RHYTHM AND GRACE (Part One)

Though the name of the artist eludes us you will find the inspiration for this portrait in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It is a story of rhythm and grace.

“ As Jesus passed from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.” (Matt. 9:9-10)

To appreciate this text you have to understand Matthew is telling us his story. In fact he is showing us how his life has become a small chapter written into the plot of a of a much bigger story. John Eldridge says stories are the language of the heart. The Bible shares the redemptive story of our Heavenly Father. Found in this Grand Story are Sixty-Six smaller books each describing a narrative which comes to the harmonious conclusion, “God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son….” (Jn. 3:16)

We read in II Sam. 11:1 “ Now it happened in the spring of the year…” this is the introduction to the story of David and his personal failure with Bathsheba. You sill see in Job 1:1 “ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job…” Also, in Job 2:1
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord….” This is the intro to the story of Job, which will address the problem of suffering.


Now read Matthew Nine verse ten again. “ Now it happened, …” Once again, Matthew has opened the window of his soul and is telling us his story. However before we look at his story may I ask you to consider your own? If you could reduce your life down to a kernel what would it look like? Two questions will need to be answered. First, where have you come from? And second, where are you going?

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To answer these questions you will need to reflect on the past and then peer into the future. Looking to the past may be difficult, even painful but a very necessary step in the process of getting to your future.

When reading the story of Matthew we must take the necessary step of looking to his past and asking the same question, “Where did he come from?” To answer that question we must look to the Gospel of Luke and and while sifting through the pages you will find a nugget hinting toward something of his yesterday.

“ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were others who sat down with them.”

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Luke tells us that Matthew was also known as Levi. You will recall the name Levi is associated with the priesthood in the Old Testament. Those of the tribe of Levi had the responsibility of serving the Lord in the tabernacle.

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I am of the opinion that Levi was actually from the tribe of Levi and he had a working knowledge of the significance of his heritage. It would have been his ancestors who carried the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders.

If this is true how does Levi (Matthew) find himself in a position so out of rhythm with God? What happened? As we are introduced to this Levite we find him in a different environment. He is sitting with tax collectors and other undesirables. He is guilty by association and also by the choices he has made.

To answer the question of how we must also so look to the times and traditions of his day. (This will be posted in part two.)