The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 8

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The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 8

The Bible Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.8.NIV

Miracles of Jesus

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

1 When Jesus 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 cleansed of his leprosy. (He healed incurable & feared disease with His word/will immediately.)

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 (Lev. 14:10-20), as a testimony to them.” (Jesus didn't want to use the incident for His publicity, even many people eventually came to know what happened. His major concern was to save those who suffer.)

The Faith of the Centurion

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” (The centurion was a Roman, a gentile, came to Jesus, a Jew, for the healing of his servant who was significantly lower class than himself. It's an indication of his graceful and humbling character and faith.)

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” ("Are you inviting me?" Jesus was ready to go.)

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.” (The centurion revealed his amazing humbleness and obedient faith.)

10 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. (What a compliment!)

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.” (Blood or birth doesn't guarantee nobility of believers, but faith only. Believing gentiles will be saved but rejecting Jews will be condemned.)

13 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. (It happened as Jesus wanted.)

Jesus Heals Many

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.

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 bore our diseases.”

(Healing was one of the three most important ministries of Jesus with teaching and proclaiming. Mt. 4:23, Even though Jesus didn't heal all sicknesses in the world, His healing ministry shows the health- being free from pain and malfunction- is a universal blessing of God. We must do our best to maintain health in many ways, humbly acknowledging that God is the only almighty Healer.)

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.

19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

(Some wanted to be His disciple because of His high preferability for their own sake but Jesus required total commitment. What about us? Why we follow Jesus?)

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.

24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

(Jesus demonstrates His miraculous power over the natural phenomena.)

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes (East of Jordan River, SE of Sea of Galilee, Mostly gentiles residing area), two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. (There are some abnormal happenings due to demonic influence.)

29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Demon- bad spirit- knows God and His begotten Son Jesus.)

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.

31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 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. (Jesus had no problem sacrificing pigs for the sake of those possessed. Pork was prohibited to Jews so the pigs must belong to gentiles.)

33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (Those local people can't accept Jesus because they didn't know what the true value is; True Life in Jesus or monetary gain.)

Miracles, "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency." Interesting definition, mentioning "divine."

This is what I think of miracle; some phenomena outside of known physics. So, can't be apprehended.

"Everything- including miracle and impossible" which happens in the space and time, happens within the God's Physics.

What we claim to know of physics is very limited comparing to God's.

So, it is a miracle to us, but a very normal to God.

Therefore, miracle happened, happens, and will happen as long as God existing in eternity.

Some so expect and accept while some deny and reject.

We Christian expect and accept it for our blessings and for His glory.

We will see a few more miracles which are demonstrating His Physics in the next Chapter.

One thing I'd like to add is that while there are ordinary events that happen all the time, when they occur at exquisite moments in time and space, we can no longer consider them ordinary.

And in the kingdom of God, such things can happen at any time.

Should we call them miracles or simply dismiss them as coincidences?

Indeed, we should be grateful for everything. (1Thes. 5:16-18)

You may refer to https://cafe.daum.net/k331/PeqF/51 for Health and Healing.