Matthew: Jesus, Be the Center

Matthew 17.22-23: As Christ’s disciples it is important to have a life centered on the gospel and especially the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus again takes up the theme of His death and resurrection with His disciples in Matthew’s Gospel. The disciples are focused on the dominant story/narrative of the day instead of what Jesus is revealing as truth (an alternative narrative). They are still trying to comprehend the kingdom of heaven and what Jesus must do as the Suffering Messiah. Remember the thought of an earthly political and economic kingdom is dominant among Jews and others as far as what the Messiah will usher in here on earth. Simply put there is a dominant narrative which is the way of the world and the alternative narrative which is the way of God. Will we get sucked into the dominant story or the alternative story that Jesus offers? So, we must not be double-minded or compromise, but instead be fixed on Jesus. Jesus must be the center.