(Just sharing whats personally resonating...)
"...the high estimation of this work remains. The reason for that becomes clear
upon study of the way in which Matthew presents his story of Jesus,
the demands of Christian discipleship,
and the breaking-in of the new and final age
through the ministry but particularly through the death and resurrection of Jesus."
(Yeah...believers, followers and disciples all kinda lil bit different demands...)
"The announcement of the birth of this newborn king of the Jews greatly troubles not only King Herod but all Jerusalem (Mt 2:1–3), yet the Gentile magi are overjoyed to find him and offer him their homage and their gifts (Mt 2:10–11). Thus his ultimate rejection by the mass of his own people and his acceptance by the Gentile nations is foreshadowed.'
(Interesting...I wonder if that might just repeat to remind some people of some things??)
"The central message of Jesus’ preaching is the coming of the kingdom of heaven and the need for repentance, a complete change of heart and conduct, on the part of those who are to receive this great gift of God (Mt 4:17)."
(Sounds familiar...lil bit)
"No other evangelist gives the teaching of Jesus with such elegance and order as he."
"...even at this early stage of the ministry the note of opposition is struck between Jesus and the Pharisees, who are designated as “the hypocrites” (Mt 6:2, 5, 16)."
"Though Jesus speaks harshly about the Pharisees in the Sermon, his judgment is not solely a condemnation of them. The Pharisees are portrayed as a negative example for his disciples, and his condemnation of those who claim to belong to him while disobeying his word is no less severe (Mt 7:21–23, 26–27)."
(Some people might wanna take note of that word:
SEVERE.)
"The nature of the community that Jesus will establish is shown; it will always be under the protection of him whose power can deal with all dangers (Mt 8:23–27), but it is only for those who are prepared to follow him at whatever cost (Mt 8:16–22), not only believing Israelites but Gentiles who have come to faith in him (Mt 8:10–12)."
"The rejection of Jesus comes, as before, from Pharisees, who take “counsel against him to put him to death” (Mt 12:14) and repeat their earlier accusation that he drives out demons because he is in league with demonic power (Mt 12:22–24)."
(I've been accused of being a sorcerer...few years back...From a pulpit on a Sunday AM no less...I said right then Satan is trying to discredit something that hadn't even started yet...Sure looks like it now doesn't it? Why would Satan do that? Try and discredit something before it ever starts? Think he might know a lil something bout whats up? I sure think he does, in fact I know he does...)
"...on the whole the story is one of opposition to his word and blindness to the meaning of his deeds. The whole section ends with his declaring that not even the most intimate blood relationship with him counts for anything; his only true relatives are those who do the will of his heavenly Father (Mt 12:48–50)."
(Do I really even need to say anything?)
"...lest the impression be given that the church of Jesus is made up only of true disciples, the explanation of the parable of the weeds among the wheat (Mt 13:37–43), as well as the parable of the net thrown into the sea “which collects fish of every kind” (Mt 13:47–49), shows that it is composed of both the righteous and the wicked, and that separation between the two will be made only at the time of the final judgment."
(We don't just need to trim the shrubs back and get rid of the dead, we need a complete re-landscaping. Period. Holding on to what ya already got and doing the same old, same old got the Church in it's current condition to start with.)
"Jesus is shown preparing for the establishment of his church with its teaching authority that will supplant the blind guidance of the Pharisees (Mt 15:13–14), whose teaching, curiously said to be that of the Sadducees also, is repudiated by Jesus as the norm for his disciples (Mt 16:6, 11–12).'
(They are his sheep alright. They're not overly bright animals. in fact they are kinda dumb, and they follow the leader, and they are frail, and get hurt easy and sick often, they have nothing for natural defense, nothing, and, and, and...I know somebody thats had some...Ther're a pain in the butt to put it mildly. So yeah "blind guidnace" rings a bell.
"They will seek out answers on their own
they will not be content to be spoon fed what to believe.")
"Both he and the other disciples must know not only that Jesus will have to suffer and die but that they too will have to follow him on the way of the cross if they are truly to be his disciples (Mt 16:24–25)."
(I knew I/we were going to die for what I was going to do before I even said "yes" (send me :-) and I'm doing it anyway. It ought to tell you something.)
"...in the few days of his Jerusalem ministry he engages in a series of controversies with the Jewish religious leaders (Mt 21:23–27; 22:15–22, 23–33, 34–40, 41–46), meanwhile speaking parables against them (Mt 21:28–32, 33–46), against all those Israelites who have rejected God’s invitation to the messianic banquet (Mt 22:1–10), and against all, Jew and Gentile, who have accepted but have shown themselves unworthy of it (Mt 22:11–14)."
("...and against all...who have accepted but have shown themselves unworthy of it. Goes back to needing a new landscape...Yup.)
"In Matthew “righteousness” means both the faithful response to the will of God demanded of all to whom that will is announced and also the saving activity of God for his people (see Mt 3:15; 5:6; 6:33)."
("...the faithful response to the will of God demanded of all to whom that will is announced..." You got a better explanation for mine and Honeys lives the last few years? Come share it with me...Plz...Love to hear it...just remember: "when presented with competing hypotheses about the same prediction, one should prefer the one that requires fewest assumptions".)
'In Jesus’ absolute faithfulness to the Father’s will that he drink the cup of suffering (Mt 26:39), the incomparable model for Christian obedience is given..."
(Needs no explanation, it really doesn't. God and suffering is about a two hour conversation if anybody's up for it. I got a table and a chair for ya. That one I assure you is all good to go, I'll just put it that away.)
"...the obedient Son who goes his destined way in fulfillment of the scriptures (Mt 26:52–54), confident of his ultimate vindication by God, and the depths of fear and abandonment that he feels in face of death (Mt 26:38–39; 27:46). These two aspects are expressed by an Old Testament theme that occurs often in the narrative, i.e.,
the portrait of
the suffering Righteous One
who complains to God
in his misery,
but is certain
of eventual deliverance
from his terrible ordeal."
That ought to ring a bell if you been following along.
Small Christ.
If he meant children he would have said children.
He didn't.
Amen!
And that was just what resonated personally,
let alone all the other good information in that Intro.
:-).
1 down three more to go...
I'm gonna include John BTW.
I dont know that I'll get them done today but the other three are coming up soon...
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