Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Matthew 8:11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
LIGHT BULB NO. 2 -- SALVATION IS FOR ALL
As we move through Matthew's Gospel, we see that Jesus publicly preached the truth that the magi clung to and confessed. There is no doubt that it is absolutely necessary for salvation to know and believe that Jesus is the Savior, but what good would that be if Jesus only came for the Jews? Jesus spoke the promise of this verse immediately after commending a Roman centurion (a Gentile) for having a "great faith." This centurion revealed his faith in Jesus by trusting that Jesus could heal his servant without even having to be present with him.
Jesus also took this opportunity to shine the light of truth in others' hearts. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the Fathers of the Jewish nation. Everyone would have known about whom Jesus was talking when He referenced these names and they certainly would have connected them to God -- as Jesus did by making reference to them as citizens of heaven. But as Jesus teaches about those who will share heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He does not limit it to Jews only. He simply says, "many will come from east and west." This phrase certainly includes Gentiles.
What adds even more emphasis to this "epiphany" is what Jesus says in v. 12: "while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness." The "sons of the kingdom" pointed to those Jews who relied on their physical heritage to get to heaven. If one's hope for salvation is based on being a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and thus a member of the "kingdom" of Israel, that hope is a false one. During Epiphany, we celebrate the fact that salvation is for all whom the Spirit brings to faith, regardless of physical descent. After all, Jesus revealed that very light during His ministry.
