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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We move on to Matthew Chapter 13 and verses 1 to 23. Jesus has been travelling around the various towns and villages and what does Jesus do everywhere he goes? He proclaims the good news of the kingdom. He moves around physically and geographically. He changes places for preaching and teaching, but he does not change his message.
Luke tells us in Chapter 8 that the twelve were with him. They would be learning so much as they listened, watched, and observed.
There were also some women following Jesus around - some of whom had been healed and delivered from evil spirits. They contributed their money to support and finance the work and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was so pure and holy and perfect and sinless, that he could allow these women to be around him everywhere he went, without rumours, whispers, and suspicions behind his back.
There was never ever a hint or a question regarding his morality - over his holiness - over his purity, in the eyes of God the Father.
Matthew gathers his gospel around five main clusters of teaching. The structure Matthew uses is five main discourses of Jesus.
In Chapters 5 to 7 we have the Sermon on the Mount which is the description of how life is to be lived for those in the Kingdom of God. In Chapter 10, after the call of the disciples, Jesus gives them the Mission of the Kingdom. Chapter 13 contains the Parables of the Kingdom. Chapter 18 deals with relationships within the kingdom, and Chapters 24,25 speak about the climax or consummation of the Kingdom, with the Olivet discourse. After Jesus had finished this teaching, each section is punctuated with such a phrase.
It is good just to have this quick overview of how Matthew constructed his Gospel account of the life and teaching and ministry of Jesus. Our people need to have a broad sweep at times as well as the tremendous detailed teaching in each Chapter.
On a Tuesday afternoon, I have the privilege of having a Bible Teaching Class with people from other churches. We have been continuing for twelve years and twelve years ago it started as “Ten Talks on Luke”, and it has continued, and we have covered various books of the Bible over these years in some detail, but as I write this we have just completed sweeping through the whole of the Bible where I have sought to give an overview.
It has been so challenging to speak on Creation and The Flood, Abraham and Moses and Joshua, then on to the Judges and the Kings and the Prophets, and then the Gospels, Acts, the Letters and finally Revelation.
Such a task is a challenge for the teacher and there are times when every teacher needs a fresh challenge! How does this speak to you and your setting and your circumstances?
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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