Imago Scriptura 06 - Little Things

Sandwiched in Matthew 8 and 9 between healings and miracles and incredible acts that Jesus does is a quick story about Jesus' call to Matthew and a dinner he shares. These seems a bit out of place when a paralytic is starting to walk, a girl is raised to life, a bleeding woman is healed, and so forth. Simply, Jesus comes to Matthew, a tax collector sitting at his booth, says to him "Follow me" and Matthew gets up and follows him. Jesus then goes and has a meal with other "sinners" like Matthew, riling up his opponents who are incredulous about him eating with "such people." Two short stories, two simple things - two words to a man sitting at a tax booth and then a dinner gathering. Yet they reveal so much about Jesus - they reveal one who is about the ordinary moments of life - ordinary conversations, ordinary people, ordinary meals. But in those ordinary moments, he reflects something far deeper - an immense love and immense welcoming of others. There was a wonderful quote in Scot McKnight's "Jesus Creed" book this morning that is simple yet beautiful...

"for Jesus the kingdom is about the ordinariness of loving God and loving others."

Wow. So very true. Its like these little blades of grass poking up through the snow. They reflect a life that is hidden beneath, a life waiting to grow and flourish once again when the cold and snow of winter has passed. But the reminder is still there - its an ordinary picture of grass and snow, but much more beneath.