Monday, 23 March The Messiah Reveals His Kingdom. Matthew 17:14—18:35
Notice the new title at the top of our page. We have entered the third phase of Matthew’s Behold! Your King is Coming! narrative.
This long section requires us to ignore chapter divisions and section headings. We would expect Jesus to be beginning his task of Revealing his Kingdom, as we read today’s passage and beyond. And we might expect the changes to be radical. We will not be disappointed.
There are no fewer than six different scenarios painted. Each of them addresses a new way of living that will characterise this new Kingdom life, or an example of the power that will be exercised in this new Kingdom (with several sub-issues also). We will address each of them very briefly in this short reflection:
1. The power over the world of evil spirits and demons (17:14–18).
It is unfashionable today to talk about evil spirits and demons. Only the digital worlds of Hollywood and video-games creators, or the sneering critics of Christianity find them useful. It has been well said that Satan’s greatest trick was to make his own reputation a laughingstock, so that no modern person would believe in him. Snipers and terrorists always crave secrecy and anonymity. Whilst it is both dangerous and foolish to see demons behind every new illness or little problem, we should neither ignore nor deny their presence in the world at large, causing mayhem and fear in subtle ways.
2. The power over death itself, the last stronghold of sin and evil (17:22–23).
Jesus clearly predicts his death and resurrection. He apparently saw these two moments as essential for his work as Redeemer. Lent and Easter form our opportunity to focus on both. There is sometimes a tendency to focus more on one or the other in the various Christian traditions; both are necessary, and both glorious.
3. The superlative nature of the Kingdom of heaven as it overlays but still works within the existing realm of humankind with all their dwarfish, strutting power structures (17:24–27).
You and I are to live in the world, but not be shaped by it. We pay our taxes, build our houses, work our jobs, care for our families, vote in elections, get involved in our communities – but we do all of these knowing that we live simultaneously in what we might think of as a parallel universe.
We live and work in a world where the values are often opposite to those of Christ's kingdom. We try to draw down those Kingdom values into the day-to-day world and communities in which we are placed. We do not disrupt our community unnecessarily, on matters of no great moral significance, but we do insist on the right to live out our Kingdom values where there is a serious clash, and to call the day-to-day world into that higher value. This calls for wisdom and temperance.
4. The complete reversal and upending of the traditional values of leadership and hierarchies in this new Kingdom, where the smallest, the humblest will be the ‘greatest’, and those who grasp for power will be humbled (18:1–4).
It would be lovely to say that the Christian church has always stood up for, and been a strong exemplar of this principle. Unfortunately, this may be the rock on which we have foundered more often than any other. Still today, many parts of the church are structured in power-based hierarchies that the secular world, to its great credit, has often abandoned.
No doubt, Jesus knew well the corruptive character of power and hierarchy in the hands of sinful human beings. Here is an important distinction: neither hierarchy nor power poses a risk for a holy and good God. Hierarchy and power are not evils in themselves. They may be good for human society, and are only evil in the hands of wicked human beings.
The only way to combat their potential for evil among human beings (in this parallel heavenly Kingdom lived out at the same time as living in the world) is to completely subvert them. Thus the requirement for servanthood and servant leadership. But these require genuine commitment, not lip service.
5. The high regard to be given to the care and nurture of children in this new Kingdom, a sub-class who had up till now been treated as chattels to be disposed of at will (18:5–14).
In the ancient Roman and Greek worlds children were regarded absolutely as the property of the father, the paterfamilias. He had total control over them. He could reject a newborn baby to exposure in the open country to die, he could sell them into slavery, disown them or even kill them. The law protected him from punishment in all of these actions. Jesus completely redefined the importance of children in a family. The recent revelations of abuse of children at the hands of the church is surely one of our darkest hours.
6. The absolute imperative of forgiveness practised within a context of merciful compassion, corporate wisdom, and an acute awareness of the grace that has been experienced by each of us (18:15–35).
The first few verses in this section have often been regarded as a sort of handbook for church discipline, lending support to practices such as excommunication and shunning. The word church (ekklesias) doesn’t help). Of course, no concept of the Christian church even existed yet, and we should read this word as a first century Jew would hear it, not with the trappings of denominational structures and code-books.
That is too big a topic for this reflection, but ... What must be observed here, is that this small section is bracketed by the parables of the lost sheep and the unforgiving servant. After all, how does Jesus treat Gentiles and tax-collectors (v17)? He loves them and seeks them out to dine with them. Surely, we have to read everything that Jesus says here within the context of how we can restore those who sin to full fellowship – not write a code to eject them. Again, too big a topic to fully explore here, but worthy of deep meditation.
In Summary, then, this first passage in our new section of Matthew’s story – The Messiah Reveals His Kingdom – has been tremendously deep. Jesus has upended just about everything in the lives of those listening and watching. And he is not finished yet.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I see that your Kingdom is powerfully new and different. To be honest, I often struggle with how I can sincerely and practically live within its values while still living in my day-to-day world. As I open my spirit to your Spirit, please help me to adjust and to adapt my life to yours. Amen.
