Matthew 4:23-25
“Notice what you notice.” In putting these readings together I’ve mostly followed the ordering in The Chronological Study Bible (edited only for length of passage). However, today is the first case I’ve found where I could have done better. It’s a small matter, but…
In today’s reading Matthew speaks in broad generalities with respect to (a) Jesus’ activities, they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them (v. 24) and (b) His geography, And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan (v. 25). Mark and Luke are more specific in the next two days’ readings, however, following the past two day’s readings with Now in the morning (Mark 1:35) and Now when it was day (Luke 4:42). So my re-ordering of readings would be the 14th and the 15th, then the 13th.
Beyond that, the one item that I noticed today was that Jesus was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (v. 23). Back in verse 17 His preaching had been Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Is there a difference here? We think of the Gospel, the “good news” as the salvation message, much of what verse 23 would imply. By contrast, verse 17 is word-for-word John the Baptist’s message of repentance (Mt. 3:2). Sorry, no wisdom here, just an observation…
Incidentally, my other Study Bible notes that the phrase, “kingdom of heaven” is mentioned only in Matthew, but that it occurs 32 times therein. Mark and Luke refer to “kingdom of God”, a phrase used only four times in Matthew. Again, is there a difference?
Slava Bohu!!
Fred, it seems that this is a matter of timing. The gospel of the kingdom, while Jesus was alive, was to “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand”. However, after the resurrection, then the gospel is more complete, with salvation, but still including repentance.
What was strange to me, Debbie, was Jesus’ J.B. quote in chapter 3 compared to His “kingdom of heaven” quote in chapter 4. The resurrection was still a long way off!
I have often wondered what, exactly, the “gospel” was that Jesus preached. The Gospels themselves never really say explicitly, leaving me to assume that it must have been what was conveyed as His teaching (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, etc.). One thing I am pretty confident of, though, is that it bore little resemblance to what 21st-century Western evangelicals now call “the gospel,” which comes neatly packaged as “The Four Spiritual Laws” or “The Bridge Illustration.” Don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against those presentations of “the gospel.” I just don’t think they represent “the gospel” that Jesus actually preached. Why do I say that? Because Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two to preach “the gospel” during His earthly ministry, yet they clearly never grasped (or accepted) that He was headed for the Cross and likewise had no clue about the Resurrection before He surprised them all that first Easter. So how could they have been presenting “The Bridge Illustration” (so to speak) as “the gospel” without the Cross?
No, I think “the gospel” Jesus preached was more like an announcement that a) God is still in control; b) God is actively building His Kingdom right here, right now; c) God loves you — yes, even you; d) God wants you in His Kingdom; and e) Jesus is the way into that Kingdom. Yes, the modern Western evangelical version of “the gospel” kind of says that, but seems to place far more emphasis on the heavenly afterlife in “the sweet by and by” than on a Kingdom of Heaven that is “at hand.”
I SO agree with you, John! What Jesus preached was certainly different from the “good news” many evangelicals are peddling. And the Church is far from being the gracious, winsome entity so full of love for each other as well as outsiders — not many today see us and say, “Wow, I want to be a part of what they have!” Sigh . . .