Author: Michael Murray

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 4:12-25

Note: I HIGHLY recommend you watch Andy Stanley’s sermon Fish Tricks to receive further insight into this passage. In fact, anything smart I say was probably taken from him!

In American Evangelism we place a high value on “saving souls”. I don’t think this is inherently a bad thing, but it can become dangerous. I’ve heard stories of people feeling pressured by their church to present the Gospel to X number of people a week. For them, it’s all about getting as many people as possible to “cross the line of faith” so that they’ll stay out of hell and go to heaven one day. They want people to take giant leaps. Jesus is only asking for small steps.

As Jesus begins his public ministry, he doesn’t talk about going anywhere. “The kingdom of heaven has come near,” he says. Jesus was bringing heaven to earth, and he began inviting people to join him in that.

Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and he sees Peter and Andrew fishing. He calls out to them, “Follow me!” and they drop everything and do. But why? Well, Matthew only gives us a small part of the story. If you want the full context of the story, I would again recommend watching that Andy Stanley video.

Jesus simply asked these fishermen to follow him. Not to believe in him. Not even to trust him. But simply to follow him, and see what a life following him would lead to.

“Follow me.”

The word follow is important, but perhaps more important is the word me. I think today people get confused about what is really at the center of Christianity…

It’s not about following a certain pastor.
It’s not about following a certain political party.
It’s not about following a list of rules.
It’s not even about following the Bible.

It’s about following Jesus, and seeing where it leads.

And man, from the moment these nobody fishermen followed him, they were in for a wild ride.

Jesus went all over Galilee. There he taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had. News about him spread all over Syria.

They saw him teach like no other. They saw him heal like no other. And they saw him love like no other. And it was only the beginning of the adventure.

Questions to Ponder:

Why do you think Peter and Andrew decided to follow Jesus?

Do you think it’s possible for someone to follow Jesus while still having doubts about him?

Please feel free to leave a comment!

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 4:1-11

What is something that Christians and non-Christians have in common?

We all have the tendency to use the Bible to advance our own agenda. (We also have a lot more in common, by the way!)

The temptation of Jesus (by none other than the devil himself) is a fascinating account and one that can be approached from multiple angles. But here’s the angle I’m most intrigued with: the devil wielded Scripture against Jesus in an attempt to take him down.

Psalm 91 is a psalm about finding rest and safety in God. The devil quotes a very small portion of it to tempt Jesus to test God. Come on, Jesus. Prove to me that you really have faith in your Father.

A Bible verse (or verses) ripped out of context is a very dangerous thing. Take the oft-quoted Jeremiah 29:11, for example:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

That verse is quickly thrown out to offer encouragement to someone going through a difficult time. If not quoted responsibly, however, it can quickly be misinterpreted as a prosperity message. If you just have enough faith, good things will start happening. The truth is, God is offering hope in this verse. But he’s offering it in the context of a very long period of trials. Look at the verse that comes immediately before it (verse 10):

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

How come we leave that off the plaques and coffee mugs? We literally quote God mid-sentence!

The whole “God said it, I believe it, that settles it” argument that some Christians use is not only irresponsible, but I believe it’s also showing a disrespect for God’s Word. When we select verses and rip them out of their context to support what we already believe to be true (or want to be true), we begin to use God for our own convenience. When we insist, for instance, that the earth HAD TO BE created in 6 literal days, it leaves no room for nuance, no room for different interpretations, and no room for the Spirit to work in our hearts. (By the way, before I continue, let me just say I’m totally guilty of this. I constantly find myself judging others for what I perceive to be a wrong interpretation of Scripture.)

On the other side of the equation, I’ve seen non-Christians cherry-pick verses to make believers look like fools. It’s very easy to take a verse, rip it from its historical, cultural, and literary context and make all kind of wild accusations about what Christians believe. I believe this is also irresponsible. (Another “by the way” caveat: I’m not talking about non-Christians who have genuine concerns/questions/problems with the Bible. I believe that real concerns should always be addressed in a safe environment.)

In the end, Jesus beat the devil at his own game. For each lie the devil threw at him, Jesus had a proper understanding of the truth. Scripture is indeed powerful. Old Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

I pray that I use the power of God’s Word responsibly, and not simply to advance my own agenda. 

Questions to Ponder:

Where do you see the Bible most used as a “weapon” today?

Have you ever had one interpretation of a Bible verse (or verses) only to have it change over time?

Please feel free to leave a comment!

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 3

And with the flip of a page, years and years pass by.

We don’t know much about Jesus’ childhood. All we really have is Dr. Luke’s account of Home Alone: Lost in Jerusalem. Matthew jumps from Mary & Joseph settling down in Nazareth with their child to Jesus and his cousin John being all grow’d up.

John the Baptist (or John “The Baptizer”, which I think would make an awesome pro-wrestling name) is an interesting character. The more I read about him the more I see things in his life that I want to imitate. I don’t think I’d do very well on his diet of locusts and wild honey, but I can learn a thing or two from his humility.

John was a rockstar. The people loved him. He had disciples. He boldly spoke up against the “religious elites” of his day. He warned them against making the claim that they were God’s “favorites” simply because their family tree sparkled and shined more than others.

And, perhaps most importantly, Jesus spoke highly of his cousin. He once said to a crowd of people, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” Among those born of women, huh? Well, that sounds like quite a lot of people…

And yet, in the midst of all that, John was incredibly humble. The purpose of his life was to point others toward Jesus. He called himself unworthy to carry Jesus’ sandals. Jesus had to reassure John that it was okay to baptize Him.

What kept John so humble and Jesus-focused? Was it something in the honey? I don’t know. I wonder if it had anything to do with how much time he actually spent with Jesus. The gospels don’t say how much time they spent together as kids. But if they did hang out at all, John had the unique opportunity to spend time with Jesus before Jesus entered into the public eye.

Matthew ends this chapter with these words:

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.”

I am sure that in this moment, John was looking on with joy.

Questions to Ponder:

What do you think kept John so humble?

The Pharisees looked to their ancestry to feel superior to others. What are you most tempted to look to? 

Please feel free to leave a comment!

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 2:13-23

As a kid, I had a (very) short tenure as a checkers player. The most exciting part of the game for me was when I reached the other side of the board and triumphantly shouted, “King me!” It meant I had the power to go in whatever direction I wanted on the board. No restrictions!

Tears For Fears had it right when they said, Everybody Wants To Rule The World. If you’re like me you might be thinking, “Uh, no… There’s no way I’d want to be in charge of this whole world!” Well, maybe not the whole world. But I at least want to be in charge of my little world.

King Herod, as we saw last week, grows jealous of a baby. Not just any baby, of course, but Jesus, who he sees as a threat to his power. And when he fails to locate Jesus, he does something horrific. He ordered all the boys two years old and under to be killed. This is a part of the Christmas story that we rarely mention. Yes, Herod was hoping that Jesus would be among the babies killed, but I’m sure there was also an element of spite to his order. I’m angry, so everyone suffers.

Our own grasps to hold on to power may not exhibit themselves in such an extreme way, but they are there. There are times when the “Lil’ King” in me rears its ugly Herod-like head…

When I’m in a meeting at work and I think I’m the smartest person in the room.

When my defensiveness leads me to attack and belittle others.

When I feel I deserve something because of how great I am.

When I refuse to listen to others because they disagree with me.

When constructive criticism leaves me feeling insecure.

When I need to be the one to decide what we’re doing, where we’re eating (yes, a big one for me!), and how the day is going to play out.

It is during these times that I can’t wait to yell “king me!” and get the final word. (I just can’t wait to be king…)

A few sentences after Herod carries out his heinous act, Matthew writes the three words that change everything:

After Herod died…

And just like that, Herod is dead. And God’s plan of salvation and redemption continues on, unthwarted. There are some things even a king cannot control. But in his trails, Herod leaves behind a sad legacy.

In a way, we are all little kings. We all have influence over something or someone. And we can choose to wield that power for the benefit of ourselves and our egos (as I so often do). Or we can look to Jesus, who did not use his power for his own advantage but to serve others.

Questions to Ponder:

What do you think drove Herod to take such a drastic measure?

When is the “Lil’ King” in you most prone to take over in your life?

Please feel free to leave a comment!

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 2:1-12

One of the most eye-opening teachings I ever heard regarding the Wise Men (or Magi, as they’re called) came from Summit’s very own Zach Van Dyke this past Christmas season. I had heard the standard points before: There was an unknown number of Magi, not three as the Nativity scene implies (that rumor probably started because they brought three gifts with them). And, speaking of the Nativity scene, the Magi shouldn’t even be there. They arrived at the house where Mary and Joseph were staying months and months later. But here’s something I hadn’t really considered:

The Magi were “outsiders” to the faith. They were astrologers, and astrology was clearly forbidden in the Old Testament. They believed in signs and omens. They were people that “good church people” would shake their heads and wag their fingers at. And yet God met them where they were. He spoke to them in a language they could understand (a star in a sky). And these outsiders became one of the first people (second only to lowly, dirty, stinky shepherds) to worship Jesus.

Meanwhile, Herod, the King of Judea, goes into a jealous rage and concocts a plan to kill Jesus. The Wise Men want no part of it and give Herod the slip, which, as we’ll cover next week, sends Herod into an even angrier rage and leads to one of the saddest parts of the story.

And so Jesus hasn’t even uttered a word yet (except for maybe some cute baby gurgles) and already he is turning the world upside down. As Matthew continues his story, this theme plays out again and again. A few chapters later, Jesus will give his first public sermon and give the people a completely new way of looking at the law. And we’ll see that the “good church people” of the day often find themselves on the outside of Jesus’ ministry. Not because Jesus puts them there, but because that’s where they decide they want to be. And yet the “outsiders” are often the ones who accept Jesus’ invitation.

I think Christians (of which I am one) sometimes put God in a box. We know the way he communicates with people. We know what outsiders look like. We know what insiders look like. We know what outsiders look like when they are ready to be insiders. And we know exactly how we are to reach them. And yet, God broke all the expectations when he put that star in the sky to guide the Magi.

As we saw from the beginning of Matthew, Jesus came for all people. This includes people who we think are too “out there” to ever come to Jesus.

Questions to Ponder:

Have you ever felt like an “outsider” around Christians?

If you are a Christian, have you ever treated someone as if they were beyond the grace of Jesus?

Photo Credit: Broken Light Photography

A Year With Jesus: Matthew 1:18-25.

In Mrs. Doubtfire, one of my favorite comedies, Robin Williams’ character finds himself in a stage of life that he never expected. In one scene, after being reprimanded by his boss, he ponders, “Have you ever wished you could freeze frame a single moment of your day, look at it and say, ‘This is not my life’?”

I think we all face moments of “surrealness” in our lives. They can be in the context of both positive and negative experiences.

Sometimes you think to yourself, “Wow! How did I get here?!”

Other times it’s, “Ugh! How did I get here???”

I’m pretty sure Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, faced one of these moments in this week’s reading.

The Book of Luke tells us the “Christmas story” from the perspective of Mary. Matthew, on the other hand, shows us Joseph’s point of view. Joseph was a good man. But he wasn’t a perfect man. (That honor was reserved for his son. 🙂 ) It’s true, he was more honorable than probably most men put it his position. When he found out that Mary was pregnant, Matthew tells us, “He did not want to put her to shame in public. So he planned to divorce her quietly.”

But I wonder, did Joseph listen to Mary’s side of the story? Or did he just decide to cut his losses and move on? Or, if he did let Mary tell her side, was there any part of him that wanted to believe it was true? But how could it be?

And as all this is churning in Joseph’s mind, he gets a visit from an angel, who confirms that Mary’s side of the story is true. He invites Joseph to be part of Jesus’ story. Don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. And, in the midst of all the surrealness, Joseph accepts.

I think the “Christmas story” has become so familiar to us (even among non-Christians) that we forget these characters – Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi – had no idea how any of their circumstances would play out. They didn’t have the luxury of knowing how their story would end.

They were in uncharted territory. It wasn’t a common occurrence for angels to appear in dreams and tell you who to marry. And people were quite aware of where babies came from. Even as Joseph made the decision to take Mary as his wife and become a surrogate father to her son, there had to be part of him that thought this was completely insane. I’m sure in this surreal moment, Joseph thought to himself, “Ugh! How did I get here???”

But I’m also sure that Joseph experienced another surreal moment in his life. Perhaps it was when he first held the baby in his arms. Or maybe it was when Jesus was 12, and Joseph and Mary lost Jesus (yes, they lost him!) and later found him in the temple teaching the teachers. Or maybe it was a moment when Joseph was teaching Jesus his trade of carpentry, and he realized that there was something very special about his son.

And he may have thought to himself, “Wow! How did I get here?!

Questions to Ponder:

Why do you think Joseph decided to follow the angel’s instructions?

Have you ever experienced a “surreal moment” in your life?

*Photo by Erik Johansson. (He has a ton of cool photography!)