The Forgiveness of Sins
Read: Matthew 9:1-8 Take heart . . . your sins are forgiven. (v. 2) Every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed we say, “I believe in . . . the forgiveness of sins.” But do we? Really? Most everyone thinks there are some sins that couldn’t and shouldn’t be forgiven (Human trafficking? Sexual abuse of […]
The In-breaking Kingdom
Read: Matthew 8:28-34 What have you to do with us, O Son of God? (v. 29) C. S. Lewis described our world as enemy-occupied territory. This story in Matthew 8 offers a clear sign of what happens when the kingdom of God invades it. In the person of Jesus, God’s rule has arrived in the […]
Stilling the Storm
Read: Matthew 8:23-27 Then he . . . rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (v. 26) With the disciples panicking and screaming for him to save them, Jesus calmly rebuked them for their lack of faith. After that he proceeded to rebuke—that’s Matthew’s word—the storm on the lake. Jesus […]
Would-Be Followers
Read: Matthew 8:18-20 I will follow you wherever you go. (v. 19) During his public ministry, Jesus attracted large crowds but few followers. So when a man came up to him and declared boldly, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go,” you might think Jesus would accept such an eager volunteer gladly and be […]
He Takes Our Illnesses
Read: Matthew 8:14-17 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. (v. 15) In Jesus’ society, women were second-class citizens. They were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard of the temple. They literally didn’t count in the synagogue; thirteen men were required in order to organize a synagogue. Outside of marriage, men and […]
A Man under Authority
Read: Matthew 8:5-13 I too am a man under authority. (v. 9) It wasn’t easy to surprise Jesus. Only twice are we told in the Gospels that something astonished him. One was the lack of faith among his hometown friends and neighbors—”he marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6). The other was the faith of […]
Jesus’ First Miracle
Read: Matthew 8:1-4 And Jesus stretched out his hand . . . (v. 3) The man who approached Jesus after his Sermon on the Mount was a hopeless case. Leprosy, with its hideous symptoms, was incurable. Those who suffered from it were unclean—literally untouchable—and were forced to warn off passersby lest they also become infected. […]
Two Builders, Only One Foundation
Read: Matthew 7:24-29 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (vv. 28-29) Most theology books are based on works by other theologians—you can read about them in the footnotes and bibliographies at the back […]
The Way of Salvation
Read: Matthew 5:1-3; 7:12-14 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (v. 3) The Sermon on the Mount is not the way of salvation. Jesus’ concern in the sermon is not to explain to people how they can be saved but to teach them how to live once they […]