The  Holiness  of  Jesus  in  Matthew  A  Note  to  Teachers  

The  following  series  on  the  holiness  of  Jesus  in  Matthew  takes  seriously  the  conflict  between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  on  the  issue  of  holiness.  The  Pharisees  are  obviously  concerned  with  matters  of  holiness  in  daily  life—things  like  washing  hands  before  meals,  properly  observing  the  Sabbath,  and  avoiding  unclean  sinners.  Jesus,  on  the  other  hand,  rejects  some  of  these  concerns  and,  motivated  by  mercy,  regularly  comes  into  contact  with  “unclean”  people  that  threaten  his  purity.  Some  have  even  noted  that  the  Pharisees  operate  based  on  the  core  value  of  holiness  while  Jesus  operates  based  on  the  core  value  of  mercy.    

I  find  that  to  be  a  false  dichotomy.  In  Matthew,  Jesus  is  imminently  concerned  with  holiness,  but  he  defines  it  differently  than  the  Pharisees;  and  this  is  the  source  of  their  conflict.  They’re  both  trying  to  do  the  same  thing—create  a  holy  community  that  fulfills  the  Torah—but  they  disagree  about  what  that  should  look  like.    

We’ll  begin  this  series  by  highlighting  the  tension  between  holiness  and  mercy,  and  we’ll  draw  on  the  work  of  ACU  psychology  professor,  Richard  Beck,  to  help  us  understand  the  “contamination  logic”  that  leads  us  to  avoid  possible  pollutants.  (I’ve  also  included  in  this  packet  a  chapter  from  his  book,  Unclean,  for  those  interested  in  reading  more  about  this.)  Then,  in  the  next  two  lessons,  to  see  how  holiness  and  mercy  fit  together  in  Jesus’s  teaching  and  ministry,  we’ll  go  back  to  Jesus’s  source  material,  the  Torah  and  Leviticus  specifically,  to  see  how  holiness  is  described.  Finally,  we’ll  return  in  the  last  three  lessons  to  Matthew  to  see  how  Jesus  applies  the  idea  of  holiness  in  his  own  ministry.    

Kilnam  Cha  and  I  divided  the  lessonr writing  for  this  series  according  to  our  own  areas  of  expertise.  Kilnam  wrote  the  two  lessons  on  Leviticus,  while  I  wrote  the  material  on  Matthew.  Our  two  teaching  and  writings  styles  are  slightly  different,  but  we’ve  tried  to  present  a  coherent  series  that  ties  together  our  two  areas  of  study.  

On  behalf  of  myself  and  Kilnam,  thank  you  for  your  investment  in  adult  education.  

Cliff  Barbarick    

The$Holiness$of$Jesus$in$Matthew!Lesson&1:"Holiness"or"Mercy?!

The$Main$Point:$$Throughout!his!ministry,!Jesus’s!compassion!regularly!leads!him!into!contact!with!those!who!

are!considered!“unclean”!or!“impure.”!Because!of!a!deeply!ingrained!“contamination!logic,”!

Jesus’s!contemporaries!struggle!to!understand!and!accept!what!he’s!doing.!They!emphasize!

“holiness,”!while!Jesus!emphasizes!“mercy.”!But!is!that!the!best!way!to!describe!the!conflict?!!

!

Opening:$$(This!opening!activity!is!drawn!from!Richard!Beck’s!book,!Unclean.!If!you!would!like!to!read!more,!a!chapter!from!the!book!has!been!made!available!for!you!in!the!teachers’!materials.)!

!

For!this!opening,!you!will!need!two!items:!one!clean!edible!item,!and!one!contaminant.!You!

might!also!want!a!latex!glove!for!yourself.!In!what!follows,!I’ll!use!a!glass!of!lemonade!and!a!

dead!cricket;!other!items!can!be!used!to!make!the!same!point,!however.!!

!

After!pouring!a!tall!glass!of!lemonade,!choose!a!volunteer!and!ask!the!following!questions:!!

• If)you)were)thirsty,)would)you)have)any)problems)with)drinking)this)glass)of)lemonade?))• What)if)I)poured)it)into)a)brand)new)bedpan)that)I)had)just)taken)out)of)the)box?)Would)you)

drink)it?)o No?)Why)not?))

• Okay,)what)if)I)took)this)dead)cricket)and)dipped)it—just)a)little)bit—in)the)lemonade?)Would)you)drink)it?)(For!maximum!affect,!actually!dip!a!cricket!in!the!lemonade.))

o No?)Why)not?))o Okay,)if)the)cricket)contaminates)the)lemonade,)does)the)lemonade)make)the)cricket)

edible?)Obviously)not.)An)impure)item)contaminates)the)pure)item,)not)the)other)way)around.))

• What)if,)after)dipping)the)cricket)in)the)lemonade,)I)ran)the)lemonade)through)a)filter?)Would)you)drink)it)then?))

o No?)Why)not?))This!opening!activity!illustrates!five!principles!of!“contamination!logic”!or!“disgust!psychology”!(see!

Beck,!p.!23O30)!that!we!find!operative!in!human!cultures!across!different!times!and!places.!!

1. Similarity:!Similar!items!are!connected!in!our!minds,!even!if!we!know!logically!that!they!are!separate.!We!are!disgusted!by!the!lemonade!in!the!bedpan!because!of!what!it!looks!like,!

even!though!we!know!logically!that!it!is!still!safe!to!drink.!!

2. Contact:$Contamination!is!cause!by!contact!or!close!proximity.!The!lemonade!is!clean!until!the!cricket!touches!it!(or!gets!really!close).!!

3. Dose)Insensitivity:!Even!small!amounts!of!pollutant!confer!contamination.!One!small!dip!of!the!cricket!immediately!pollutes!the!entire!glass!of!lemonade.!!

4. Permanence:!It!is!nearly!impossible!to!purify!something!once!it’s!been!contaminated.!Even!though!we!know!the!filter!would!remove!the!pollution!caused!by!the!cricket,!we!are!still!

disgusted!by!the!thought!of!drinking!the!lemonade.!!

5. Negativity)Dominance:!The!pollutant!is!“stronger”!than!the!pure!object.!The!pollutant!ruins!the!clean!object;!the!pure!object!does!not!render!the!pollutant!clean.!!

!

These!principles!of!“disgust!psychology”!make!a!lot!of!sense!when!we’re!talking!about!lemonade!

and!a!cricket.!It’s!in!the!best!interest!of!the!continuation!of!our!species!that!we!are!disgusted!by!

2!

food!that’s!been!contaminated.!The!problem,!however,!is!that!we!too!often!apply!these!same!

principles!to!people,!especially!when!we!are!dealing!with!issues!of!“purity.”!!

!

In!this!way,!we!are!like!the!Pharisees.!We!may!not!have!the!same!purity!concerns!as!the!Pharisees!

in!the!first!century,!but!we!often!employ!the!same!principles!of!contamination!when!relating!to!

“unclean”!people.!!

!

“Disgust$Psychology”$and$Jesus’s$Ministry:$Ask!the!class!to!scan!through!Matthew!8:1–9:34!and!identify!various!“pollutants”!that!Jesus!

encounters.!How!does!an!awareness!of!“contamination!logic”!deepen!our!understanding!of!these!

encounters?!!

• The)leper!(8:1O4).!• The)Gentile)centurion!(8:5O13).!Jews!considered!Gentiles!unclean!and!avoided!contact!with!

Gentiles!for!that!reason!(cf.!Acts!10:28).!!

• Peter’s)motherLinLlaw!(8:14O15).!Her!illness!would!make!her!a!possible!contaminant,!both!physically!and!spiritually.!Illness!was!often!understood!as!the!result!of!unclean!spirits.!It’s!

also!potentially!significant!that!he!touches!a!woman!to!whom!he!is!not!related.!!

• The)demonLpossessed)and)sick)(8:16).!!• The)two)demoniacs)(8:28–9:1).!Not!only!are!they!demonOpossessed;!they’re!likely!Gentiles!

(notice!the!presence!of!pigs,!animals!that!Jews!did!not!eat).!

• The)paralyzed)man!(9:2O8).!See!the!note!above!about!the!cause!of!illness.!!• Matthew)and)other)tax)collectors!(9:9O13).!The!Pharisees’!response!reveals!that!these!people!

were!generally!thought!to!be!unclean.!!

• The)dead)girl)(9:18O19,!23O26).!According!to!the!Torah,!contact!with!a!corpse!rendered!a!person!unclean!(Num!19:11O20).!!

• The)hemorrhaging)woman!(9:20O22).!According!to!the!Torah,!menstruation!was!an!impurity!that!could!be!passed!through!contact!(Lev!15:19O31).!

• The)blind)men)(9:27O31).!See!the!note!above!about!the!cause!of!illness.!• The)mute)demoniac)(9:32O33).!Here,!Matthew!explicitly!connects!a!physical!ailment!to!

demonOpossession.!This!connection!is!implicit!in!the!other!encounters!in!these!chapters.!!

!

Nearly!every!story!in!these!two!chapters!involves!Jesus!encountering!“pollutants”!in!the!eyes!of!his!

Jewish!contemporaries.!And,!in!Matthew’s!gospel,!these!chapters!introduce!us!to!Jesus’s!adult!

ministry.!In!Matt!1O4,!the!author!presents!Jesus’s!birth!and!preparation!for!ministry!(his!baptism!

and!temptation).!In!Matt!5O7,!he!summarizes!the!core!of!Jesus’s!teaching!(the!Sermon!on!the!

Mount).!Now,!in!Matt!8O9,!he!summarizes!the!heart!of!Jesus’s!ministry:!healing!the!sick,!casting!out!

demons,!and!associating!with!sinners.!!

!

Given!what!we!now!know!about!the!principles!of!“contamination!logic”!(similarity,!contact,!dose!

insensitivity,!permanence,!and!negativity!dominance)!what!would!Jesus’s!fellow!Jews!think!about!

his!actions?!!

• We!don’t!have!to!guess!!In!the!heart!of!these!two!chapters,!Matthew!records!the!Pharisees’!

reaction!to!Jesus’s!behavior.!In!9:11,!we!see!them!questioning!Jesus’s!choices,!and!it’s!not!

hard!to!imagine!why.!Jesus’s!contact!with!the!unclean!risks!making!him!unclean.!Why!would!

he!compromise!his!purity!in!that!way?!Why!would!he!risk!staining!his!holiness?!!

o By!the!way,!I!think!the!disciples!also!struggle!with!is!part!of!Jesus’s!ministry.!I!also!

think!Matthew!intends!his!telling!of!the!storm!at!sea!(both!in!8:23O27!and!14:22O33)!

to!acknowledge!and!address!their!fears.!But!more!on!that!in!a!future!lesson.!!

3!

• Being!aware!of!“contamination!logic”!makes!Jesus’s!actions!throughout!this!chapter!all!the!

more!amazing.!Especially!note!his!interactions!with!the!dead!girl!and!hemorrhaging!woman.!!

o In!both!cases!Jesus!physically!touches!the!ritually!unclean!women.!With!the!girl,!

Matthew!intentionally!includes!the!detail!that!Jesus!“took!her!by!the!hand”!(9:25).!

He!didn’t!need!to!do!this;!he’s!perfectly!capable!of!healing!without!direct!physical!

contact.!And!yet,!in!both!cases,!Jesus!is!not!rendered!unclean.!In!fact,!the!opposite!

happens.!Jesus!defies!“negativity!dominance.”!He!makes!the!impure!clean,!rather!

than!the!other!way!around.!!

o Because!this!defies!our!deeply!seated!“disgust!psychology,”!Jesus’s!contemporaries!

(both!the!Pharisees,!his!own!disciples,!and!likely!the!community!for!whom!Matthew!

writes!his!gospel)!will!struggle!to!grasp!this!concept.!Jesus!(and!by!extension,!his!

disciples)!need!not!fear!contact!with!the!“impure.”!In!fact,!this!is!a!central!part!of!his!

ministry.!!

!

Conclusion:$$The!ongoing!conflict!between!Jesus!and!his!fellowOJews,!the!Pharisees,!often!involves!purity!

concerns.!The!Pharisees!are!trying!to!maintain!the!holiness!of!God’s!people!by!living!life!in!a!way!

that!maintains!ritual!purity,!and!Jesus’s!compassion!repeatedly!leads!him!into!direct!contact!with!

impurity.!One!commentator!describes!the!conflicts!as!a!collision!of!core!values—“the!religious!

authorities’!concern!for!maintaining!God’s!holiness!(Lev!11:44)!and!Jesus’!commitment!to!uphold!

God’s!mercy”!(Stuart!Love,!Jesus)and)Marginal)Women,!p.!178).!!• Do)you)agree)with)this)assessment,)that)the)conflict)between)Jesus)and)the)Pharisees)

represents)the)tension)between)holiness)and)mercy,)two)impulses)that)pull)us)in)different)directions?))

• Where)do)we)feel)that)tension)in)our)own)church?))!

In!the!end,!I!think!Jesus!is!just!as!concerned!about!holiness!as!the!Pharisees.!I!might!even!argue!that!

both!Jesus!and!the!Pharisees!share!“holiness”!as!their!core!value.!The!conflict!results,!however,!

from!their!differing!definitions!of!holiness.!To!unpack!this!further,!we’ll!need!to!go!back!to!Leviticus!

and!study!more!deeply!how!God!defines!holiness!for!his!people.!!

!

!

Holiness  in  Leviticus  Lesson  2:  The  Way  to  the  Holy  One  

The  Main  Point:    Leviticus  conjures  up  in  people’s  mind  rituals  and  sacrifices  that  are  perhaps  meaningless  to  Christians  because  Jesus  offered  himself  once  for  all,  nullifying  any  need  for  sacrifices.  Like  Christians,  Jews  today  no  longer  offer  sacrifices  to  God,  but  it  is  often  pointed  out  that  Leviticus  is  still  the  first  book  Jews  teach  to  their  children.  Why?    It  is  because  Leviticus  teaches  the  way  to  the  Holy  One  and  the  way  to  holiness.  This  first  lesson  will  focus  on  how  the  idea  of  holiness  in  ancient  Near  Eastern  cultures  took  on  an  ethical  dimension  in  Israel.  To  be  sure,  Israel’s  prophets  emphasized  the  ethical  dimension  of  holiness,  but  this  had  already  started  in  Leviticus.        

 Discussion  Questions:    

1. Where  does  the  Hebrew  word  for  holy/holiness  appear  for  the  first  time  in  the  Bible?    The  Hebrew  root  word  q-­‐d-­‐s  (holy  or  holiness)  appears  for  the  first  time  in  Genesis  38:21,  where  it  refers  to  a  “shrine  prostitute.”  Literally  translated,  this  phrase  means  “holy  woman.”1  But  English  translations  render  it  as  “shrine  prostitute”  because  that  describes  exactly  what  these  “holy”  women  did,  providing  sexual  services  at  their  temple.  In  ANE  cultures  everything  that  belonged  to  temples,  from  utensils  to  cultic  personnel  and  even  temple  prostitutes,  were  considered  to  be  holy.  In  that  regard,  the  antonym  of  holy  is  “common.”  This  usage  of  the  term  “holy”  illustrates  that  it  had  nothing  to  do  with  ethics  in  ancient  Near  Eastern  cultures.  After  all,  ANE  gods  themselves  were  not  even  ethical,  and  for  them  to  expect  their  devotees  to  be  ethical  would  have  been  ridiculous.  ANE  gods  were  almost  never  described  as  holy.  Ancient  Israelites  shared  with  their  neighbors  this  common  sense  of  holiness  in  that  temple  utensils  and  personnel  set  apart  for  God  were  considered  to  be  holy.      A  basic  element  in  Israelite  religion  was  to  maintain  a  distinction  between  holy  and  common  or  profane  (Numbers  18:32),  and  the  maintenance  of  the  integrity  of  “holy”  was  a  function  of  Israel’s  cultic  system.  But  Israel  went  beyond  this  common  ANE  usage  to  ethicize  the  term  holy.  To  be  sure  Israelite  prophets  called  for  a  relational  aspect  of  holiness,  but  this  call  to  holiness  in  an  ethical  direction  had  already  begun  in  the  Pentateuch,  Leviticus  in  particular,  and  was  related  to  righteousness  and  justice  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  Torah.      

2. What  comes  to  your  mind  when  you  hear  or  see  the  word  Leviticus?  Would  you  be  surprised  to  find  out  that  Leviticus  is  the  first  book  Jews  teach  to  their  children  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  Jews  today  no  longer  offer  sacrifices  to  God?  Why  do  you  think  that  is  the  case?  

                                                                                                               1  The  same  Hebrew  root  word  q-­‐d-­‐s  appears  frequently  in  the  Old  Testament  in  reference  to  

cultic  prostitutes,  both  male  and  female.  Deut.  23:17  clearly  warns  “No  Israelite  man  or  woman  is  to  become  a  shrine  prostitute,”  and  the  same  Hebrew  term  is  used  here  so  that  literal  rendering  would  be  “holy  man”  and  “holy  woman.”  1  Kings  14:24  reports  that  “There  were  even  male  shrine  prostitutes  in  the  land”  during  Rehoboam’s  reign,  and  the  implication  is  that  female  shrine  prostitutes  were  more  common.  1  Kings  15:12  and  22:46  also  refer  to  “holy  men,”  i.e.,  male  shrine  prostitutes  as  well  as  2  Kings  23:7  in  that  from  time  to  time  Israel’s  kings  tore  down  living  quarters  of  male  shrine  prostitutes  and  expelled  them  from  the  temple  of  the  Lord.        

2  

 Leviticus  can  be  divided  to  two  parts:  The  way  to  the  Holy  One  (Lev  1-­‐16)  and  the  way  to  holiness  (Lev  17-­‐27).  When  we  think  of  Leviticus,  the  first  things  that  come  to  our  mind  may  be  sacrifices  and  forgiveness  of  sins.  God  is  so  different  (wholly  Other)  and  distinct  from  humans  that  Israelites  dare  not  draw  near  to  God  without  the  most  careful  preparations.  They  had  to  be  cleansed  of  sins  and  maintain  purity  in  God’s  presence.  Leviticus  1-­‐7  talks  about  five  different  sacrifices  that  enable  them  to  draw  near  to  God.  Typically,  we  assume  the  sacrifices  were  offered  to  God  so  that  sins  can  be  forgiven.  To  be  sure,  the  sin  offering  (4:1-­‐5:13)  and  the  guilt  offering  (5:14-­‐6:7)  were  offered  for  forgiveness  of  sins  (4:20,  26,  31,  35;  5:10,  13,  16,  18;  6:7).  The  first  three  sacrifices,  i.e.,  the  whole  burnt  offering  (1:1-­‐17),  the  cereal  offering  (2:1-­‐16),  the  peace/fellowship  offering  (3:1-­‐17),  however,  are  voluntary  in  nature  and  are  unrelated  to  sins  and  forgiveness  of  sins!2  These  offerings  are  “an  aroma  pleasing  to  God”  (1:17),  a  phrase  repeated  ten  times  in  the  first  three  chapters.  The  fact  that  Leviticus  begins  with  the  offerings  whose  explicit  purpose  is  expressing  of  one’s  devotion  to  God,  instead  of  forgiveness  of  sin,  is  intentional  and  telling.  This  structure  implies  that  what  God  wants  from  us  most  of  all  is  our  devotion  to  him,  i.e.,  ourselves!  He  then  provides  avenues  for  the  reparation  of  our  relationship  when  sin  separates  us  from  him.          The  divine  call  to  be  holy  is  repeated  several  times  in  Leviticus:  “Be  holy  just  as  I  am  holy”  (Leviticus  11:44,  45;  19:2;  20:7).  On  the  one  hand,  this  call  clearly  indicates  that  the  source  of  Israel’s  holiness  is  God,  whose  character  is  wholly  good  and  completely  without  evil.  Israel,  set  apart  by  God,  was  to  emulate  the  holy  God.  The  best  depiction  about  “the  Holy  One  of  Israel”  (Isaiah’s  favorite  description  of  God)  comes  from  Isaiah  5:16:  “The  Holy  God  will  show  himself  holy  by  doing  what  is  right”  (ERV).  Unlike  ANE  nature  gods  tied  to  national  interests,  what  God  does  is  always  righteous,  and  that  is  how  he  shows  his  holiness.    On  the  other  hand,  the  context  of  Leviticus  11:44-­‐45  shows  that  the  principles  of  “disgust  psychology”  are  at  work.  To  be  holy,  Israel  was  to  separate  herself  from  the  sources  of  uncleanness,  i.e.,  any  unclean  animals.  The  Hebrew  term  q-­‐d-­‐s  is  multifaceted,  and  it  has  no  simple,  single  meaning.3  In  Leviticus  11:44  it  speaks  of  holiness  as  separateness  from  uncleanness.  The  call  to  holiness  in  Leviticus  19:2  specifies  the  ethical  dimension  of  holiness  and  the  rest  of  the  chapter  explains  what  it  means  to  be  holy  people.    

 Conclusion:    Leviticus  shows  the  way  to  the  Holy  One  (Lev  1-­‐16)  and  the  way  to  holiness  (Lev  17-­‐27).  Ancient  Israelites  shared  with  their  neighbors  then  the  common  concept  of  holiness  that  demanded  cleanness  and  separation.  As  the  holy  God  called  Israel  to  emulate  Him,  the  call  to  holiness  took  on  an  ethical  dimension.  As  such,  holiness  in  Israel  was  not  first  and  foremost  for  human  beings  to  achieve  on  their  own,  but  rather  it  was  characteristic  of  the  ineffability  possessed  only  by  God,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  Lesson  3  will  focus  on  the  way  to  holiness,  where  this  ethical  dimension  of  holiness  is  more  scrutinized.  

                                                                                                               2  The  whole  burnt  offering  can  also  be  offered  for  forgiveness  of  sins  (Lev.  1:4).    3  There  is  no  single  doctrine  of  holiness  in  the  Old  Testament.  It  is  now  a  common  scholarly  

consensus  that  diversity  was  at  work  in  both  Testaments.  The  priestly  tradition,  prophetic  tradition,  and  wisdom  tradition  all  emphasized  holiness,  but  each  with  a  distinct  dimension  of  holiness.  The  priestly  tradition  emphasized  a  call  to  ritual  purity,  right  sacrifices  and  separation.  The  prophetic  tradition  issued  the  summons  for  the  purity  of  social  justice  and  equity  in  human  relations.  The  wisdom  tradition  highlights  the  purity  of  individual  morality.      

Holiness  in  Leviticus  Lesson  3:  The  Way  to  Holiness  

The  Main  Point:    Leviticus  teaches  the  way  to  the  Holy  One  in  Leviticus  1-­‐16  and  the  way  to  holiness  in  Leviticus  17-­‐27.  The  first  part  deals  with  holiness  in  cultic  practices  with  a  focus  on  sacrifices  and  priests,  and  the  second  part  addresses  holiness  in  daily  life.  As  such,  Leviticus  is  concerned  with  both  right  worship  and  right  living.  It  is  in  this  second  part  where  Israel’s  concept  of  holiness  took  on  an  ethical  dimension  in  every  day  life,  as  Leviticus  actually  highlights  right  living.  Also  significant  in  the  second  half  of  the  book  is  a  “laicization”  of  holiness:  not  just  cultic  personnel  (the  priests)  are  called  to  holiness,  but  all  God’s  people,  an  emphasis  unique  to  Israel.  

 Discussion  Questions:    

1. Which  is  more  important,  holiness  in  cultic  (worship)  settings  or  holiness  in  daily  life?  Or,  let  me  rephrase  the  question:  Which  do  you  think  was  more  important  to  ancient  Israelites,  holiness  in  cultic  (worship)  settings  or  holiness  in  daily  life?    The  Hebrew  root  word  q-­‐d-­‐s  (holy  or  holiness)  in  various  forms  appears  65  times  in  Leviticus  1-­‐16.  That  is  no  surprise  since  these  chapters  deal  with  various  cultic  rituals.  Perhaps  to  our  surprise,  the  same  Hebrew  root  word  appears  85  times  in  Leviticus  17-­‐27,  a  section  of  the  book  typically  known  as  the  Holiness  Code.  This  second  half  of  the  book  is  five  chapters  shorter  than  the  first  part,  but  the  frequency  of  the  Hebrew  root  word  q-­‐d-­‐s  (holy  or  holiness)  is  significant  in  the  second  half  of  the  book.  One  way  to  see  it  is  that  from  the  very  beginning  God  has  always  been  concerned  with  his  people’s  right  living,  not  just  right  worship.  Our  stereotypical  misunderstanding  of  Jews  is  that  they  are  very  concerned  about  rituals  that  are  perhaps  meaningless  to  us,  but  their  intention  behind  the  rituals  and  regulations  are  their  pursuit  of  holiness  in  daily  lives,  i.e.,  right  living,  which  we  Christians  also  share.  The  Pharisees  were  faithfully  carrying  forward  this  emphasis.  Their  oral  traditions  emphasized  holiness  in  daily  life  outside  of  the  ritual  practices  in  the  Temple.  Jesus  also  shares  this  same  emphasis,  but,  as  we’ll  see,  he  defines  holiness  differently  than  the  Pharisees.      

2. What  do  we  need  to  do  if  we  are  to  lead  our  lives  according  to  God’s  call  to  holiness?      

As  mentioned  in  the  previous  lesson,  in  Leviticus  God’s  people  are  repeatedly  called    to  holiness:  “Be  holy  just  as  I  am  holy”  (14:44-­‐45;  19:2;  20:7,  26).  This  call  is  timeless.  It  was  not  just  for  the  Jews  but  for  us,  Christians,  too,  as  clearly  shown  in  Peter’s  repetition  of  the  same  message  to  a  community  of  Christians  (1  Peter  1:15-­‐16).  Of  course,  this  call  to  holiness  does  not  mean  that  we  should  be  as  holy  as  God.  While  we  must  try  our  best  to  emulate  the  one  and  only  holy  God,  Leviticus  claims  that  God  alone  is  intrinsically  holy.  He  is  the  origin  and  source  of  all  that  is  holy.  As  his  children  we  merely  reflect  his  holiness  in  our  daily  lives.    God’s  call  to  holiness  in  the  Holiness  Code  (Leviticus  17-­‐27)  is  unique  in  ANE  cultures.  Leviticus  19  begins  with  a  call  to  all  Israel:    

“The  Lord  said  to  Moses,  “Speak  to  the  entire  assembly  of  Israel  and  say  to  them:  ‘Be  holy  because  I,  the  Lord  your  God,  am  holy’”  (19:1-­‐2).    

Whereas  the  first  part  of  the  book  (Leviticus  1-­‐16)  deals  with  holiness  in  cultic  settings  involving  cultic  personnel,  in  the  second  part  of  the  book  (Leviticus  17-­‐27)  the  call  to  holiness  is  extended  to  “the  entire  assembly  of  Israel.”  This  “laicization”  of  holiness  is  unique  in  Israel  in  that  all  Israelites  are  to  be  concerned  with  holiness  in  their  daily  life,  not  

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just  at  the  worship  setting.  This  call  is  a  natural  progression  of  the  call  to  the  Holy  One  in  Leviticus  1-­‐16,  where  all  God’s  people  were  expected  to  worship  God  correctly.          So  how  do  we  lead  holy  lives  according  to  God’s  will?  Certainly,  Leviticus  17-­‐27  includes  some  instructions  concerning  matters  related  to  cult,  such  as  regulations  for  priests  and  unacceptable  sacrifices  in  Leviticus  (21:1-­‐22:33),  but  other  regulations  deal  with  an  ethical  dimension  of  holiness.  Leviticus  19:3,  for  example,  begins  with  honoring  one’s  parents  and  keeping  Sabbath  day  holy,  which  includes  how  one  should  treat  servants  and  even  animals  justly  (see  Deut.  5:14-­‐15).  Leviticus  19  continues  to  describe  what  holiness  may  look  like  in  daily  life  –  care  for  the  poor  and  needy,  fair  treatment  of  others,  loving  one’s  neighbors  as  oneself,  etc.  The  same  topic  of  justice  is  once  again  covered  in  Leviticus  25.  The  point  is  that  the  Israelites’  conduct  is  to  be  ethically  superior  to  that  of  their  pagan  neighbors’  as  clearly  stated  in  Leviticus  18:3.  

 Conclusion:    Contrary  to  a  popular  misconception  of  Leviticus  as  being  cultic  oriented,  Leviticus  is  concerned  with  both  right  worship  (Lev  1-­‐16)  and  right  living  (Lev  17-­‐27).  When  we  consider  the  occurrence  of  the  Hebrew  root  word  q-­‐d-­‐s,  the  way  to  holiness  or  right  living  is  highlighted  in  Leviticus.  We  observed  how  Israel  ethicized  and  laicized  the  concept  of  holiness.  The  divine  call  to  holiness  is  timeless  as  shown  in  1  Peter  1:15-­‐16,  still  applicable  to  us  and  is  based  on  God’s  character  who  alone  is  intrinsically  holy.    

The  Holiness  of  Jesus  in  Matthew  Lesson  4:  The  Holy  Community  

The  Main  Point:    Jesus  was  serious  about  the  Law.  Even  though  his  “antitheses”  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  make  it  appear  that  he  was  dismissing  the  Law,  he  was  actually  calling  his  disciples  to  follow  the  Law  at  a  deeper  level  than  the  Pharisees.  By  following  the  Law,  his  followers  will  embody  God’s  holiness  in  a  way  that  draws  all  nations  to  worship  God.  The  final  “antithesis”  summarizes  his  understanding  of  the  holiness  they  should  embody.  They  should  be  “perfect  as  their  heavenly  Father  is  perfect,”  and  that  perfection  is  defined  by  an  outward  facing  love  that  refuses  to  discriminate  between  neighbor  and  enemy.        Opening:    Imagine  the  following  scenario:  a  man  is  cited  for  reckless  driving  for  exceeding  the  speed  limit  while  driving  his  wife,  who  is  in  labor  with  their  first  child,  to  the  hospital.  One  judge  plans  to  enforce  the  ticket  because  the  man  clearly  violated  the  law;  another  would  like  to  forgive  the  ticket  given  the  circumstances.    

• Which  judge  is  most  faithful  to  the  law?    • Which  judge  is  right?    

 (I  think  the  temptation  is  to  think  the  first  judge  is  more  faithful  to  the  law  and  the  second  judge  is  doing  the  right  thing,  which  in  this  case  would  mean  ignoring  the  law.  In  fact,  the  second  judge  might  also  be  more  faithful  to  the  spirit  or  intention  of  the  law.  If  speed  limits  are  in  place  to  protect  and  save  lives,  and  if  the  man  was  speeding  in  order  to  protect  the  lives  of  his  wife  and  unborn  child,  then  the  second  judge  might  be  faithfully  interpreting  the  law  when  he  forgives  the  ticket.  Highlighting  that  faithfully  interpreting  the  law  can  sometimes  look  like  contradicting  it  will  set  up  the  discussion  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.)    Jesus  and  the  Law:  In  Matthew’s  gospel,  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (Matt  5-­‐7)  presents  the  core  of  Jesus’s  teaching;  and  near  the  beginning  of  the  sermon,  Jesus  offers  several  reflections  on  how  to  properly  interpret  and  apply  the  Law  of  Moses.  This  section  is  often  called  the  “antitheses”  because  of  the  similar  form  that  each  teaching  takes:  “You  have  heard  it  said  .  .  .  but  I  say  to  you  .  .  .  .”  That  label  implies  that  Jesus’s  teaching  offers  an  antithesis  to  the  teaching  of  Moses,  but  is  that  the  best  way  to  describe  their  relationship?  Let’s  take  some  time  to  compare  their  teaching  in  order  to  see  what  we  think.      Divide  the  class  into  groups,  and  assign  each  group  one  of  the  following  pairs  of  passages.  Ask  them  to  compare  Jesus’s  teaching  to  Moses’s  and  describe  their  relationship.  Is  Jesus  affirming  the  law?  Overturning  it?  Something  else?      

Topic   Teaching  of  Jesus   Teaching  of  Moses  Murder   Matt  5:21-­‐24   Exodus  20:13;  Deut  5:17  Adultery   Matt  5:27-­‐30   Ex  20:14,  17;  Deut  5:18,  21  Divorce   Matt  5:31-­‐32   Deut  24:1-­‐4  

Retribution   Matt  5:38-­‐42   Ex  21:23-­‐25;  Lev  24:18-­‐22    Jesus’s  teachings  on  murder  and  adultery  appear  to  emphasize  the  spirit  of  the  law.  Obedience  to  the  law,  Jesus  teaches,  involves  more  than  outward  actions.  The  feelings  and  thoughts  behind  the  actions  are  also  important.  In  the  first  two  examples,  Jesus  affirms  the  law  but  he  also  goes  deeper.  

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He  identifies  the  intention,  or  spirit,  behind  the  specific  law  and  calls  his  followers  to  faithfully  obey  the  law  at  that  deeper  level.      At  first  blush,  Jesus’s  teachings  on  divorce  and  retribution  appear  to  overturn  and  replace  Moses’s  teaching.  A  closer  look  reveals,  however,  that  with  these  teachings  Jesus  might  also  be  identifying  and  applying  the  intention  of  the  law.    

• Divorce:  Jesus  may  appear  to  contradict  Moses’s  teaching  on  divorce,  unless  we  understand  Moses  to  be  permitting  divorce  on  account  of  human  fallenness  (see  Matt  19:2-­‐13).  As  one  commentator  says,  “the  Mosaic  ruling  was  meant  to  limit  not  license  divorce.”1  By  requiring  a  husband  to  give  his  wife  a  certificate  of  divorce,  the  law  also  protects  the  rejected  wife.  Without  a  certificate,  she  would  be  unable  to  marry  again,  leaving  her  in  a  very  vulnerable  position  in  the  ancient  world.  Once  we  understand  this  context  for  the  Mosaic  law,  it  makes  it  easier  to  see  that  Jesus’s  teaching  on  divorce,  as  with  the  other  “antitheses,”  is  restoring  the  intention  and  spirit  of  the  Mosaic  law.    

• Retribution:  while  “an  eye  for  an  eye”  might  seem  to  encourage  retribution,  the  law  might  actually  intend  to  break  the  cycle  of  retribution.  When  someone  harms  me,  for  example,  I’m  tempted  to  strike  back  harder  in  order  to  make  sure  it  doesn’t  happen  again.  Then,  the  person  who  initially  harmed  me  is  tempted  to  strike  back  to  get  their  revenge,  and  so  on  and  on  the  cycle  continues.  (Think  of  the  famous  family  feud  between  the  Hatfields  and  McCoys.)  The  “eye  for  an  eye”  law  checks  my  desire  to  “strike  back  harder”  and  balances  the  scales  after  one  offense,  ideally  breaking  the  cycle  of  retribution.  Understood  this  way,  Jesus’s  teaching  identifies  the  intention  of  the  law  rather  than  overturning  it.  He  aims  to  break  the  cycle  of  retribution  before  it  ever  starts.    

 The  Purpose  of  the  Law:  God  gave  his  people  the  Law  in  order  to  establish  them  as  his  holy  people,  his  holy  community  in  the  midst  of  a  broken  world  (as  we  saw  in  Leviticus).  And  as  his  holy  community,  they  will  shine  like  a  light  in  this  dark  world,  drawing  all  nations  to  worship  God.  (For  more  on  this  point,  see  Isaiah  2:2-­‐3  and  49:5-­‐6.)  The  Pharisees  are  trying  to  accomplish  this  goal.  With  all  of  their  oral  traditions,  they  are  trying  to  help  create  a  holy  community  that  can  fulfill  God’s  purposes  for  the  Law.    

• And,  notice,  Jesus  is  also  trying  to  accomplish  this  goal.  In  5:14-­‐20  (immediately  before  the  “antitheses”  we  just  studied),  he  says  explicitly  that  he  has  not  come  to  abolish  the  law  (5:17).  In  fact,  his  disciples  are  supposed  to  “out-­‐Pharisee”  the  Pharisees  (5:20)  so  that  they  can  be  a  light  that  draws  the  world  to  glorify  God  (5:14-­‐16).    

 So,  both  the  Pharisees  and  Jesus  are  working  toward  a  similar  goal:  creating  a  holy  community  that  will  fulfill  the  purposes  of  the  Law.  Their  definitions  of  holiness,  however,  differ  significantly.  And  we  see  that  difference  clearly  in  5:43-­‐48,  the  climax  of  the  “antitheses”  and  Jesus’s  summary  of  holiness  according  to  the  law.      Holiness  as  Outward  Facing  Love  (5:43-­‐48)  For  the  first  time  in  the  antitheses,  Jesus  quotes  something  that  does  not  appear  in  the  Law.  “Love  your  neighbor”  appears  in  Leviticus  19:18,  but  that  verse  does  not  include  “hate  your  enemy.”  In  fact,  we  don’t  find  the  command  to  “hate  your  enemy”  anywhere  in  the  Old  Testament.  Instead,  it’s  likely  that  at  this  point  Jesus  is  addressing  a  contemporary  interpretation  of  the  Law  rather  than  the  Law  itself.    

                                                                                                               1  Ben  Witherington  III,  Matthew  (Macon,  GA:  Smyth  &  Helwys,  2006),  362.    

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• Wherever  the  command  comes  from,  notice  its  insular  focus:  love  the  insiders;  keep  the  outsiders  at  arms  length.  It  makes  sense.  It  also  seems  to  support  efforts  to  keep  the  community  holy.  Keep  the  possible  unrighteous  contaminants  far  away  from  the  pure  community.  This  sounds  like  the  Pharisees.  But  Jesus  says,  No.  That  is  not  what  the  Holy  God  looks  like;  therefore,  that  is  not  what  the  holy  community  should  look  like.  To  be  like  the  God  who  gives  rain  and  sunshine  to  all,  the  holy  community  must  love  both  their  neighbors  and  their  enemies.    

 Notice  the  wording  of  the  big  conclusion:  “Be  perfect,  therefore,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  perfect”  (5:48).  Even  though  Jesus  does  not  use  the  word  “holiness,”  he  is  clearly  echoing  the  language  of  Leviticus  19:2:  “Be  holy,  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy.”  How  does  Jesus  say  that  God’s  people  should  be  holy/perfect  as  He  is  holy/perfect?  Not  by  remaining  aloof  from  the  unrighteous.  Truly,  God  is  holy  and  set  apart.  But  what  most  sets  him  apart  from  all  other  gods  is  his  refusal  to  remain  “apart”  from  those  who  fall  short  of  his  holiness.    

• So,  if  that’s  our  holy  God,  what  should  we,  his  holy  community,  look  like?  How  can  we  be  “set  apart”  by  refusing  to  remain  “apart”  from  the  unrighteous?    

 Conclusion:    It’s  natural  to  read  Matt  5:45  and  identify  with  the  righteous.  God  sends  his  rain  on  us  and  on  the  unrighteous.  That’s  not  the  whole  story,  however.  We  have  all  experienced  God  refusing  to  remain  “apart”  from  us  even  though  we  contaminate  his  purity.  We  don’t  deserve  to  come  into  God’s  presence  and  worship  him,  and  yet  he  invites  us  (see  Psalm  15).  We  are  the  unrighteous  who  have  felt  his  sun  and  rain.  Maybe  more  than  anything  else,  forgetting  this  important  truth  skewed  the  Pharisees’  understanding  of  holiness  (see,  for  example,  Jesus’s  parable  in  Luke  18:9-­‐14).  Let  us  not  make  the  same  mistake.        

The  Holiness  of  Jesus  in  Matthew  Lesson  5:  Blessed  by  the  Unclean  

The  Main  Point:    In  the  last  lesson,  we  focused  on  Jesus’s  call  to  embody  holiness  by  loving  the  unrighteous.  In  this  way  the  holy  community  will  imitate  the  Holy  God.  Sometimes  we  assume  that  loving  the  “unrighteous”  is  a  one-­‐way  street:  we,  the  righteous/clean/saved,  love  and  bless  the  unclean.  Jesus’s  own  ministry  reveals,  however,  that  he  was  also  open  to  receiving  blessings  from  the  unclean  people  that  he  encountered.  Can  we,  as  the  holy  community,  maintain  that  same  openness?      Opening:    In  our  culture  (though,  in  my  experience,  this  is  less  true  in  Texas  than  other  places  I’ve  lived),  we  often  have  a  hard  time  accepting  help  from  others.  The  following  questions  highlight  and  explore  this  difficulty  in  order  to  set  up  the  rest  of  the  class.    

• Do  you  have  a  hard  time  asking  for  and  accepting  help  from  other  people?  If  so,  why  do  you  think  that  is?  If  not,  what  experiences  have  made  this  easier  for  you?    

• Who  are  the  hardest  people  to  ask  for  help?  Who  are  the  easiest?      Asking  for  and  receiving  help  can  sometimes  introduce  an  unspoken  hierarchical  power  relationship.  Giving  help  keeps  us  in  a  position  of  power;  asking  for  and  receiving  help  makes  us  feel  powerless.  As  a  result,  it’s  often  easier  to  ask  for  help  from  people  who  “outrank”  us  in  some  way  (age,  wealth,  status)  because  it  doesn’t  upset  already  existing  power  relationships.  On  the  other  hand,  it  can  make  us  very  uncomfortable  to  receive  help  from  our  “inferiors.”  In  the  stories  we’re  studying  today,  Jesus  challenges  the  holy  community  that  follows  him  by  humbly  being  taught  and  blessed  by  “unclean”  people.  Such  contact  would  seem  to  contaminate  his  holiness;  instead,  Jesus  shows  us  this  is  part  of  what  being  holy  looks  like.      The  Canaanite  Woman  (Matt  15:21-­‐28):  In  this  story,  Jesus  has  left  Galilee  and  entered  Gentile  territory  in  the  district  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Not  surprisingly,  he  encounters  there  a  “Canaanite”  woman.  When  Mark  tells  the  story  (7:24-­‐30),  he  uses  a  more  precise  designation,  “Syrophoenician,”  to  describe  the  woman.  Matthew’s  description,  however,  clearly  communicates  that  the  woman  is  a  non-­‐Israelite.  In  fact,  with  this  title  he  associates  her  with  Israel’s  traditional  enemies  in  the  promised  land,  the  Canaanites.  As  a  result,  this  story  presents  an  interesting  question:  how  will  Jesus  respond  to  someone  who  represents  the  traditional  enemies  of  Israel,  someone  who  would  be  considered  an  “unclean”  outsider?    

• The  disciples  tell  Jesus  to  “send  her  away.”  Maybe  they’re  concerned  about  being  contaminated  by  close  contact  with  a  Gentile  or  by  contact  with  someone  closely  associated  with  demon  possession.  Maybe  they’re  just  tired  of  her  shouting.    

• Jesus  also  rebuffs  her  at  first,  further  highlighting  her  unclean  status  by  comparing  the  woman  and  her  daughter  to  dogs.    

• The  woman  bravely  persists  and  Jesus  .  .  .  changes  his  mind.  Even  though  he  earlier  claimed  to  be  sent  only  to  the  house  of  Israel,  he  decides  to  heal  the  woman’s  daughter  after  her  faithful  response.  

 This  challenging  story  depicts  Jesus  learning  from  an  unclean  outsider.  She  challenges  him  to  love  his  “enemies,”  to  shower  rains  of  healing  on  both  the  righteous  and  unrighteous.  At  her  prompting,  he  does  just  that  and,  thereby,  embodies  the  holiness  of  God  who  loves  without  distinction.      

• This  story  also  challenges  us  to  ask  some  difficult  questions:    o Are  we  open  to  learning  from  our  enemies  or  those  we  consider  unclean  outsiders?    o Who  are  the  “Canaanites”  for  us?  What  might  we  need  to  learn  from  them?    

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o Do  we  tend  to  keep  these  people  away  (like  the  disciples  attempted  to  do  with  the  woman)  or  do  we  engage  them  in  open-­‐minded  humility?    

 The  Anointing  of  Jesus  (Matt  21:6-­‐13):    We  know  very  little  about  the  woman  who  anoints  Jesus  in  Matt  26:6-­‐13.  And  the  relationship  between  this  story  and  the  anointings  in  Luke  7:36-­‐50  and  John  12:1-­‐8,  which  provide  more  details  about  the  woman,  is  complicated  by  the  differing  details.1  Luke  calls  the  woman  who  anoints  Jesus  “a  woman  in  the  city  who  was  a  sinner,”  implying  that  she  is  a  prostitute.  Although  Matthew  does  not  provide  the  same  details,  one  commentator  notes  clues  that  indicate  she  is  a  “marginal  person,  perhaps  a  woman  of  ‘questionable  reputation’”  (Stuart  Love,  Jesus  and  Marginal  Women,  p.  182).  She  is  unnamed,  apparently  uninvited,  and  unaccompanied  by  a  male.  At  the  very  least,  she’s  an  outsider  interrupting  the  meal.  How  will  Jesus  respond  to  this  marginal  woman  who  crashes  the  dinner  party?    

• Again,  the  disciples  fail  to  show  hospitable  openness  to  the  woman.  Instead,  they  question  her  extravagantly  wasteful  gift.    

• Jesus,  however,  rebukes  the  disciples  and  praises  the  woman,  highlighting  the  prophetic  meaning  of  her  act  and  presenting  her  as  a  model  disciple.    

 In  this  story,  Jesus  accepts  a  blessing  from  a  marginal  person,  possibly  someone  who  would  be  viewed  as  an  unclean  sinner  (as  is  clearly  the  case  in  Luke’s  anointing  story).  What  does  that  mean  for  our  understanding  of  holiness?  How  does  this  story  shape  our  understanding  of  what  it  will  look  like  for  the  holy  community  to  follow  and  imitate  Jesus?    

• Are  we  open  to  receiving  gifts  or  blessings  from  those  we  consider  outsiders  or  even  unclean  sinners?  Should  we  be?  What  might  that  look  like?    

 Conclusion:  In  Matt  25:31-­‐46,  immediately  before  the  story  of  Jesus’s  anointing,  Jesus  tells  us  that  we  encounter  the  divine  at  the  margins  of  society  where  we  find  the  hungry,  the  naked,  the  prisoner,  and  the  stranger.  It’s  easy  for  us  to  recognize  how  the  holy  community  can  teach  and  offer  blessings  to  others,  but  are  we  open  to  that  being  a  two-­‐way  street?  Are  we  open  to  being  taught  and  blessed  by  those  we  think  need  us?  Jesus’s  openness  to  the  unclean  outsider  extends  beyond  his  willingness  to  serve  them;  he  also  accepts  service  from  them.  What  would  that  look  like  for  us?      

                                                                                                               1  In  Luke  and  John,  for  example,  the  woman  anoints  Jesus  feet  rather  than  his  head.  In  Luke,  the  anointing  is  not  directly  related  to  Jesus’s  death  as  it  is  in  Matthew  and  John.  John  names  the  woman,  Luke  and  Matthew  do  not.  

The  Holiness  of  Jesus  in  Matthew  Lesson  6:  Stepping  into  the  Waves  

The  Main  Point:    Being  the  holy  community  requires  us  to  cross  the  boundaries  of  our  comfort  zone  and  trust  Jesus  to  lead  and  protect  us.  Now,  it’s  time  to  get  personal.  Are  we  as  a  community  willing  to  embrace  the  “unclean”  like  Jesus  did?    Opening:    We’ve  all  had  to  answer  questions  from  our  children  or  grandchildren  about  whether  or  not  a  beloved  pet  will  be  in  heaven.  How  about  his  one:    

• Will  there  be  oceans  or  seas  in  heaven?    • Revelation  21:1  says  that  in  the  “new  heaven  and  new  earth”  the  “sea  will  be  no  more.”  What  

does  this  mean?  o In  several  places  in  the  biblical  text,  the  “sea”  symbolizes  the  forces  of  chaos  that  

God  must  subdue  when  he  brings  order  to  creation  (see  Gen  1:2  and  Psalm  29:3,  10).  Rev.  21:1  might  symbolize  that  in  the  age  to  come,  chaos  will  no  longer  need  to  be  subdued  and  held  in  check  by  God.  

 It  may  seem  odd  to  begin  a  class  on  Matthew  with  a  discussion  of  a  passage  in  Revelation,  but  the  biblical  symbolism  of  “the  sea”  will  be  important  for  today’s  lesson.      Disciples  on  the  Sea:  Matthew  tells  two  stories  about  the  disciples  facing  fear  at  sea  (Matt  8:23-­‐27;  14:22-­‐33).  

• At  one  level,  these  stories  affirm  Jesus’s  divine  identity:  he  doing  things  only  God  can  do.  Hence,  at  the  end  of  the  second  story  the  disciples  worship  Jesus  and  proclaim,  “Truly  you  are  the  Son  of  God”  (14:33).  

• At  another  level,  these  stories  affirm  Jesus’s  message  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  arriving  in  his  ministry.  He  is  inaugurating  God’s  reign  by  overcoming  the  forces  of  chaos  (“the  sea”)  that  have  resisted  God’s  will  for  creation  from  the  beginning.    

• At  yet  another  level,  these  stories  affirm  that  Jesus  can  protect  his  disciples  in  the  midst  of  chaos  in  their  lives.  As  a  result,  they  can  trust  him  (“have  faith”)  during  these  times.  For  today’s  lesson,  we’ll  focus  on  this  third  level  of  meaning.    

 So,  what  chaos  might  the  disciples  be  experiencing?  Paying  attention  to  the  surrounding  context  of  these  stories  can  help  us  answer  this  question.    

• The  first  story  of  the  disciples  at  sea  (Matt  8:23-­‐27)  occurs  in  middle  of  the  two  chapters  we  studied  during  the  first  week  of  this  series.  As  you  might  recall,  Matt  8-­‐9  presents  a  series  of  stories  depicting  Jesus  encountering  various  kinds  of  “unclean”  people:  lepers,  demon-­‐possessed,  Gentiles,  “sinners,”  and  even  a  corpse.  And  as  he  wades  into  these  messy  situations,  he  bids  his  disciples  to  follow.  It’s  no  wonder  that  they  might  be  a  little  confused  and  fearful  about  where  their  teacher  is  leading  them.  He’s  taking  them  directly  into  what  they’ve  been  always  taught  to  avoid:  impurity.  Deeply  seated  “disgust  psychology”  tells  them  that  if  they  follow  him  into  these  places,  they  risk  being  permanently  contaminated  in  the  eyes  of  their  community.    

o In  the  midst  of  these  stories  about  Jesus  crossing  purity  boundaries  (and  asking  his  disciples  to  follow),  Matthew  tells  us  the  story  about  the  disciples  experiencing  a  storm  at  sea.  When  they  cry  out  in  fear,  Jesus  responds,  “Why  are  you  afraid,  you  of  little  faith?”  Then,  he  calms  the  sea;  he  overcomes  chaos.    

2  

• The  second  story  of  the  disciples  at  sea  (14:22-­‐33)  occurs  shortly  after  Matthew  retells  the  story  of  John  the  Baptist’s  execution  (14:1-­‐12).  The  story  of  the  miraculous  feeding  (14:13-­‐21)  addresses  some  of  the  fears  John’s  death  might  have  raised  for  Jesus’s  disciples—the  story  affirms  that  Jesus  can  provide  for  his  own,  even  in  the  threatening  wilderness—and  the  story  of  Jesus  walking  on  water  makes  a  similar  point—Jesus  will  save  his  followers  even  when  he  calls  them  into  danger.    

o There  might  be  more  to  the  sea  story,  however.  The  story  is  immediately  bracketed  by  stories  of  Jesus  interacting  with  and  healing  the  sick  (14:14,  34-­‐36).  Not  only  are  Jesus’s  disciples  called  to  follow  him  in  a  way  of  life  that  risks  violence  from  the  authorities;  they  are  also  called  to  follow  him  into  the  messiness  of  the  lives  of  the  “unclean.”  In  this  story,  when  Peter  hears  the  Lord’s  call,  he  steps  out  of  the  boat  and  wades  directly  into  the  waves  of  chaos.  And  when  he  sinks  and  cries  for  help,  Jesus  “immediately”  reaches  out  his  hand  to  save  him.  Jesus  can  calm  the  storm;  he  can  save  his  followers  from  the  waves.  They  can  trust  him  and  wade  into  the  water.      

 Holiness  at  Hillcrest  It’s  time  to  make  this  series  a  little  personal.  For  several  weeks,  we’ve  been  studying  holiness  in  Matthew  and  Leviticus,  and  we’ve  noticed  that,  according  to  Jesus’s  interpretation  of  the  Law,  holiness  does  not  mean  isolating  the  holy  community  to  protect  it  from  contamination.  That’s  how  the  Pharisees  thought  about  holiness.  That’s  how  “disgust  psychology”  naturally  leads  us  to  think  about  contamination.  But  Jesus  reverses  “negativity  dominance.”  When  he  touches  the  “unclean,”  he  makes  them  “clean,”  and  he  calls  his  disciples  to  follow  him  into  those  places.  In  this  way,  they  will  imitate  the  holy  God  who  refuses  to  remain  aloof  from  the  unworthy.    

• So,  how  is  Hillcrest  doing?    • Who  are  the  “unclean  sinners  and  tax  collectors”  in  our  community?  Are  we  entering  into  

community  with  them  (like  Jesus)  or  criticizing  those  who  do  (like  the  Pharisees)?  Are  we  staying  dry  in  the  boat  or  stepping  into  the  waves?