What, If, Is

By Matt

It's honestly embaressing how unoften I'm dLogging lately. I really need to get after this, especially since I have had opportunities and quickly forgotten them thinkign I'd get back to it. No good.

1. "What is the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right?" (Matthew 10:29) - This is hearkening back to some questions Jesus asked earlier, no big surprises here. Yes, we're worth more than a canary and more to God and yes he will take care of us. On an unrelated note, I wonder how many of these questions are Eugene Peterson's invention. Perhaps I should have gone with a more literal translation for this exercise. Hmm.
2. "If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you?" (Matthew 10:33) - One thing can be said for most of the questions that Jesus is asking: they're easy. No, Jesus, if we reject you we shouldn't expect you to not reject us. But, I have a feeling that you will accept us again if we only ask.
3. "Is this what you were expecting?" (Matthew 11:6) - Aha, expectations, one of my favorite themes of the Gospels. John the Baptist's disciples have come to Jesus to ask him if he is the Messiah. Jesus hands them a laundry list of what he's doing, blind are seeing, lame are walking, lepers are healed, etc., and asks if that's what they're expecting. He doesn't continue by saying, "If you said yes, then here I am!" Rather it's a much more ambiguous answer: "Then count yourselves blessed." Perhaps Jesus is saying that while so many were looking for a warrior king, if these guys were looking for the simple acts of reconciliation, they were looking in the right place and much, much better off.