Matthew’s Gospel begins with the story of the Old Testament. We don’t really see this today when we read those first 17 verses of chapter 1. Eesh!! Names!! But Matthew is communicating that this is the continuation of the story.
The account quickly moves into the birth of God’s Messiah-King and into the beginning proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom.
Then, the rest of the Gospel gives us God’s Messiah-King, Jesus, teaching us the ways of the kingdom and displaying the power of the kingdom.
The first major teaching section is known by the title the Sermon on the Mount. This might be one whole setting or a collection of settings put together in one ‘sermon’ (or homily) format. But what we find in Matthew chs.5-7 is foundational to what it means to live out the rule of God, not just as individuals, but as a whole people of the kingdom.
‘You’ve heard it said……., but this is really and centrally what it means to live in accordance with God’s rule and reign on earth as it is in heaven.’
And Jesus ends out by comparing two types of people in Matt 7. A well-known passage, no doubt. I think the comparison actually extends not just from vs24-27, but from vs15-27. And, at the end of it all (vs28-29), the people are taken aback by the authority by which God’s Messiah is teaching. They’ve never heard such before. This is something different from the status quo.
Maybe they ought to get used to responding that way when they hear Jesus teach and see Jesus display God’s power. Continue reading →
A month or so ago, I received a review copy of Scot McKnight’s newest release through Brazos Press. It’s entitled Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church. McKnight is one of the leading New Testament scholars alive today and I have personally appreciated his writings, especially his 2 books The Blue Parakeet and The King Jesus Gospel. You can also check out his blog, Jesus Creed.
The Prodigal Thought 