Matthew 9:9-13
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 11:25-30
The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 26:31-32
Jesus Says He Will Rise Alive from His Own Death
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
“‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Matthew 28:1-10
Jesus Has Risen
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
St. Matthew gives us some unique stories about Jesus...We learn that Jesus came to help others...That He came for sinners...Matthew when he is called by Jesus, he is linked to sinners by Jesus...
Jesus came to serve those that were weary and burdened and to sinners...And He promised them rest...Yet, the Man could walk on water...For those who believe in Him, surely He is the most Unique Man ever...We see by His miracles that He was divine...And many days I find myself scratching my head, thinking how could He do and say such things...Things like I came to earth for sinners and to help those who are weary...And scratching my head on how did could He do such things as walk on water...And perhaps the most unique thing He did was rise from the dead...
I often find myself asking what and why is He so unique?...What makes Him different?...He tells us “All things have been committed to me by my Father...No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”...So no one really knows who He really is, because only His Father in heaven knows Him...But He has chosen to reveal Himself those who have faith, in Him and His Father...No one put God above themselves as He did...No one has ever put God more central in their lives than He does...And if He did come from heaven and was, in fact, the Son of God wouldn't He have this uniqueness surrounding Him most, if not all of the time?...
But the most unique thing for me, is His ability to rise from His death...He overcame death...So He dies for us, and yet He comes back...Without coming back to life, He may have been just another prophet...But He rises from the dead in an odd way...Yet, He had told His friends and disciples that He would do just that...He told them that He would not only die, but He would rise from the dead and be in the town of Galilee, ahead of His Disciples and brothers...And in Galilee they would see Him after His death...And they do see Him after His death, which would put death into a new and different Light for those seeing Him, especially those who knew Him (like His Disciples)...Death would not have the fear and the sting anymore for them (I would think)...
All of His teachings and healings and miracles were done out of a selfless LOVE...Everything He does is out of LOVE...The four gospels are all about that LOVE...That was His fate and His life to die for sinners...His life is a LOVE Story for Sinners...This is the point of His entire life -to die for those who sinned...We say and think we understand LOVE, but everything in His life is about LOVE...Complete, unfettered, selfless LOVE...
All these things seem a little strange and odd, especially His rising from the dead...He makes death even seem mysterious, odd, and unique...But that is how He died, and that is how He wants us to think about Him...Otherwise, He would have done the things He did on earth, quite differently...To come from heaven and the spiritual world to the world of earth and the world of flesh makes it hard from me to grasp...But when you think about the point of His life is all about dying for sinners, then all one sees is the LOVE He brought from heaven and to us...