29: Tough Times (Mt 13:53-14:21)

Are these statements TRUE?

If you do the right thing - speak the truth & treat others with value, you never be mistreated.

If you obey God, you won’t have to go through tough times. Death will never prematurely knock at your door.

If you’ve been told that following Jesus brings physical, emotional, relational, & financial peace, freeing you from tough times…then somebody LIED to you! In this study we see Jesus and His disciples experience tough times, and we find hope in our Compassionate King who is willing & able to help us when tough times come our way.

Matthew 13:53–54 (NIV)

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown [Nazareth], he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.

And now Jesus comes to his hometown of Nazareth, whom several scholars estimate had a maximum population of 2000 and more likely somewhere around 500 people. [1]

Jesus began teaching the people in their synagogue, the place he probably attended as a boy. And now this mature young man causes the audience to be amazed at His teaching.

Preaching at My Home Church As a guy who has preached at my home church several times after having come to live in North Florida, there is nostalgia and some specialness to going home. At the same time, it’s a little strange as the tables are turned - the people who once taught me…I now teach. Many of the older folks where I’m from encourage me and seem proud to have been a part of my spiritual formation.

But this is when it gets weird for Jesus, as we’re about to see.

Jesus had no formal education from older rabbis or religious leaders like the Pharisees or scribes. These people knew Jesus didn’t have the rabbinical training nor seminary diplomas to teach like he taught.

No one had ever seen Jesus perform a miracle in all the years he grew up in Nazareth. And just where did Jesus get these miraculous powers from? We’ve already seen that many Jews said Jesus got His powers from the devil (Mt 9:34, 12:24).

This led the people of Nazareth to ask the questions, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?”

Matthew 13:55-56 (NIV)

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

These people knew of Jesus and his family. They thought he was Joseph’s - the carpenter’s son. Of course, Mary was his mother. And then there are the His 4 brothers and multiple sisters.

Contrary to Catholic tradition which is NOT based on Scripture, Matthew certainly does not teach that Mary was a ‘perpetual virgin’ - meaning - she never had sexual relations…ever. Catholics are typically taught that the term for “brothers” can also be translated as “cousins”, and while that is true, there is no reason, in the context, to prefer cousins over brothers....unless one starts with the premise that Mary never had marital relations - a Catholic teaching that emerged many hundreds of years after Matthew’s gospel was written.

There are 2 real problems with that.

Mary got married to Joseph. Consummating the union required sexual intimacy. In fact, we read of this reality way back in teaching from Christmas time.

Matthew 1:24–25 (NIV)

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

In other words, Joseph and Mary didn’t experience marital intimacy until after she gave birth to Jesus.

Jesus had brothers and sisters (Mt 12:46; 13:55). The brothers of Jesus are even named here - James (Jacob), Joseph, Simon, and Judas. Two of these brothers later wrote what we call “James” and “Jude”.

And even though the hometown folks were amazed by Jesus’ teachings, they were cynical as they asked, “Where then did this man get all these things?”.

You’d think they’d be happy that one of their own is now famous. But, as we’re about to see, they weren’t.

Small Town Sports Stars

Our small town has had several sports stars who have gone on to play professionally. 3 of them immediately come to mind for me - Jacobbi McDaniel, Chris Thompson, & Lorenzo Cain (who has honorary signs placed at entry points to the county).

Most of these guys are honored as being from here, but...

...sadly, the people from Jesus’ small town weren’t nearly as excited about their small town star. Instead, many of them seemed frustrated and skeptical with Him.

Matthew 13:57-58 (NIV)

And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

WHY were they so offended at Jesus?

First, these hometown people, who had seen little Yeshua (Jesus) grow up in their community, could not swallow the claims others were making about Him. You can almost hear the chatter:

“This can’t be the Messiah! God wouldn’t cause the Messiah to grow up in the small town of Nazareth. He will come from Jerusalem! The Messiah will be a military conqueror, not a miracle worker who roams Israel teaching all who would listen! We can’t believe this small-town boy is the One the Jewish nation has been awaiting for hundreds of years!”

Craig Keener writes: “How could anyone believe that God had stepped into history in the person of a young man who had spent most of his life in their own community?”[2]

Further, according to Dr. Luke, Jesus had been teaching in Nazareth before, and the hometown folks were pretty mad at Him then. Let’s take a moment to back up to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and see how that went.

Luke 4:16–27 (NIV) [on-screen Bible in Proclaim]

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.

He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ”

“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

In other words, God bypassed Israelites to send prophets to Gentiles who would listen to them.

Here’s the rest of the story…from Nazareth (Lk 4:28-30)

VIDEO - Nazareth (Lk 4:28-30)

And now, once again, rather than applaud Jesus, most people are appalled at Him.

And what Jesus said to His disciples about persecution is now magnified in His own home town.

Matthew 10:24–25 (NIV)

The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

[back to Mt 13:57-58] And now the disciples of Jesus, like Matthew - the author of this text - see how the people of Jesus’ own hometown were OFFENDED by Him.

And things were about to get worse for Jesus.

Matthew 14:1–2 (NIV)

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

John the Baptist risen from the dead? Now THAT would be miraculous, and Herod is just a little bit concerned…and here’s the rest of the story that explains why.

Matthew 14:3–5 (NIV)

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

John the Baptist was calling out this politician for his corruption - adultery - he had taken his brother’s wife for his own.

Herod the Great, the one who tried to have Jesus killed as an infant just after He was born, had 3 sons. In this case, Herod is referring to Antipas, who took Philip’s wife - Herodias.

Side note: Before that, Herodias was the daughter of Philip & Antipas’ brother - Archelaus - whom their Dad (Herod the Great, murdered). So Herodias was actually the niece & sister-in-law to Antipas. [2]

Herod Antipas and Herodias both left and divorced their spouses, and got ‘married’ to each other.

Herod Antipas had now been in power for over 30 years.

And then came the day of Herod’s huge birthday party, when the most wicked event occurred...

Matthew 14:6–8 (NIV)

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

Now Herod Antipas is in a pickle. He’s afraid of the Jewish people who thought John was a prophet. BUT…he’s also afraid of his reputation being tarnished.

Matthew 14:9–11 (NIV)

The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

What kind of wickedness is this!

Matthew 14:12–13a (NIV)

John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place...

It just got REAL!!! Up until this point the persecution was just threats & imprisonment (besides that time when Jesus’ hometown wanted to throw Him off the cliff). Now John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah - the one who had prepared people for Jesus and even told his own disciples to go follow Jesus instead of him - was DEAD.

This was painful for the disciples of John, the disciples of Jesus - some who used to follow John…and for Jesus Himself. Jesus loved John and had even said that John was the greatest prophet and human being who had ever walked the planet (Mt 11:11). And now John’s voice was silenced and his decapitated body was buried.

I wonder how many tears were shed that day. I wonder how many of them were asking the question, “How could God allow this to happen to such a godly man?”

Talk about tough times.

Jesus had been rejected by many of the folks in His own hometown,

and now his greatest cheerleader had just been brutally killed because of selfish, prideful people living in blatant sexual sin.

Jesus needed some time away, so he took his disciples, so they withdrew crossing the Lake Galilee to a solitary place.

Most of us have had or will have tough times - when we are hurting, when tough times hit, when death comes knocking, and when hot tears flow down our faces. [sarcastically] I wish we had a God who cared, a God who understands how you hurt…don’t you?

Of course…WE DO!!!

Thankfully, we have a Compassionate King who is willing & able to help us when tough times come our way.

You might remember our study in Hebrews where we were encouraged with this incredibly powerful promise.

Hebrews 4:15–16 (NIV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Human Weakness. Jesus experienced human weaknesses - exhaustion, hunger, thirst, disappointment, grief, betrayal, laughter, and tears. He felt what we feel, so He can sympathize with our weaknesses.

Human Temptation. Jesus experienced real temptation as a real human being. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil (Mt 4:1-11). And after facing every temptation the enemy could throw at Him, Jesus remained without sin.

As such, when we are experiencing weakness and facing temptation, we know where to turn! Jesus understands, because He’s been there!

Stranger Ministers to Tonya on 1st day of Chemotherapy

I’ve told you about the day when Tonya and I were getting ready to begin chemotherapy, a sweet Christian lady approached and introduced herself. As a survivor of cancer, she had a deep understanding of what Tonya was about to experience. She encouraged us, prayed for us, and gave us her card - pleading with us to call her if we needed any help through the process. She had been through what we were about to go through.

So too, we are told to approach God’s throne of grace with boldness. I love that phrase.

You see, most ancient rulers couldn’t be approached by the common people. Queen Esther even risked her life by approaching her own husband without an invitation (Esther 5:1–2). [3]

Yet here the God of the universe, the sovereign Creator of all kings, INVITES us to approach His throne, not to be judged for our GUILT, but to be welcomed into His GRACE. Knowing this, we can approach with boldness - having received the invitation from the King, Himself!

For those who have somehow come to think that following Jesus means you won’t have to go through tough times…for those who think that tough times should be interpreted as God being angry with you OR not caring enough to help…STOP.

Jesus Himself, and His disciples…experienced incredibly tough times. That didn’t mean they weren’t loved or that God didn’t care.

In fact, Jesus promised tough times to those who follow Him.

John 16:33 (NCV)

...have peace in Me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.”

And Simon Peter, the disciple of Jesus, later wrote about tough times followers of Jesus experience, when he penned these precious words.

1 Peter 5:7 (NCV)

Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you.

I wonder how Peter knew that.

How about this…because Peter was THERE when Jesus went through tough times - when his own hometown rejected him and when the news of John’s death stung his ears.

And through it all, Jesus didn’t doubt the Father’s love for Him. He understood what we must understand, that....

Through it all, the first followers of Jesus remembered this most important truth - that God’s love was forever demonstrated at the CROSS. Their circumstances would change, just like ours. But they didn’t play “He loves me; He loves me not” based on their circumstances. Instead, especially when the tough times came, they looked to the cross, because…

The CROSS always outweighs our Circumstances.

When tough times came, the first followers of Jesus remembered the words that Jesus had spoken, and the ultimate demonstration of love that Jesus showed at the cross.

And if you somehow have bought into the false claim that God won’t let you go through more than you can handle, this is simply not Biblical and not true.

Instead...

Tough times drive us to seek God’s Presence & God’s People, & share the message of the Cross with others!

Maybe you’re facing tough times right now…maybe you’re not, but you WILL. And when you do, you have a decision to make…

will you question God’s love for you,

or will you remember that the cross always outweighs our circumstances and embrace the reality that Tough times drive us to seek God’s Presence & God’s People, & share the message of the Cross with others!

Need help? Call us!

Lord’s Supper next Sunday at 10:30 - back fellowship hall

_____________

Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), 396.

Ibid, 395.

Davies and Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, vol. 2, p. 469.

John F. MacArthur Jr., Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983), 115.

discussion questions

Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

What former classmate has surprised you since you graduated from high school? Why? Why are we more often impressed by people we don’t know than by people we do know?

How would you react if a guy from your neighborhood started doing miracles and claiming to be God?

Read Matthew 13:53-58. Why might people from Jesus’ hometown have trouble believing he was the long awaited Jewish Messiah? Why wouldn’t Jesus do many miracles in His hometown?

What are 3 things you need to trust Jesus for in the coming week?

Read Matthew 14:1-11. Why was Herod “distressed” with the decision he had to make (v 9? Share about a time when you made a promise you wish you wouldn’t have made. Did you honor your word, explain why you couldn’t, or simply not fulfill your promise? How does peer pressure often keep us from humbling ourselves and changing our original claims or commitments?

Read Matthew 14:12-13a. What does the withdrawal of Jesus to a quiet place tell you about how the news of John’s murder impacted Him? Have you ever stopped to consider the frustration & pain that Jesus faced as a human being? Explain.

Read Hebrews 4:15-16. How does it encourage you to know that Jesus, who experienced human weakness & temptation, did not fall to sin and wants us to seek Him in our time of need?

Share some tough times you have experienced. Were you tempted to think God didn’t love you or didn’t care about you during those times? Explain your answer.

Read Romans 5:8. How might remembering God’s love demonstrated at the CROSS, help you to trust God loves you - even during the toughest times?

Explain how tough times drive us to seek God’s Presence & God’s People, & share the message of the Cross with others.

What challenged or encouraged you most from today’s teaching and what does God want YOU to do with what we studied today?

Share prayer needs and pray for one another.