Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church
The M3 - Monday Morning Mail
Saint Matthew Sunday
Saint Matthew, Aposlte and Evangelist
I began the sermon with the reminder of Matthew's direct call by Jesus (Mt 9:9ff). Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman occupiers. As such his relationship with his fellow Jews would have been tenuous at best and likely dangerous. He most likely would have been despised by fellow Jews and looked upon with disdain by the Romans. Still, he would have made good money, pocketing "extra" taxes for himself. I described the scene in the film series The Chosen in which Matthew is preparing to go to work. One camera shot shows a line of fancy sandals–about 20 of them. We can assume confidently that most people would not have had any sandals! Matthew was well-off, yet despised.
Still, Jesus calls him. This gives you and me hope! Matthew likely committed many crimes, extorting and stealing from others, covering up such illicit activity with his position of influnce. Yet, he writes the first Gospel, written primarily for Jews for it shows that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah. Matthew begins with Jesus's geneology that traces his genetics back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people (cf. Gn 12). In doing so, three objectives become clear in Matthew: Jesus embodies/incarnates the Kingdom/Reign of God on earth. The lineage to King David makes this clear. King David marks the pinnacle of YHWH's kingdom on earth and Jesus descends from it! He is the ultimate fulfillment of this kingdom on earth. The Kingdom of God is different than worldly kingdoms, highlighted by Jesus telling us that the kingdom is like a a little child!
The second objective of Matthew is to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament. In other words, Jesus is God in the flesh and we are to be content with this manifestation of God. Like the Jews in Matthew, people today want manifestations of God, that Jesus is real, that he's paying attention to the world. In Matthew 12:39, Jesus reminds us that no more signs will be given. The sign of Jonah is the last sign, referring to Jesus's three days in the tomb and evenutal resurrection.
The third objective of Matthew is to give the mission of the Church through Jesus' parting words in Matthew 28:19-20: "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus holds on authority. He is with us. What is to stop us from making disciples? Nothing. The reign of God has come in Jesus. He fulfills all that God has promised to do. We have our talking points for evangelism!