St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 55 - 56, Jesus in his own Country: Astonishment captures his town.

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus at Nazareth) Part 2. 

And they were astonished at the wisdom and knowledge of Christ.  They knew him when he was a child.  He did not have the formal education of a scholar.  He did not have the wealth of a rich family.  His father was a carpenter, they thought.  He was a man of common means.  He learned carpentry from his father.  And they were common people.  So how is it, they said, that he has come by these miracles and this wisdom to teach us in the synagogue.  He was just a common man and astonishment had taken over the thoughts and minds of the people.  It had turned them against him that they could not see.  It had closed their eyes and blocked their hearing that they could not receive the message of the kingdom of heaven.

For Christ, the Son of God, walked among them.  Christ, the Son of God, had come down from heaven.  Christ, the Son of God, took the form of a common man and they could not hear his words.  His own countrymen could not understand his teachings.  His own villagers could not listen to the words of freedom given man from the mouth of God through Christ.  Astonishment had taken them.  Astonishment had closed their hearts that they were so shocked at his presences that their hearts could not accept the love that he gave.  For he sought to plant the good seed of God.  He sought to nourish the good seed that it may grow and produce the fruit of the kingdom of heaven.  But the evil one had called astonishment to the scene to corrupt their hearts that they could not hear.

Astonishment had brought forth anger.  Astonishment had brought forth confusion.  Astonishment had brought forth jealousy.  Astonishment had brought forth hatred.  And the forces of evil blocked the message of the kingdom.  The forces of evil worked against the words of Christ.  For the seed was stolen when it was planted and the message lost.  The townspeople said amongst themselves, "Is not this the carpenter's son?   Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Jude?  And his sisters, are they not all with us?  Then where did he get all this?"  

Christ, the common man they saw, was transformed.  Christ was not the person that they knew.  He was new.  He was different.  He was in God and God was in him.  How often today, our own townspeople are astonished.  How often today are our own church members astonished.  How often today are our own family, our own co-workers, our own brothers and sisters, astonished and become jealous at the new person in Christ.  Who does he think that he is?  Who does she think that she is?  How does she come by doing the things that she does?  How does he get all of the promotions and positions that he does?  Astonishment takes over and brings forth seven more demons and spirits more evil than the first.  And our hearts become blocked.  And our minds become closed.  And we do not hear the message of the kingdom of heaven because astonishment has taken over and our hearts are filled with anger, and jealousy, and envy, and hatred, and all manner of evil.  And we become hypocrites even in the worship of God in our own churches. 

Christ brought us a message of love.  He brought us a message of hope.  He brought us a message of new life where we could be transformed from our old selves to new beings in Christ.  Love one another as I have loved you, was Christ's last commandment to his disciples before going to the cross and sacrificing his life for us.  Let us do the same.  Let us love one another so that all men will know that we are his disciples.  Let us open our hearts to the Advocate who will teach us.  Let us open our hearts to the love that is in Christ that we may rid ourselves of astonishment and the other spirits that contaminate us.  Christ offers us new life.  Are we ready to receive it?

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 53 - 54, Christ teaching in his own country

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus at Nazareth) Part 1.   

Christ has finished teaching in parables.  He has finished talking in stories.  He leaves the people and he and his disciples move on from that place.  And as St Matthew tells us in his gospel,  And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables, that he set out from that place.  And when he had come to his own country, he began to teach them in their synagogues. 

So Christ has moved on from the multitudes that met him in the countryside.  He has traveled on from the hundreds and thousands who came to see him, to touch him, to be healed by him.  Now he seeks his own in the synagogues and villages where he grew up.  For they knew him as a child.  They watched him play in the streets.  They knew of his brothers and sisters.  They knew his parents Mary and Joseph.  And they saw him as an ordinary child.  They did not see him as a teacher.  They did not see him as a prophet.  They did not see him as a man of wisdom.  For he was just an ordinary child.  They did not see him as the Messiah.  For they could only see him as an ordinary person.

And they were astonished when he taught.  They were unbelieving when they heard him speak.  They were unknowing when they heard his words of wisdom, for they knew him as an ordinary man.  They did not see him as a miracle worker.  They did not see him as a man of God.  They did not see him as the Son of God because they could only see him as an ordinary man.  Some were proud.  Some were learned.  Some were educated.  Some were wealthy.  Some were wise.  Some were prudent.  And many were just ordinary people.  But they could not believe that this man, this ordinary person, this miracle worker, came from their village, from their town, from their midst with the knowledge of the kingdom.   So they were astonished, and said, "How did this man come by this wisdom and  these miracles?"

They only saw him as an ordinary man.  They did not believe.  They did not understand.  They could not see.  For astonishment had taken their eyes.  Astonishment had taken their ears.  Astonishment had taken their hearts and they could not believe.  Walk in the way of the Lord and astonishment will come on your hills.  It will affect the people closest to you.  It will close their eyes and block their ears that they will not hear the message of the kingdom.  For they see you as the person.  They see the liar, the thief, the adulterer, the cheat, the blasphemer.  But, they do not see the Christ in you.  For it is Christ who transforms us.  It is Christ who heals us.  It is Christ who delivers us from the bondage of Satan.  It is Christ that gives us new life in him that we may no longer be that which we were.  They will say, "How did this man come by this wisdom?"  They will say how is it that this man performs these miracles?"  Will you become a miracle worker for Christ?  Come!  Be transformed by Christ that you may have his wisdom.

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 50, The Kingdom of Heaven: The Scribe's Instructions.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Conclusion of the parables) Part 2.  

School is out.  The disciples have been given their instructions on the kingdom of heaven.  They have been tested and the scores are in.  Did they learn from their instructions, Christ asked?  Did they understand all that was taught?  Did they perceive the truths that were given by Christ?  All said yes.  All understood.  All  received the truths of the kingdom of heaven.  The disciples are ready to go forth.  The disciples are ready to carry the message.  The disciples are ready to become teachers as Christ has taught them.

So there is nothing further to teach them.  They have learned their lessons.  Christ prepares to move onward to the final destination require for his mission here on earth.  He has given his disciples principles.  He has given his disciples wisdom of the kingdom.  He has passed on to them his knowledge.  He has prepared them for their journey.  He gives them these last instructions.  He says,  "So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old." 

They are the historians of the kingdom.  They are the scribes that will take the spoken word and put it to the future.  They will write the lessons as given by Christ.  For they are the scribes of the future.  They will carry the message.  They have been instructed in the kingdom of heaven.  And they will become the teachers of tomorrow.  The disciples have been tested in their instructions.  They have indicated that they understand all that was taught.  So they are prepared and ready to go forth with the message of the kingdom of heaven.

Those who are the scribes of today, will carry the message of the kingdom.  They will be instructed in the truths of the kingdom of heaven.  For the Holy Spirit, the great teacher,  will teach all things to them.  The Holy Spirit will come and dwell in those who are chosen and teach them the things that were hidden since the foundation of the world.  The Holy Spirit will come and live with those who seek him.  The Holy Spirit will come and be with those who desire to know him.  The Holy Spirit will come and abide with those who love him and love the Lord God. 

Many will say that they have received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized, but only a few will know.  Many will say that they have received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized, but only a few will perceive the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Many will say that they have received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized, but only a few will see his presence.  He is open to all but only a few will truly seek him and know him.  Are you ready to receive the Holy Spirit?  Are you ready to become a scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven?  The Holy Spirit awaits your call. 

The Holy Spirit awaits your desire to know him.  The Holy Spirit awaits to know your love for him.  Seek and you shall find.  Knock and it shall be opened to you.  Ask and it shall be given to you.  Are you ready?  Your life will be transformed and you will not be the same person again.  Are you ready for the transformation?  For you cannot be transformed and remain the same person.  One must come and the other must go.  One must live and the other must die.  One life must be sacrificed and the other will be raised from the dead.  For you will become one in Christ and he will lift you up.  Come!  Be transformed in Christ.