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Jesus the Teacher, Up Close and Personal

It is no surprise that Matthew is the first writing in the New Testament. Matthew provided what the early Christian church most needed—instruction for the church and its members as they formed themselves as Christians in the hostile environment of the Roman Empire. In that situation, the early believers needed resources to help them understand what it meant to be a Christian, how to live with Jesus as their Lord, and how to do all of that in a world that was run by people and institutions who had conspired to kill Jesus and did not like his followers.

Therefore, the Gospel According to Matthew is a document about Jesus, the one who teaches the church what it means to be people of faith. It is the story of help for the helpless and hope for the hopeless; a series of glimpses into a world that the creator intended it to be; and the assurance of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Son of God.

From that brief introduction, it should not be difficult to see what the first Gospel offers to college students: a Lord and Savior who is also a Teacher! When you get to college you expect to meet many teachers. But here is a reminder that—as a Christian—you will have your very own Teacher, accessible and eager to help you understand what is going on and to accompany you in meeting the challenges of the college experience.

But you don’t read Matthew just because Jesus was a great teacher. You read it because Jesus is the Lord, the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Son of Man, and you want to know what all of those dimensions of Jesus—the christological titles that pepper the biblical texts—have to do with you and how they can help you become the person God intended you to be. Not only will you see who this Teacher is, how he taught, and what he taught. In some important ways you will be just like the disciples whose stories you will also follow as you follow Jesus through this text.

And you will be reading a great story—the greatest story ever told—that you can embrace and be embraced by, day by day. College may even help you write your own story in a more faithful way.

1 – Introducing Jesus

Matthew 1:1–17 — (1) An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (2) Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, (3) and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, (4) and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, (5) and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, (6) and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, (7) and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, (8) and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, (9) and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, (10) and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, (11) and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. (12) And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, (13) and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, (14) and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, (15) and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, (16) and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. (17) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Jesus may be new on the scene, like you, but his “story” goes way back. We discover sorrows, “interesting” female relatives, and political catastrophes. You can see how Jesus is positively, but selectively, shaped by that past. Will you build on the positive in your past, and leave the other baggage behind? This is a new day, a fresh start, with new opportunities. Can you pick out someone in your past who might be an asset as you move on in your college career?

Prayer: Lord, help me to know Jesus Christ who is the best teacher in helping me know myself. Amen.

2 – The Best-Laid Plans

Matthew 1:18–25 — (18) Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (19) Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. (20) But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (22) All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: (23) “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (24) When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, (25) but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Joseph has just found out that his fianceé, Mary, is pregnant. That was not part of Joseph’s original plan. So, he develops a new plan; Matthew says it was “to dismiss her quietly.” Apparently, in those days, that would have been an appropriate plan. He knew, of course, that he had not gotten her pregnant, so his plan seems designed to provide the best outcome for them both.

But Joseph’s own plan was changed—overruled by God. He was to go ahead and marry her and they would have the baby as a family. As they say, the rest is history.

As a student, you know that having a plan can be a good idea. But, they also say, life is what happens when you are doing something else. With four or five classes, different assignments and deadlines in each class, other activities, a job, unplanned and spontaneous bull sessions, family crises, or a flat tire, you never know when you will need to flex. Joseph’s story teaches that God has a safety net for when your plans fail. You need to have your plans, but don’t think that they are the last word.

Prayer: Thank you God for being my safety net—even under my best-laid plans. Amen.

3 – Where is the King?

Matthew 2:1–12 — (1) In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, (2) asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (3) When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; (4) and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. (5) They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: (6) ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” (7) Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. (8) Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (9) When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. (10) When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (11) On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (12) And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

By now you know that you will be confronted by many claimants for your allegiance. Virtually anything can create a claim—socialism, bagels, TV, work, other people. It will take wisdom and courage to sort out the bogus kings (Elvis, King Kong) from the ones worthy of your commitment. We know we are just kidding when we use such terminology as “king.” We don’t have kings; it’s a thing of the past. Taking orders from others seems unacceptable. Or is it?

In this story, three wise men must choose to obey “King Herod” or worship the “king of the Jews.” Herod had all the marks of a king; Jesus was a baby in a diaper. To make a long and tense story short, they chose Jesus. You will be faced with the same sort of choice as professors, -isms, peers, and God in Jesus Christ confront you with the dilemma of the “wise men.” With Jesus’ help, you can make the right choice.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to study wisdom and power and to choose wisdom. Amen.

4 – Burden of the Wise: Unintended Consequences

Matthew 2:13–23 — (13) Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (14) Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, (15) and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” (16) When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. (17) Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” (19) When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, (2) “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” (21) Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. (22) But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. (23) There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

Sneaking out of town at night is suspicious behavior. It needs looking into. But then you discover that baby Jesus would be killed if they stayed. Herod was acting on what the military calls “actionable intelligence”—information that calls for a response. Herod’s “intelligence” was that his challenger for the throne could be found among the babies in a certain area. His response was totally and disgustingly gross.

As you go through college you will confront moments when you will have a variety of responses available to you—most pretty mundane, but some hard. Your decisions will call for wisdom. College doesn’t teach wisdom. Art history? Yes. American lit? Yes. But wisdom? It’s a good thing that Christ can be your Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30).

Prayer: Lord, teach me wisdom so that—like the wise men—I may travel by another way, your way. Amen.

5 – The “Tan Man”

Matthew 3:1–12 — (1) In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming (2) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (3) This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” (4) Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, (6) and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (7) But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bear fruit worthy of repentance. (9) Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (10) Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (11) I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Everyone called him the “Tan Man.” It was winter but he rode his bike shirtless and silent around the University of Kansas campus. He looked disheveled, like the cartoon figure with the sandwich board that read, “Repent” and something about the end of the world. The rumor was that he was a veteran of the Vietnam War.

In the Gospel, the message of repentance is delivered by a strange-looking character who dresses in animal skins and lives out in the desert on a diet of bugs and honey. Unlike the Tan Man or the cartoon figure, John’s message of repentance was clear: “change [your] mind.” (That is what “repent” means in Greek.) Why? With Jesus, there is good reason to change your mind. There is a new world coming. You need to get with the new situation.

Once you were not a college person; now you are and that means thinking about things differently, particularly since Jesus is in your vicinity and installing a new kingdom.

Prayer: God of wisdom, keep my mind always turned in your direction. Amen.

6 – Do I Have to Do That?

Matthew 3:13–17 — (13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. (14) John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (15) But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. (16) And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (17) And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Before college, when you lived at home, there were probably a lot of things you had to do that you didn’t think you needed to do—like be home by 10 pm week nights. Now you’re in college and . . . you discover that college will make you do things you don’t want to do—like fill out a form that you already filled out. Or maybe they want you to learn something that you absolutely know you will never need to know.

This is really where it gets interesting. Let’s say you are going to be a brain surgeon or an orchestra conductor and your college says you must learn a foreign language. You think: I’ll never need another language because everything I will need to know is already written in English. And then you wind up in the Army fighting in Afghanistan or stranded as a tourist in Argentina. Surprise! It would really have helped to know the local language.

Or you say you are going into sales and advertising and your college says you also need to have math. You think, I’ll need to know about interpersonal relationships and TV because that’s where supply meets demand; but who needs math? And then your boss sends you to accounting to figure out if the company is really making money.

John the Baptist called people to repent—literally, “change their minds”—and make that “change” (repentance) public by being baptized. While Jesus did not need to repent or be baptized he went to John and was baptized. Here was an example—one of the first of many—of Jesus’ doing what he really didn’t need to do but did anyway. Usually, doing what college wants you to do won’t hurt. And who knows, it might turn out that you really did need it.

Prayer: Lord, can you give me the grace to do what I have to do even though I don’t want to? Amen.

7 – Don’t Mess with My Resume

Matthew 4:1–11 — (1) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (2) And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. (3) The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (4) But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (5) Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” (7) Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (8) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; (9) and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” (10) Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (11) Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Do you ever wonder if your parents would like you more if you changed in some way? Jesus is the Son of God. Okay, but what does that mean? The ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Having a chart-busting IQ? Being the nicest person of all time?

Here at the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus is questioned by the devil, and we get to eavesdrop on this conversation where the “job description” for Son of God is the topic. Satan tempts Jesus with options—all of which look good. He doesn’t try to sidetrack Jesus from his role as Son of God as much as it is to get him to betray his “family.” Satan wants Jesus to live out his Sonship in the service of another family.

The options presented by Satan are stunning: feed the hungry, use the power of God for personal gratification, take over the whole world. But the real temptation—the elephant in the room—was to deny God and accept the plan and the authority of Satan.

This story is about Jesus, not about you. But you might learn from it that you are part of a family and growing into who you are to become does not necessitate your leaving that family.

Prayer: Father of Jesus, I am thankful that Jesus’ deepest loyalty is to you. Amen.

8 – The World’s Shortest Sermon

Matthew 4:12–17 — (12) Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. (13) He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, (14) so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: (15) “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—(16) the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (17) From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

In many of your classes, the main thing the instructor wants to accomplish is to shake up your thinking and open you to thinking in new ways. But even students can be hesitant about thinking in new ways. You can overestimate the probable (the sun will rise tomorrow) and underestimate the improbable (the events of 9/11).

An improbability that Christians have struggled with for centuries is that of the kingdom of God. (In the Gospel of Matthew, it is always called “the kingdom of heaven.”) It is a shorthand expression for the effective rule of God over the world and for the commitment of all people to live as God intended us to live when he created us. This “kingdom of heaven” was described by Jesus in his numerous parables as he told story after story, comparison after comparison to try to suggest what it might be like if God were totally accepted as “in charge.” If that happened, there truly would be a change of thinking.

Jesus came into the world at a time when a foreign nation ruled his people. That was about the fifth different foreign government that had ruled God’s people since 587 BCE. They were getting pretty tired of it. But Jesus had a truly game-changing idea: that God should be acknowledged as ruler of all people and that people accept that as the motivating idea in their lives. And that was his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Indeed Jesus incarnated that kingdom, making it happen and making it near. It still is near because he still brings it.

Prayer: Help me to repent each and every day to look for the new ideas that you have for me. Amen.

9 – Disengagement

Matthew 4:18–22 — (18) As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. (19) And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” (20) Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (21) As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. (22) Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

The transition to college can be hard. Part of it is the newness. New people. New places. New stuff.

But what about the old stuff. Do you leave it behind? Do you keep connected to it? How does that work?

You can’t just up and leave it all behind; even if you wanted to. There are things that can’t be changed: family relationships, deeply held convictions, some personal habits (good ones and bad ones).

Your encounter with Jesus has something of the same effect. That faith encounter forces you to reconsider how your new life as a disciple will look. How much of the old life is brought along and how to bring it along.

The experience of the first disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—is instructive. It is not necessarily a model for you, but it could be helpful. There are things that they left behind and things that they kept.

What they left behind was the stuff, the technology. Peter and Andrew “left their nets.” Without nets, no way could they catch fish. This is a definite break. James and John “left the[ir] boat.” Again—no way could they catch fish without their boat.

But they also left “their father”! That was a major reorientation. You need to think about that one.

What they did not leave behind was their calling or vocation. Their vocation was to catch fish and feed people. Jesus took that call and elevated it: to catch people for the kingdom of heaven and to feed them what they really needed.

We all need to sort through what should be left behind and what can be taken with and transformed by Jesus.

Prayer: Help me to discern what I need to let go and what I need to keep. Amen.

10 – Here’s the Plan

Matthew 4:23–25 — (23) Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (24) So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. (25) And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Do you ever wonder what others really think of you? What is the word about you “on the street”? Do you think that what people say about you—your “fame” for want of a better term—could be based on your physical appearance, your family background, your character, some outrageous behavior you exhibit? Have you cultivated a persona designed to elicit some specific response from your public? Would your reputation involve your Christian faith and actions that grow out of that faith? Or would your reputation be built on something else?

Another question: What would you like people to think of you? In the extreme case, what would you like said at your funeral or inscribed on your tombstone?

We have learned that Jesus was the Son of God. So far in Matthew’s gospel we have heard that from the author (with the genealogy), from God (at the baptism), and from Satan (in the temptation). Jesus was aware who he was and because of who he was, and his call, and his struggle with Satan, he had begun to work out what it was that he was to do: teach, proclaim God’s kingdom, and heal all who came to him.

Based on what he was doing, “his fame” went out to all the inhabitants of the land. We learn a couple of things from this. Jesus’ vocation to proclaim and push God’s agenda to make life good for everyone was stunning enough to provide the basis for some serious and far reaching “fame.” We also know that eventually Jesus would probably run into trouble with the legally constituted political and religious authorities who would value their own careers more than they would like to see the people under their care helped.

Maybe “fame” is not a desirable goal. Jesus was never out to blow his own horn and get “fame” and attention for himself. Perhaps the best thing is to focus on your own calling (vocation) and let the chips fall where they may.

Prayer: Keep me aware that my main concern is to be known by you. Amen.

11 – I’m Not on the List!

Matthew 5:1–12 — (1) When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. (2) Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

(3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(4) Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

(5) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

(6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

(7) Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

(8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

(9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

(10) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(11) Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

I write this on Christmas Eve when that icon of American consumerism, selfish individualism, and shallow moralism—a. k. a. Santa Claus—begins his trek from his shop at the North Pole to my house with my present because I think that I deserve it because I’ve been good (according to my own “naughty or nice” list [that I made up]).

But college students aren’t on Jesus’ list of the blessed! It doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who study, for they shall succeed.” It doesn’t mention those who are poor because of educational loans or who hunger for fall break. So how do you get on the list? There are two options. One is to change yourself to fit his categories. That is the “do-it-yourself” option so prevalent in America. It’s exactly what you are up to in college—self-improvement.

The other option is more realistic. It is to recognize who you are and what you are into. If you are not on Jesus’ list, if you aren’t ready for the kingdom of heaven, the first step is to admit it. If you don’t know which way to change (repent), then acknowledging you are not on track is the first step in finding the right one.

Prayer: Help me to see myself through your eyes and not the world’s. I want to be on your list. Amen.

12 – Irreplaceable

Matthew 5:13–16 — (13) “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. (14) You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. (15) No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to you Father in heaven.”

Parsons, St. Mary of the Plains, Emporia. These are among the many American colleges that no longer exist. They were established to do something that their founders felt deeply about. Now they are gone—mostly due to lack of money. That doesn’t mean that the vision that inspired them is not important.

The demise of a college is a wrenching experience. Employees lose jobs, buildings and resources go unused and unattended. Worst of all, the students and alumni are orphaned. It is as if a parent—the alma mater—has died. The “person” who gave them a unique training or fellowship is gone. There is no “home” to return to. The loss is the loss of something essential in the lives of the bereft alumni. When such a loss occurs, what exactly is lost? Is it irreplaceable? Today, if a college closes (dies), there are still more than 4,000 others to take its place. Or are there? Is there another one just like the one that disappeared?

In what respect would the world suffer loss if you were not here? Someday you won’t be. How critical a loss will that be? Jesus addresses the disciples and calls them “salt” and “light.” These labels are often reapplied to the church. If there were no Christian church, what would be lost? The Christian church is unique. Like “salt,” it is irreplaceable; there is no substitute. Like “light,” it is unique; there is nothing that can replace it. You belong to something unique and important. The world needs the church. And you are a unique and necessary part of that church. And the church is uniquely necessary—as “salt” and “light”—to you.

Prayer: Lord, you have made me unique—especially when I am salt and light to others. Amen.

13 –The World’s Strongest Person

Matthew 5:17–20 — (17) Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (18) For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. (19) Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Did you have to fill out an application for or meet any requirements to join your church? What are the expectations that you must meet to continue your membership? Are there any standards that need to be met for you to be generally accepted as Christian in America?

Someone was describing the standards and expectations for Christians in his hometown during his youth: Christians were people who were nice to the mail man. That suggests that to be considered a Christian you don’t need to clear a very high bar. Or, to put it another way, everyone is a Christian. Is that really the kind of group to which you want to belong? The comedian Groucho Marx once told of a country club that had standards so low that it would even admit him; he wasn’t sure that he really wanted to join an organization where standards were that low.

The disciples spent some time discussing which of them was the greatest (most important) in the kingdom of heaven (18:1). Jesus preempted any such discussion by issuing the criteria by which Christians would be evaluated. In addition to being a servant and facing the power of the Roman empire, the criteria for greatness had to do with teaching God’s laws (all of them) and doing God’s laws (again, all of them). This is not work for the fainthearted.

The German philosopher Nietzsche was scornful of Christianity because he saw it as producing wimps—people who would be subservient. He missed the point: Christians turned out to be the most powerful of all in the Roman Empire because they stood up to its power by loving and serving others and enduring persecution. Can Christians today pass this same standard?

Prayer: God of power, give me the strength to be a college student, and to be strong when necessary. Amen.

14 – It All Depends

Matthew 5:21–26 — (21) “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ (22) But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. (23) So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, (24) leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. (25) Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. (26) Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

In these “But I say to you” statements of Jesus he clearly was questioning the authority of the Jewish religious and cultural traditions of his day. He was proposing an entirely new way of thinking on the topic of killing. The real question had never been whether killing was wrong; it was only to define the circumstances that justified killing—to clarify when it would be right to kill. We were all aware that all sorts of “killings” occur every day: in war, in auto accidents, in capital punishment, in not sending food to starving refugees.

For Jesus, there were no “it all depends” moments. He laid down an entirely new paradigm: no killing, period. Don’t even think about it.

Here you are, between the commonly accepted way of thinking (killing is okay under some circumstances) and a new paradigm (don’t even think about it). In college you have some space to think about the two paradigms—their foundations, their implications. Moving from one to another is a huge deal.

In his important study of how paradigms change in science (from, say, the world is flat to the world is round), Thomas Kuhn (Structure of Scientific Revolutions) showed that such changes do not occur smoothly (or easily) but when the shift in paradigms from one to another occurs, the old one can’t be understood through the framework of the new one (and vice versa).

Jesus’ “But I say to you” challenges your faith with a similar change—to make the total leap of faith.

Prayer: Help me to know that it is you who calls me to a truly radical new understanding. Amen.

15 – Tinkering with the Rules

Matthew 5:27–32 — (27) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ (28) But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (29) If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (30) And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. (31) It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ (32) But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

One of my favorite student-worn T-shirts said, “Question Authority.” Indeed, that is pretty much what college ought to be about. But don’t waste your time questioning all authority—speed limits, income tax law, gravity. You can’t win most of your battles; so be selective about the battles you choose.

Do you need to read all of the assignment? Can you skim it? Skip it? What about challenging the dormitory rules? Should you sneak your pet snake into your room? Or a gun? If you are really that much smarter than the professor and the people who run the college, why are you paying them the big bucks instead of having them paying you? There are so many rules to break and so little time to do it. Maybe it is easier just to follow the rules and even try to understand them.

A news story reported the discovery of a young man in a motel room. The bathroom was splattered with blood. He was bleeding and in shock. A Bible lay on the bed, open to the Matthean passage you are reading today. Apparently the unfortunate young man had taken this portion literally, trying to cut off his hand. He should have tried to understand the rule first. Once you accept that Jesus is your true Teacher and offers the ultimate paradigm to guide you, you can work at refining your understanding of his truth.

Prayer: Give me the courage to take what you say seriously and the wisdom to understand it clearly. Amen.

16 – What You See is What You Get

Matthew 5:33–37 — (33) “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ (34) But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, (35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. (36) And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. (37) Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Did you ever dismantle a radio, a car, or a toy just to see how it worked? Then did you reassemble it and find that there were pieces left over that you couldn’t fit back in?

One thing that you will encounter in college is the need to integrate facts, ideas, and theories. A theory or paradigm is an explanation. Its purpose is to explain things. If facts are left out of the explanation, then the explanation is inadequate, and a better, more inclusive theory is needed.

Take for example the explanation (paradigm) of how the planets move. The ancient Greek scientist Ptolemy (85–165 CE) theorized that the planets followed perfectly circular orbits around the earth. However, since each planet’s actual path was different, he had to work in a lot of extra theoretical details. As additional factual observations added data, Ptolemy’s theory became too cumbersome. Finally Copernicus (1473–1543) offered an apparently simpler solution: the planets circled the sun, not the earth. His theory was undercut by Newton (1642–1727) with an even simpler explanation based on more information. The newer theories worked better to integrate more facts into a simpler explanation. There was less left out that had to be explained by some other theory. There was more coherence and cohesiveness. More integrity.

“What you see is what you get” can be a high complement about a person. A person behaves one way to some people and the opposite toward others is what Scripture calls a “double-minded” person (Ps 119:113; 1 Tim 3:8; Jas 1:7, 4:8). Such people lack integrity. Integrity is defined in the dictionary as characterized by being undivided or complete. Integrity is not complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. Just as a good theory is simpler than a bad one, a person with true integrity is single—“yes” or “no.” Anything messier and more complicated is suspect.

Prayer: Give me the purity of heart to be totally yours. Amen.

17 – Love Whom?

Matthew 5:38–48 — (38) “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ (39) But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also, (40) and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; (41) and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. (42) Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. (43) You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

If you counted the number of folks who have bumper stickers that read, “Don’t get mad, get even” and compared that to the number whose bumper sticker is “Love your enemies,” the “get even” folks would probably outnumber the “enemy lovers.”

Jesus set the bar pretty high when he told his disciples to love their enemies. Who would want to do that? It is absolutely clear what is wrong with your enemy. (You fill in the list.) Any objective observer should agree: My enemy is a good-for-nothing blankety-blank you-know-what; his mother couldn’t even love him.

Later, when asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus may seem to have backed off a bit when he said: “Love your neighbor.” But we don’t do well even with that limitation. Love is the kind of thing that takes it all out of you. And then calls for more. And it’s so hard to quantify. Like, when have you loved enough? Or put differently: When have you received enough love? How do you know when you’ve had too much? Do you get a stomachache or a headache? Do you get a notice from the banker indicating you’re overdrawn?

Jesus’ whole deal cannot be quantified. Here in college, as in life, you want to quantify—get certain grades, get requirements “out of the way”—but Jesus is never in the counting game.

Prayer: God of love, may I love others as you have loved me. Amen.

18 – Shhhhh!

Matthew 6:1–8; 16–18 — (1) “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (2) So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. (3) But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (4) so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (5) And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. (6) But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (16) And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. (17) But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, (18) so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Will that be on the test? (Do I need to study it? Or can I ignore it? Do not ask your professor this question. Ever.)

One of my favorite teachings of Jesus is when he tells us not to do something. That’s cool. The less there is to do in the Christian life, the more time I have to do my own thing. So I shouldn’t show off my piety. That will work; it will cut down on the time pretending to be holy. Don’t give alms in public. A serious economy move; I’m on it already. Don’t pray out loud. I always feel uneasy about public praying. Don’t fast. Wait: don’t fast means don’t don’t eat. Really? Okay; because I really like to eat.

Is there a common thread here? Anything that ties all these low-profile, “do not” commands together? What if we were to compare them to athletics? The athlete practices, exercises, trains, learns routines, watches her diet—all in private. In public, she performs. All the rest was preparation, disciplining (disciple-ing?) herself into what she believed she was.

In private you can concentrate on gearing yourself into the most appropriate response to God.

Prayer: God of power, control the temptation of pride that always lurks at my doorstep. Amen.

19 – The Prayer

Matthew 6:7–15 — (7) “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (9) Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. (14) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; (15) but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

One of the neat things about college is the creativity of some teachers. A really creative teacher helps you learn from things you’d never thought of: garbage, tree rings, or paintings that don’t seem to look like anything. ­­

Could you learn something from a prayer? We normally think of prayers as vehicles for asking God for something, or maybe expressing appreciation for something. But what about prayer as a teaching/learning exercise?

What was your last prayer about? Health for a sick relative? Success in a class? Healing in a personal relationship? Americans are good at knowing what they want. How about the run-up to Christmas when all the letters from kids to Santa appear in the newspaper? Each child tells exactly what they want: item after item. But almost never a thought about Santa giving something to someone else.

If we use the Lord’s Prayer as a model for our prayers, we begin by praying for something pretty big: God’s kingdom. Asking that God really take over the world is tantamount to relinquishing your own control over it. And then there is the part about asking for food. Didn’t you already pay hard-earned cash for food service? And the worst part is the one asking for forgiveness—which is supposed to be God’s favorite thing to do for us humans—and then making his forgiving you depend on your forgiving others.

Someone has written that we need to be taught what it is that we should want. Perhaps you could use this prayer regularly to shift your focus from what you want to what God wants you to want.

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to listen to what you have taught me to pray for. And to truly want it. Amen.

20 – Heads or Tails?

Matthew 6:19–24 — (19) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (22) The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; (23) but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (24) No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Every coin flip is absolutely decisive: heads or tail; no in-betweens. It may not seem so at this moment in your college career, but each decision you make can be decisive. At least, each decision excludes alternative possibilities. Sure, deciding between a banana split and a milk shake is not a big deal. But consider bigger decisions. You chose this college, not another one. That means that you will meet Bob and Ray, not Frank and Guido; you will date Peter or Mary, not Junior or Sara. It may mean that you will marry Billy or Martha, not Tom or Sissie.

And there are a lot of possibilities for a major. Of course, you may have decided on that already: science, taking you into medicine; accounting,taking you into business; English, taking you into teaching. Even within the major, there are choices: biology from Professor Smith or Professor Jones? Introduction to education from Mr. Wills or Ms. Peterson? Sociology from Dr. Green or Dr. White?

These can seem like easy choices but can have unforeseen but enormously decisive consequences. And we make a lot of these life-determining decisions on pretty flimsy (irrational, silly) grounds. I chose one school instead of another because of what I was told about taking music lessons. Then I never took music lessons, but I did wind up meeting the girl I would marry.

Sometimes it is not so much a matter of the choice you make but of making the best of those choices. Sometimes it is absolutely crucial which choice you make—God is the best choice then.

Prayer: I may not always make right choices but I thank you for choosing me. Amen.

21 – What, Me Worry?

Matthew 6:25–34 — (25) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (27) And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? (28) And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, (29) yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. (30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (31) Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ (32) For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. (33) But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

It must have been easy for Jesus to go around telling people to “not worry about tomorrow.” He didn’t have bills, assignments, a job, a car, climate change, and a dozen other crises like you do. It is hard to keep a focus on God or any other single thing and not to worry about what might or might not happen.

In college the syllabus lets you know what’s coming (papers, tests, etc.). But anxiety is about all that other stuff that might or might not happen. Talk about opening yourself up to problems, this is it. Søren Kierkegaard, the nineteenth-century Danish Christian existentialist, wrote a book titled Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing. It was about our all-out commitment to find in God the assurance impossible to find elsewhere. We Americans are all over the map looking for meaning—and wind up with a lot of anxiety and worry.

Jesus’ invitation not to worry reminds you that you can’t do much about most stuff, and that he will care for you in whatever does happen.

Prayer: Thank you for caring about what I can’t foresee or control. Amen.

22 – Golden Rule

Matthew 7:1–12 — (1) “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. (2) For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. (3) Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? (5) You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. (6) Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you. (7) Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (9) Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? (10) Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? (11) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (12) In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

You are the decider of ethical behavior. The rules for what you do are up to you. You create them on the basis of how you would like to be treated by others. Would you like them to be polite? Would you like them to help you when you feel sad, depressed, in need? The answers constitute an ethical picture that is rich in possibilities for what others might do for you, but demanding in what you are called upon to do for others, and unimaginably rewarding in what others will experience as a result of your behavior.

But what if others don’t respond well to you? What if, instead of doing to you as you would like them to, they are hurtful? Sorry, Jesus didn’t say anything about that. In fact, of course, he knew that people wouldn’t necessarily treat you well. He was teaching you how to act. He wasn’t teaching others how to act; nor are you to tell others what to do. You are here to figure out what you are supposed to do. So, use your imagination. Think of what would you like others to do and do it!

Prayer: Keep me mindful of others. Amen.

23 – No Pain, No Gain

Matthew 7:13–14 — (13) Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. (14) For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

“The gate is narrow and the road is hard.” That’s a good athletic metaphor. To squeeze through a narrow gate you must be lithe, slim. To make it on a hard way you need stamina, strength, energy, resilience, and focus. No place here for the weak, the wimpy, the faint of heart, or the out of shape. It is also a good metaphor for college success. Ultimately, success (A’s, a degree, honors) depends on performance, which in turn depends on disciplined commitment. We Americans have it easier than everyone else precisely because our lives have more support—electricity, calories, housing, medical care—than anyone else enjoys. We are on Easy Street, the Yellow Brick Road, on our way to “happily ever after.”

We are a secular culture in many ways. Most of us say we believe in God and if you have gone to many funerals, the dearly departed are generally guaranteed an honored position near God in heaven because of . . . well, because of whatever the presiding minister can pull out of the collection of anecdotes supplied by loved ones to show that the deceased had been a “good” person. We are Christians whether we like it or not. We are Christians no matter who we are. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the famed pastor and theologian who was imprisoned and hanged by the Nazis in the closing days of WWII called this “cheap grace”—everybody is okay.

Is there anything wrong with this picture? Remember Groucho Marx’s quip that he would not want to be a member of a group that had standards low enough to let him in? When we consider the time—sometimes even years!—and the demands to know about the faith required for church membership of converts in the days when Christianity was still illegal under the Roman Empire, we ought to be ashamed of how easy we have it.

If you want to do things right, the way Jesus is instructing, what would make it so hard to attain the life he promises? It must be that it is hard to keep your focus on Christ. But the thing is that when you focus on Jesus, the whole thing gets radically simplified.

Prayer: Don’t let me focus on the narrow gate or the hard way, but only on you, O Christ. Amen.

24 – Jekyll or Hyde?

Matthew 7:15–23 — (15) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (16) You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? (17) In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. (19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Thus you will know them by their fruits. (21) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ (23) Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evil-doers.’”

How many personalities do you have? Do you offer one persona to your grandparents and another to your roommate? Do you talk the same way to your parents as to your boy- or girlfriend? This is not to say that you have multiple personality disorder and need psychiatric attention. But it is to say that you might want to notice how you may differ as you relate to different audiences. The real test of who people are, says Jesus, is found in their “fruits”—what they actually do. They may talk the talk, but do they walk the walk?

Time for an inventory of your personalities. Check for several features: Is this particular persona consistent with your highest hopes for yourself? Is it the real you? Are there basic elements in it that are consistent with all your other personae? Are there elements in it that you don’t use in other relationships? Are there gestures, words, or topics that you avoid or include? What is that telling the other person about you? The issue here is whether there is a fundamental consistency across all of the “you’s” that you present to others.

Have the fragmenting possibilities of the college experience affected you in such a way as to encourage you to see your life in different parts, each needing a different you?

Prayer: Creator God, love all of the “me’s”; bring them together into the one person you created me to be. Amen.

25 – The One Teacher

Matthew 7:24–29 — (24) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. (25) The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. (26) And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (27) The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” (28) Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, (29) for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.