11. Discipleship . . . and Persecution

8/13/2019 11. Discipleship . . . and Persecution

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Lesson #11Discipleship . . . and Persecution!

(Matthew 10: 1 - 42)


2/16

Up to this point in our study of Matthew we have

moved systematically through the Gospels mirroredchiastic structure, tracking Jesus on the heros journey.

We have seen Jesus miraculous virgin birth,

accompanied by heavenly signs; his initiation (baptism

by John); his first test (temptations by Satan); his

relocation to Capernaum; his calling companions to

accompany him on his journey; and we have followed

him as his journey begins, observing his brilliant

expository teaching in the Sermon on the Mount andwitnessing God performing healings and miracles

through him as he travels throughout Galilee teaching,

preaching and healing.


3/16

Along the way we have learned a great deal about

Jesus:

1. He is an extraordinarily charismatic figure, one who holds large crowds

spellbound with his radicalindeed, revolutionaryteaching; he

teaches with authority (7: 29).

2. He has an astoundingly intimate relationship with God the Father, as

evidenced by the healings and miracles God performs through him,

including raising the dead and exerting control over nature and the

supernatural (8: 19: 38).

3. He identifies himself as the Son of Man in Daniel 7: 13-14, the one

to whom the Ancient of Days gives dominion, splendor and

kingship, the one whose everlasting dominion . . . shall not passaway (Daniel 7: 14).

4. The demons identify Jesus as the Son of God (8: 29).

5. The crowds are astonished by him, asking What sort of man is this

(8: 27)?


4/16

As we move into Lesson #11Discipleship . . . and

Persecution!Jesus delegates authority to his disciples,

sending them throughout Galilee to proclaim: The

Kingdom of heaven is at hand,and to cure the sick, raise

the dead, cleanse lepers [and] drive out demons (10: 7-8).

And he warns them that trouble will dog their every step:

people will hand you over to courts and scourge you in

their synagogues (10: 17); you will be hated by all

because of my name(10: 22); and their message will not

bring peace, but division (10: 34-36).


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Jesus was certainly correct when he told the scribe who

wanted to follow him:

Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have

nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere torest his head (8: 20).


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The heros journey will be fraught with danger

for both Jesus and his companions!

Scene from The Desolation of Smaug (2014), the 2ndentry in Peter

Jacksons 3-film adaptation of J.R.R. TolkeinsThe Hobbit.


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The Gospel according to Matthews overall

mirrored chiastic structure

A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, Son of God (1-4)

Minor discourse: John the Baptist identifies the authority of Jesus (3:7-12)

B Great Discourse #1: Demands of true discipleship (5-7)

C Narrative: The supernatural authority of Jesus (8-9)

D Great Discourse #2: Charge and authority of disciples (10)E Narrative: Jews reject Jesus (11-12)

F Great Discourse #3: Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (13)

E Narrative: Disciples accept Jesus (14-17)

D Great Discourse #4: Charge and authority of church (18)

C Narrative: Authority and invitation (19-22)

B Great Discourse #5: Judgment on false discipleship (23-25)A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, suffering and vindicated (26-28)

Minor discourse: Jesus identifies the authority of the church (28:18-20)


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Anonymous. The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles, (Russian) 14thcentury.

Moscow Museum.


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Disciple = Greek, mathts

From the Greek root math-, having the mental ability to thinksomething through; hence, a learner, student or follower (we

get the English words mathematics and mathematician from it).

Apostle = Greek, apostolos

From the Greek verb apostello, to send; hence one who issent out to perform a task.

Anyone can be an apostle, one who is sent.

To be a capital A Apostle (one of the twelve), one must have

been an eyewitness to Jesus entire public ministry from hisbaptism in the Jordan River through his death, burial,

resurrection and ascension into heaven (Acts 1: 21-22).


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John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist movement) created this dove &

serpent motif for the chapel he built in 1777 in London.


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Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel

before the Son of Man comes (10: 23).

In the synoptic Gospelsand throughout the New Testament

everyone expectedor longed forthe imminent coming of the

Kingdom of Heaven, ushered in by the arrival of the The Righteous

One, the Messiah.

This was especially the case among those influenced by Essenethinking, such as John the Baptist, and perhaps Jesus himself.


12/16

Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel

before the Son of Man comes (10: 23).

Recall the message of John the Baptist, reinforced by Jesus and then

proclaimed by the Twelve: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at

hand (3: 2; 4: 17; and 10: 7).

The phrase is at hand is a single Greek word : eggiken, the

intensive perfect form of the Greek verb eggidzo (to draw near).

The perfect tense denotes an action in the past that has ongoing

effects into the present, and the intensive form of the verb adds a

sense offorce and urgency, suggesting a translation like: Repent,

for the kingdom of heaven is bearing down upon you [like a freight

train]!


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That sense of urgency dominates Jesusactions in Matthew, and it intensifies as

the narrative speeds forward, its

tension building, as escalatingopposition and conflict drive Jesus

inexorably toward Jerusalem . . .

and the cross.


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Salvador Dali. Christ of St. John of the Cross, detail (oil on canvas), 1951.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow.


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1. As we move from Jesus teaching the Sermon on theMount to witnessing his miracles and healings, onewould expect massive support form his audience; yet,as our narrative moves ahead, Jesus warns of intensepersecution and hatred. Why?

2. What does Jesus mean by be shrewd as serpents and

simple as doves (10: 16)?3. Why would the scribes and Pharisees so vehemently

oppose Jesus?

4. Jesus said, Do not think that I have come to bringpeace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peacebut the sword (10: 34). How do you reconcile this

with Jesus as Prince of Peace?5. Jesus said no disciple is above his master, and he

suggested that if he is persecuted, so will his disciplesbe persecuted. Does this apply today? If so, how?


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Copyright 2014 by William C. Creasy

All rights reserved. No part of this courseaudio, video,

photography, maps, timelines or other mediamay be

reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any

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11. Discipleship . . . and Persecution

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