In Matthew 5-7, Jesus delivered the most mind-blowing, priority-altering message ever spoken, inviting his hearers to anchor their lives on him and his announcement that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” – Matt. 4:17b. But why should they attach themselves to him? Why should we? Yes his words were spectacular but his appearance, not so much. That’s the question that the Tax Collector-Turned-Jesus-Devotee addressed in the next section of his famous memoir, Chapters 8-10. As we’ll discover in a sequence of encounters that Jesus had with people from every walk of life, this captivating peasant pantomimed the Mighty God of the Torah, Prophets and Writings, proving that men and women of
every skin color, socio-economic status and political persuasion should rise and follow him as King.