Tuesday 13th September - Matthew 27

Today’s chapter is Matthew 27, you can read it here

Tom writes:

What Matthew masterfully shows is how each of the different sets of people at the crucifixion have received some revelation about who Jesus is but have refused to re-engineer their lives around it.  It has been the repeat theme of his gospel and it reaches a climax here. Pilate is told that Jesus is the King of the Jews and his wife has been warned in a dream but he carries on with his activities as normal, thinking, bizarrely, that giving his hands a quick tinkle in some water is sufficient response to the fact that he is about to crucify his Maker.  Others, such as the soldiers and the crowds, have glimpsed Jesus’ kingship and saving power but prefer to stand themselves above or outside of this claim, mocking him for it or suggesting that his supporting evidence isn’t quite strong enough to gain their approval. 

What a disgusting thing this is.  How stupid to think that we can watch God in a detached manner and pass judgement on Him according to our own rules and opinions.  Matthew’s provocative demand is that we climb inside this narrative and submit ourselves to the revelation of God that is taking place in this Place of the Skull.  We have to walk this ground with humility and openness, prepared to be completely undone and remade by this history-quaking and earth-shaking event.  Life can not go on as normal after we have truly understood the cross; either we choose to drink its blood and follow its call or we close our ears and live forever with its blood on our hands. 

Question for reflection

Are you walking the ground of the cross with humility and openness, letting it undo you and remake you?