Go back to 1st century thinking and read Matthew Chapters 8 - 13 as though you're seeing and hearing these things for the first time. Then, we'll be able to unpack the layers of the onion and get to the deeper meanings of what's going on.
One of your assignments for this week is to read Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. The Kingdom of Heaven coming has a lot to do with the reference in that address.
We will then look at three facets of Jesus: Liberating Jesus, Perplexing Jesus and Cryptic Jesus which I found jumping out all over the place in those 6 chapters.
Listen to the book of Matthew from BibleGateway: ESV, KJV, MSG, NIV, NKJV
Short Outline of the Book of Matthew from the Today's English Version: