Post Info // super fun stuff.
Conversing with Matthew 8…bring your thoughts
I am preaching this week on Matthew 8. I am trying to approach this passage in the context of community. That is, allowing different communities i belong to give me insight on this text as i study through it this week. I obviously have been and will be spending a lot of time in the “academic” community of authors and commentators who have interacted with this text throughout church history. We also had some great conversation about this passage in our neighborhood bible study tonight.
I hope to bring it before some of my friends who don’t go to church and wouldn’t consider themselves followers of Christ.
I would now love to hear thoughts from my “cyber-community” also! Take a look at Matthew 8. What do you guys think? What’s going on? What’s Jesus trying to do? What is the author trying to do? What does the text do to you as you read it? I’d love to see some good interaction with the text here…
wezlo said...
103/10/05 4:22 AM | Comment Link |
You’re doing the whole chapter? Dude, you could do a micro-series on chapter 8 alone! Call it something like, “Breaking Through;” because chapter 8 is all about the authority of the Son of Man and the in-rushing reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s freaking cool.
Jesus heals the sick and lame (in and “out” of Israel).
Jesus rejects half-hearted pursuit (the in-rushing reality is all or nothing)
Jesus is master over chaos (quieting of the storm)
Jesus has authority over evil (into the pigs boys!)
Oh man, read the whole chapter for four weeks and then highlight the different presentations of how Jesus’s Kingdom flows into this world wherever he is!
kyle said...
203/10/05 5:56 AM | Comment Link |
it seems like throughout, there is an underlying theme of humility and submission. you see the humility of Jesus, the man w/ leprosy, the centurion, peter’s mother, and others. there is also this submission to Jesus’ authority seen among all those he heals, and even among the demons. they all recognize the power and authority of Christ. He even outlines what total submission really is in verses 18-22, and shows a lack of this in the disciples in verses 23-27.
Todd said...
303/10/05 7:20 AM | Comment Link |
For the record, at this point, i am focuing in the first three healings (the lepor, the centurion, peter’s mother).
ScottB said...
403/11/05 5:35 AM | Comment Link |
I think the thing that jumps out at me is that these are all healings for those who would have been considered by common Jewish thought of the day second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. Here, the kingdom has come to a leper, a Gentile, and a woman. It’s in some sense a reversal, God breaking through categories and boundaries to meet those who are considered to be less worthy of God’s favor.
Todd said...
503/11/05 5:58 PM | Comment Link |
Thanks guys, anyone else have any thoughts?
Jayne said...
603/11/05 6:50 PM | Comment Link |
Watch out for that Scott B. dude… I am not sure where he gets his theology.
:-) J.
ScottB said...
703/12/05 6:46 PM | Comment Link |
Reader’s Digest, mostly. Also, Cooking Light.
Kelcie said...
802/25/08 9:22 AM | Comment Link |
for vs 1-3 i just love how Jesus is not afraid to put his reputation on the line to touch the man with leprosy …. he’s unclean…. and when he walks through the streets he has to announce it… but like Jesus is not turned away by that… and i think that is so rich…. like think about even a geek or nerd in high school how you were so afraid to be nice to them because of what it might do to your reputation but man Jesus just reached right out and said i am willing and touched the man… thats tight