Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew

XXXIX

Matthew 8:19-22; 2 Corinthians 4:2: Why was the scribe not given a considerate and “understanding” reception? Because Jesus was honest, true, and faithful and did not want to entice him with glorious expectations.

Following Jesus is the same as death to everything that is natural. This means self-denial and sufferings, together with peace and joy, a good conscience, and eternal glory. In spite of all the suffering, persecution, opposition, struggle, and conflict, following Jesus is the good part that is beyond comparison.

Ungodly people also have to suffer, first of all in their conscience, but also in many different ways, and finally in eternity, with the result that they have to suffer much more and much worse than the sufferings one has as a Christian.

Sin makes people totally stupid. After everything is said and done, when we think about it, it is actually not so frightening that the Son of Man had no place where He could lay His head. Since God cares for us anyway, this becomes the freest, most pleasant, and easiest life you can imagine.

The more you possess, the more toil, the more care, and the more opportunities to be anxious you have; and the more you have to look after, and the more you can lose.

At first glance, the fact that one of His own disciples was not even permitted to bury his father seems unreasonable. However, on further reflection it is easy for us to understand that he had nothing of importance to do there. It was too late to be good to his father, as is stated in a popular song: “Give me a flower while I’m alive.”

Jesus was right. He was certainly wise. He was certainly good. He was certainly not unreasonable. On the contrary, it is we who are wrong, stupid, evil, and unreasonable. Therefore we ought to follow Him and learn from Him. We should immediately forsake everything and follow Him. Then we will experience the least amount of sufferings, learn the most, and obtain the most.

XL

Matthew 8:23-27; Hebrews 4:1-14: There are always storms in this world in the natural as well as in the spiritual realm. Then it becomes evident whether or not I am at rest in my inner man, in God, and how long my rest lasts. Jesus was always at rest in God. He had nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to be anxious about; neither did He have any desires that had to be nurtured, nor honor and goods that had to be defended and taken care of. He rested in God’s leading and will by faith in God’s Word.

We enter into His rest—the same rest that Jesus possessed in the days of His flesh—in one area after another, when individual words are mixed with faith in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12 states more precisely how this happens: soul is separated from spirit. This means that death enters in. Then this expression that is often used in obituaries is fitting: He has entered into rest.

The only important thing is that we enter into death as much as possible during this life and thus, insofar as possible, enter into rest so that it can become very deep. Someone once said that rest in God is the greatest spiritual treasure, and that is true. It is very blessed to be together with a soul who is at rest in God in all the storms of life.

It is written about the ungodly that he cannot rest. He is like the troubled sea, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Isa. 57:20.

Just as we understand in part and prophesy in part, so we also enter into God’s rest one step at a time. For example, if we believe the word that we must not worry about the day tomorrow, then the part of our self-life that is restless in this area is put to death, and we enter into rest in this area. We no longer hear a single sound from it. It becomes dead quiet, as silent as the grave. Rest entered in as soon as faith arrived.

By way of example, we can also take a word about not seeking honor from each other but rather seeking the honor of God. When this word has melted together with faith in your heart and someone comes and tells you that another person has said different things about you, you can (for example) answer like this: “I see.” Then you are finished with the matter and you can go to bed and sleep soundly in Jesus’ name.