“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way” Mark Twain
I heard the story of a missionary in California’s early days who gave a bible to a native Chief. Three weeks later the Chief came back and handed the Bible back to the missionary. He said “take it back”. The missionary was confused and thought the chief didn’t understand. “You don’t understand” he said “it is a gift. I want you to have it”. “Take it back”, said the chief, “it kicks me”.
The passage we study today will hurt you if you’re willing to grab it by the tail. It will kick you if you draw it close. But it will bring you life if you learn to live as it teaches.
Read Together Matthew 8:1-17
Before we discuss these extraordinary events in the ministry of Jesus, I’d like to read another passage from the Old Testament . . . one which Jesus Himself quoted to describe His ministry (also in Capernaum).
Isaiah 61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
This is the reason for Jesus’ coming—to bring beauty from ashes.
After studying the Sermon on the Mount we may all be discouraged and dismayed at the various ways we all fall short of the glory of the Kingdom of God. We may feel unloving, unrighteous, unclean, unhealthy. Now we see in Matthew 8 the Solution to these problems.
When he 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 cured 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.”
The nature of Leprosy:
It starts small
It desensitizes
It destroys
It is a type of sin in the Bible—with all of these elements.
The worm in the apple-There is nothing I enjoy eating more than a good, fresh Indian mango in season. But I have been baffled how sometimes when I cut into a fresh mango, with no apparent faults, I find within it a trail and at the end of that trail, a worm. I have sometimes wondered how a worm could get in there without making a hole on the outside. This week I came across an explanation-concerning apples. Apparently, there are moths who lay their eggs on apple and mango seeds. When the egg hatches the worm is already inside the growing fruit. Great strategy. Sin is like this. You can look at a person and they seem to have few faults from the outside, but inside there is a worm consuming them. That worm is sin. It was there before they were born. It grows and feeds on the victim from the inside. The problem is, all of us start our lives with this infestation. Only God can provide the required pesticide. We can see in such images an illustration of the nature of leprosy, and through leprosy, the nature of sin.
Leviticus 4:1-22
The cleansed leper was to bring two doves. One would be killed and the blood allowed to flow into fresh water. The second would be dipped in the blood and water, then set free.
Then the home, also, was to be cleansed, accompanied by a sin offering, a consecration offering, and a thanksgiving offering. Along with the sin offering the priest was to take oil and anoint the healed persons right ear, thumb and great toe.
The dove and other animals killed indicated the sacrifice necessary for cleansing from sin and impurity and, even, illness. The dove set free represented the former leper. He was now free from uncleanness. The oil, as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, was God’s anointing for service to Him, an ear to hear the voice of God, the hand to do the work of God, the feet to go where God sends. As we come to God with our sins, He wants to anoint us again for His word, His work, and for obedience to His will.
Notice. The leper did not ask Jesus for healing—there were a few words he could have used to indicate such (therapeuo, sozo). He wanted to be made clean.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”
The palsy, or paralysis, was a disease like arthritis. It crippled the joints to the point that a person would become completely incapacitated. The Centurion was concerned about the wellbeing of his servant, who would not only be unable to fulfill his duties to the Centurion, but would also be incapable of meeting the needs of his own family or himself.
Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
This is a different kind of test. On other occasions, Jesus would deny services to Gentiles, giving them the chance to express their faith. Here, by affirming his willingness he provides a test, knowing the Centurion had an extraordinary kind of trust.
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 astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, 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.
Jesus not only affirms that the Centurion has the kind of faith that would result in miracles on earth. He is promising eternal life in the Kingdom of God for such faith. The Centurion received more than a gift of healing for his servant.
But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
“the subjects of the kingdom” would include anyone who is in the household of faith, yet does not share the faith of the household. Many in Israel were not “True Israel” (“Israel” means “governed by God”). Many in the Church are not truly members of the kingdom of God. They are in name, identifying themselves as Christians, but are not followers of Jesus by faith . . . We may all be surprised who will be in heaven, and who will not be.
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.
I’ve heard some people turn this into a rule. Jesus did say this to a few people. Yet he often healed in spite of the faith or lack of faith of those who asked. It is not a requirement that God will give to us as we believe. Yet, it is clear He likes to reward us for our faith.
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.
This is one of those occasions there is no indication anyone even asked for a healing. Jesus simply saw and met the need. It seems it was the time in the day they would normally have tea (an engrained Indian tradition). Jesus wanted some tea & healed her, she made tea & got some snacks for Jesus & the disciples.
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.”
Matthew quotes Isaiah 53. We have already discussed the passage Jesus himself quoted from Isaiah 61.
One of the graduates from our college sent me this note. It illustrates God’s loving gracious nature and will for our lives. I’ve changed the details to keep it private.
I remember waking up feeling Horrible. I didn’t want to face the day, or any day. I had to come and check out your school. My life was at its rock-bottom then. The mental health of some close relatives was shaky. To top it all, I was just a breath away from getting married when my fiance disappeared. At that point of time I wanted every day (and prayed regularly to the Lord to help me), to just vanish, stop existing, you can imagine how painful things were then.
Then I come to your school to check things out. The Next day I go out with some friends, and they say, u look all yellow. I had contracted jaundice. The next one month was a real trial. The measureless love of my family (which is the Love of God) gave me an unbelievably quick recovery. And just like that, just trusting God, and trusting you, I joined.
I came with ZERO expectations. That is the truth. But God has been so good, its unbelievable. Never before have I finished a course with such a sense of beginning as now. The long path ahead is slowly becoming clear, and, life is back to how exciting it was for me. So you see, I have more than just one or two reasons to be grateful. Life after that morning years ago is actually a bonus for me. Everything that has come my way ever since has just been a blessing, the saving grace of God.
Jesus came to bring liberty to the captive, sight to the blind, good news to the poor, light to those in darkness, comfort and joy to those who mourn, praise for despair . . . He has come to give beauty for ashes.
