Grace Institute: The Gospels & Acts: Matthew: Conclusion

Matthew Survey of the New Testament: The Gospels & Acts Winter 2005

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Conclusion

Matthew writes to a Jewish audience, laying out his case that Jesus is the long promised Messiah, the King of the Jews. In proving this case, however, Matthew must also answer the question, “if Jesus is the King, where is the kingdom?” For the Jews had expected the Messiah would usher in a new and glorious kingdom, throwing of the oppression of other nations, establishing Israel as the dominant empire in the world, and ruling over a time of great peace and prosperity for not only Israel, but the entire world. If Jesus was the King, why was Israel still suffering under the rule of the Romans?

Matthew ahs answered this question by editing the words and deeds of Jesus into a comprehensive description of Jesus ' kingdom. What we discover about this kingdom surprised the Jewish believes of Matthew 's day and still surprises us to this day.

• Jesus ' kingdom would not be ushered in by a military, political or social revolution. Instead the kingdom would start small, like a mustard seed or like yeast within bread. But over time it would grow into something great (Matt. 13:31-33).
• Jesus ' kingdom would not immediately rid the world of evil, but instead the wheat would grow side-by-side with the tares, only to be separated at a yet-to-come final judgment (Matt. 13:24-30).
• Jesus kingdom would not bring peace and prosperity, but would bring persecution, suffering, and would split rather than heal families (Matt. 10:21-22, 34-36).
• Jesus ' kingdom would not consists of the wealthy in this world, but those who have forsaken all to follow Him (Matt. 19:16-26).
• Jesus ' kingdom would not include the chief priests and the temple leaders, but the little children crying “Hosanna!” in the temple's courtyard (Matt. 21:15-16).
• Jesus ' kingdom would not include the Pharisees who meticulously studied and obeyed the Law of Moses, but the poor in spirit who recognized their inability to keep the law (Matt. 5:3, 20).
• Jesus ' kingdom would not belong exclusively to God's chosen people, the Jews, but to people from all nations who accept Him as the Messiah-King (Matt. 12:18-21, 22:1-13).

Jesus ' kingdom belongs not to the rich, powerful, religious or learned, but to the poor, weak, unrighteous and common people.

I struggle with that, for I am the former. I am an upper-middle class man, a college graduate, seminary trained, a leader in my church and in the business world, and a fairly moral person. But Jesus says this is not the type of person who will be great in His kingdom, and indeed, may not even make not even find entrance into the kingdom!

As a church, we should struggle with that, for we are a relatively wealthy church, with an above average education level, and we can tend to look at the world around us and become disgusted at the world's unrighteous lifestyle while ignoring our own lack of compassion.

Jesus tells us the drug-addicted, the homosexuals, and the homeless may actually be closer to the kingdom of heaven than the SUV-driving, Republican voting, church-attending, tithing conservative evangelical Christian. For the former is more likely to recognize their hopeless state, their inherent sinfulness and their desperate need for a savior.

What does it mean for us individually and as a church that the first shall be last and the last shall be first? What does it mean for us that it is the poor in spirit who will inherit the kingdom of heaven? What does it mean for us that those who offend us should be forgiven, over and over and over? What does it mean that the kingdom belongs to the children, the tax gatherers, the prostitutes, the sinners, and the Gentiles?

“Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

May God grant to all of us such a humility that we might all become great in His kingdom.

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