How many time have you been in a situation where you weren’t sure how it was going to turn out? There was this one morning when I lived in Moruya & I was out bike riding a little before dawn, it was a misty morning, the middle of winter. I was riding along a section of the road where there was a narrow point and a small weir crossing which rose up to short hill, on a slight bend. I got up out of my saddle to cross the weir and climb the small hill fast
When all of a sudden there’s this car on my side of the road coming towards me. It’s headlights in my eyes. Thankfully he saw me, swung his car back across to his side of the road and missed me by centimeters. One thing I learnt about myself was I’m not going out quietly. I remember yelling at the top of my lungs when that car was coming towards me. Why the car was on my side of the road was because he was swerving to miss a kangaroo carcass that was in his lane. Our health can change in a heartbeat. There was no way I could stop or change what was going to happen next with what that car did. I was reminded that I had to thank God for each new day, and how even going out on a simple bike ride exercising that just how quickly life changes.
Imagine with me if we had the power to change how things work out. If you could control the elements, or the path of an oncoming car, or control the weather, or have power over disease or illness or disability. What would your response be if you could with a word or a touch cure someone from their illness or ailment? I think we would draw a crowd for starters. This is where we find ourselves in Matthew’s gospel this morning, with Jesus even the wind and the waves obey him. The thing is, Jesus isn’t interested in drawing a crowd, as he is even less interested in having a group that follows him to watch his every move. What Jesus is interested in is having followers who have a desire for God to transform their hearts, change their lives, radically realign their hopes and dreams and desires for life. As we read in verses 18-20
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Jesus is approached by someone who boasts he will go wherever Jesus goes. A teacher of the law no less does the talking. He was a bible expert who was held high in society. The question is how do we make sense then of Jesus’ negative reply
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
I think Jesus is addressing as he always does. The heart of what’s going on; just as following Jesus is about discipleship and it is a lesson in humility. So how much are we willing to grow more and more like Jesus; or how willing are we to let Jesus will be done in and through our lives, to seek to live for his kingdom. Our problem here is how easily we like the esteem of others, just like what this teacher of the law was possibly really saying to Jesus. As Jesus takes this teacher of the law to task, he refers to himself as the son of man. If the teacher of the law thought of himself as someone of note, Jesus reminds him who he stands in the presence of, and then he tackles the obvious cost of discipleship. Jesus speaks about discipleship and poverty, as Jesus puts it he has nowhere to lay his head. This teacher of the law might have said “I will follow you where ever you go” all he can talk about is what he will do. He might have been making a comment on those who he’d seen Jesus bring alongside him so far with: fishermen, lepers, soldiers, middle aged women
he saw himself as the man bringing religious respectability to the group. Jesus’ reply is you don’t know who you are talking to you certainly don’t know what you’re talking about. See how Jesus speaks to this teacher of the law.
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Jesus had no faith in this man’s faith. The teacher of the law was full of self love not self denial. Jesus pushes back come and follow him will be to live without a home, esteem or possibly even life, as next comes a potential disciple who is also rebuked by Jesus. This one we have do a bit of digging, verses 21-22
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
In Jesus’ day the person who had died was buried on the same day, except I think there’s something else going on here. This is something that’s actually more about the culture of the time, with what Jesus is knocking on the head, and what are the conditions of those who can follow him as a disciple. Let me explain this as best I can. If this man’s father had died then this son could hardly be out at the roadside with Jesus we would expect him to be at home with the family in grief and mourning getting the funeral plot ready
Instead when he asks Jesus “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Was a saying of the time, a figure of speech for fulfilling his responsibilities for the lifetime of his father. A kind of indefinite postponement of discipleship. Let me put it this way “I’ll follow you soon Jesus. However, I first have an obligation as a son to help my father in the family business, and if I don’t, when he dies (whenever that is) I might not get the inheritance. So Jesus I can’t afford to follow you right now. But I will in time.[1] Jesus runs right for this mans heart, and tells him to put God’s kingdom first. Notice the idols you have made, as again for Jesus it is decision time. The question he asks is what will you choose his kingdom, his way, his life,or to run at life our way? The question Jesus asks is what kind of faith are we expecting we’re going to have following him? Just like with what happens next, verses 23-26
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Jesus and the disciples need to get to the other side of the lake. They all take the quickest form of transportation, by boat. A boat that included hardened fisherman, who knew these waters, and who had fished through storms. We are told the storm that hits this boat is so furious that they all fear for their lives, with water sweeping over the sides of the boat, and notice where Jesus is he’s asleep, so they wake him fear in their eyes. It is easy to see our lives at time being lived like practical atheists; what I mean is we meet the disconnect between what we say we believe and how we live. Struggling with worshiping ourselves, our own will and opinions, and seeing” God as remote, or irrelevant, or distorted in view. This is the trouble that starts when we start thinking about God by instinct, rather than by faith. Instinct tells us shouldn’t God give us all we ask, meet our needs, solve our problems, when he doesn’t isn’t he just capricious and uncaring. We say it’s tough to figure out what he’s up to?
We say it’s hard to know what he wants? What can I count on him for? Is it possible he might disappoint me? Might he even betray my trust? Is he “the man upstairs” to whom I pay my respects and dues? Here we get told instead
salvation is warm and bright because God planned it. He had your name in mind in Christ, and he holds us in His hand, bringing about His purposes. As we choose at every point.[2] We are called on to remember God’s patience and love for you as at every point Jesus is dealing with our hearts, desiring us to put our faith in him. As CS Lewis once said in being disciples of Jesus we are to Teach others about joy - the “serious business of heaven”
All Jesus has to say is Peace be still , and the waves stop washing over the sides
the rain ceases to fall from the sky, all is calm, all is quiet as Jesus then rebukes them. It’s like he asks saven’t they been watching what he has been doing all the way along: Healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding multitudes, and bringing those who are shamed, mocked, dispossessed into fellowship. Jesus forgives us our sins and brings life and healing. This same Jesus who was sleeping in their boat and would he not keep them from harm here? Amazed the disciples reply “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Let’s pray…
David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 21/1/18
[1] Quote and ideas for this talk taken from O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. Matthew. Preachiing the word series. Wheaton, Illinois. Crossway, 2013. p215-216.
[2] David Powlinson “Who is God?” The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume 18 17 • Number 2 • Winter 1999. p. 17-18