So maybe you’ve heard it said, ‘read your bible’ so you tried and failed. Our hope as leaders is that all of us will pick up God’s word and come to understand the true nature of God. After all, the bible is God’s Word curated over centuries detailing His nature, His will, the meaning of life and humanity’s historical interactions with Him. The Bible details the hidden keys to the Kingdom. Hence, the reason we are reviewing a new book each week.
This week we move to the first of the four gospels entitled Matthew. As the video highlights, the book’s larger message is to show that Jesus isn’t just another prophet or king. He’s the ultimate prophet-priest-king, the fulfillment of everything that Moses foreshadowed, the King who was promised to rescue Israel and restore humanity to the garden and God’s presence.
And even more, Jesus is God with us. He is the place where Heaven and Earth overlap permanently. A profound statement for sure but one that seems obvious in the scriptures.
But sometimes, what seems obvious to us is clouded with our human perspective. It reminds me of a story.
Me (in a tizzy): God, can I ask you something?
GOD: Sure.
Me: Promise you won’t get mad?
GOD: I promise.
Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
GOD: What do you mean?
Me: Well I woke up late,
GOD: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
GOD: Okay….
Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
GOD: Hmmmm..
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
GOD: All right
Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn’t work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
GOD: Well let me see….. the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): Oh…
GOD: I didn’t let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road
Me (ashamed): …………
GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn’t want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn’t afford to miss work
Me (embarrassed): Oh…..
GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn’t even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn’t think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I’m sorry God.
GOD: Don’t be sorry, just learn to trust me………in all things, the good and the bad
Me: I WILL trust you God
GOD: And don’t doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan
Me: I won’t God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
GOD: You’re welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children. - http://persecutedchurch.info/2012/03/24/things-to-ponder/
Along these lines, let’s jump into the book of Matthew and one of its many points.
The gospel of Matthew offers four opportunities to learn what it means to “be thankful” or “grateful” as a Christian
The first insight comes to us from Matthew 11. Jesus is expressing his thankfulness for those who will not surrender to His authority and remain self-serving. Jesus actually praises God for these people who walk away and reject His teaching.
I know it's strange right? We often hear God wants everyone to come to Him “not willing for any to perish” (2 Pet 3:9) so what gives? Stick with me as I explain this first lesson of Christian Thankfulness.
We enter into Matthew 11 just after John the Baptist’s disciples have come to find out if Jesus is the one - the prophesied Messiah. He assures them He is, by telling them to look at the fruit of his ministry. As they leave to report back to John in prison, Jesus chastises the religious people from places where miracles happened but people were led to ignore the truth. In the most curious fashion, he gives thanks for those who wouldn’t listen. Jump down to verse 25.
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus was giving thanks to God the Father for keeping religious leaders in the dark because it confirms God speaks to ordinary men and women to expand the kingdom. Ordinary people are more willing to humble themselves to do God’s will over their own. Jesus knew the damage thse with natural abilities or uber education class could cause the movement. Their success in the world would serve as a reason to validate selfishness and self centered actions which in the end imprison men in a religion where men serve other men instead of obeying and serving God. We should be grateful today for God’s leading of this mission at The Center. We celebrate what God is doing in the community, our role and the power behind it all. All glory belongs to Him.
The second lesson we learn about gratitude is that all blessings come from our Father. There is no blessing that comes from any other source. Take a listen to Jesus' words as the disciples swipe some kids' lunch pail and He feeds five thousand.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
I love Jesus' test of the disciples. You give them something to eat, He says. To which they show their lack of understanding of the power that is now with them. As if to say, watch this. Jesus takes the lunchable and gives thanks for an ever growing provision. In doing so. Jesus teaches us that gratitude is a faith issue. Faith is a trust in the unseen. Faith is an unwavering trust in God. The disciples were still learning of God’s endless ability to love them and provide for whatever is needed. Gratitude is faith recognized. It is God from whom ALL blessings flow.
The third lesson of thankfulness comes from chapter 15 in the feeding of the four thousand. This Thanksgiving lesson lets us know you can never outgive God. Afterall God sees our faith in action and then challenges us to do more with the rewards given. Jump to verse 15
31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” 33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” 34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” 35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
The crowds went to Jesus for personal reasons - some because of physical ailments, others mental. After receiving a blessing from Him, they expressed their gratitude by praising God. Gratitude is contagious. The third lesson from Matthew is you and I can never praise God enough for all He has done without subsequently being rewarded more and then wanting to praise Him even more. It’s a positive cycle that begins when we praise.
The fourth lesson of gratitude from the Gospel of Matthew where we learn being thankful makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. A message that becomes clear after Jesus has been anointed with oil, the betrayer Judas has been given permission to do what he must and Jesus is about to upend the passover ritual by announcing a new covenant with God. The lesson comes from a form of the passage we hear and discuss every week. Turn to chapter 26:26 with me.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks (again), he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The word’s “when he had given thanks” imply two moments of reflection by Jesus. As if to say, Thank you for Father for giving me the opportunity to be in relationship with all these people and to offer myself up for them. Christian gratitude is purposeful in that it makes sense of the past, brings peace for today and offers a vision for tomorrow.
Communion
Creative: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/Matthew-1-13/ 9min
References: Quest Bible Overviews p:1409
The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wiersbe) Volume I, p. 211 (Luke 10:21-22)
https://youtu.be/rUUG3aXWiA0 He gets us
