Cultivation of the King's Disciples -The Instruction in View of Rejection

Mt 17:14-20:34 Bible Reading Mt 18:1-10

Scene 1. Western Christianity isn’t, very Christian!

According to a recent Barna survey, one quarter of Americans say they can't remember any positive contributions Christians have made to the country in recent years. (Source: Christian Post, Oct. 25, 2010)

I wonder if it is any different in Australia?

David Platt has become one of the best-known young preachers among evangelicals in North America.

Platt is senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama and is former dean of the chapel at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, where he also taught preaching and apologetics.

In an interview around 15 years ago about his book Radicals he said this.

I came to Brook Hills as the pastor about four years ago, and God had been working on various part of my heart regarding some of the truths I've tried to express in the book.

As I came to Brook Hills they really took on a whole new level, because I found myself in a church culture where a lot of the standards of success seemed a lot more worldly and American than biblical and Christian.

We'd embraced some ideas and values that were common in our culture but ultimately antithetical to the gospel.

As we began as a faith family to walk through the gospel and consider its effects on the way we live—particularly in a suburban context in the southern part of the United States—we began to see a lot of our faith looked more American than biblical.

In some ways, we were twisting Jesus to look like us instead of adjusting our lives to look more like Him.

..........  We see it in some of the ways we do church, the way we structure church, the way we organize ourselves in church; the deeper issue is exactly that—it's the gospel.

Who is the Christ we believe in?

What does He require, demand of our lives, by His grace and in His mercy?

What does it really mean to follow after Him in a context where we are incredibly wealthy compared to the rest of the world, where we have so many resources, where we are tempted at every turn to trust in our own power, innovative skills and creativity as opposed to trusting in the power of God in a world where there's more than a billion people who haven't heard the gospel and don't have access to the gospel?

Our Christianity really does need to look radically different for the sake of sharing the gospel with the world.

Preaching for Radical Discipleship: An Interview with David Platt By Michael Duduit, Preaching Magazine, Executive Editor (circa 2011??)

Scene 2. When Jesus was getting ready to go up to Jerusalem for the last time; he gave lot’s of instruction about the counter cultural nature of the kingdom.

It was a long journey, it took a while and there was lots to talk about.

The journey started at the foot of Mount Hermon.

And we read about this in Matthew 17: 14 - 20

A large crowd was waiting for Jesus.

And there was a man whose son was afflicted by a demon.

The disciples couldn’t heal the boy so Jesus did and then the disciples came to Jesus in private, I guess they were a bit embarrassed after all they had just failed in public to heal the boy, they were wondered why they couldn’t do it.

Jesus tells them they don’t have enough faith, that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed they could move mountains.

It seems that in Jesus’ kingdom things happen by faith.

Now I reckon the disciples had time to think about this.

Because next in verse 22 we read that they gathered again in Galilee.

And Jesus tells them something else they don’t want to hear.

That he will be killed.

Verse 23 tells us good news, he will be raised from the dead, but the disciples obviously don’t get that part as they are filled with grief.

They must have had some time to think about that as well because next they arrive in Capernaum.

Now a whole heap happens in this region.

Peter learns that you can pay your taxes by going fishing.

Have a look at chapter 17 verses 24 to 27.

Jesus hasn’t paid the tax of 2 days wages that all Jewish males pay to keep the temple, so the tax collectors are asking that he does.

Peter assuming the best of Jesus assures the tax collectors that he does pay the tax.

Jesus tells him that as the owner of the temple he doesn’t have to pay for it, nor evidently do the disciples.

But just so that no one takes offence, Peter go fishing and pay them.

It seems that in Jesus’ kingdom there is freedom.

Now I reckon the disciples were a bit competitive.

They always seemed to be trying to outdo one another, or get a higher position.

Typical for their ages, probably they were in their 20s.

Because about this time chapter 18 verses 1 to 10 they ask Jesus who will be the greatest in the Kingdom.

Jesus tells them that greatness is about humility, not seeing yourself as a big shot.

And he goes onto tell them that anything that causes them to think of themselves as the star needs to be gotten rid of.

And that they better watch out because if they cause a little child to fall into sin they will be in really big trouble.

And that the Father is so concerned for the least that he will go actively seeking after those who are lost.

It seems that in Jesus’ kingdom there needs to be genuine humility and concern for the least, especially children.

It’s interesting that a short time later in chapter 19 verse 13 the disciples had already forgotten this.

I think Jesus knew about the competition between the disciples and that it was going to cause some bad feelings and that a few of them would need some help to accept correction from their brothers.

So he tells them how they should go about correcting each other in 18:15-20.

It seems that in Jesus’ Kingdom there needs to be a willingness to be corrected and set back on the right path.

Now Peter was always the first to open his mouth.

And usually it got him into trouble.

But I have a sneaking suspicion that this time round he got the short straw and the job of asking the question.

Probably because the disciples had been doing the very thing that Jesus had just spoken about.

Debating who was going to have the highest position in the Messiah’s kingdom which they all thought Jesus was going to bring in and make them rulers in.

So Peter in 18:221 asks how many times he is supposed to forgive someone.

Now Peter is being generous.

Three times was the expected amount from the writings of the prophet Amos.

Perhaps Peter was expecting Jesus to give that standard answer so he thought he would more than double it.

Jesus response of telling the parable of the King who forgave an unforgiveable debt, in comparison to a servant who did not forgive as he was forgiven basically means that in Jesus’ Kingdom there needs to be forgiveness without measure.

Jesus then moves on from Galilee and goes to the region of Judea, east of the Jordan river, chapter 19.

Now rather than the disciples ask all the questions, the disciples get to listen to Jesus answer other peoples questions.

Some Pharisees turn up wanting to trap Jesus.

They ask about divorce, thinking that Jesus will give an answer contrary to the law.

The disciples knowing the difficulty of the situation are watching on intently.

The answer they hear causes them great concern.

It seems that Jesus’ kingdom, like marriage requires total commitment.

The sort of commitment where you don’t look back.

A few days later the disciples then hear that the kingdom will cost them everything.

A rich young ruler in 19:16 has been obedient to all the commandments.

He has measured up to the expectation.

But he knows something is still missing.

And Jesus tells him that in his kingdom total sacrifice is required.

The disciples and Peter as their spokesman are really shocked at this.

They have given everything to follow Jesus.

Is there going to be nothing in return?

And Jesus tells them that in this life they may have to give absolutely everything, even their lives.

For in Jesus’ kingdom total commitment is the path to great reward.

Jesus goes onto tell the disciples that his Father is generous, whoever gets in gets everything.

It is not about how long you work for the Maser that counts, what counts is that the Master is equally generous to all.

Peter and the other disciples must have found this so hard to take in.

As far as they could see everything had been given to follow Jesus and yet he was asking for all they were.

It was just so hard for them to take all of this in.

And then again in verse 17 Jesus talks again about dying.

It just didn’t fit their picture of the Messiah they were expecting.

James and John’s mother certainly didn’t get it.

For she came and asked Jesus in verse 20 to give her sons the positions of honour in Jesus’ Kingdom.

And in so doing we see the competition for the top positions revealed in verse 24.

But once again the disciples hear, but don’t fully comprehend that Jesus’ kingdom is different.

It seems that in Jesus’ kingdom that those who rule will first serve.

Even now the disciples didn’t get it and they were only days away from Jerusalem.

Perhaps the excitement of what they were expecting blinded them to what Jesus was actually saying.

After all there was generations of social conditioning that the Messiah would come and set the people free from Roman occupation.

But it seems that two men did get it.

As Jesus travelled through the region of Jericho.

Two blind men called out.

They knew who Jesus was.

They wouldn’t be silenced.

They asked for and received healing. 

And they followed Jesus

Scene 3. The question for us is; what sort of kingdom do we represent?

Has our centuries of cultural conditioning caused us to believe in a kingdom that is different from the one Jesus called us to.

Do we understand and truly believe that everything in Jesus’ kingdom comes about by faith?

Or do we achieve things by our own efforts, thinking we don’t need God?

Do we give freedom or bind people up in rules?

Do we see ourselves in God’s eyes as a little child in need of his attention, or do we think we have it worked out?

Do we rejoice when the lost are found, or do we resent the effort it takes or blame the lost person for not waking up to themselves sooner?

Do we accept correction with humility and do we offer it with love, or self righteousness?

Do we forgive 70 times 7 or are we like the wicked servant who expects God’s forgiveness but refuses to offer it to others?

Do we live our relationships in accordance with God’s commands, with total commitment or do we let bitterness divide us?

Are we willing to give all, or just what suits us?

Are we generous with what we have, or do we keep it to ourselves?

Are we truly servants, or do we like our place in the pecking order?

Are we willing to go out of our way, to bring healing to the destitute and unlovely?

Conclusion

Whenever and wherever the gospel is truly lived, it must bring change in behavior, etiquette and character; it must bring change in health, in the environment, in education and the economy; it must bring progress and development to people and take the lead in community life and conduct for peace and justice." -- Benjamin Kwashi, Nigerian archbishop at the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa (via www.mreport.org)