"Matthew 14-18"
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"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen," says an old Spiritual. The song was sung by slaves in the American south, who surely knew its meaning better than most of us. Yet it has continued as a consoling lament for those wearied by life's troubles. In the version I learned growing up, the opening refrains ends with the words, "Nobody knows but Jesus." Those four words make all the difference for me. They remind us that even when we feel utterly alone, misunderstood, and burdened in a way no one else seems to see, there is one who knows what we're going through.
In this week's reading, we see Jesus face a day of stress and sorrow. We'll watch mean-spirited people try to foil his noble goals. And even his closest friends seem to have the wrong idea about him, misunderstanding half the things he says and does.
Jesus Knows All About Hard Days
On Monday (Matt. 14), the Lord gets news of a death in the family. His cousin (and forerunner) John the Baptist has been beheaded. Pay attention to how the day goes from there, and imagine what it must have been like for Jesus.
"Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns" (Matt. 14:13).
He had compassion for them and fed them (Matt. 14:14-21), then finally escaped for a long night alone in prayer (Matt. 14:22). It was sometime between 3 AM and 6 AM when he famously helped Peter walk on water. The miraculous combination of sea crossing and feeding thousands reminds you of Exodus. Just another signal of the great deliverance God is working in Jesus.
Jesus Knows All About Difficult People
On Tuesday (Matt. 15), Jesus faces off (again!) with the Pharisees and scribes, this time about handwashing (Matt. 15:1-9) and defilement (Matt. 15:10-20). But in each case, the Lord aims beyond their arguments to give us a broader lens and a deeper truth. Contrast these religious "experts" with the gentiles who approach Jesus in faith (Matt. 15:21-39).
Jesus Knows All About Being Misunderstood
On Wednesday (Matt. 16), those pesky Pharisees come again, now asking for a sign (Matt. 16:1), as though Jesus hadn't given dozens of signs already. In this chapter, we find Jesus misunderstood by his disciples (Matt. 16:5-12) and even rebuked by Peter when he predicts his death (Matt. 16:21-23). But don't let Peter's ignorance overshadow his extraordinary confession — the confession you and I cling to today (Matt. 16:13-20).
Then on Thursday (Matt. 17), the Lord's glory and authority are confirmed from on high, at the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13). This series of events – Peter's confession, Jesus' predicted death, and the transfiguration — are at the center of Matthew's gospel.
All of this misunderstanding leads Jesus to offer a corrective discourse on Friday (Matt. 18). When some of the disciples come to Jesus asking, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:1), Jesus takes another stab at getting through to them about the kingdom. He says to learn from children (Matt. 18:2-6), be willing to cut out anything that tempts you to sin (Matt. 18:7-9), and do whatever you can to restore your lost brother (Matt. 18:10-20). And when Peter asks about forgiving someone seven times, he tells a story that puts forgiveness into perspective for all of us (Matt. 18:21-35).
