MATTHEW 8:1-17 MAY 29, 2011
“DOING THE UNEXPECTED!”
Our life experiences have taught us to expect children to do the unexpected. Children will run into traffic without noticing that cars are present. Children will often say things that make their parents want to crawl under a table. At our home we had unexpected visitors. Frances hurriedly picked up items and stuffed them into a parson’s bench to straighten the house before we opened the front door. Our foster daughter excitedly told our visitors about our hurried clean up. As children grow older they learn the social mores that informally govern our actions in polite society. We learn that there are certain behaviors that are frowned upon and we learn to behave accordingly. In this passage Jesus does the unexpected and violated his societies’ social mores.
In Leviticus 13-14, are purity laws detailing with what to do when someone has a skin disease. All skin diseases at that time were considered leprosy. Once a person was declared to have leprosy he/she was required to wear torn clothes and shout out “unclean, unclean” and have the lower part of their face covered. Skin diseases were considered to be highly contagious. Thus to maintain the physical purity of the nation the infected person was cut off from society and shunned. Jesus knew the purity laws but consider his actions. Matthew 8:1-17 (NIV) “1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 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."
Jesus came to tell the people about the new kingdom and he would do so. Jesus did not violate the law as he healed him. Only God can heal so Jesus is making a statement about himself. Notice that Jesus told the man after healing to go to the priest as required in Leviticus as a testimony to the priesthood. Some have thought it strange that Jesus told the man to keep quiet. Consider, how people will react as the man tells his story to all. Jesus wanted the people to also hear the good news of God’s forgiveness instead of focusing solely on the physical healing. Jesus wanted the people to realize the spiritual impact of his miracles. The lepers were estranged from their society in the same way that our sins keep us estranged from a holy God and we need spiritual cleansing even more than we need physical healing.
Jews at the time of Jesus were extremely prejudiced against everyone who was not a Jew. They despised their next door neighbors, the Samaritans, and the Romans, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and so on. They knew they were God’s chosen people and they thought that everyone else was inferior to them. Jews would not even allow non-Jews (Gentiles) to enter their homes nor for them to enter the home of a non-Jew. Entering the home of a Gentile by a Jew would “defile” them and make them unclean. The Romans were also despised as they were the occupying army that controlled the Jewish state.
“5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." 8 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. 9 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." A centurion was the commanding officer over one hundred soldiers. Recent archaeological discoveries indicate that here was a Roman garrison next to the town of Capernaum, which was where Jesus’ home base was located. Thus, it is understandable that the Roman officer would have known of the previous healings. The officer put two and two together and rightly understood the significance that Jesus had the authority and power to heal. He asked with humility for the healing of his servant. This is one of the few times that scripture indicates that Jesus was amazed.
10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 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. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.” The Roman centurion had recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. Jesus praises the man for his understanding based on faith. Jesus declares that God’s chosen people had not shown as much insight as this Gentile. Jesus then condemns the people for their lack of faith and insight. The time had arrived Jesus says, that the kingdom of God is now open to all nations, all peoples, from east to west. Those who do not believe in Jesus, even if they are born Jews, will be condemned. The servant of the Roman centurion is healed as the soldier responded with faith to the message of Jesus.
There was another group of people who were considered inferior by Jewish males. The role of women at the time of Jesus was very limited. Women, as a group, were often seen as second class citizens. In polite society, women were often not recognized. Jesus did not allow these attitudes to prevent him from seeking them out. 14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. Jesus did not ignore the woman as of no account, instead he healed her. In gratitude Peter’s mother-in-law began immediately to then look after the needs of Jesus. She was the first that evening to be healed.
The Sabbath was over and people could travel freely. The sick and demon-possessed began to show up at the door.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. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." All sickness and death are a result of the fall in the Garden of Eden, where sin took hold of the human race. Jesus in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah begins to heal the people, physically and spiritually. These acts of healing point to Jesus as being God, the source of all healing. In the upper room Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 26:27-28 (NIV) “27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” The purpose of Jesus was to present the way to a relationship with the Almighty God by the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew provides these three scenes to show how Jesus did the unexpected and crossed the social barriers of his day to reach out to all people, even the ones who were on the fringes of “acceptable folk”. Jesus calls us to still reach out to those on the fringes of society. “Jesus broke down the purity, the ethnic, and gender boundaries so that all may respond to the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV Application Commentary) We must reach out with the good news of God’s offer of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. We are called to reach out to all people: the Muslim, the illegal immigrants, the homosexuals, the addicts, and ex-cons, and any other subgroup you can name.
Satan also wants to throw up barriers in our society so that we won’t share the good news of the Gospel. Our society frowns upon praying in the name of Jesus, as well as praying in public. What are some of the other rules of society that would hinder a Christian from sharing the gospel? ………………………….
May we follow our Savior and to the unexpected by sharing our faith, regardless what our society says is in appropriate. We can only have one master. May we choose well.
Let us pray.
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