The Gospel of Matthew
29 Day Devotional
The book
of Matthew is a powerful witness to the identity, life and teachings of Jesus.
There are many riches to mine in Matthew for anyone who is interested in
growing closer to the heart of Jesus. Our Savior came preaching, teaching and
healing and He is ready to further His kingdom in and through us. The book of
Matthew gives us a strong sense of what a kingdom-centered life looks like.
Matthew 4:17
"From that time on Jesus began
to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Matthew, it has
been said, is a book written by a Jew, for the Jews, about
a Jew. Matthew was a Jew who became a disciple of Christ. He was also a tax
collector. This put Matthew in a tough position with his people. At the time of
Christ Rome was in charge of Israel and therefore taxes had to be paid to Rome.
However, the Romans didn’t want that job, so the position of tax collector was
given to Jews. The tax collectors would bid for the job and whoever won the bid
would get the “privilege” to collect taxes. They could tax the Jewish citizens
– their own people – for everything. There were typical taxes for emergencies,
roads, wheat, wine and transportation. But there were also taxes for anything
with which the tax collector could come up. It was not unheard of for a tax
collector to stop a pedestrian going home from the market and charge a tax for
what they were carrying. The tax
collectors would have to give what they had bid to the Romans. Anything above
and beyond this was their income. It’s no wonder the Jews hated the tax
collectors! They were being gouged by their very own people!
Matthew, the tax collector, became
a disciple even though he was likely hated by his own countrymen. Yet Jesus, a
Jew, appointed him as one of his core. This book is his perspective on the life
of Jesus.
Because of Matthew’s Jewish
heritage, faith and culture, he was well-versed in the knowledge that he, along
with every other Jew, was waiting for the promised Messiah. Matthew spends much
of this book explaining and proving to the Jews how Jesus truly is the
fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. He wants them to accept the truth that
Jesus is the Messiah that they have been waiting for. For this reason, many of
the parables, explanations, and examples may seem unusual as we don’t have the
benefit of a Jewish culture to help us interpret them. However, through the
power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, every word in this book was also written for
us today, to help us understand the Deity of Christ and the greatness of His
salvation.
Finally, the coming of Jesus,
Matthew emphasizes, is the coming of a specific type of kingdom. Throughout
this book, the leader, values and rules for this kingdom are declared. As
children of the King of this kingdom, we would do well to pay careful attention
to what is said.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
In today’s world there are people who are considered ‘the least of
these’ like the tax collectors of Jesus’ day were considered. Ask the Lord to
bring a few people to mind who are often pushed aside or not treated with
value. Ask Him to give you His heart for them. Spend a few minutes praying for
their blessing. Take a few minutes to ask the Lord if there’s anything He would
have you do to make sure they have access to the gospel – the good news about
Jesus.
2.
Ask the Lord to speak to you about the truth of Jesus as a Jew. Ask Him
if there is any hesitation in loving Him because of His race. Ask Him to grow
in you a love for Him as a Jew, but also for His people.
3.
Take a few minutes to pray for the blessing and protection of the Jewish
people and the nation of Israel. Specifically, if you personally know a Jew,
pray for their blessing, and that they would come to know Jesus as Messiah
before returns.
