Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, Port Alberni, BC, 24 November 2019 by Sarah-Grace, Rebecca, and Heather Ramsay.
It has been said that “The Miracle stories in
[Matthew] 8:1-9:34 should not be interpreted in isolation, but each should be
interpreted in the context of the section as a whole”.[1] Today we will try to
do that focusing on the problem, the patient, who initiates the healing, what
is Jesus' response, and what is Jesus' direction.
Matthew 8:1-4: When Jesus came down
from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and
knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched
the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of
his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go,
show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony
to them.”
What is the problem? Leprosy (which
really means any skin disease)
Who is the patient? a Leper (a social
outcast)
How is this started? It is started by
a man with leprosy who kneels before Jesus saying, “Lord, if you are willing
you can make me clean”
What does Jesus say and do? He says “I
am willing”, “Be clean” and then immediately the man is healed
What does Jesus then tell the person
to do? He tells him to tell no one and show himself to the priest and offer
sacrifices
This healing miracle is initiated by the man
suffering from a skin disease. This man is shunned by his community. He is an
outcast.
There are a couple of important things about this
healing. 1) The way the leper approaches Jesus: he approaches Him with respect.
He doesn’t command Jesus like Jesus is a genie in a bottle. Instead the man
says, Verse 2, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And 2)
as he is healed, Jesus tells the man to offer the appropriate sacrifices to God
as a testimony to the priests. We need to thank God for what he does in our
lives and we need to share what he does with our religious leaders so that they
have the opportunity to offer Glory to God as well.
Matthew 8:5-13: When Jesus had entered
Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my
servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and
heal him?”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not
deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant
will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.
I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say
to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed
and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in
Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east
and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown
outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go!
Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at
that moment.
What is the problem? Paralysis
Who is the Patient? A Roman
Centurion’s servant (the employee of a foreign military occupier)
How does this start? The Centurion
approaches Jesus in person rather than just sending a servant, which he could
have done.
What does Jesus do? Jesus says, “I
will go and heal him” or “Shall I come and heal him?” and then immediately the
man is healed. Jesus then announces that the Kingdom of God is open to ANYONE
who has faith and is faithful!
What does Jesus tell him to do? Jesus
just tells him to go and witness the miracle.
One of the important things about this miracle is
the patient's employer. The patient is the servant of a Roman Centurion. The
Romans are an occupying military power. Many of Jesus’ followers are opposed to
Rome and some even support the terrorists in their fight against Rome. Jesus
still delivers the Roman's servant from paralysis.
The Roman Officer could have sent a servant to Jesus
but he went himself. And when Jesus offered to come to his house to heal the
servant, the Officer declined declaring that 1) he is unworthy of Jesus’
entering his house, and 2) he has that faith Jesus can heal the girl even from
a distance!
This brings us to an important point. Jesus announces
that the Kingdom of God is open to all who have faith and are faithful. Jesus
tells us also that not everyone who is currently part of the ‘in group’ of our
society or our churches will be a part of His eternal Kingdom. Some will be
cast out. It is not ‘who you are’; it is not ‘what you do’; like so much in
this life it is simply a matter of ‘who
you know’.
Matthew 8:14-15: When Jesus came into
Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He
touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on
him.
What is the problem? a Fever
Who is the Patient? Peter’s
mother-in-law
What happens to start this? Nothing
specified: “When Jesus came to Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law
lying in bed with a fever”
What does Jesus do? He touches her
hand and heals her
What does she do: She waits on the
Lord
What does Jesus tell her to do?
Nothing is mentioned
What makes this healing stand out from the others?
First, the others show very humble people coming before the Lord intentionally
and respectfully. In this episode it seems that Jesus initiates the healing: He
goes to Peter’s house; He notices Peter’s mother-in-law and He heals her on the
spot.
It is interesting too that right after she gets up
from her sickbed she begins to wait on Him.
Can you imagine if the doctor came to your house, healed your
mother-in-law and then she immediately got up and began waiting on the doctor?
This is what it was like and this is the same gratitude we should show as God
delivers us from our ailments and infirmities.
Matthew 8:16: When evening came, many
who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with
a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the
prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
What is the problem and who are the
patients? Many people who are demon-possessed
What happens to start this? The people
are brought to Jesus
What does Jesus do? He drives out the
spirits and heals the sick
This verse mentions neither the heart of those
coming before the Lord nor their actions or beliefs after being healed but
merely that Jesus “drove out the spirits with a word and healed the sick”
(v.16). This passage is pointing out that these miracles fulfill the prophesy
of Isaiah 53:4 - that Jesus is the Messiah.
Matthew 8:28-34: When he arrived at
the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming
from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to
torture us before the appointed time?”
Some distance from them a large herd
of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us
into the herd of pigs.”
He said to them, “Go!” So they came
out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into
the lake and died in the water. Those
tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including
what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to
meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
What is the problem? Demon-possession
Who are the patients? Two men living
in the tombs (social outcasts)
What happens to start this? The
violent men or the demons in them shout to Jesus, “What do you want from us,
Son of God?” The demons then beg Jesus, ‘if you drive us out, send us into the
herd of pigs.”
What does Jesus do? He said “Go!” and
drives them the demons out. Then they go into the pigs and kill them..
What did Jesus tell them to do?
"Go!"
This healing is interesting. Notice that the demons
themselves provoke the encounter. “What do you want from us, Son of God?” “Have
you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” The demons then beg
Jesus, ‘if you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” And Jesus does!
When everyone finds this out and that the pigs are dead, they beg him to go
away.
In the other miracles we've looked at so far, some
people were coming to Jesus – like the Centurion and the leper - respectfully
asking for mercy and some people, it appears as if Jesus just happens upon them
– like Peter’s mother-in-law . But here he we have demons provoking Jesus to an
action that no one seems to want and yet Jesus still heals these men.
Matthew 9:1-8: Jesus stepped into a
boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a
paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man,
“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
At this, some of the teachers of the
law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said,
“Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the
paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and
went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised
God, who had given such authority to man.
What is the problem? Paralysis
Who is the Patient? A man
How does this start? Some friends brought
him to Jesus
What did Jesus do? Jesus said to the
man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (v.2). Then after the teachers
complained, accusing Jesus of blasphemy, Jesus healed the man.
What did Jesus tell them to do? He said “But I want you to know that the Son
of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed
man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’”
Friends are bringing a friend to Jesus. Jesus does
not respond to the man because of the man; he responds because of the
faithfulness of his friends. This is similar to the case of the Roman
Centurion’s servant.
One thing that is interesting here is that instead
of healing the man immediately Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” I don’t
imagine that this is why this man’s friends brought him to Jesus and I could
almost expect a response of “Gee, thanks…” if the teachers of the law didn’t
provoke Jesus.
The religious leaders are quite upset. They know
that only God can forgive sins like this. They know that Jesus is claiming to
be God; so Jesus says, “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up,
take your mat and go home.” The man is healed. There is a certain irony here.
Jesus forgives the sins of the man because of the faithfulness of the friends
who bring him to Jesus for healing and he heals the man in response to the
teachers’ lack of faith in Jesus’ ability to forgive sins.
Matthew 9:18-26: While he was saying
this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has
just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did
his disciples.
Just then a woman who had been subject
to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his
cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart,
daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at
that moment.
When Jesus entered the synagogue
leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go
away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went
in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through
all that region.
There are two incidents intertwined
here: What is the problem and who is the patient in the first one? A girl who
died
How did this start? A synagogue leader
came and knelt before Jesus saying ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put
your hand on her, and she will live.’”
What did Jesus do? Jesus and his
disciples went with the man to the house and threw out the mourners saying, “Go
away, the girl is not dead but asleep.” Then he raised her from the dead.
After religious teachers provoke Jesus in the
previous encounter, another religious leader comes to Jesus in desperation as
his daughter has passed away. The leader is faithful in beseeching Jesus - even
as his relatives laugh at Jesus. The synagogue leader's friends, relatives, and
the mourners are put out of his house as he invites Jesus in. Jesus then raises
the girl from the dead. No one other than the man apparently believes that
Jesus will do this but when people see it with their own eyes, they believe and
tell everyone that they know.
If we are bold in our faith and faithfulness, even
as people mock us or laugh at us, they will see the power of God in our lives
and so we should boldly and faithfully proclaim our faith so that they too may
believe.
Connected to this is the story of the
woman who was outcast because of her infirmity of continual or frequently
repeated bleeding
How does this interaction begin: she
came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, thinking, “‘If I only
touch his cloak, I will be healed.’”
What does Jesus do? Jesus spoke and
she was healed.
What does Jesus tell her? He tells
her, “Take heart, daughter”
This lady barges upon the scene. She doesn’t have
any of the requisite deference of the synagogue leader who is kneeling before
the Lord at the time. This lady just sneaks up to Jesus and touches His clothes
almost as if she is trying to steal a healing. Jesus notices her –of course-
and tells her not to be afraid; He tells her, “Take heart, daughter … your
faith has healed you.” This woman is seemingly afraid of Jesus but she knows He
can heal her so she comes to Him. Jesus knows her fears. Jesus knows her
struggles and Jesus heals her. Even if we are afraid of God, as we approach
Him, He will meet us with love and forgiveness – no matter who we are. He loves
us.
Matthew 9:27-31: As Jesus went on from
there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of
David!”
When he had gone indoors, the blind
men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.
Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went
out and spread the news about him all over that region.
What is the problem? Blindness
Who are the patients: Two men
What does Jesus do? Jesus asked them,
“‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ they reply. Then he
touches their eyes, says, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you’; and
their sight is restored.”
What does Jesus tell them to do?
“Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’ But they went
out and spread the news about him all over that region.”
In this story of healing, we have two blind fellows
calling out for mercy. They call out to Jesus. Jesus goes inside, so they
follow Him there too. Jesus then asks them if they believe. He hasn’t asked
this of the other people but He asks it of these men before He heals them.
Jesus then tells them to tell no one but what do
they do? They tell everyone! This seems to always happens in the Bible, even
though Jesus knows that these men will disobey His directive, He still has
compassion and heals their blindness. Our healing and wholeness isn’t dependent
upon our faith and faithfulness; it is dependent upon the faithfulness of
Christ. He knows what is best for us and if that is healing, then Christ will
heal us.
Matthew 9:32-38: While they were going
out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And
when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was
amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said, “It is by the
prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
What is the problem? Demon-possession
and muteness
Who is the patient? a man
How does this encounter begin? He was
brought to Jesus
What did Jesus do? Jesus drove the
demon out and the man could speak and he crowd was amazed but the Pharisees said, ‘It is by the prince
of demons that he drives out demons.’”
Jesus went through all the towns and
villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
You will notice that there are many different
ailments and illnesses and infirmities that Jesus heals. You will also notice
that some of them are tied to demon -possession and some of them are not. I
have seen some very possibly well-intentioned people hurt some vulnerable
people a lot as they wrongly inform them that their illnesses are a direct
result of demon-possession. This is not the case in all of these healings.
Jesus does have the power to heal people who are wounded by demons but not
every wound in life is delivered by devils. Sometimes people’s lives are the
way they are for the glory of God.
We have seen people in The Salvation Army who have
really been healed of cancer. We have seen people who have really been healed
of HIV and AIDS. We know people who have been healed of diabetes. There are
people in our congregation here today who have been really healed and really
delivered from many different infirmities, illnesses, and addiction. The power
of God is real. But I want to bring this to your attention:
There are fake healers out there too. We have
probably all seen them. There are people who fake the power of God for their
own gain or glory. Just because there are fakes don't be tricked into
disbelieving the miracles Christ has performed in many of our lives.
There are people too who will take Scripture out of
context and wrongly say that God will only heal you if you have enough faith;
there are people who will take Scripture out of context and wrongly say that
God will only heal you if you are good enough; There are people who will take
Scripture out of context and wrongly say that God will only heal you if you
repent of your sins. All of this is wrong.
Today, we read about God healing many different
people in many different circumstances. we read of God healing people who were
brought to Him. We read of God healing people who were not brought to Him. We
read of God healing people who reached out to him. We read of God healing
people who were dragged defiantly before Him. We read of God healing people who
had no request nor expectation of healing from Him. We read of God healing
people who persistently came to Him. And we read of God healing people who
sincerely humbled themselves before Him.
Our text today shows that God heals people for the
Glory of God. Jesus did not heal everyone who was sick in Palestine in the
first century. Jesus did not heal everyone who had faith in Him in Palestine in
the first century. Jesus did not raise every dead person in Palestine in the
first century. Jesus did not raise every dead person who had faith in Him in
Palestine in the first century.
I have heard many people say that whether or not God
heals us has to do with whether we are good enough, holy enough, pure enough,
or have faith enough. Our Scriptures today show us that that is patently false.
It is a lie of the devils. The truth is – Matthew 7:11- that your Father in
Heaven will give good gifts to his children and sometimes that gift is
prolonged life here and now and sometimes that gift is an early return to
Heaven above to be with Him and sometimes it is something else. In every case,
our Father loves us and will give us exactly what we need to see, experience
and know to enjoy everlasting life with Him both for now and forever.
For God so loved the entire world that He sent His
Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life (John 3:16).
Let us pray.
[1] M. Eugene Boring, ‘Matthew’, (NIB 8: Nashville,
Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1995), 222
[2] Cf. Daniel J. Harrington, ‘The Gospel of
Matthew’, (Sacra Pagina 1: Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2007),
113.
[4] Cf. Douglas R.A. Hare, ‘Matthew’,
(Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 105 for a
discussion of this as well as how it relates to Mark 5.
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