LK5:12 Now it happened while Jesus was visiting one of the villages, look, there was a man full of leprosy.[3] When he saw Jesus he fell on his face before him and begged: “Master, if you are willing and able cleanse me!” LK5:13 Now reaching out his hand and touching the man, Jesus said: “I want to. Be cleansed.” And instantly the leprosy left him. LK5:14 Then Jesus gave him orders: “Do not to tell anyone, but leave and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your cleansing as Moses commanded[4] as a testimony to them.”[5] LK5:15 Despite this the former leper spread the word even more about Jesus, and many crowds gathered to listen to Jesus and to be healed from their sicknesses. LK5:16 But, Jesus withdrew into wilderness areas[6] and continued in prayer.
[1]Matthew 8:1-4: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.
[2]Mark 1:40-45: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Mark.
[4]As Moses commanded: This was a considerable offering. [Leviticus 14:10, 20]
[5]As a testimony to them: The Jewish hierarchy are watching Jesus for a violation of the Law of Moses. Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.
[6] Withdrew into wilderness areas: Or, NAS: often slip away; NEB: from time to time he would withdraw; BER: habitually withdrew; KNX: he would steal away from them. Our Lord was also a private person who sought his solitude for quiet prayers to his Father. It is an excellent lesson for people burdened with the pressures of life.
In this chapter we find Matthew attempting to present Jesus as a unique person who is the long-awaited son of David, the Messiah who performed miracles by the power of God.
Christ heals a demoniac; a demon is expelled into the air.
In Matthew 4 we came already to read that reports about Jesus circulated as far as Syria and that lots of people wanted to come to see Jesus for his miracles. All sorts of ill people where also brought to Jesus, those faring badly, having a variety of diseases and afflicted with torments, the demon-possessed, the moonstruck and paralytics – so that Jesus could cure them.
Allen Browne in his writing of looks at this miracle worker who does not seek people’s approval so he can become their king. Marcus Ampe talking on that subject asks us also to look at Jesus who knows very well his position to be the sent one from God, the heavenly Father Who is greater than Jesus, and without Him Jesus can do nothing.
“Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (Joh 5:19 NIV)
“”You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (Joh 14:28 NIV)
Jesus may see himself as the divinely appointed king (like Browne writes), but he is aware that it is God Who gave him this authority to take on that position. In a way, to show his position, so that people could recognise him as the Messiah and future king he uses his regal authority to remove every form of oppression from his people.
Can you imagine how people would be astonished seeing such incredible things?
Elisha raising the Shunammite’s Son, early 1900s Bible Card illustration
The crowds marvel at this concerted effort by their anointed king to release God’s people from every form of oppression. They can’t recall ever seeing anything like it. There’s been nothing like this since the exile 600 years ago. They recall the days of Elijah and Elisha when God had done astounding miracles to challenge Israel’s evil rulers like Ahab and Jezebel. They consider the days of Moses when God led them out of Egypt and created them as his nation. No, there had never been such a demonstration of divinely delegated authority: {Do you recognize the king’s authority? (Matthew 9:32-34)}
Matthew 9:33 The crowds marvelled:
“Nothing like this has ever been brought to light in Israel.”
In front of them is there that promised one from God, the son of David who would reign over God’s people in every generation (Matthew 9:27; 2 Samuel 7:16). His house and his kingdom was to be made sure forever, his throne established forever. Whilst people yearned for the Son of David to restore the kingdom to Israel (Psalm 89:49; Isaiah 9:7; Ezekiel 37:24). Now the people of Israel have a shepherd in their midst who walked in the ordinances of God. Now they could hear those who got a huge change in their life, even blind people came to “see” what Jesus was doing, and publicly proclaiming him as Israel’s long-awaited king.
The king is present. His authority — his appointment by God as ruler of his people — is evident to everyone.
Well, almost everyone. There are sour grapes:
Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees were going,
“It’s by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”
Later the Pharisees would repeat that it was by “Beelzebub the prince of the devils” Jesus was casting out devils.
“22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said,
“Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said,
“It is only by Beelzebub, {Greek Beezeboul or Beelzeboul; also in verse 27 } the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.” (Mt 12:22-27 NIV)
Browne asks us to remember how
the Pharisees were upset with Jesus for hanging around with “sinners,” sharing meals with them (9:9-13). That makes Jesus unclean in their view. How could an unclean person have authority over unclean spirits? Presumably the head of the unclean spirits could tell the spirits where to go, so they figure he must be in league with Satan (9:34).
Why were the Pharisees so blind? Why couldn’t they see what was obvious to everyone else? Jesus is liberating his people from every form or oppression, across such a wide spectrum. How could they miss all the colours of God’s liberating power at work in him, and imagine that he was in league with the enemy that wanted to destroy God’s people?
The Pharisees had a certain authority over the communities of Israel (to the extent that you could say they had authority while under foreign rule). They need to quash Jesus’ authority if they don’t want to yield theirs. They must paint him as a traitor; otherwise they themselves will be seen as traitors for failing to recognize his authority.
This confrontation increases exponentially from this point. On one side stands the king appointed by God. On the other side stand the self-appointed shepherds of Israel. They accused Jesus of siding with God’s enemy, but who are the real traitors who want to bring down God’s appointed king?
The kingdom conflict has begun. Either you recognize Jesus’ authority, or you oppose him. There is no neutral ground.
What others are saying
Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 374:
Without eyes of faith the Pharisees cannot see beyond their parochial experience that God is doing something unique in Israel in the word and work of Jesus. So they gather their opposition to Jesus, both protecting their religious domain and thinking they are protecting the people from Jesus. This is an ominous tone, which tragically sets a trajectory for the cross that will inevitably come.
R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007), 369:
But perhaps, as this is the final crowd reaction in this anthology of works of power, we should read it as an evaluation not merely of this one exorcism but of the whole range of Jesus’ miracles which these two chapters have set out: others might perform the occasional exorcism, but this man’s ministry of deliverance is on an altogether different scale. A similarly climactic effect, but in an ominously different direction, is achieved by the Pharisees’ accusation. They do not deny Jesus’ power, but question its source. Such a total and offensive repudiation of his authority brings the growing hostility to a new level, and suggests a breach which is now irreparable.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
JESUS HEALS, CONTROLS WEATHER,
EXPELS DEMONS
[A Miracle-Working Son of God]
Matthew 8:1-4 – Crowds Gather as Leper Cleansed
|| Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16
MT8:1 Great crowds followed Jesus when he came down from the mountain. MT8:2 And, look! a leper[1] approached Jesus and bowed to the ground,[2] prostrating himself at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Sir, if you are able and willing, cleanse me.” MT8:3 And, reaching out his hand Jesus touched the leper, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” And immediately the man was cleansed of the leprosy. MT8:4 And Jesus told the leper, “See you tell no one[3] and [go] offer the [sacrificial] gift appointed by Moses[4] as a testimony to them.”
[1]Leper: Lepers and leprosy occur 20 times in the Hebrew Bible and 9 times in the Christian Bible.
[2]Bowed to the ground: The whole phrase is from the single Greek word PROSEKUNEI (before + kiss), inferring severe prostration and kissing the sandals of the respected one. The rendering with the word “worship” is misleading in modern English though not in King James English. Strong’s Greek Number 4352: from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand). The word occurs 60 times in the KJV. It has the range of meaning: 1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication; 3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank.
[3]See you tell no one: Several times Jesus tells a healed person this, usually with the opposite result – they go and tell everyone (Mark 1:44, 45; Luke 5:14, 15).
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° Remember for the difficult moments that there is nothing wrong with you. In essence, you are just a beautiful person. It’s time to find this in yourself again and really believe it. °
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