LIFE IN GOD’S KINGDOM
FOLLOWS JESUS IN SERVING OTHERS
MATTHEW 4:12-25
INTRODUCTION
When I was younger I read lots of Western’s, especially those written
by the late Louis La’Mour. One of the common story lines went something
like this. There was a family, living in the state of New York. The dad
was a successful carpenter and the family had a nice home and a secure
life. However, they kept reading the reports and hearing stories of the
land and wide open spaces and the money to be made in ranching out west.
So the family decides to sell their home and pack up their belongings
in a covered wagon and head west with the next wagon train. There are
numerous adventures along the way but the family finally makes it and
settles into a new life out in Colorado. The story line is based in large
part on truth, for thousands of families did pack up their belongings
and do just what the novels record. Why did people go through such hardship
and take such risks when they had a secure and happy life in the east?
The answer is, they were sure that what waited for them in the west would
make them much happier than their life in the east.
These people were really no different than us. While we don’t pack up
our families and belongings in covered wagons, we do load up the Ryder
truck on a regular basis and move across the country. How many people
in here have moved across state lines at least once? While we might not
make such a drastic career move as going from being a carpenter to being
a rancher, we often change jobs. All of us have taken a risk, have changed
something in our life, because we were sure that what we would obtain
would make us happier than what we had. It’s why people take out a loan
to buy a boat or divorce their spouse or go on a vacation. In every case
we believe that what we will obtain will make us happier than what we
have.
Many of you will remember this quote from Blaise Pascal, "All men seek
happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ,
they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others
avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views.
The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive
of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves."
In the middle of the passage we are looking at today we see 4 grown men
leave behind their jobs and families and follow Jesus at his invitation.
Why do they do it? They do it because they believe that following Jesus
is the happiest kind of life to live. I am persuaded that Matthew, in
recording this event and the events surrounding it, is trying to show
us that…
MAIN POINT
Life as a follower of Jesus is the happiest life because…
I. It is a life full of light (vv. 12-17)
Matthew begins his description of the ministry of Jesus with two seemingly
minor details. John the Baptist is arrested and so Jesus leaves the vicinity
of Jerusalem and goes to Galilee, to his hometown of Nazareth. Then he
leaves Nazareth and takes up residence in the fishing village of Capernaum.
In doing this Jesus fulfilled a prophecy made by the prophet Isaiah over
500 years prior to this event.
While it’s not the main point, I want you to see how the biblical writers
constantly allude to the power of God over all the details of life. God
had the prophet Isaiah, 500 years before this event, prophecy that the
king of Israel would come in a powerful and unique way to the backwaters
of Jewish culture and reveal himself as a light to those dwelling there.
In order for that event to take place John had to get arrested. God had
John rebuke king Herod, then Herod threw John in prison. Then when Jesus
went to his hometown of Nazareth, he had the people of Nazareth become
angry with Jesus and reject him so that he had to leave and move to Capernaum.
God had all this happen so Jesus could be the light for those dwelling
in darkness. There are no accidents in your life. You are not sitting
here in church this morning by accident. God is working out a plan in
the world that has at its heart the revealing of Jesus to people sitting
in darkness.
When Jesus asserts himself as the king of Israel, it is not in the political
and religious center of the Jewish nation but rather in that part of Israel
most influenced by non-Jewish forces, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people
that Jesus comes for are the people who are living in darkness and in
the shadow of death. What does it mean to live in darkness and in the
shadow of death? Turn back to Isaiah 8: 19 on page _____. Read 8:19-9:3
and then 9:6-7. There are at least three things that living in darkness
and the shadow of death refer to:
- First to live in darkness is to be ignorant of the God who exists.
It does not mean you are not religious or don’t believe in a god or
perform religious activities. It means that you do not have true knowledge
of the true God. While people living in darkness have all sorts of opinions
about the nature of God and his work in the world, it is only that,
opinions. People living in darkness are even so foolish as to believe
that consulting dead people through a medium or psychic will give true
knowledge of reality (vv. 19-20).
- Second, to live in darkness is to live in rebellion to the ways of
God. People who live in darkness decide what is right and what is wrong
in a purely pragmatic fashion. If a certain behavior is pleasurable
and does not bring negative social consequences, then it must be OK.
Decisions about truth and error, right and wrong are not made with reference
to God’s word but rather by appealing to human reason and opinion.
- Third, to live in the shadow of death is to live with the threat of
God’s judgement hanging over your head. It is to live in the world with
no certain hope of a positive future. VV. 21-22 give a picture of human
life with the charade stripped away, with the curtain pulled back. On
occasion people feel this reality but by and large most of us are giving
all our energy to covering up these facts. People who live ignorant
of God and in rebellion to his ways are like those roaming around the
earth looking for food but unable to find any that satisfies. When they
become famished, rather than seeking the one who can give what they
need, they curse human authority and God himself for not making them
happy with the food of this world. They look around and all they see
is darkness and gloom and their future is only eternal night.
Illustration: "When I was a teenager, I was camping at Devil’s lake
one weekend. Late in the afternoon we were swimming on the south shore.
The beach was loaded with people sunning themselves and the water
was full of people swimming and boating. The trails were full of hikers.
Suddenly, a massive tower of black clouds came over the western horizon
and blotted out the sun. It was an eerie sight, people were still
playing and yet there was this enormous shadow being cast by these
storm clouds. In only a matter of minutes we were all engulfed in
a furious thunderstorm. That is life in this world. When we ignore
the God who exists and make our decisions without reference to his
word we are like people playing as if the sun were shining when in
reality we are living in the shadow of death and about to be engulfed.
But when Jesus shows up he brings light, because he is light. He dispels
the darkness of ignorance about God and his ways. He destroys the darkness
of sin. Where Jesus has revealed himself, people no longer delight to
live in sin and rebellion against God. The moral darkness of living by
human intuition is dispelled and people delight to live according to God’s
word. Where Jesus shows up the shadow of death, the threat of God’s judgement
is taken away and we live not in fear of the future but with great hope
and confidence that the future is bright and happy and full of glory.
Look at 9:3 & 4, when we have been in the dark and are brought into
the light we rejoice like those happy farmers who harvest a bumper crop.
Or like when an army, after a long battle, attains the victory. Or like
when you’ve been imprisoned in a concentration camp and are set free by
your army.
Illustration: One evening, not too long ago I was feeling especially
despondent. I was overwhelmed by my responsibilities as a husband and
father and pastor. I was feeling especially inadequate to the work that
God had called me to. I was physically tired. I could feel the sense of
hopelessness growing and the bitterness that there was no one who really
cared, who was willing to help me. There was a growing darkness in my
soul. I did the smart thing and went to bed. It was amazing the next morning
at how God dispelled the darkness as I meditated on his word and prayed
and sat in the early morning sunshine and watched as he provided food
for the birds and squirrels in my backyard. God filled my darkness with
the light of his promises. I repented of my unbelief and thanked him for
how certain it was that he would fulfill his promises to me.
Notice that in Isaiah the dawning of this light on those in darkness
is connected to the birth of a child who becomes the ruler of Israel,
indeed of the world. The language that is used to describe him and the
language of light dawning on people sitting in darkness is extravagant.
You would expect a great and noticeable event. But look now back at Matthew
4: 17. The light dawning on the people in darkness is an itinerant preacher
telling people to repent for the kingdom of God has come near. V. 17 is
so anticlimactic compared to the language of Isaiah. We want a big, splashy
event that is made for prime time TV, something that will capture the
attention of the world. But God’s light dawns on people living in darkness
through this very simple message: Jesus, who is God’s king, has come to
rule over you, turn away from all your dark living and come follow him.
Life as a follower of Jesus is the happiest life because…
- It is a life full of light
- And…
II. It is a life full of purpose (vv. 18-22)
The next event that Matthew records is an awesome picture of what it
looks like to be a person who has been sitting in darkness but who is
now living in the light. It is a picture of how the light dawns on a person
and the difference it makes in that person’s life. We know from John and
Luke that this is not the first time that Peter, Andrew, James and John
have seen Jesus and had personal conversation with him. However, Matthew
does not tell us this. Why not? Matthew’s aim is to show what it actually
looks like to be a person sitting in darkness. His aim is to show what
does it mean to "Repent, because the kingdom of God is near". His aim
is to show the power of Jesus, as the light, delivering people out of
darkness and into his light.
Consider with me the picture we have of these four men. They are being
held up as an example of those who are sitting in the darkness of ignorance
about God and the darkness of sin and under the shadow of the death. What
do we see? Look at how these men are not described. They are not involved
in illegal activity, they are not criminals. They are not living wild
and out-of-control lives. They are not engaged in anti-God protests. Notice
how they are described. They are hard-working, family men. They are in
business as brothers and in the case of James and John, with their dad.
They are responsible citizens. These are religious men, in the synagogue
every Saturday, taking their kids to Sabbath school, trying to keep all
the Jewish laws. They get up every day and take care of their business.
What is surprising about these men is that this is not how we would think
of people who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. They look
too much like us and we don’t think of ourselves as sitting in darkness
and the shadow of death. These are men who get up each day and go catch
fish and then bring them back and clean them and take them into the market
place and sell them to their neighbors or to the local restaurant. These
are men just living out their life here on planet earth in a responsible
fashion, but in complete darkness.
Then, they see a great light, the light dawns on them. How does it happen?
Jesus comes to them and tells them, "Come, follow me and I will make you
fishermen of men." You see what Jesus is saying here? First, he tells
them they are going the wrong direction, they are following the wrong
person. They are following their own ambitions, their ideas of what is
important in life and what God requires of them. These men believe that
what is necessary for life is providing for their family and being respectable
citizens. Jesus invades their life and says, "No, what is necessary for
life, is me. Come, follow me, let me teach you about God and life and
what really matters."
Second, he tells them that he has a different purpose for their lives.
He says that he will make them fishermen of men. If you were to ask these
men what is the purpose of life they would have answered things like,
taking care of my family, being a good Jewish person, helping out my town,
being a "good" person. Jesus, in calling them is telling them that the
purpose of life is far greater than any of that. Life is about God. He
is telling them that they are not passionate about the things that they
were given passions for. God made them to love him and delight in him
and instead they are using these affections to love the things that God
has made but not God himself. Have you ever thought about that? God gave
you the ability to love and be excited and feel joy and delight in things.
He gave you these passions for a reason. So that you would be delighted
with him and love him and find joy in him. But we, like Peter, Andrew,
James and John are continually attaching these affections to the things
God has made rather than to God himself.
So Jesus calls these men and us to abandon our love for these things
and fix all our love and hope and joy on God himself. When we do this
we will enter into a large world of purpose and meaning. When God is at
the center of our lives then we become like magnets to others, bringing
them into the enjoyment of God as well. We join in God’s great work of
gathering all his "fish" into that white-hot enjoyment of God. The error
that is often made when describing Jesus’ call to these men is to concentrate
on the work of evangelism as the main thing these verses teach. These
verses are often used to tell people they should do evangelism or become
missionaries. Now, for these four men, the call of Jesus meant they were
to become full-time missionaries. However, this story is first of all
a picture of conversion and Christian living that is the norm for every
believer, regardless of your vocation, your job. Here is a picture of
what it means to be a Christian. It means to find Jesus to be so attractive,
so compelling that you abandon all other attempts to find happiness and
joyfully follow him into a life of service to God and his people. In doing
this you discover a life full of influence and purpose because you are
involved in the great work for which God made you, loving him and loving
people. When you do this you find that people around you are "caught"
for God. A church of people like these 4 men cannot help but bring others
into the enjoyment of God.
The third thing we are to see in these conversions is the power of Jesus
to bring people out of darkness and into his light. First, notice, that
all 4 of these men when called by Jesus, immediately abandoned their love
of this world and gladly followed Jesus. What Jesus commands, occurs.
Do you see the power of his call? Second, notice the joy of the following.
People do not do what these men did unless the one who is calling them
is so attractive, so compelling that they cannot refuse. The beauty and
wonder of Jesus is shown forth in their devotion to him. Finally, notice
that Jesus says he will make them into fishers of men. The Christian life
begins by the initiative of Jesus and its success depends upon the ongoing
work of Jesus. In another setting Jesus said this, "I am the vine, you
are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much
fruit for apart from me you can do nothing." Fruitful Christian living
is not dependent upon my fickle devotion but on the power of Jesus to
transform me.
God has allowed me to witness his work of causing the light to dawn on
those sitting in darkness many times. I think of John who was a freshman
who lived on my dorm floor during my senior year at UW-Stevens Point.
John was bright, good-looking, a good athlete. He had a beautiful girlfriend.
He was well-liked by the other students, a very happy-go-lucky kind of
guy. He did not look like a person sitting in darkness. In fact, when
we first had opportunity to talk about the person of Jesus he was completely
uninterested. He was doing all right and didn’t see any reason to consider
Jesus. From a human point of view, I’m not sure what it was that caused
John to change his mind about Jesus. But one Sunday night he came to my
room and asked me if I could explain to him exactly what it meant to be
a Christian. In the midst of that conversation God caused John to see
that he was in darkness and living in the shadow of death and he repented
and followed Jesus. He abandoned all hope of finding happiness in this
life and gave himself to finding all his happiness in Jesus. It was a
remarkable thing to see this self-centered person transformed into a man
who loved God and loved people. God has used he and his wife to influence
many for God’s kingdom. He works as a doctor and continues to live as
one who is passionate about Jesus and therefore living not to find life
here but to pursue life in him.
Life as a follower of Jesus is the happiest life because…
- It is a life full of light
- It is a life full of purpose
- And…
III. It is a life full of grace (vv. 23-25)
v. 23 is a description of the work of Jesus as he traveled throughout
Galilee, being a light to those in darkness. He spent his time teaching
the people and declaring the good news about God’s kingdom and healing
all who were sick and hurting. These verses are a summary of the work
of Jesus that Matthew is going to describe in detail, beginning in chapter
5. The entire book is really giving the detailed ways that Jesus taught
and healed the people.
The striking thing about his description of Jesus’ work is the indiscriminate
way in which he distributed God’s blessings on the people. Remember, this
is "Galilee of the Gentiles". There is no indication anywhere in these
verses or in Matthew’s biography as a whole that Jesus asked people if
they were Jewish or Gentile before he preached to them or healed them.
He taught whoever came to him and healed all who were brought to him.
What is amazing about this prolific outpouring of God’s grace is that
the darkness that we sit in is of our own making and choosing. John, in
his gospel, explains, "Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness
instead of light, because their deeds were evil." These verses picture
the grace of God in all its fullness. God does not wait for men to come
to him, but he goes to them even though human beings ignore and spurn
that grace. It is in the character of God to come to those who are in
distress and offer his assistance, even though they don’t appreciate it
or him. Now, he will not always deal this way with those who live in darkness
but in the coming of Jesus we see this characteristic of God abundantly
displayed.
There are several things we can find out about grace in these verses.
First, grace initiates because if it didn’t there would never be any connection
between God and man because men love darkness. Jesus went throughout Galilee
teaching, preaching, and healing. No one invited him. There was no welcoming
committee. He didn’t do what he did because people were clamoring for
God to show up. Every person who belongs to Christ knows that the only
explanation for their faith is that God, in his grace, showed up and called
you to himself.
Second, grace overcomes the presence and power of sin. The teaching and
preaching of Jesus were meant to reverse the effects of sitting in darkness.
The preaching of the good news both instructs us in the truth about God
and creates faith and love for God. It is my intention in preaching and
should be your expectation in listening to raise the level of our knowledge
of God and our faith and love for God. The healing of Jesus is a foretaste
of the complete removal of the shadow of death. Every person he healed
while he was here is now dead. However, in his healing every kind of illness,
we have a picture of the amazing grace of God that removes the curse of
God against human sin which is death.
Third, grace is attractive. Look at the crowds of people from all over
the country of Israel who followed Jesus. When God is kind to people who
deserve his judgement by overcoming sin and creating faith and overcoming
the effects of sin, people notice. Grace creates a humble, grateful and
loving people. This attracts people who are sitting in darkness like honey
attracts bees.
Fourth, grace draws attention to God, not man. When God moves upon a
people in gracious power He becomes the center of attention, not the people
or even the miracles that he does. Here is the certain mark that God has
been gracious to an individual or to a church: who or what is the center
of attention? If God is the one you think about and seek to please, then
you have good reason to believe that he has been gracious to you.
Finally, grace is good news for people living in darkness. When Jesus
preached the good news of the kingdom and when we preach it after him
we are simply telling people who are living in darkness and who love to
live there that there is a way out. God has come near in Christ and is
willing to set you free from sin and death. So be like Peter, Andrew,
James and John leave everything behind and follow after Christ.
Life as a follower of Jesus is the happiest life because…
- It is a life full of light
- It is a life full of purpose
- It is a life full of grace
© Copyright 2000 John Swanson.
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