Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

The cost of following Jesus is high. Every potential follower of Jesus should know that. It is precisely because the disciples follow Jesus that they find themselves in the middle of a massive storm. But with a word Jesus rebukes the sea and it becomes calm. Who is this that the winds and the sea obey him!?

After completing the Discourse on Discipleship, Matthew highlights interactions that Jesus has with various people. What is notable about the first three is that they would be considered outsiders among Matthew's primary audience. Why would Matthew bring these to the forefront and what do these healings say about what Jesus is like and who he is?

In the last section of the Discourse on Discipleship, Jesus puts before us four different choices. Just like in Deuteronomy, he has laid before us life and death and calls us to choose life by following him.