Power and Purpose

POWER AND PURPOSE

BLOG HOST, 9-8-2010
HOST: JAY MARTIN
Matthew 8

Is it part of the Lord’s purpose to heal people today? Is it His purpose for people who are locked out of society to be restored? Is it His plan to speak words of healing and to calm storms today? Is it still His purpose to have people consider the cost of discipleship and follow Him? As Jesus’ disciples, I believe it is not only His purpose to continue doing the things we read about in the book of Matthew, but to give His modern day disciples the power to accomplish His purposes.

Recently, I got to share in a service covering the whole book of Matthew in a 35 minute Wednesday Night service. Because I can speed-talk, I was able to get through my outline in 40 minutes. I got to share on some of the building-blocks of our spiritual house being built on Jesus’ Words. One of those blocks was “Power and Purpose.”

I enjoyed sharing this idea—we get God’s power to accomplish God’s purpose. Here’s the formula—my power + my purpose = a life devoid of meaning; my power + God’s purpose = burn-out; God’s power + my purpose = blasphemy (see the life of Samson as an example); but God’s power + God’s purpose = our destiny in Christ.

We see power and purpose on display in our reading for today. Matthew 8 presents four snapshots of Jesus in action: responding to two people with needs, a conversation with two would-be follower, and challenging His disciples.

First, I love Jesus’ response to the leper. While others ran the other way when seeing a leper coming, Jesus walked right up to the diseased man. Jesus didn’t only walk up to him, listen to him, and speak to him, Jesus did the unthinkable—Jesus touched the leper. According to Old Testament regulations, Jesus became unclean when He touched the leper. Yet, Jesus never minded getting unclean—getting down to the level of need. Soon, we will read how He is criticized for hanging out with sinners, yet Jesus was sent to those in need. After confirming his humanity and personhood by acknowledging, touching and healing Him, Jesus then sent Him to church. He was healed, now He could be declared healed and restored to his community. Jesus was empowered to heal lepers, and declare the purpose of God that even a leper could receive physical healing and restoration.

Second, Jesus is confronted by a high-ranking Roman soldier who had a servant in need of being healed. The fact that a Roman official came to Jesus means that word of Jesus’ miracle-working power was getting out. Here, Jesus embraces the official, and listens to him intently. As a soldier, the man understood authority, and in faith, He reaches out to the Lord who outranks the devil and sickness. If Jesus gives the order, he says, the sickness will obey the order, and leave his servant’s body. That did not require Jesus to come to his house—he was a sinful man, and not worthy to have Jesus come. Yet, Jesus said that in all of Israel, He had never seen the faith of this sinful, Gentile Roman. What a statement. So, Jesus sends the order, and the servant is healed. Here, a guy who one would think unlikely to get it, gets it—power and purpose.

Third, Jesus is also confronted by two would-be followers. One wants to come follow Jesus, and Jesus says that basically He is homeless, and to follow Jesus means there won’t be any pillows to lay ones head on, or any Inns to sleep in. Jesus chose a simple lifestyle to preach God’s word and heal the sick—identifying with the crowds He was ministering to. Next, a would-be follower comes, and needs to bury his father who had just died. Jesus’ words seem harsh—“Come follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” This seems brash and not respectful to the would-be follower. Yet, Jesus is pointing out the cost of discipleship once again. Jesus’ words are extreme and urgent—the time to follow is NOW! There is no time to worry about the accommodations or funeral preparations. Either drop your nets, or whatever you were doing, and follow Him immediately. To put off following is a rejection of the invitation to follow. What keeps us from following? Is it something seemingly important? Jesus says the immediate following of Him without regard to the cost is the only acceptable response of disciples. The purpose is to follow—the power will be given!

Fourth, and finally, what about those men who did give up everything to follow? We find them on a boat in a storm, with Jesus asleep. The storm is raging, and many of these disciples are men of the sea. That they are concerned, makes me think this was a bad storm. These guys have also paid the initial price, giving up everything to follow. So, in Matthew’s first address to these guys, other than the Sermon on the Mount, what words of Jesus would he record? Jesus says they have little faith, and should not have been afraid of the storm. Then He calms the storm. Make no mistake—Jesus expects a lot of His followers. In the face of the storm, He expects a faithful resolve! When things are going wrong, He wants to count on His disciples to be the ones rebuking the storm. I believe Jesus was disappointed because one of His disciples didn’t stand up and rebuke the storm. Jesus is modeling expectation here early on in the process. Jesus wants His disciples to take the initiative in being like Him. All of the power and resources of Jehovah God are available to us as Christ-followers. Too often, though, we are bouncing around trying to wake Jesus up to calm the storm, when He is saying—‘You speak to the storm!’ Jesus expects His followers to be like Him.

Could Jesus really expect the disciples to have the power to stand up in the face of the storm? Let’s turn the question to us. Jesus’ purposes continue, although now we act in His absence. So, do we get to be the catalysts in helping end storms? Does He want us to touch our modern day lepers, even if we get dirty or labeled? Does He want us to have the faith to believe for miracles in the lives of our friends and associates? Does He still expect us to drop everything for the sake and urgency of the call to discipleship? This is what I know—He gives us the power to accomplish all of His purposes.