Seek and Save VI Two Interviews-The First

Seek and Save VI

Two Intriguing Interviews--The First

Matt 8:18ff

We come to one of those places in the chronology of the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ where there is some uncertainty about how all of the events fit together. Matthew is a mix of chronological and thematic narratives. Luke tells us it is an orderly arrangement. Mark is concerned with those things that tell the “glad tidings”. 

Again, the writers of the Gospels did not write a biography of the Life of Jesus, they were writing about his person and work in order to introduce others to the gospel, the good news of messiah has come, his kingdom has begun, there is life to be found in him and the importance of following him or living in his kingdom. Each one had a purpose for the material they used or didn’t include.

Let’s turn to Matthew 8:18-22....

On this long day in Jesus ministry, he was escaping from the multitudes. He dismissed them, but they did not go away. So, Jesus takes another tact.... But even that is interrupted by two who want some of that personal contact with Jesus we see every so often. In reality, his days were full of these sorts of interactions. Remember John wrote that not all of the books could contain everything he did and said. When among the multitudes, He had no peace.

1. Jesus’ Escape Plan

Matt. 8:18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 

2. The First Intrusion

19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him,  “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

3. The Striking Answer

20 And Jesus said to him,  “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

4. The Second Intrusion

21 Then another of His disciples said to Him,  “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

5. The Shocking Answer

22 But Jesus said to him,  “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Let’s look a it further into the text:

1. Jesus’ Escape Plan

Matt. 8:18  And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 

Jesus had places to go and more of his work to do. It had been a long arduous day. The humanity of Jesus would have felt its effects just like you and I would have. The divinity of Jesus didn’t make him some sort of superman. As a real man, he was subject to the weaknesses of a human body. He needed food, he needed refreshment, he needed sleep and rest to continue the work he had been given to do.

At some point during the preparations to depart, he has a conversation with a man of prominent position within the Jewish establishment of his day. Thus we find....

2. The First Intrusion

19 Then a certain scribe came

An unnamed scribe came to Jesus. This itself is remarkable. The Scribes as a group have already been shown to be plotting the death of Jesus, but were afraid because of the multitudes.

Yet, it was within the sight of these multitudes to whom Jesus had preached about the effects of hearing the Word and the effects of the Kingdom, that this scribe came to tell Jesus an amazing thing.

Before we look at what he tells Jesus, let’s be reminded of what a Scribe was.

The regularity of their appearance in the first three Gospels, demonstrates that scribes were clearly influential--a force of men to be reckoned with. They were not simply clerks or copyists of the Law, they were respected teachers (Matt. 7:29; Mk. 1:22), lawyers, doctors of the law, and some were members of the Sanhedrin (Matt. 16:21; cf. 26:3). They would have been familiar with a literal rendering of the Old Testament especially its Law and with the various rabbinical uses and explanations of the Law.

They are called sometimes Scribes of the people (Matt. 2:4) and scribes of the Pharisees (Mk. 2:16).  These two phrases alone suggest varied shades of meaning for the term grammateus, which is translated scribes.

The scribes in the Gospels were given over to several fields:

(1) The study and interpretation of the law, which was both civil and religious; and to determining its application to the details of daily life; decisions of the great scribes became the oral law or tradition; The TALMUD and various Mishnah.

(2) The study of the Scriptures generally in regard to historical and doctrinal matters; “Elijah must first come” (Matt. 17:10) is attributed to scribal doctrinal pronouncement. Jesus’ “you have heard it said” phrases in the Sermon on the Mount refer to the dictates of rabbis and scribes.

(3) Teaching; each noted scribe, attracting around him a group of disciples (Matt. 7:29; Mk. 1:22), had a developed system of teaching of his own (Matt. 17:11; Mk. 8:11);

(4) Proselytizing (Matt. 23:15) Making Jewish converts. .

        The Synoptic Gospels show scribes active on their own account, either as individuals (4 times) or as groups (16), and also in association with the priestly Sadducean party (Matt. 2:4; 21:15) or the Pharisees (Matt. 23). The grouping of scribes and Pharisees is mentioned 19 times, occasionally perhaps as something of a formula for Jesus’ opponents; scribes and chief priests are coupled 11 times, scribes and elders once, scribes, chief priests, and elders 10 times. The order of names in the Gospels is not consistent, although priority is usually given to scribes over Pharisees, for they were the scholars of the party.

        More precisely they are defined as nomikoi, lawyers, and nomodidaskaloi, teachers of the law (as Gamaliel, Acts 5:34). The scholars of the Pharisees were the leaders of what became rabbinic Judaism, when they were known first as sages, then as rabbis. Rabbis formed a closed order. Only fully qualified scholars, who by ordination had received the official spirit of Moses mediated by succession (SB II 654 f.; cf. Matt. 23:2), were legitimate members of the guild of scribes. They were the learned snobs of Israel.

They were not the good guys wearing white hats. They had turned the Jewish religion into something that only vaguely resembled what God had revealed in the Law and the Prophets.

It is one of these hardened scholars among the Jews that came to Jesus that evening. He would have been wearing the clothes that marked him out as important. He was in view of the multitudes and in order for us to have a record of this interview, someone else had to have heard them. It was not a whispered conversation. Look at the text....

and said to Him,  “Teacher,

This Scribe is using language of respect and assuming the role of pupil as he addresses Jesus with the term that identifies the functional identity of Jesus. He preached the kingdom as he taught the multitudes.

This particular scribe demonstrates a degree of humility for which the scribes were not commonly known. And, what he says is also amazing....

I will follow You wherever You go.”

The scribe uses a future tense expressed in the indicative mood. In the future, I will follow you. From this point on, I will go where you go. Literally, wherever you depart to, I will follow. Such allegiance pledged for a future time indicating the settled resolve and intent of the speaker.

This is after all, what Jesus had told the disciples and the multitudes on many occasions. In all, there are 20 times when Jesus tells individuals to follow him. There are more times when he tells a larger group of the importance of following him. It is also the picture of what the flock of Jesus does in response to his voice, John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

It may be that this Scribe is professing his faith in Jesus expressed in these words. Believing rightly includes following. He demonstrates humility, he is aware of his great need. He professes his allegiance to the Lord. He implies his submission to Jesus as his teacher, although, perhaps in formal language. Jesus gives this inquirer.....

3. The Striking Answer

Jesus doesn’t have him sign a card, or make a note in the front of his scroll, nor even tell him to pray the sinners prayer, and he certainly does not tell him to accept Jesus into his heart, whatever that means. Jesus knows his heart and speaks words to him that strike us as unusual.

This is one of those sayings of Jesus that people read and never ask what does that mean. Or, if they do, they make reference to the life of poverty the Lord Jesus lived. But, remember, Jesus is saying something to the Scribe that is important. We miss its force if we make it to be about Jesus only....

Look at Verse 20:

20 And Jesus said to him,  “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

The Scribe, a man of prominence is Israelite society, a man of distinction in the Jewish religious establishment, a man whose very attire marked him out as important is coming to Jesus, the rabble-rouser out in the wilderness, if he is a part of the Scribe’s plot to kill Jesus. He comes and professes his attention, allegiance and affection for Jesus and Jesus answers him with a word picture.

What does this mean?

We know Jesus had no earthly possessions outside of a few necessities like the clothes on his back, perhaps some parchments, and a few friends, and maybe a pillow. But, that is not the point. The important point is what Jesus is telling the Scribe.

If you follow a fox, you can rest in his hole. If you follow the birds, you can roost with them in comfort. If you follow the son of man, there is no promise of either of these creature comforts in this world. As a disciple you will be continually exposed to everything I am exposed to. Are you ready for that? You have been warned.

By extension, we have also been warned. There is a cost to following Jesus. Many trials may come our way. Some might stretch us in ways we have never been stretched before. Our own families might tweak us to see if our faith is real. Some may inflict injustices of all sorts upon us to see what we are really like. Friends may oppose us, tease and mock us. It can be difficult to live the Christian life. Yet, we look to the future when God will deal with every injustice, especially of those touching upon spiritual realities. Those who trouble you will be undone when brought before the judgment seat of Jesus who, remember, knows all things. I imagine Jesus asking people something like this: remember when you tried to trouble so and so about this and that in order to try to provoke him to anger so you could think he was a hypocrite and make yourself feel good about bringing him down to your level? When the person is unable to talk, or unable to even stand, Jesus will say, “They are mine. When you troubled them, you troubled me. That will be added to your other sins to determine your judgment.” And, that will just be a part of what Jesus will say in truth to sinners like that. There are many people that will be surprised at the judgment when they find out what the real state of their soul was. Like those in Matt 7 who claimed to have done all sorts of things in Jesus’ name, Jesus will say the most sobering words that ever came from his lips, “Depart from me! ……I NEVER knew you.”  The most frightening word in that expression is not, depart, though that is scary to be sent away from Christ’s comfortable presence. It is NEVER. How deluded people can be, even outwardly religious people. The irreligious will have so much more to answer for in the life to come. Jesus knows and he will vindicate his people. It is a frightful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He knows all things and will do good for his own people. Trials in this life should make us long for heaven. I’m ready! But, I’m patiently waiting for His timing to take me home.

There is a cost to be considered before following Jesus. Jesus deals with this new convert in an instructive manner. He tells him of the true cost of following the Son of man, the Son of God. If he follows the Lord Jesus Christ, he may have no place to lay his head. There may be no protection from those who are already after the Lord. You will be open to the air of exposure. Are you ready for that?

We do not know what he did.  The intriguing interview ends there.

What are we to learn? Be careful when dealing with inquirers. Our natural tendency is to confirm and affirm what we want most to see. We want to rejoice and pronounce anyone with an interest in the gospel as a regenerate man or woman and get on with the process of discipleship. This is not an inspired method. In many cases, Jesus tells the inquirers about the cost of following him in his kingdom. Some turn out to be wayside soil where the word heard is snatched away by Satan; or stony place soil where the word is received with great joy, but only endures a little while for when the cost of following is counted, the concerns of the world take over; and others will be thorny soil where any life will be choked out by weeds. Only some who hear, bear fruit in varying degrees. Some start well and end terribly because they have no faith to truly follow.

We function among men as if assurance comes from human affirmation when in truth it comes from divinely given perseverance. Those who endure to the end shall be saved. It is not an inquiry here or there, nor is it a little religious zeal, it is counting the cost and continually, if not continuously, following. It is knowing deep within, that every good thing touching the faith is of divine grace. Amen!