Matthew part 14

See, I am doing something new

No Time for Mourning | Matthew 9:14-17

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew has already shown us the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees, but now we get a glimpse at John the Baptist’s disciples. John’s disciples were just as passionate about the coming Messiah, but they still had an old covenant view concerning religion. Just as the Pharisees and scribes were upset Jesus didn’t seem to follow the old ways like they believed he should, John’s disciples ask why Jesus’ disciples are not fasting as they should.

Jesus’ response reminds them the whole point of fasting is to draw closer to God. But there is no need to fast, because God has drawn closer to them! Jesus is right there! It is not a time to fast but a time to celebrate. The Lord has come!

Religious rituals are for drawing closer to God.

This point may seem a little too obvious, but how often do we find ourselves in the same boat as John’s disciples? We continue to do the same rituals, because “that is what we are supposed to do,” and yet we forget that if these rituals are not drawing us closer to God, we are wasting our time.

One class I had to take in seminary focused on spiritual disciplines. In one session, we discussed the merits and problems of having a set, systematic approach to Bible study and prayer. On the one hand, being rigorous in our spiritual disciplines can help deter laziness. Whether or not I ‘feel’ like bible reading and prayer, I must continue because it is part of growing as a Christian. On the other hand, if I am reading and praying merely out of habit or to check off a to-do item, I may miss what God has for me. Likewise, a more libertine approach to study can lead to irregular study habits which can allow worldly distractions take precedent in our lives. But then, if we are not bound to a particular regiment, we can free our mind to focus on what God’s Spirit is telling us that day.

This back and forth discussion eventually ended with an understanding the most important aspect about study is not necessarily how it is done, but that it is done and that study moves us closer to God. No matter how, when, where, or how often we study and pray, if we are not communicating with the Lord Almighty, we are not really engaging in spiritual growth.

Now, this little tangent actually leads us to Jesus’ next point in this passage. John’s disciples, as well as the scribes and Pharisees, were bound to the old covenant. Jesus was letting them know God was up to something new. The two illustrations, new cloth and new wine, point us to the fact that Jesus is inaugurating a new covenant with all of humanity. This new covenant cannot be tied to the old, because both would suffer ruin. In fact, the unfolding story of Christianity in Acts and the Early Church actually demonstrates what happened to those who could not operate outside the boundaries of the old ways—but that is another sermon.

No, Jesus was inaugurating a new covenant that would build a new Church, and so he could not use the old guard. That does not mean the Jews had no hope of entering the new covenant, it just means that those who could not disconnect from the old ways (such as the Pharisees and scribes) would find themselves left behind.

It is healthy to periodically evaluate our rituals to determine if they are fulfilling their purpose.

The illustration of the patch is fairly easy to understand in our day. Fabrics, especially natural fibers, have a tendency to shrink after washing. That’s why a large 100% cotton t-shirt may feel like a medium after a couple of washings. The illustration of the wineskin is fairly similar, but unless you happen to make wine and wine bottles using animal skins, its meaning may not be apparent.

In the wine making process, the juice has to ferment which releases a gas. After the winemaker pressed the grapes and strained the juice, he would bottle the liquid in animal skin bottles. Keep in mind, glass was not readily available in the first century. And a winemaker would certainly not put unfinished wine into glass because as the liquid fermented giving off that gas, the pressure would build until the glass broke. Animal skins, on the other hand, could stretch as the wine fermented. New skins could stretch well enough, but if the maker filled an old skin, the skin would stretch beyond its limit.

Now, some have taken these illustrations to some extremes that I would disagree with. I don’t believe Jesus is denouncing all things old. What he is saying, though, is that once a thing has served its purpose, it would be destructive to both new and old to push it beyond its limits. Whenever a Christian or a church is evaluating their rituals and programs, we must always ask, “Does this thing draw people to God,” and “Does it align with what God is currently doing?” Again, the purpose of any ritual is to draw closer to God. If it does not fulfill that purpose, then it is time to re-evaluate the ritual.

Let’s consider the situation once again. John’s disciples were fasting in order to draw closer to God, and yet, Jesus, God Incarnate, was right in front of their eyes. They were fasting for the sake of fasting. Jesus offered them a course correction, and from what we know about John’s disciples, they probably accepted this correction.

Finding Life in Jesus | Matthew 9:18-26

While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

Matthew 9:18-26

Matthew picks up with his series of miracles which, as you may recall from previous weeks, points us to the reality of Jesus being the Messiah. But let’s consider these miracles in light of what Matthew has been showing us in regards to the Pharisees, scribes, and John’s disciples.

Before we look at the father and his daughter, let’s focus on the woman with a blood disorder. Under the Law, this woman has actually committed a very serious crime. First, the particular ailment she has would make her ceremonially unclean. Leviticus 15 covers this point. As someone who is unclean, she is supposed to be keeping away from the crowds, especially any holy men that may be about. Anyone that comes into contact with her would be just as unclean. Going around making everyone else ceremonially unclean was grounds for arrest at a minimum.

But she recognizes God is doing something new. She knows that if she can just reach his garment, that would be enough to heal her. Keep in mind, that is not how things work under the old covenant. But Jesus has come! That is how it works now.

She is willing to buck tradition and law because her faith is not in the system or the Law, it is in God. Her faith is in knowing Jesus has the power to heal. That faith supersedes the status quo.

If we compare this woman’s faith to the illustrations of garments and wine, we can see a ecclesiology principle emerge. While we certainly should not cling to old traditions well after God is done with them, we also cannot dismiss tradition and ritual just for the sake of something new. The focus is not on whether something is new or old. The focus is on what Jesus is doing. She has made a wise decision because she is following Jesus regardless what the status quo would tell her.

Life and healing is found in following Jesus, not in fruitless debates about new and old.

Whereas we have to infer a bit to see this principle at work in the woman’s faith, Matthew makes it clear in the narrative of the girl. This ruler’s daughter has died. She is very much deceased because mourners have arrived to lament her passing. Part of mourning in this day was for criers, musicians, and others to arrive at the home of the deceased and publicly (and loudly) lament the passing. This process would certainly take some time, so the girl has to have died a fair amount of time before Jesus arrives. So, when he says, “She’s only sleeping,” the crowd understandably thinks Jesus is being ridiculous.

Consider the situation the ruler finds himself in. His daughter has died. He knows it. The crowd knows it. The family knows it. Preparations are already underway for mourning and burying her. He goes to Jesus because he knows Jesus has the power to raise her. Then, as Jesus enters the home, he declares, “Oh, she’s just asleep.” Now, he could have told Jesus, “Hey, maybe you aren’t the guy because that was a foolish thing to say.” Instead, he tells the crowd to leave. He’s not going with the crowd, He’s going to follow Jesus.

When we want to follow Jesus, sometimes we have to tell the crowd to go away.

There’s no hope in the crowd. There’s no power in the crowd. There isn’t new life in the crowd. We can only find those things in Jesus.

The Blind and the Willingly Blind | Matthew 9:27-31

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 9:27-38

The miracle of the blind men and the miracle of the demon-oppressed mute both directly point to Jesus as the Messiah. Unlike other miracles, however, these two were most closely tied to the identity of the Messiah. The Old Testament does not have a single instance of a blind person miraculously receiving sight. In fact, the Hebrew tradition held that only the Messiah would be able to perform such a miracle. In Isaiah 35, Isaiah recounts a prophecy from the Lord concerning the coming Day of the Lord. Among other things, he writes,

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

Isaiah 35:5-6

Now, we may wonder why Jesus would not want his identity shared freely by the blind men. It may have to do with how large the crowds began to form. Mark notes that many times Jesus was unable to walk freely into towns and minister because of the crowds. Jesus obviously knew word would get around, but he probably hoped to mitigate it as much as possible in order to be able to heal and teach as he was supposed to.

But despite all that was happening, the healings, the miracles, the blind receiving sight, and all the prophecies being fulfilled, notice how Matthew reminds us once again of the Pharisees who refused to believe. They said it must be the power of the prince of demons casting out the evil spirits.

It is truly astounding how those who refuse to believe can find every excuse to dismiss the evidence in front of their eyes. The reaction of the Pharisees remind us a timeless truth:

There is never enough evidence for a person who refuses to believe.

There is not much we can do for the Pharisees and skeptics around us. We can show mercy, pray, and offer evidence for faith, but in the end their lack of belief is between them and God. We can only do our part in telling the Good News.

And this leads us to the last bit in Matthew 9. As word spread about Jesus, the crowds began to grow. The needs seemed to multiply. The amount of people who were oppressed by the political powers, harassed by demonic forces, afflicted by disease and poverty, and all those who were simply lost in this world seemed to grow with every city Jesus and the disciples visited.

Sometimes in ministry it may seem like the problems of this world continue to multiply. Every time one person is helped, ten more appear in need. For every person who surrenders to Jesus, countless more ignore the message and the signs. How are we to continue in such circumstances?

The answer is the same answer Jesus gave his disciples 2,000 years ago. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out more workers. There is plenty of work to be done in the fields. What the harvest needs is more workers to get the work done. Let me give you a specific example.

For the last several decades, denominations across the board have noted more pastors leaving their pulpits than those taking up a pulpit. Catholics and Presbyterians seem to have taken up most of the news space, but baptist churches are seeing the same trend. In fact, just in Missouri alone, I was told the MOBC expects the number of churches to be without a pastor to reach 700 fairly soon. There are only about 1800 SBC churches. That means almost half the churches in Missouri will be without a pastor. Now, Barna, Lifeway, and other research groups have noted many reasons for why pastors leave, but the fact is:

If the ministry of a church is to continue and thrive, it must have a ready supply of new workers.

When we hear statistics like these, we have a few options. We can ignore them—which isn’t real helpful. We can lament over them and cry about “how things used to be.” Or, we can recognize that God is in control. We can look back in Scripture and realize that Jesus came to bring light in one of the darkest times of Israel’s history. But he did not bring light by re-establishing the old order. He brought new life.

If Jesus can resurrect the dead, if he can bring sight to the blind, if he cause the mute to sing, if he can break the chains of demonic affliction, and if he can change tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, and all manner of sinners into disciples of the Risen Lord, then perhaps he can raise up more pastors and missionaries. Perhaps it is not that God has forsaken His people or forgotten to call leaders out to serve in vocational ministry. Perhaps we just have too many church members distracted by the things of this world, or worse, distracted by the 21st century Pharisees and scribes who are so focused on their rituals and programs, they fail to see what God is trying to do.

Crowds of people flocked to find healing and hope in Jesus. But very few were willing to join in the fields. Today, if you need hope and healing, Jesus is ready to give you just that. But if you already know the Savior, and you know you are bound for heaven, then today may be the day God is calling you to head out to the fields and join in the labor. The harvest is already ready for you.