Silence or Devotion
Notes
Transcript
We talked about politics a little bit last week. So, might as well talk about it this week as well. Right?
It’s amazing how we can start seeing how strong people are in their faith, in their desire to follow Jesus in a holy life, by how they interact with people around an election, around a new inauguration.
The things we get excited about. The excuses we make. The things that we pick at. What we justify or vilify. The comments we make. The words we use.
They all paint a picture of where we are in our journey with Jesus. Or whether we are on that journey at all.
Every single person who has ever lived can be mapped on a timeline towards Jesus.
Some people are right at the beginning, and they are trying to go into the negative numbers.
Some people are walking this way, towards the cross, though they might not know it.
Some people are running towards the cross with a smile on their face and tears in their eyes.
Some people are here, after the cross, but they are looking over their shoulder wistfully remember what their life was like or could have been like.
Some people are sitting down, content with where they are in life, ignoring God’s prodding to continue to grow.
Some people are steadily moving forward, with Jesus by their, walking toward eternity.
Where are you at?
In our passage today, we see three points of a timeline, as people interact with Jesus for perhaps the first time. What decision are they going to make?
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
There are three responses to Jesus: Silence, Wonder, and Devotion.
Will you pray with me?
1. Silence
1. Silence
The first response to Jesus that we see in this passage is silence.
Well, we actually don’t see this response, because those group of people are completely silent. They are not part of the crowd flocking around Jesus. They are not part of the disciples who are following Jesus devotedly.
They are silent.
Until they start to grumble.
First, they start talking among themselves:
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
After Jesus said that someone’s sins were forgiven.
Then they start asking why:
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
And then they start making accusations:
But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
Each of these passages, we will study in more detail when we get there.
But, you see the group, the outsiders. The one’s who in the face of Jesus’s miracles. In the face of his teaching. In the face of his offer of a renewed covenant with their God. They are silent. They want nothing to do with it.
Why?
Oh, so many different reasons.
Perhaps they care more about tradition than truth. They are more willing to follow the teachings of men rather than the message of God.
Perhaps they want power. Right now, the religious leaders, part of the silent group, have power because the people have to come to them to learn the rules to follow in order to “be right with God.” Even though God didn’t give most of the rules.
Perhaps they like their life and they don’t want to change. One man came to Jesus asked what he should do to get eternal life.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The selling doesn’t bring eternal life. The committed following of Jesus does. The man liked his stuff too much and wasn’t willing to put Jesus first. So, he left, very sad because his stuff was more important to him than a relationship with the creator of the universe. More important than eternal life.
There are so many reasons why people do not want to follow Jesus.
If you are not his follower, why do you not follow him?
Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago and lived among us because he loved us and wanted to have a relationship with his creation again.
Our sin separates us from our God, the things that we do against him and his character, as we all do. So, Jesus to bring us back, to reconcile us, came to live among us, being tempted as we are but without sin.
And then, Jesus died on the cross, taking our sins, our punishment on himself. The righteous for the unrighteous, so that we might be forgiven, saved, justified, declared completely righteous.
His death is a free gift for anyone who turns to him in faith.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
In the face of this simple Gospel message, in the face of the loving sacrifice of Jesus, some are silent, refusing to follow him.
2. Wonder
2. Wonder
Some respond in wonder. They see what Jesus is able to do and they are captivated by his miraculous works or his soul-wrenching truth or his hopeful preaching.
The second half of our passage talks about this group.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Large crowds are flocking to Jesus. They hear his teaching. They experience his miracles and his healing. And they want more.
I can imagine Jesus’ disciples were stoked. They were following the most famous man in the nation. Not only the most famous but also the most loved. Besides the silent crowd, but that was a minority at this time.
Everywhere Jesus went, crowds upon crowds. Listening, yearning, seemingly following.
But, they weren’t really following.
They had a wonder about Jesus, about his teaching, his miracles. But, that wonder didn’t translate to actually following him.
Someone can be flabbergasted, in awe, of the miracles of Jesus, but still not be a follower of him. And, therefore, not redeemed, forgiven. Still lost in his sins.
Jesus, unlike his disciples, didn’t trust the crowd.
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.
There will be a time when the crowds leave Jesus. When he compared himself the manna in the wilderness, stating that he is the bread of life and anyone who eats of him will have eternal life. They grumbled
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
The crowds began to dwindle at that point.
To the point that early one morning, Jesus was standing by himself and the crowds who used to follow him were standing, pointing, yelling “crucify him!”
There are many people who attend church because they enjoy the feeling of attending church, because they enjoy the preacher—he moves the emotions or he really explains the text—, perhaps they come because of what they think church can do for them. They see God working and they want to be as close to that working as possible.
However, in that wonder, they still have not chosen to follow Jesus for themselves. And when the rubber meets the road, they will not follow him. They refuse to live holy lives. They refuse to give Jesus the number 1 spot in their lives. They refuse to pursue a relationship with him.
Why? Because they have never chosen to actually follow him. They have never made the decision for themselves to put their trust in Jesus. Wonder of Jesus is not the same as trusting him for their souls and their eternity.
James writes:
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
3. Devotion
3. Devotion
Some respond to Jesus with silence. Some respond to Jesus with wonder. Some respond to Jesus with devotion.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Normally at this time, disciples would approach a famous teacher and ask, apply if you will, to be that teacher’s disciple. And the famous teacher would have strict qualifications, turning away more applicants than the amount accepted.
But, Jesus was different. He approached certain men, men who would not normally be accepted, and commanded that they follow him.
And these men, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, left everything and followed Jesus.
Why did they do that?
Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist. He was there when John declared of Jesus:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Andrew was probably there when John baptized Jesus and the voice from heaven proclaimed:
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Andrew would have probably come back and told his brother Peter and best friends James and John, because that is what you do.
They heard the amazing stories of Jesus teaching:
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
They heard the amazing miracles that he would perform.
And at his call, they left everything and followed him.
Everything.
They left their work. They staked their financial future, the support of their wives and kids, their houses, and the fact that this man was the messiah and following him was worth more than everything else in their lives.
Not only did they leave their work. But, they left their families.
James and John were right there with their dad. Then Jesus said: follow me. And they got up, didn’t look back, and followed Jesus.
Peter was married. But, his wife wasn’t with him.
Now, most of the time, Jesus and the disciples were around this region, no more than an days walk from the home. Sometime they ventured farther afield. So, it wasn’t weeks on end without seeing their family.
The point is, when Peter and the gang said: Jesus is the Messiah. They followed him completely.
They also followed him immediately.
As one person wrote:
Matthew 1. Introduction (4:17–25)
When Jesus calls a person to discipleship, there is no excuse for delay or disobedience.
As we are trying to teach our kids, delayed obedience is disobedience.
When Jesus calls, we follow. Because he is the king.
They followed him completely. They followed him immediately. They followed him transformationally.
Their lives would completely change. So much so that they would be called Christians: little Christ’s. They would pick up the language, the actions, the lifestyle, the priorities of their teacher.
Jesus’ life was all about rescuing creation from the curse.
The disciples were called to be fishers of men. Regular fishermen cast their nets to bring fish in order that the fish might be eaten over flames.
Jesus called the disciples to join him in the work, casting their nets to rescue humanity from the flames.
So the disciples were to speak about the kingdom, just as Jesus did, so that people might hear the truth.
They were to live lives of holiness, just as Jesus did, so that people might experience the truth.
They were to suffer, just as Jesus did, so that people might be impacted by the truth.
The disciple imitates the teacher, so much so that their lives completely, radically change.
Now, I have to be clear. The changing of the life does not produce salvation. It is the choice to believe in Jesus, to trust him and his death on the cross completely. But, the choice to believe produces the desire to follow. And if it doesn’t, something is wrong.
Matthew presents three responses to Jesus: Silence, Wonder, Devotion. Which one are you?
Today, we who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ, who have chosen the response of devotion, get to commemorate the amazing gift of salvation through partaking in communion.
