of all.  Jesus is offering them an invitation to come to his flock where he takes care of all.  That is the Kingdom that he both proclaimed and established.

Jesus knew how difficult it was going to be to establish this Kingdom of God.  He could not possibly do it alone.  So, as chapter 9 closes Jesus enters a new phase of his ministry in which the Kingdom of God could begin to take shape in the minds of the people who were hurting and needy.  His call goes out for laborers to enter this new harvest.

Our church called Chestnut Hill Mennonite knows how to decorate for the holidays. This candle scene at one of the several windows catches the hopes and dreams of our members.  Bless ’em all, each and every one.

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”  Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.  After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.  News of this spread through all that region.

Matthew 9:18 – 26

Jesus was deluged with requests.  Before he could answer one, another appeared, also urgent.  First was the leader of the synagogue, a man of faith whose daughter had just died.  In faith, he said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”  On the way to raise her from the dead, a woman, considered unclean because of her bleeding problem, pled with Jesus for healing.  Impressed with her faith, Jesus healed her after twelve long years of living as an outcast.

Then he and his disciples go to the home of the ruler of the synagogue.  Amid unbelieving spectators Jesus was not deterred.  He had them leave and then, in the quietness of the home, took her hand and raised her up.  When the crowd heard that this happened they could not contain themselves but spread the word about Jesus’ loving deed.

So, we read of the healing ministry of Jesus that included the son of a prominent Jewish rabbi, a most honorable man, no doubt, and, a most disreputable woman whose sickness cut her off from ordinary life in the community.  Jesus was not at all choosy.  He healed all who believed.

He continues to reach out in mercy for all today, without regard to social class or identity at all.  We are astounded by the stories we hear of Jesus’ loving touch in places in our world that we never even heard of.

I need to ask whether I have the compassion of Jesus right now as I live in this world of need.  Forgive me, Lord.

To see Evan and Elizabeth take part in the Christmas programs at school is special for us.  We go to them all, and want more!  Takes me back to growing up years when it was super fun singing carols at school.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:9 – 13

The Jews despised tax collectors not only because they did not want to pay taxes to the Roman Government but because they viewed those Jews who did that for the Romans were, in a sense, traitors.  Matthew was one of them!  No respected true Jews associated with such people.

So, we can but imagine the outrage of the Jews when they heard that Jesus chose a tax collector to follow him as a disciple.  What kind of people is Jesus choosing as his disciples?  He had already called four fishermen.  That was hard to believe, but it was even harder to believe that he would even associate with a tax collector, much less to ask him to be one of his disciples.

Come to think of it, Matthew, the despised Jew who collected taxes from his fellow Jews to help the Roman occupiers, is writing this Gospel.  He is that man who left all to follow Jesus.  He admits that he was an unlikely choice, like many of us who follow Jesus.  But look at how he was blessed and how he blessed many!

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  This enraged the Pharisees who saw themselves as being called by God to expose the sins of people like Matthew.

I leave it at that.

Jane and Marie created this center piece for our Friday night meal.  The place was soon abuzz with chatter and what not.  A nice time, within the Christmas holiday schedule.

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.  Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Then the man got up and went home.  When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Matthew 9:1 – 8

Jesus and his disciples returned from their dramatic visit to “the other side,” where satanic and demonic forces reigned.  Assuming that Jesus took that trip to help his disciples to see who he is, they must have been amazed when they realized that those evil spirits knew Jesus.  In fact, they knew him in a way that the disciples were only beginning to understand. I believe this was a major part of Jesus’ self-revelation. As I think about it, no evil spirits in Galilee were so bold.

That was “on the other side.” They are now back in Galilee where the Jewish teachers tried to do away with Jesus.  They did not have much against him as a healer.  There were many such among the Jews.  Now, Jesus reveals himself as one who can do what only God can do, according to Jewish belief, that is to forgive sins. “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”  These teachers knew that Jesus claimed to do what God, alone, can do, forgive sins which is a spiritual matter.  This distressed the Jewish teachers of the Law mthan Jesus’ healing.

The crowd of people who observed the healing did not seem to have a problem with Jesus as one who can forgive sin.  When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

I suppose we set up reasons, “good ones,” that hinder our ability to believe. We need to have our minds changed, even our world-view, to see things as they are, not as we perhaps thought.

When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”  Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Matthew 8:28 – 34

Jesus moved among the people of Galilee as he healed the sick and so forth.  All of them were Jews except the Centurion, a Roman. Even so the disciples were seeing things that they had never seen before.  Jesus had compassion on all.

For some reason, Jesus and his disciples left what would be called Jewish land, crossed the Sea of Galilee, into another culture entirely.  What a strange land!  As the ship pulled up to the shore, they were greeted, not by an enthusiastic crowd but by two demon-possessed men who lived among the tombs of the dead, who drove off all strangers, like Jesus and his group.

These violent men hosted demons who knew that Jesus was “Son of God” whom they feared.  They knew that Jesus could cast them out so they begged Jesus to send them into a herd of swine nearby. The scene was bedlam.  The disciples were amazed, without a doubt.  They had never seen anything like this.  Pigs drowning, pig-herds screaming, demons yelling.  This was not like quiet Galilee.

The people from the villages came out and saw drowning pigs, the herds on which they depended, no doubt.  They saw mad, suicidal pigs while not even noticing the two men, now free of demons.  They saw only their great financial loss.  So, the solution to their problem was to return to the time before Jesus entered the picture so they pled for Jesus and his friends to leave that place!

As I reflect on this powerful scene, I try to place myself in the shoes of the disciples who saw everything.  What were they thinking?  Maybe that pigs were unclean.  Or whether they would be blamed for the huge financial loss. Whatever they were thinking just then we know not but Jesus’ encounter with demons was dramatic, to say the least.

I am struck with the fact that the appearance of Jesus in a situation sets powers at work that do not want to be disturbed.  Instead of seeing Jesus the Savior, they see him as an up setter!   Is this still true today?  Does this give us an insight into the nature of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish?  I believe so.