WestGate Church Teaching

In Matthew 8, Jesus and His disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a giant storm erupts on the lake. His followers, many of whom were fisherman in that region, are more than worried: they’re terrified of the strength of the storm. What makes matters worse is that Jesus is literally asleep in the boat while all this is happening. This only adds to the angst and fear of the disciples. Does Jesus not see the storm? Does He not realize how bad it is? Does He not care? But as we examine this story, and Jesus’ response to His disciples, we see there’s a lesson for all of us. When storms come (and they will come) fear can overpower us, making it impossible to see anything but the ferocity of the storm. But Jesus wants us to focus, instead, on the fact that God Himself is in the boat with us. And that He can quell any storm.

SPEAKERS:

Lisa Averill (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills)

Sometimes, in the Bible, we encounter passages that - on their face - seem to make Jesus look like a giant jerk. One example is in Matthew 8, where a man says he wants to follow Jesus, but requests to first bury his father. Jesus says no, and tells the man to let “the dead bury the dead.” What the heck, Jesus? Compassion much? As always, there’s more going on in the story - and this is a textbook example of delayed obedience. Jay and I talk about how clever we can get with our excuses. Also a loyal listener writes in a question about how to deal with a problem that nobody seems to want to admit is a problem. And Jay plays a fun audio game where he tries to guess songs about “space and time.”

Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

After the years-long pandemic, it seems that there’s been a shift in the way that people see their time and their space. In a world in which so many of us are overworked, under-rested, always chasing, never-arriving, it makes logical sense that we would so fiercely try to protect our space and our time. But in Matthew 8, we see back-to-back examples where two people approach Jesus to say they want to follow Him. Jesus invites them both, but in the process, He makes it clear that this journey won’t always be comfortable and it won’t always be convenient with their schedule. In the end, Jesus is asking us to examine the idea that our “time” is ours to do with as we please and if our “space” - our home, our house, our office - is ours, either. Like everything else, Jesus is saying that both our space and our time is a resource we can offer to Him in service of the Kingdom.

SPEAKERS:

Jay Kim (Saratoga), David Tieche (South Hills)

In Matthew 8, we see the third of three healings that the author Matthew lists. He is being deliberate, but this third “miracle” is different than the others. Unlike the previous two, where people quite literally fell at Jesus’ feet begging Him to help, this time a sickly woman doesn’t say anything. But Jesus sees her, knows her need and heals her out of compassion. The author Matthew is clear: this is further proof that Jesus is the Messiah. It’s Jesus’ way of reversing the effects of the Fall, restoring what was broken by sin, and renewing all things. But the story doesn’t end there. The woman, newly healed, gets up and begins to help and serve Jesus and those with him. This is a powerful reminder: when we experience the healing of Christ—physical, emotional, mental, spiritual—the natural result is a committed life of service to him, the life of discipleship. This is not out of duty but out of deep gratitude. SPEAKERS:

Mark Averilla (Saratoga), Jay Kim (South Hills)

Often, our image and concept of God (if we have any) is that He is distant and far away. Aloof, at best. And humans who are interested have to undergo nearly Herculean feats to find Him. The equivalent of hiking up a tall mountain to gain wisdom from a spiritual guru. But the Biblical narrative presents a radically different picture of God, especially when you consider the person of Jesus. Here, we don’t see God waiting for humans to get their act together and get to Him, but rather, God running out toward humanity. Jesus shows us God as a *pursuing* God. Mark Averill and Jay Kim stop by to chat about the power of this moment in Matthew 8 where Jesus sees and heals Peter’s mother-in-law - and then we examine the implications of this woman’s pretty remarkable response to being healed.

Speakers: David Tieche + Jay Kim

We Americans have an uneasy relationship with authority - and have since the very beginning of our nation (right, King George?) But this distrust of authority has only been exacerbated in recent decades to the point that we are quickly becoming a people totally unaccustomed to and even repulsed by the concept of authority. What does this mean for Christians, who have said for millennia to be a people “under the authority” of Jesus? What does that mean? And how can a church (or a person) live out a life under “authority”? Also, Jay shares about the time he got into the most trouble with the “authorities.”

Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Corinna Girard

We modern people have - for a variety of reasons - a trust problem. And specifically, we have a trust-in-authority problem. From broad institutional failures, to distrust of media, to the deepening of individual autonomy, we are becoming a people who are distrustful of all authority. For followers of Jesus, this poses a tremendous challenge mainly because one can't read the Gospels without being struck by the definitive and unapologetic authority Jesus communicates and claims. In Matthew 8, we see the story of a Roman Centurion who amazes Jesus by his understanding of Jesus’ clear authority. And in the process, we learn that following Jesus demands that we surrender to His authority.

Immediately after the famous set of teachings found in Matthew 5-7 called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes “down the mountain” and is immediately confronted in a shocking manner by a leper. According to Mosaic Law, this man would have not only been banished from the city, but was required to yell “Unclean, Unclean” to warn everyone of his condition. But it was more than simply taboo - this was dangerous: these diseases were contagious and deadly. Jesus’ interaction with this man - quite literally an outcast of society - shows us that He has unparalleled authority over sickness, matching the unique authority his preaching and teaching already illustrated. But it is Jesus’ posture toward the man that’s perhaps even more shocking, showing God’s heart and God’s posture toward broken humanity, giving all of us real hope that not only is the King powerful, but that He is truly good, and good to His core.

SPEAKERS:

Steve Clifford (Saratoga), Corinna Girard (South Hills)

In almost all zombie movies, the infected are treated like walking death - because in most of those stories, they are dangerous and contagious. In Matthew 8, we encounter a man with leprosy - pretty much the closest thing to an infected zombie in the ancient world. Contact with a leper was forbidden by God’s law, and for good reason: it could mean certain death. But Matthew records this shocking interaction between Jesus and the leper, and the story reveals a great deal about both of the men. We also talk about the laws of ritual purity and uncleanness in Leviticus (fun!), what they show about God, and what this particular miracle shows about Jesus (and why it’s good news even for us, even today).

Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford + Corinna Girard

In her best-selling novel The Poisonwood Bible, author Barbara Kingsolver presents missionary Nathan Price as a deep force of evil on the people of the Congo where he goes to serve. He’s a stand-in for colonialism, for arrogance and makes the case that “Christianity” makes our world worse. This mindset is common – so common that when many modern people think about Christian mission work to evangelize (or proselytize), it’s often viewed with deep, deep suspicion. Political scientist and researcher Robert Woodberry set out to examine this very question - did the modern missions movement hurt the world, or help it. Steve and Dave talk about his findings, and although the tragedy of missionaries like Nathan Price sadly exist in the real world, there are also many examples like Adoniram, Sarah, Ann and Emily Judson - missionaries whose presence not only served the local people, but whose lives were blazing examples of holistic, sacrificial love toward others whose impact is still being felt.

Speakers: David Tieche + Steve Clifford