Today’s chapter is Matthew 8.

Tom writes:

Authority. In some ways it has been torn down in our society. But in other ways it is more highly regarded than ever. People pay small fortunes for a lunch with a tech guru in the hope that they can learn some invaluable investment tips. TED is awash with “experts” on pretty much everything. Our deference to experts is an acknowledgement of authority; that some people have particular spheres of life that they know everything about. If you have a particular problem in a particular sphere then all you need to do is employ the right expert and they will sort you out. It is this kind of authority that Matthew speaks into. Jesus, he says, is your expert par excellence. If you are being battered by a storm and you want to know how to survive, This One Man will help you stand firm through the trials. Whether your storm is disease or loneliness or family issues - this same expert will see you through your malady.

Matthew is making this One Great Claim; Jesus has authority. Jesus is the expert. Jesus is the Master Teacher for life. Jesus is the Great Physician, Jesus is the best counsellor or advisor or healer that you ever could find. And - this is the really cool bit - he is willing to work for all at no initial charge. I think we need to recapture our confidence in this basic idea. We need to re-convince ourselves of the expertise of Jesus, of his unrivalled knowledge on life. Each and every person we see today would find their lives dramatically improved if they sat at the feet of Jesus. And how do we re-convince ourselves? I think it is by testing it out. Give his words a try. And consistently and gently encourage the people around you to turn their ears to Jesus. Don’t just treat him as a comforter but as a captain. Don’t just ask Jesus to give you strength to get through, but also ask him what you should do in order to get through. And then do everything he says. If we do that I think we will pretty quickly be convinced; seeing the sick healed is quite a convincing thing, seeing changed lives is quite a convincing thing. It all starts with listening. And then giving it a go. Will you do that today?

Question for reflection

What particular teaching of Jesus are you trying to learn to obey at the moment?

Matthew 8 - Wednesday 14th August