If you are following the Lutheran Hour Lenten devotions, From the Mount of Transfiguration to Mount Calvary, you’ve spent the last few days with these events. Yesterday in our staff devotions we read about this healing of the demon possessed child, and the father’s prayer (which is not recorded in Matthew), “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!”
Jesus continues to be crystal clear on what his mission is. Despite the thrilling experience of bringing back two of the heroes of the Old Testament and displaying his glory, twice he talks about being raised from the dead. Which means that twice his impending death was on his mind.
The Transfiguration was the time of refreshment before he headed to the cross. The glory and the conversation with Moses and Elijah accent who Jesus is, and that, “all the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) testify” regarding Jesus the promised savior. It was the deep breath before the plunge. In fact if you scan the rest of Matthew, until the Resurrection, almost every event and teaching is laced with conflict, and the mood of the book changes here.
It starts even as Jesus comes down from the Mountain. They ask about Elijah, and he answers, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. The Spiritual conflict was there even before he went to be transfigured.
When Jesus gets back to the disciples he finds another conflict. There is a boy who is both epileptic and possessed by a demon. His disciples cannot drive it out. The pain of watching this child suffer and the disappointment in his disciples’ lack of faith twine together. He casts out the demon and continues to teach. And it says that as he taught them about his death and resurrection, they were greatly distressed. Which means that their faith had not yet taken hold of Jesus’ purpose or grabbed that Jesus came to redeem people – them included – from sin.
As he’s dealing with all that Matthew, the tax collector, records that some other tax collectors came to collect the half-shekel tax – a tax that went to support the temple. A shekel was a day’s wages – so half a day’s pay. We do get a little smile here, as Peter goes to Jesus with this “problem” and Jesus is already aware. He sends the fisherman to the beach with a hook and a line. Jesus feels no compulsion to pay the tax, but also knows he has bigger fish to fry (so to speak). The first fish Peter catches has a full shekel in its mouth. Apparently Peter hadn’t paid the tax yet either. So, taxes paid for two, and dinner to boot!
One of the things that I grab in this chapter, is that sometimes we feel beset by problems. Too often those troubles come after moments of rest and peace with our Heavenly Father. It’s because we are engaged in a spiritual conflict, where we join Jesus in bringing salvation to the world. The devil, the world and our sinful nature are set against us, and while we may weary of the fight (I know I do) as long as the struggle is there we know that we are engaged in the work of the kingdom.
How do we overcome in this struggle? By faith in Jesus. How much do we need? It’s small. If with faith the size of a mustard seed, mountains can be cast into the sea we don’t need to be giants of faith to persevere in the world. There is a piece of comfort here. God does not expect us to be superheroes. He knows that our faith will be small sometimes – smaller than a mustard seed. But he will still work through it for our salvation. Remember, God works through ordinary people in this world – people like you and me.
Father, thank you for working through my everyday life. I’m no hero, and sometimes my faith seems small even compared to a tiny mustard seed. Please use the faith I have, and grow my faith in You, Your promises, Jesus’ salvation, Your Word, and the work of Your Spirit. Help me to share your love and please work through that sharing to bring them to faith in you. That’d be greater than moving any mountain! It would be snatching them from Hell and leading them to You in Heaven! I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus continues to be crystal clear on what his mission is. Despite the thrilling experience of bringing back two of the heroes of the Old Testament and displaying his glory, twice he talks about being raised from the dead. Which means that twice his impending death was on his mind.
The Transfiguration was the time of refreshment before he headed to the cross. The glory and the conversation with Moses and Elijah accent who Jesus is, and that, “all the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) testify” regarding Jesus the promised savior. It was the deep breath before the plunge. In fact if you scan the rest of Matthew, until the Resurrection, almost every event and teaching is laced with conflict, and the mood of the book changes here.
It starts even as Jesus comes down from the Mountain. They ask about Elijah, and he answers, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. The Spiritual conflict was there even before he went to be transfigured.
When Jesus gets back to the disciples he finds another conflict. There is a boy who is both epileptic and possessed by a demon. His disciples cannot drive it out. The pain of watching this child suffer and the disappointment in his disciples’ lack of faith twine together. He casts out the demon and continues to teach. And it says that as he taught them about his death and resurrection, they were greatly distressed. Which means that their faith had not yet taken hold of Jesus’ purpose or grabbed that Jesus came to redeem people – them included – from sin.
As he’s dealing with all that Matthew, the tax collector, records that some other tax collectors came to collect the half-shekel tax – a tax that went to support the temple. A shekel was a day’s wages – so half a day’s pay. We do get a little smile here, as Peter goes to Jesus with this “problem” and Jesus is already aware. He sends the fisherman to the beach with a hook and a line. Jesus feels no compulsion to pay the tax, but also knows he has bigger fish to fry (so to speak). The first fish Peter catches has a full shekel in its mouth. Apparently Peter hadn’t paid the tax yet either. So, taxes paid for two, and dinner to boot!
One of the things that I grab in this chapter, is that sometimes we feel beset by problems. Too often those troubles come after moments of rest and peace with our Heavenly Father. It’s because we are engaged in a spiritual conflict, where we join Jesus in bringing salvation to the world. The devil, the world and our sinful nature are set against us, and while we may weary of the fight (I know I do) as long as the struggle is there we know that we are engaged in the work of the kingdom.
How do we overcome in this struggle? By faith in Jesus. How much do we need? It’s small. If with faith the size of a mustard seed, mountains can be cast into the sea we don’t need to be giants of faith to persevere in the world. There is a piece of comfort here. God does not expect us to be superheroes. He knows that our faith will be small sometimes – smaller than a mustard seed. But he will still work through it for our salvation. Remember, God works through ordinary people in this world – people like you and me.
Father, thank you for working through my everyday life. I’m no hero, and sometimes my faith seems small even compared to a tiny mustard seed. Please use the faith I have, and grow my faith in You, Your promises, Jesus’ salvation, Your Word, and the work of Your Spirit. Help me to share your love and please work through that sharing to bring them to faith in you. That’d be greater than moving any mountain! It would be snatching them from Hell and leading them to You in Heaven! I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
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