15/5 2022 8:18-27 The cost of discipleship - Jesus the lord of Nature.

15/5 2022 8:18-27 The cost of discipleship - Jesus the lord of Nature.

Last week Matthew ended by stating that Jesus for filled Isaiah 53, that Jesus is Christ. The messiah, that all should wake up at see and follow him. That Jesus is lord of the physical and spiritual, he can heal the body and he can cast out demons with a word. And we are seeing how Jesus is living out the teaching he gave in the sermon on the mount. PPTMatthew 8 17-27

A crowd was forming again and Jesus gave orders (what can Jesus’ order people around? In our antiauthoritarian progressive liberal culture setting: most people buck and rebel against authority, because it is oppressing, it is hindering my free will to express myself and do whatever I what. (It frustrates me, when people are so against something that they read in to the scripture, no one can order me to do anything, well yes, they can even in this world you can be ordered to do many things by police, government, evil people, and if you don’t comply you go to jail or get fined, I can park right here, no you can’t and if you do your car gets towed). Understanding life this way is new, individualism and ego individualism, that I know better that everyone ells, and everyone should just do what they like, do what is right in their own eyes… not good. And people wonder why there is so much suffering in the world, - this is prof of sin and the fall, that we don’t want to submit to God or anyone ells. But we all need to summit to someone or something. The best would be to submit to Jesus now, - because we will all be on our knees when he comes back.) Jesus gave ordersto sail to the other side of the sea of Galilee, Jesus is trying to get away from the crowds. It is understandable Jesus had been up the evening before ministering and healing and casting out demons. He is tried as will see later in the text.

Before they leave, pretend followers… Jesus had a crowd, some wanted to be a part… but they did not really want to pay the prize.

But then the crowed is trying to follow Jesus, first a scribe come up to Jesus, and say: Teacher (Not LORD? Like the leprous man or the centurion) I will follow you wherever you go. That is the words on his lips, but the way Jesus responds and the none answer form the man, after Jesus said that the son of man does not have a place to lay his head. Well, it seems like the man is not really wanting to submit to Jesus and follow him when Jesus’ dose not tell him the plan. And the scribe is kind of inviting him self to be a disciple but Jesus will choose his disciples himself. This mand did not seem to be willing to follow, even if he said he was. Did Jesus title for himself also turn away the man… suffering, hardship, a bumpy road ahead. (Is Jesus loving the people in pointing out their idols – that their hearts were not ready or willing to follow).

The son of man….This is what Jesus called himself. 20 some, times in Matthew, Jesus does not like Matthew call himself messiah the Christ. What does the son of man mean, well in scripture different things at diffident times, it can mean human, a man. 93 times used in Ezekiel to refer to the prophet’s humanity. Daniel 7 coming in the clouds. PPTquote, - suffering and glory. (Why not messiah? – Wrong expiation, - people still had to believe, Jesus still had his mission to complete, - it was not impossible for people to understand what Jesus meant if the knew the Old testament that he would suffer and then be glorified).

Another man called a disciple, comes to Jesus with an excuse, Lord let me go bury my father, - Jesus seems to be in his unsensitive corner and said “come follow me, and lave the dead, to bury their own dead”. It rings hard I our ears today, why would Jesus say that? But it seems Jesus is consistent in his views, and teaching. That the main focus needs to be the main focus. Like the man before, this I probably more of an excuse of why this man does not really want to follow Jesus at the moment, but it could be that he would like to do it later. What about us? Is that the same? I grew up in church but I felt like I had to live life before I would live for or submit to God, I mean become a pro athlete or something, or do this or that. Is that your story? I will come follow Jesus after… or if or when or then… but not at the moment… That is a big difference form the disciples that Jesus has called they left everything and followed, they did not even ask questions. What about you do you have more questions that obedience?

Most of even the disciples are still trying to find out who Jesus is as we see in the next part of the story, the crossing of the sea, lake.

Jesus is triedhe is sleeping in the boat. Jesus knows what it means to be tired, so he can relate to us, when we are tired. Jesus was also amazed last week. Jesus is so tired and rest so well in faith that he does not wake up as the storm comes on the lake and waves are covering the boat. It that how you sleep? Or does worry and anxiety keep you awake at night? Or do you sleep sound in the father’s hands? Sleeping is showing trust in God, that God will keep us in the night. It might be one of the reasons that we have to sleep, we are reminded about our need for God, tiredness reminds us we are not God, and it is a call to give all our worry and trouble to God, so we can rest in Jesus through the night.

The disciples are not calm, they are and the verge of panic, waking up Jesus, Lord save us, we are dying here…

Jesus respond, why are you afraid? -Why are you afraid?

Will my father let you and me die here on this boat? We have only just stated our journey, you have seen me heal people and cast out demons, but you are afraid we will die in this boat. Nope. We will not, Jesus gets up, rebuked the winds and the sea and it obeys and there is only calm…

The water and the wind, herring Jesus’ voice the voice from creation, they obey their Lord… Jesus shows he is Lord over creation. Wind sea, this makes the disciples marvel, they still don’t know who Jesus is, they are trying to understand by can’t quit get their minds to understand. Because what sort of man is this that even winds and sea obey him. Sea was in the old testament a symbol of chaos. Jesus rebukes chaos and brings order.

What about you? Who is Jesus? The one that had compassion on that leper, and the suffering servant of the centurion, Peter’s mother in-law, and all the people coming to him in the evening. But also called out people to obey fully and if the said they would follow the Jesus asks for full obedience, not excuses, and for a great trust in God and him. And Jesus challenge them, why are you afraid I am here, why is your faith so small? Lord of sea and wind, physical and spiritual. What is your response to Jesus?

Matthew is clear he is the Christ the messiah, the one that would bless all the nations. The invitation is there for all to come follow Jesus, knowing the cost, it is free, but you give up everything to have Jesus, die to self and follow the Lord Jesus. A new creation in Christ.

We even have an advantage we know the rest of the story, that Jesus did suffer, before he was glorified, Jesus lived perfect life on sin, as we see Matthew describe, he died gave up his life that we might live and have our sins forgiven, and new life in Jesus, Jesus rose, to bring us to God via his righteousness, he ascended to the father after sending his disciples out to share the good news after the received the Holy Spirt. Matthew is calling on people to believe in who Jesus is? Do you, and what is Jesus calling you to?

I don’t what to give up my life, okay what will you gain? Rejection of Jesus leads to death, as Jesus has decried, in life and death, to a place without any of Gods goodness,

But life with Jesus is hard, yes it is and can be, but we are with the Lord of life, physical, spiritual, you were crated to worship God, if we don’t we will worship something ells, and it will not lead to life.