Presence/prayer Matt 9
Two things come to me as I read the chapter.
1) The question is asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus responds it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. Then he says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners." Jesus had a mission to give hope to people without hope, to reconcile them back to God. This mission consumed his life. It influenced who he hung out with, who his friends were, etc. When Jesus was here on earth, his physical presence was not with the religious, but the hurting/sinners. When Jesus left, he told his disciples to go, to find like people, and reconcile them back to God. To be His presence in the world.
2) I think the progression here is great. At the end of the chapter Jesus tells his disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field (the harvest, and fields, of course are symbolic of people who need to hear the good news of the Kingdom.) Right after that we are told that Jesus sent out the 12 disciples. Almost like the disciples got suckerd. Here, pray, and then I am going to have you be the answer to the prayer. It makes me smile as it seems as though that is often how God likes to work.
1) The question is asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus responds it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. Then he says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners." Jesus had a mission to give hope to people without hope, to reconcile them back to God. This mission consumed his life. It influenced who he hung out with, who his friends were, etc. When Jesus was here on earth, his physical presence was not with the religious, but the hurting/sinners. When Jesus left, he told his disciples to go, to find like people, and reconcile them back to God. To be His presence in the world.
2) I think the progression here is great. At the end of the chapter Jesus tells his disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field (the harvest, and fields, of course are symbolic of people who need to hear the good news of the Kingdom.) Right after that we are told that Jesus sent out the 12 disciples. Almost like the disciples got suckerd. Here, pray, and then I am going to have you be the answer to the prayer. It makes me smile as it seems as though that is often how God likes to work.
posted by Jon Knapp at
7:07 AM
3 Comments:
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Hey Jon, great observations. I was reading that passage and noticed that every time 'sinners' is used. Matthew put it in quotes. Why does he say, "Tax collecters and 'sinners' "?
Maybe because "sinners" is the label that the religous gave to a specific group of people . . . The author is speaking their language, yet at the same time bring out the point that that is not how Jesus would label them, (or looks at them). That is just a thought off the top of my head. There aren't quotes in greek I don't think, but it could be implied.
Anyway, good obersvation with I think deep implications for us.
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