October 22, 2023
Matthew 8:18-27 (Read As We Go)
Complimentary Reading: Daniel 7:13-14

The title of the sermon is “The Price Of Discipleship.”

Matthew laid out his account of the gospel thematically. Jesus’ preaching was received as was seen as being different from the scribes and “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority.” (7:28b-29a) This wonder and surprise of the crowd and disciples will continue to be a theme in the miracles and ministry of Jesus. ¶ “When Jesus confronts the world, many of the world’s expectations [were] destroyed.” (Carson, When Jesus …, 39) It is clear from the gospels accounts that Jesus did not fit in the model the Jewish culture had made for Him. He would not do the things they would expect, say the things expected or be the man they expected. One might say that in every way Jesus was a surprise. Jesus’ disciples, even convinced that Jesus was worthy of their full devotion through His ministry, were constantly puzzled by Jesus. They too even expected something different from the Lord than what they got. “When Jesus confronts the world today, similar misconceptions must often be cleared away.” (Carson, When Jesus …, 40) ¶ When reading the comments of others regarding the Son of Man, one will realize rather quickly that comments on Jesus, as presented in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, provide for the most varied and contradictory opinions and comments by far when compared with any other book of the Bible (save Revelation perhaps). The collective Church cannot come to hard conclusions when interpreting what Jesus did and taught to this day. ¶ God’s ways are not our ways. When we see Jesus as work in the word in the most important history ever written about, we too are left scratching our heads, looking to stimulate as many brain cells as possible to better understand Immanuel ¶ So we gladly continue on our journey of understanding regarding our Lord this morning, as we clear up some of our own misconceptions and remember the truths and teaching of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.

Outline:
The Price Of Discipleship.
The Response Of The Disciples.

The Price of Following Jesus

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

• Jesus gave orders to depart from the crowd and head to the other side. This would have been no less than a seven mile journey by boat perhaps as many at 13 miles.
• We often see Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to get away to pray, to rest, and here to work with the apostles.
• As they were leaving, two others wanted to join their cohort.

THE SCRIBE

• Scribes were not just “copy machines” although they did this work. >>
• "The scribes … enjoyed the authority of leadership in Israel. In the New Testament they are associated with the Pharisees and the High Priests … In the Mishnah they are presented as pre-rabbinic teachers with authority, as well as copyists and teachers."1⁸
• They functioned as lawyers at times as well and witnesses to what was in the Jewish law.
• We see the scribe of text calling Jesus “teacher” as he asked to join His ministry. >>
• This title of “teacher” for Jesus was used elsewhere in Matthew by Jesus’ rivals and naysayers.
• This has led many to conclude that Matthew was introducing Jesus’ rivals here in this section of his account of the gospel. For me this alone is not enough to say that for sure, but we know that is the preferred title to those that opposed him. With that said, I would lean a soft yes on the point.
• The title of teacher which was “accurate but not adequate.” >> (Blomberg, Matthew, 146)
• But “teacher” (rabbi) was for many as far as people were willing to go to describe Jesus for themselves.
• In our culture there are those that say Jesus was a “good teacher” but no more. But one must come to terms with the person of Christ. Either He is who He said He is or at the very least one must conclude that He definitely was not a good teacher. Either He is Savior and God and therefore --by default-- the best Teacher or He is not any of those. Each person must decide.
• What is for sure here is that Jesus’ reply did not “encourage or discourage the scribe” from following Him. He simply stated what it would cost the scribe personally. (Constable)
  • This is one of the main points of discipleship: all are invited to walk with Jesus more closely, but it will cost you something.
  • “Jesus was very busy traveling from one place to another as an itinerant preacher and teacher”, “more austere than the lives of birds and foxes.” (Constable; Blomberg, Matthew, 146, respectively)
  • This scribe would have had to join Jesus as a wanderer. He would not be going home each night or checking in and out from time to time. A leader in Israel would have lost much esteem amongst his peers to follow Jesus.
• On a spiritual level, we are to remember too that this is not our home as sojourners. We too are a type of wanderer. Sometimes we wonder around aimlessly sometime we wander around with purpose in ministry. (cf. Blomberg, Matthew, 146)

THE GRIEVING SON

• We see an improvement in titles from the next guy who used the title of “Lord” for Jesus.
• This man had to give something up, here it is social norms.
  • Jesus used what France coined “shock-tactics” to present His radical demands. (The Gospel According …, 161)
  • An eldest son would have the responsibility of burying his dead father. but Jesus seems indifferent to this when He said in essence, “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead–including your father.”
  • Many Christians want to sand the edges off of Jesus’ teachings by explaining away His sharp demands.
  • Here is where Carson got out his sandpaper: he thought it necessary to (quote) “question whether Jesus was really forbidding attendance at the father’s funeral.” (“Matthew,” 209)
  • But France made a good point here, “If the consecration of a Nazirite or of the High Priest did not allow him to attend even to his father’s funeral (Nu. 6:6-7; Lv. 21:11), Jesus’ demand is no less absolute.” (The Gospel According …, 160)
  • Many of you will remember: we will see this same concept later in the NT when Jesus’ own family comes looking for Him. This promoted Him to say He was with His family already.
  • The theological truth is equally as clear: cultural responsibilities were diminished as priorities for the disciples as we shall continue to see in Matthew’s account of the gospel. This is the first of many times Jesus will articulate the cost of discipleship regarding social norms and relationships.

THE SON OF MAN is used by Jesus for Himself.

• This title occurs 82 times in the accounts of the Gospel, (ESV) “69 times in the Synoptics, and 29 times in Matthew.” (ESV)[793] “In every instance except two, it was a term that Jesus used of Himself. In those two instances, it is a term used by others who were quoting Jesus (Luke 24:7; John 12:34).” (Constable; cf. Carson, “Matthew,” 209)
• To us now, “The Son of man” is not just a christological title with only the purpose of informing the reader as to “‘who Jesus is.’” The title is also "a self-designation that … “describes Jesus as ‘the man,’ or ‘the human being,’” as Kingsbury wrote, “(earthly, suffering, vindicated)” I would add glorified.¹
• In other words, the title encompasses His mission as God’s Man on the earth and not only what He accomplished but also what He has left to accomplish.

Discipleship started on the “other side” of the crowd.

• One of the themes of the accounts of the gospel is a focus on Jesus investing in small groups of people. They have names of The Three, The Twelve, and a larger group of The Seventy.
• This is where Jesus would spend most of His time teaching.
• If the mega-synagogue would have been more effective in reaching the world, I think it is a safe assumption that Jesus would have catered to the crowds more with His sermons instead of the few with discipleship.

The use of the term “disciple” in the NT:

• There have been many wordsmiths articulate their particular view on what did Jesus mean when He used the term disciple.
• I would remind us here that many words have zero meaning outside of their contexts. ‘Disciple’ is no different when used in the Bible. The word was used for the 12 men who walked with Jesus 3+/- years, of course. It was used to describe students of other teachers also (e.g., John the Baptist). It is used to describe larger groups of people and is a synonym for Christians as well (cf., Acts 6:7). (Robinson)
• So I take issue with Carson who puts chains on the term “disciple.” He puts forth the idea that when Jesus uses the term, He does so to describe, quote “a broad spectrum of people who are at that point following Jesus.” (Carson, When Jesus …, 42)
• Instead, I wholeheartedly agree with France, Blomberg and Constable here. They saw the term needing to be defined in the contexts in which it appears. Here it meant a more committed follower of Jesus.⁵

APPLICATION

• This still remains a prerequisite today: “Anyone who wants to follow Jesus closely –as a disciple– must be willing to give up many of the normal comforts of life. Following Him involves … [going] where He directs, and doing what He commands. [As a disciple, Jesus takes] precedence over enjoying the normal comforts of life whenever these conflict. [Constable said it best,] Discipleship is difficult.” (Constable; emphasis mine.)
• Discipleship will cost every devotee something and possible everything.
• Discipleship is a call to die.

TRANSITION
The Price of Following Jesus. >> The Response Of The Disciples.

Disciples got into the discipleship boat. Verse 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

• This boat ride was one they would never forget.
• “Very frequently our experience of something is different from our expectations.” (Carson, When Jesus …, 38)
• Picture it, I can see the disciples were feeling warm and fuzzy as they looked at each other. Being proud that they had made a choice of discipleship. Wispering to each other, “We are disciples” with a smile. >>
• Then BAM!; the storm of their life.
• That’s discipleship.
• “Since Bornkamm’s famous article of 1948 (see TIM, pp. 52-57), it has been generally agreed that Matthew’s placing of the incident after vv. 19-22, together with some details in his wording, shows it was for him [a proclamation pattern or ] ‘paradigm of the danger and glory of discipleship’.” (France, The Gospel According …, 161)
• The secondary plot is how the disciples responded to these instances of danger and glory that were presented to them. (France, The Gospel According …, 161)

They were fearful, shocked and amazed.

• These men were people just like us. They chose discipleship, but growth took time.
• They had much to learn, but they had started their journey.
• These men responded with fear often as they did in the boat that day with Jesus.
• Jesus rebuked them or at least taught them about their lack of faith. Jesus was teaching what has been said before, “Faith chases out fear, or fear chases out faith.” (Carson, “Matthew,” 216)
• The disciples had God in their boat yet they were fearful of His creation. They were learning these things, and much of what they saw didn’t solidify until the post-cross Pentecost event where the Holy Spirit’s indwelling became a reality for all believers.
• Nevertheless, their choice to be in the boat was blessed with seeing the miraculous as they marveled at Jesus’ calming of the storm.

Why did Matthew place this account here?

• One of Matthew’s points surely in this section of Scripture is to teach that Jesus has power over all creation.
• But I don’t believe that is his main point.
• In verse 23 we see "the repetition of the key words ‘disciples’ and ‘followed.’ This strongly suggests that here we have a lesson on discipleship.⁷
  • Plainly stated, the discipled followed; they got into the boat. >> (Cf. Constable)

In three short years or less, Jesus’ disciples are about to become ministry leaders very soon in Matthew’s narrative.

• They were tested with money.
• They had their egos stepped on.
• They faced challenges in their families.
• They wondered around homeless.
• They had to come face-to-face with their individual hangups.
• They had a target placed on their backs in the earliest pats of their ministries and almost all succumbed to martyrdom at the end of their ministry.
• The people not in the boat were continuing to live lives of faith as they had done before.
• There’s a difference.

APPLICATION

• I believe the Bible is as clear as anything could be regarding discipleship, what it is and what it is not.
  • Discipleship, real discipleship is an open call to all people of faith.
  • It must be chosen.
  • It has individual costs and common costs associated with it.
  • We too often see a storm when it comes to taking the biggest commitments with God.
  • Often we are fearful even though we have seen God’s track record in our lives personally —as the disciples had.
  • We all have an invitation to choose close discipleship with the Lord.
• What can help us?
  • We come into complete faith when we have a complete theology of the sovereignty of God.
  • One needs to understand that God’s purposes were being done not only on the Sea of Galilee but in the events of our lives as well.
  • The disciples knew Jesus could do something about the storm, but they failed to see the spiritual side of things: drowning was not Jesus’ purpose. He therefore could not drown. (Cf. Carson, “Matthew,” 216)
  • Despite the storms of our current world, the world is on God’s time table to wrap up just as God intended. God puts on the thrones of the world anyone He chooses. Things are going according to His plan.

ILLUSTRATION

• D.L. Moody

APPLICATION

• In Charles Ryrie’s book Balancing the Christian Life, >> Two variables to becoming more like Christ: rate and time. COMMENT
• Choose to commit.

Notes

^{Notes from above may not be in numerical order.}

¹ Cited in Constable as Kingsbury, Jack Dean. Matthew as Story. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988, p. 103. The original quote was edited for accuracy purposes (in Monte’s opinion).

² Cited in Constable as Scofield, C. I., ed. The Scofield Reference Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1917, p. 1004. The original quote was much edited, but the idea of the point remains.

³ “Sea of Galilee.” Wikipedia.org, web, accessed Oct 2023.

⁴ Carson, “Matthew,” 218. Carson cited, “Acts 19:15 ; Ladd, NT Theology, p. 165.”

⁵ See France, The Gospel According …, 159; Blomberg, “Matthew,” 147, & Constable. Constable went an interesting direction when he wrote, “the word disciple does not necessarily identify fully committed followers or even believers” He conferred with vv. 5:1 & 8:21 of Matthew as proof. His choice of reference verses is very puzzling to me.

⁶ See Blomberg, Matthew, 146; Constable also wrote, “Some scholars believe that Matthew consistently belittled the scribes in his Gospel.[791, E.g., W. F. Albright and C. S. Mann, Matthew.] I do not believe that he did this (cf. 13:52; 23:34), but Matthew’s references to the scribes are usually negative. Matthew seems to present everyone who came to Jesus without prejudice. The issue to Matthew was how various people responded to Jesus.”

⁷ In The Gospel According …, 159, France cited, G. Bornkamm, G. Barth, and H. –J. Held, Tradition and Interpretation in Matthew (E.T. London: SCM Press, 1963), pp. 54-55, 201-203)."

⁸ Allen Ross. “The Scribes.” Bible.org, April 26, 2006.

Works Cited

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Click here to access the works cited web-page for this document, save those marked as “Notes” or “Other Works Cited”–if any. Most of these cited works correspond to the verses they are outlined with. In the case of general background information and references, one will find cited material with the Bible books the citations are associated with. ¶ Furthermore, there may be numbered notes that are URL linked; these are usually retained numbered notes from Thomas Constable’s, “Dr. Constable’s Expository (Bible Study) Notes.” These links are preserved “as is” at the time of this work’s formation and I usually include other citation information from Constable as well (e.g. authors’ names).

Other Works Cited

Note: All of the resources below were cited in at least one of the sermons in the Book of Matthew but not necessarily this one.

Augsburger, David. Dissident Discipleship. Brazos Press, 2006.

Barclay, William. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible. Westminster Press, 1955-1960. Sourced digitally from studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb.html.

Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. New American Commentary, vol. 22, ed. David S. Dockery, et al., Broadman Press, 1992. May be sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/matthew0000blom

________. Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation. Baker Academic, 2004. Sourced from archive.org.
(https://archive.org/details/preachingparable0000blom/page/82/mode/1up)

Bruce, Alexander Balmain. The Training of the Twelve. Ed., A.C. Armstrong and Son, reprint 1984, Kregel Publications, 1971 edition.

Carson, D. A. “Matthew.” The Expositors Bible Commentary, Frank E. Gaebelein, Ed. et al., Zondervan, 1984.

_______. The Sermon on the Mount : an Evangelical of Matthew 5-7 Exposition. 1978, Baker Book House, fifth printing, 1989. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/sermononmounteva0000cars/page/54/mode/1up

_______. When Jesus confronts the world : an exposition of Matthew 8-10. Originally published by Inter-Varsity Press in 1988, Paternoster, 1995. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/whenjesusconfron0000cars/page/n3/mode/1up

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Our Daily Bread Publishing, web ver.

Davies, W. D. and Dale C. Allison, Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. T. & T. Clark, 1988. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/criticalexegetic0001davi/page/n7/mode/1up

Evans, Craig A. The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew-Luke. Victor, 2003. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/bibleknowledgeba00crai/mode/1up

France, R. T. The Gospel According to Matthew. W. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1985.

_______. The Gospel of Matthew. W. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/gospelofmatthew0000fran/page/n6/mode/1up

Harrington, Daniel J . The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series, vol. 1, A Michael Glazier Book, Liturgical Press (publ.), 1991. Sourced from archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/gospelofmatthew0000harr/mode/1up

Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke. Baker Book House, 1984.

Phillips, John. Exploring the Gospels: John. Loizeaux Brothers, 1988.

Plumptre, E. H. “Matthew.” Commentary for English Readers, Charles John Ellicott, Compiler/Editor, Lord Bishop of Gloucester Cassell and Company, Limited, 1905. Sourced from BiblePortal.com. Click here for a list of the authors of the CER.

Robinson, Monte. The Way of Discipleship. Independently published, 2021. Web, aimdiscipleship.org/book.html, accessed Oct 2023.

Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Zondervan, 1995.

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