FOCAL TEXT Matthew 8:18 22 BACKGROUND Matthew 8:16 22 MAIN IDEA Jesus demands that his disciples place him over the most legitimate and precious of human concerns, even shelter and family, as well as cultural expectations. QUESTION TO EXPLORE How far should we go in following Jesus? TEACHING AIM To lead the class to describe how the radical nature of discipleship to Jesus applies to their lives Lesson Nine Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship UNIT THREE Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship 102
Lesson 9: Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship 103 BIBLE COMMENTS Understanding the Context Matthew 8 presents the activity of Jesus immediately following the preaching of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 7). Typical of Matthew s style, the sermon concludes with a signal to the reader that Jesus has completed his teaching: Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes (Matt.7:28 29). The sermon in chapters 5 7 is the first of five large blocks of teaching material delivered by Jesus in Matthew (10:5 42; 13:1 53; 18:1 19:1; and 24:1 26:1). Each block of material ends with a variation of the phrase, when Jesus had finished saying these things. More important, each block of material focuses on the demands of discipleship with regard to ethics, mission, kingdom, church discipline, and future hope. Jesus words in 5:17 20, concluding with unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (5:20), vividly demonstrate the radical demand of discipleship Jesus requires, and they provide the context for the potential discipleship encounters in the focal passage. After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus again took up his Galilean ministry. Previously, Jesus had traveled throughout the region, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people (4:23 25). The resulting press of crowds from all over Palestine provided the opportunity for Jesus to preach both to his disciples and to the crowds. The call to follow this radical form of discipleship is presented to both insiders and outsiders alike. When faced with Jesus radical demands for discipleship, insiders (disciples) may find them too rigorous, but outsiders (the crowd) may find them challenging and purposeful. Prior to the focal verses, Jesus, as in chapter 4, again demonstrated his gracious power to heal various types of disease and infirmity. Jesus healed a leper (8:1 4), a paralyzed servant of a centurion (8:5 13), and Peter s feverish mother-in-law (8:14 15). The day concluded with even more healings and exorcisms (8:16 17).
104 Unit Three: Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship The Gospel of Matthew brackets Jesus Sermon on the Mount with stories of gracious healing (see 4:23 25). In Matthew, the sermon arguably stands as the single most complete exposition of Jesus demand for radical discipleship, and yet it occurs between powerful stories of grace exhibited in acts of healing. Matthew understood Jesus role of gracious healer as fulfilling the prophetic words from Isaiah 53:4, He took our infirmities and bore our diseases (Matt. 8:17). The Gospel of Matthew s citation of the prophet demonstrated the conviction that everything that Jesus did and said fulfilled prophecy. The placement of Jesus radical demands of discipleship next to Jesus demonstration of the healing grace of God accurately portrays the tension between God s grace and God s demand. As Paul said, we are saved by grace for the doing of good works (Ephesians 2:5 10). Interpreting the Scriptures Outsiders and Insiders Crowds and Disciples Called to Radical Discipleship (8:18) Matthew 8:18 22 tells of Jesus encounter with two potential followers. The narrative shows the potential for outsiders to become insiders and for insiders to become outsiders. A scribe an outsider and a disciple an insider faced the radical nature of discipleship. Matthew s distinctive presentation of the story emphasizes the insider/outsider theme. The parallel account in Luke 9:57 62 follows Matthew s narrative closely, but Luke s omission of the identity of the questioners blunts the comparison of outsiders with insiders. The Gospel of Matthew makes clear that the rigors of radical discipleship challenge both individuals. Additionally, Jesus here described the rigors of discipleship in deeply personal and challenging terms. What may have been for the hearers of the Sermon on the Mount an exercise in intellectual consideration, now became for these questioners a serious challenge to conform their lives to Jesus call to discipleship that placed Jesus over even concern for shelter, family, and societal expectations. The episode opens with Jesus recognition of the press of crowds and his order to go over to the other side (Matt. 8:18). The Greek text is not specific as to whom Jesus gave the order. Some English translations
Lesson 9: Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship 105 have the order being given to the disciples (Good News translation, The Message, New Living translation), which assumes too much and ignores the fluid insider-outsider dynamic presented in the early chapters of Matthew. To this point Jesus has called four disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John (4:18 22) and they, along with other unnamed disciples, had gathered to hear Jesus preach (5:1). Jesus did not designate the twelve disciples until 10:1 4. All this suggests that the dividing line between crowds and disciples in Matthew is thin. Some in the crowd might choose discipleship, while some followers would prove themselves no disciples at all. Matthew clearly understood two distinct responses to the rigorous challenge of discipleship. One was the response of the crowds variously depicted as being interested, fascinated, or even appreciative of Jesus teaching. The second was the response of a disciple who takes up the demands of radical discipleship and commits to following Jesus no matter the cost. The narrative obliges the reader to consider which of the two responses he or she might choose. An Outsider Challenged by Radical Discipleship (8:19 20) The first encounter with the radical nature of discipleship was between Jesus and a scribe. Here the questioner was an outsider seeking to follow Jesus but perhaps not understanding the nature of radical discipleship. The issues raised include (1) a hasty response to the call of Jesus and (2) the understanding of where disciples find their rest and security. 8:19. Matthew identified the first questioner as a scribe ( teacher of the law, niv). The scribe stated his intention to follow Jesus wherever Jesus went. The scribe s assertion foreshadows Simon Peter s boast in 26:33, Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you. Perhaps, like Peter, this scribe made a promise he could not fully appreciate. Following Jesus wherever Jesus goes requires serious consideration of the way of the cross, the way of rejection. The scribe, like Peter and all the disciples, had not understood the radical demands of following Jesus. 8:20. Jesus reply to the scribe presents one of the consequences for submitting to radical discipleship. Jesus dramatically contrasted God s
106 Unit Three: Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship provision for the animals of the field and the birds of the air with the life of following that finds no place to rest. Take note of the proverbial nature of Jesus words. Jesus disciples, at least for a time, continued to maintain homes and residences. Jesus had just been in the home of Simon Peter (8:14), and believers in the early church maintained homes where churches would gather to worship and pray. The sense of Jesus words demonstrates the radical nature of discipleship that recognizes the calling to follow a Master who moves about and has nowhere to lay his head. Too much concern for home and hearth may hinder those who wish to submit to radical discipleship. Radical discipleship balances the need for security with an acceptance of risk-edge living as a way of life. An Insider Challenged by Radical Discipleship (8:21 22) In the second encounter in this passage, Jesus dialogued with an ambivalent disciple who seemingly had a good excuse for postponing a response to Jesus call to radical following. Jesus words offer important teaching about the nature of discipleship and our commitment to family. Examine this saying in light of other of Jesus teachings on family and family relationships. In Matthew, Jesus often expressed a less than favorable view of family relationships and commitments. At the least, Jesus asserted that family relationships come second to the radical demands of discipleship. In Matthew 10, Jesus explicitly stated that his coming would set family members against one another (10:34 39). Elsewhere, Jesus apparently rejected his own family in favor of a family made up of people who God s will (12:46 50). Later, when Peter protested that he and the other disciples had left all to follow, Jesus stated plainly that this was the norm for radical discipleship, and he offered compensation to those who had left family to follow (19:27 30). These incidents and sayings remain in tension with Jesus positive words and actions about and toward family. In Mark 7:9 13, Jesus prohibited shirking responsibility for one s parents by dedicating resources to God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus cared for his mother and provides for her continuing care after his death (John 19:25 27). James and Jude, the brothers of Jesus, were recognized leaders in the early church, and each wrote powerful letters demanding ethical and moral correctness and a radical lifestyle of discipleship. Jesus is not confused or ambivalent about
Lesson 9: Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship 107 the issue. Rather, he presented those who would be radical disciples with a sense of priority and mission. Biological family is important, but God s purposes and plan may require radical choices and commitments. 8:21 22. The disciple s request to take care of an important family duty seems reasonable enough. Faithful Jews held burial as an act of piety on par with alms giving and public prayer. Not only would a child be required to bury his or her father, but also all would understand the completion of this task as necessary and proper. In this context, Jesus reply seems overly harsh. However, the request may reflect a potential responsibility rather than an actual one. The disciple s father might not have died yet, and, in essence, he was saying, I ll follow you when I have taken care of things that are more important to me. This kind of postponed discipleship received a harsh rebuke and challenge from Jesus: Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead. Jesus saying suggests that even perceived acts of piety pale in comparison to the requirements of radical discipleship. Following the focal passage, the Gospel of Matthew continues to present Jesus as one who calls individuals to radical discipleship. Significantly, in 9:9, the call of Matthew the tax collector stands in sharp contrast to the encounter with the scribe and the disciple in chapter 8. Here, Jesus called one who had perhaps more to lose than any other potential disciple yet encountered. The tax collector s position, property, power, and even his life were at stake when Jesus called, Follow me. Yet, Matthew left his collection booth and followed. Without concern for his previous duties, seemingly undeterred by the prospect of a life free from earthly security, leaving behind his dead existence, Matthew responded to Jesus call to radical discipleship. This radical discipleship would prove challenging as Jesus showed himself to be one who ignores social and cultural views about who is and isn t acceptable (9:9 13), insisted on doing things differently (9:16 17), and got accused of being partnered with the ruler of the demons (9:34). However, Jesus had already demonstrated that this kind of radical discipleship gets noticed (7:28 29).
108 Unit Three: Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship Focusing on the Meaning Christians are not saved from this world but for this world. Radical discipleship means following Jesus in his radical commitment to renew God s creation, to make the world as God intends it to be. Christians who do not take seriously the radical demands of following Jesus settle for a diminished Christian existence. Churches that do not present the radical demands of discipleship are guilty of presenting potential followers what Dietrich Bonhoeffer described as cheap grace... grace without discipleship. 1 All Christians must consider their responsibility to family, job, and personal interests against the weight of Jesus demand and call to radical discipleship. Responding to Jesus call will require many to give up comfort, security, and certainty in exchange for discomfort, danger, and uncertainty. Others may and probably will have to consider an immediate rather than postponed response to Jesus call to discipleship. These, like Matthew the tax collector, will follow Jesus when he calls risking all to follow Jesus in radical discipleship. TEACHING PLANS Teaching Plan Varied Learning Activities Connect with Life 1. 2. Take to class two dictionaries (and a thesaurus if available), or print out copies of a definition of the word radical (see a printed dictionary or google the word). Also, have on hand one blank envelope and 4 x 6 card for each participant (see step 11). Begin by asking members whether they have ever done anything really radical. Allow for some levity as members brainstorm. After brief discussion, ask members how they would define the term
Lesson 9: Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship 109 3. radical. Write responses on the board. Hand the dictionaries to volunteers and ask them to read the definition, or distribute the copies for everyone to read. Invite someone to read the antonyms (opposites) for radical from the thesaurus. Ask whether anyone can describe a time or event when he or she saw someone act in a truly positive radical way. Inquire, What made the action radical? Guide Bible Study 4. Use the information under A Time to Get Away in the Study Guide and Understanding the Context and Outsides and Insiders in this Teaching Guide to provide the context of the two encounters in this lesson s Scripture passage. 5. Note that this lesson s Scripture points out the radical nature of discipleship in rather stark ways. Encourage members to read Matthew 8:18 20 silently and be prepared to identify the radical implications of Jesus words. 6. Ask, Why did Jesus not simply say, Great, come on? What do you think Jesus meant by his response? Encourage answering. 7. Interject, if it is not mentioned, that Jesus response points directly to the cost of being a disciple, including the necessity of reordering priorities and making sacrifices. Ask, What sacrifice was Jesus saying this scribe might have to make if the scribe followed him? Point out that Jesus response hints at the possibility of rejection. 8. Invite someone to read 8:21 22 while the class listens for what Jesus was suggesting about priorities of Jesus disciples. Call for responses. Explain the verses using information on these verses in the Study Guide and in Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide. Clarify Jesus teaching about care and regard for parents. Ask, What do you think might be behind this man s delay in following? Point out that this disciple s concern was noteworthy, but according to Jesus the man s priorities were misplaced. Further, there is no mention that the man s parents were ill. They might have lived
110 Unit Three: Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship for years, even decades, allowing the man to postpone followship until a more convenient time. Encourage Application 9. Refer to Questions in the Study Guide, and ask question 1. 10. Tell this true story: A missionary explained that in the secular culture of the country in which he served, the church could not afford negative witnesses. His church required a three-year training program, including Bible study and exploration of discipleship, before membership. Ask, How would such a requirement go over in our church? 11. Form groups of three or four people each and pose this question for group discussion: What changes would be required in your life to follow Jesus radical demands? After each person has shared in his or her group, distribute 4 x 6 cards to each one. Ask members to write on the card one change they are willing to make in order to be a more effective disciple of Jesus. Then distribute envelopes and instruct members to place their card inside the envelope and seal it. Instruct them to write their name and address on the envelope. Collect the envelopes, assuring members that no one will open the envelope but them. Explain that you will bring the envelopes back to class next week for a check-up. (Or, consider stamping and mailing the envelopes so participants receive them near the end of the week.) 12. If time allows, call for responses to question 6 from the Study Guide. 13. Close with a prayer that God s Spirit will bring conviction and strength to be radical disciples.
Lesson 9: Face the Radical Nature of Discipleship 111 Teaching Plan Lecture and Discussion Connect with Life 1. Write the word radical on the board. Ask, How would you define this word? What would radical behavior look like? What would it feel like? (perhaps fear, boldness). What would it sound like? (perhaps words not expected in a given situation, such as I forgive you ) 2. Point out that this lesson vividly describes the radical nature of discipleship, with implications for what discipleship may look like, feel like, and sound like. Guide Bible Study 3. Provide a context for this Scripture lesson by giving an overview from A Time to Get Away in the Study Guide. 4. Enlist someone to read Matthew 8:19 20. Ask members to listen for the radical implications of Jesus response. After the reading allow for responses. 5. Ask, What does this passage suggest about the possible cost of discipleship? Use responses to probe deeper into the radical nature of truly following Jesus. Use the information on these verses in the Study Guide and in Bible Comments in this Teaching Guide to lead the class to deeper understanding. 6. Invite someone to turn to Matthew 15:3 6 and be prepared to read. Then have someone read Matthew 8:21 22. After both passages are read, ask whether there is a seeming conflict between the two passages. Be ready to point out that 8:21 22 does not represent misplaced concern but rather misplaced priorities. Explore the meaning of let the dead bury their own dead. Encourage Application 7. Refer the group to Questions in the Study Guide. Lead the group to respond to these questions, especially questions 1, 3, 4, and 6.
112 Unit Three: Further Instructions on Genuine Discipleship 8. 9. Refer to and read or summarize the article A Regenerate Church Membership in the Study Guide. Invite responses. Ask, Does this describe our church today? Close with a prayer that God s Spirit will lead members to be ready to pay the price of discipleship. N O T E S Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1. The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Simon & Schuster, Touchstone book, 1995), 47.