THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 8 – Jesus Heals Leprosy, The Centurion’s Faith, Jesus Heals Others, The Disciples Tested, Jesus Calms the Storm, Casting out Demons

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 8

Jesus Heals Leprosy, The Centurion’s Faith, Jesus Heals Others, The Disciples Tested, Jesus Calms the Storm, Casting out Demons.

Jesus’ method of teaching and discipling can be capsulated in this little acronym:  S.W., S.W., S.W. In other words, He would Say the Words; Show the Wonders; Send the Workers. This is, or should be, our method as well. All sermons and teachings in the Church should follow, teach and encourage this model.

Chapter 7 gives us Jesus preaching and teaching, or Saying the Words. This chapter gives us Jesus Showing the Wonders and His Works.

Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy

Matthew 8:1, When [footnote ‘a’] Jesus came down from the mountain, [footnote ‘b’] large crowds followed Him. Verse 2. And a man with [footnote ‘c’] leprosy came to Him and [footnote ‘d’] bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Verse 3. [footnote ‘e’] Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Verse 4. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the [footnote ‘f’] offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

(Commentary Break:  Verse 1 is poetic in form and symbolic in nature. Chapter 5 verse 1 tells us that seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain sat down, and began teaching. Then, the disciples also ‘went up on the mountain’, which is drawing near to God to hear His voice. Then, after spending time with God, chapter 8, verse 1, says He came down from the mountain, to demonstrate ‘the will of God’ in practice and in ministry. THIS IS OUR MODEL.

This is not the only time Jesus heals someone and tells them to “tell no one”. (see Matthew 8:4, Matthew 16:20, Mark 1:41, Mark 8:30, Luke 8:56). There is speculation that telling about His miracles and healings would distract from His message, so Jesus says to tell no one. But considering, that after His resurrection (and before His ascension), Jesus instructs His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations, and teach them to follow all that I have commanded you, it seems that it was all about timing. Jesus had been glorified at His ascension and the time had come for all to know. WHAT THIS MEANS TO US, is that we, too, are to go and tell and do: Say the Words, Show the Wonders of His Works, and Send the Workers (make disciples), telling about Jesus, not about the works. (End Commentary Break).

The Centurion’s Faith

Verse 5. And when [footnote ‘g’] Jesus entered Capernaum, a [footnote ‘h’] centurion came to Him, begging Him, verse 6,and saying, “[footnote ‘i’] Lord, my [footnote ‘j’] servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.” Verse 7. Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” Verse 8. But the centurion replied, “[footnote ‘k’] Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just [footnote ‘l’] say the word, and my [footnote ‘m’] servant will be healed. Verse 9. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Verse 10. Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith [footnote ‘n’] with anyone in Israel. Verse 11. And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and [footnote ‘o’] recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; Verse 12. but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verse 13. And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; [footnote ‘p’] it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the [footnote ‘q’] servant was healed at that very [footnote ‘r’] moment.

(Commentary Break: The details of this event are obvious. What may not be obvious to some who focus on the miracle, is that this is about faith. The bottom line is found in Jesus’ words to the centurion, when He says, “it shall be done for you as you have believed”.

Faith, you see, is the substance, the confidence, the reality, the assurance, the certainty, the conviction of things hoped for, of things confidently expected, of things actively waited for, and the evidence, the conviction, the certainty, the proof positive of things not yet seen.

Shockingly, Jesus next says, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus is revealing two profound issues with these words: (1). True faith is NOT believing in nor in the expectations in the working of miracles.  True faith is faith in Jesus, alone. That He is able. That He is worthy and that He is dependable. (2). That the consequences of the absence of this kind of faith – faith in Christ alone – is no faith at all and the results of this misdirected faith is outer darkness.

Jesus settles this matter, which is found in John 6:26-29, “Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

 These words are prophetic truth and are still true for us today. Put your eyes, your focus, on Jesus; not on the works. Desire Him, seek Him and His Kingdom only, and all these other things will be added to you. (End Commentary Break).

Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed

Verse 14. When Jesus came into Peter’s [footnote ‘s’] home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. Verse 15. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and [footnote ‘t’] waited on Him. Verse 16. Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. Verse 17. This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND [footnote ‘u’] CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”

Discipleship Tested

Verse 18. Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Verse 19. Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Verse 20. And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Verse 21. And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” Verse 22. But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

(Commentary Break: This seems like an odd thing to say to someone who wants to follow you, doesn’t it? What does Jesus mean?

Scribes were trained and enrolled in the Sanhedrin political and judicial council headed by the high priest (in his role as civil ruler); in the Talmud it is described as primarily a religious legislative body headed by sages, though with certain political and judicial functions. So, Jesus tells this Scribe, this judge and sage, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Foxes retreat to the safety of their lair.  They live and remain in their holes, venturing out only to gather food and water, then they scurry back to the safety of the hole.  Their focus is on their safety and their hole in the ground. It is the same for the birds.  They have the nest they build to lay eggs and raise their young.  A safe place.  They, too, venture out for food, but their focus is on the safety of a nest.

Jesus, however, is on mission.  He knows that He is the permanent sacrifice for the reconciliation of all people to God.  He is doing the work of His Father.  Time is short.

He is telling this scribe and His disciples that He has neither the time nor the intention of settling into a “hole in the ground” or building “a nest” into which they can settle down and feel safe.

He has no time for building programs, no time for social programs, no time for endless debate over the ‘cummin and dill’ of the Torah or the endless list of man’s constructs designed to explain and contain the Holy Scriptures.  No time for holes in the ground or nests.

Jesus is saying that He is the foundation of His Church, and He is on the move, building His Church.   He is the foundation for Temple of the Holy Spirit in the hearts, minds and souls of people.

If you come to know Jesus, you will know His Church, and it is not to be found in a building, a hole in the ground or a nest.

His Church is Spiritually alive, organic and naturally fluid and on the move; It cannot be contained by a program or an institution. It is powerful, transformative, life changing, world altering and cannot be taught in a school on religion.

Scriptures warn that the latter day Church would become lethargic and static, depending largely on tradition and ritual or redefining itself to fit the current culture, losing effectiveness, becoming lukewarm, suffering apostasy – except for a steadfast remnant, which will endure to the end. (End Commentary Break).

Jesus Calms the Storm

Verse 23. When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Verse 24. And behold, a [footnote ‘v’] violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. Verse 25. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” Verse 26. He said to them, “Why are you [footnote ‘w’] afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [footnote ‘x’] it became perfectly calm. Verse 27. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

(Commentary Break: This may be one of the most remembered and referenced events in the Bible. The significance is probably diminished by its popularity and symbolism.  The boat symbolizes our life and circumstances; the storm represents the storms in our lives and the terrifying waves of troubles that can crash over us. We cry out, “Save us, Lord! WE are perishing”.

And once again, Jesus reminds us of fear versus faith.

The word ‘fear’, as used, is the Greek word ‘deilós’, which means cowardly, timid, and fearful. This attitude is fear-driven, dreadful, describing a person who loses their “moral fortitude, which is needed to follow the Lord. It also connotates fearful of losses; an excessive fear or dread of “losing,” causing someone to be fainthearted and cowardly, hence, to fall short in following Christ as Lord. ‘Deilós’ is always used negatively in the New Testament and stands in contrast to the positive fear which is expressed by ‘phóbos’ “fear,” such as found in Philippians 2:12, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. Fear is a normal human reflex. It is how we respond to fear and what we do with fear that determines its meaning and outcome.

Faith, on the other hand, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Jesus is the substance. Jesus is the thing hoped for. Jesus is the evidence of the things not seen. He is saying that we must not be people of ‘little faith’. We need to be confident and amazed, and it will become perfectly calm.

Please know that this is not a platitude or a philosophy nor a good story. It is the truth. Embrace it. (End Commentary Break).

Jesus Sends Demons into Pigs

Verse 28. And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. Verse 29. And they cried out, saying, “[footnote ‘y’] What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before [footnote ‘z’] the time?” Verse 30. Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. Verse 31. And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” Verse 32. And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and [footnote ‘aa’] drowned in the waters. Verse 33. And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, [footnote ‘ab’] including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Verse 34. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

(Commentary Break: It seems odd that Jesus would cast out demons and rid this region of a troublesome evil, only to have the whole city plead with Him to leave their region. But this is the way of the world, is it not?

It is dismaying that the vast majority of people, non-believers and some Christians alike, act as if they know about spiritual matters or the Bible, and yet, they speak and act in ways that either show their ignorance of the spiritual world and of Jesus and His Words, or it shows their lazy indifference. Please be aware that there is a price to pay or a reward to be earned. There is no middle ground here. Following Jesus, means to do and say as He does.

 The day of pastors and elders just attending church or organizational meetings, conventions and conferences, and spending all their public time standing in the pulpit 3 or 4 times a week, must come to an end. It is past time that they do as Jesus did and taught. Get off the pulpit, out of the building and personally go about to all the nearby cities, in homes and churches, preaching the Gospel, calling and making and leading disciples by personal example, depending on Jesus for healing all kinds of diseases and illnesses and sicknesses among the people. His return is near. (End Commentary Break).

It should be helpful for us to know the ways and methods of Jesus. Whether you are a new Christian, as seasoned Christian and particularly if you are a pastor, and that there is no such thing as a ‘Christian bystander or onlooker’.

We go to church and sit and listen. But, studies that studies show that we forget 95% of what we hear after 72 hours. Conversely, 

People tend to

Remember only 10% of what they read, and,

Remember just 30% of what they only see.

They will Remember 50% of what they see and hear.

And, Remember 70% of what they say and write down.

But they will Remember 90% of what they DO.

IT IS TIME TO DRAW A LINE?

A young man asked Jesus, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” And, Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Again, Jesus instructed His own disciples, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support”.

• It is time to discard the official sounding titles in the Church. And, as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And do not call anyone on earth your Father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (see Matthew 23:11-12).  You are to be known as servants of God, and to be called according to your calling, your spiritual gifting or by Biblically correct reference (brother, sister, pastor, elder, etc.).

It is past time to do away with the fancy garbs that elevate your appearance or suggest your importance. Only One is important, and it is not you or me.

It is time to limit pastoral incomes never to exceed the median incomes of the ‘flock’.

We should say to pastors, teachers and church elders and deacons, ‘no’ to excessive, expensive and fancy homes and cars, no matter the source of the income.

To our pastors, no more unnecessary radio and television appearances to draw crowds. No more book signing tours and no profiteering of the Gospel or your position in ministry. And get rid of the personal aircraft and jets!

No more turning the Father’s House a place of business! Absolutely no business conducted in the House of God. Reserve the House of God for His business only.

Establish unity in the Church, with no one designated as greater or lesser. (The last shall be first and the first, last).

No more ‘official titles’ such as ‘laymen’ and ‘laywomen’; You are all being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

If we are going to call ourselves The Church, then please, let’s act like it. Let’s do it right, and all the way! (And yes, it is hard; it is difficult; it is inconvenient. You have to take up your cross if you are to follow Him.  But, please believe me when I say what the Bible says: It is worth it!).

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 9,  The Paralyzed Healed, Matthew Called, Fasting, Healing

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