SERMON OUTLINE:
The Willingness to Heal (Mat 8v1-4)
The Authority to Heal (8:5-13)
The Ability to Heal (8:14-17)
The Cost of Following the Healer (8:18-22)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• You might not know the face or the name.
• But each day you enjoy Thomas Sullivan’s invention.
• If you hang around at the end of the service,
• Enjoy a brew and think of Thomas.
• Thomas Sullivan is the man,
• Credited with inventing the t-bag.
• But this was no ‘Dragon’s Den’ moment,
• He was no entrepreneur,
• Pitching his idea to well-known businesspeople.
In fact, his invention was an accident!
• Around about 1908 Thomas Sullivan,
• Was working as a New York tea merchant,
• And his clients kept asking him for samples of his products.
• Sullivan was happy to oblige,
• And sent them samples of his tea,
• By packaging the tea leaves in small silken bags.
• Sullivan was expecting the clients to un-wrap the contents,
• And use the tea leaves in the normal way,
• By tipping them into a tea pot.
• However, his customers misunderstood,
• And thought they were meant to dunk the bags,
• Into the boiling water.
• Thus, by complete and utter accident,
• The tea bag was first created.
• And the rest as they say is history!
• TRANSITION:
• When it comes to God’s grace,
• There is nothing ‘accidental’ about it!
God’s grace is deliberate, it is focused, and it is unmerited, and it is available!
• Grace is getting what we don’t deserve (God’s favour),
• God's grace is his favour and kindness toward us,
• It is shown to us in various ways,
• Such as salvation, forgiveness, and freedom.
Quote: R.T. Kendall Total Forgiveness
“One difference between grace and mercy is that grace is getting what we don’t deserve (favour), and mercy is not getting what we do deserve (justice).”
In the passage we are looking at this morning,
• We will see, ‘Grace to the outcast.’ (vs 1-4).
• Grace to the foreigner, the invader and occupying enemy! (vs 5-13).
• Grace to the poor and needy (vs 14-17).
Note:
• This chapter begins a new section of Matthew's gospel,
• (chapter 8 verse 1 to chapter 9 verse34).
• We looked earlier in the year at a large section called,
• ‘The Sermon on the mount.’ (chapters 5 to 7).
• That section was all about the teaching, the words of Jesus.
• This next section (chapters 8 to 9).
• Will focus on the actions, the miracles of Jesus.
The Gospel of Matthew is carefully constructed.
• He does not write chronologically,
• That is recording events in the order they happened.
• But rather chooses to group themes together in this book.
Ill:
• We do that with photos.
• You can have your photo stored in a book or online.
• Chronologically,
• e.g. as a baby, a child, nursery, junior school, senior school, first job etc.
• e.g. Or you can keep your photos in themed batches.
• Family photos, friends’ photos, holidays photos etc.
• TRANSITION: Matthew’s gospel is themed.
• His aim is to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah,
• He does not make up his information,
• He simply groups together,
• The various information that he has.
• And now in chapters 8 and 9.
• He will record 10 miracles to show the power of Jesus Christ.
• They are recorded to show his credentials,
• That he is the promised Messiah.
Ill:
• Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) was a French printmaker,
• Illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor.
• He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravings.
• While he was traveling in Europe.
• He came to a border crossing,
• And found that he had forgot his passport.
• He hoped they would recognise him (celebrity of his day),
• And let him cross the border.
• But the guard did not and said,
• That many people attempted to cross the border,
• By claiming to be persons they were not.
• So, they will not be letting him pass.
• Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be.
• So, the guard said, "prove it!
• We'll give you a test,
• And if you pass it, we'll allow you to go through."
• The guard handing Dore a pencil and a sheet of paper,
• He told the artist to sketch several people standing nearby.
• Dore did it so quickly and skilfully,
• That the guard was convinced,
• He was indeed who he claimed to be.
• TRANSITION: His work confirmed his word!
• Likewise, Matthew in Chapters 8 and 9.
• Records 10 miracles,
• As examples of the power of Jesus Christ.
• They are really his credentials,
• Signs that demonstrate he is the promised Messiah.
(1). The Willingness to Heal (vs 1-4).
“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. 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.””
Ill:
• The disease, ‘leprosy’ attacked the nervous system.
• And immediately numbs the limbs.
• So that you lose all feeling in that part of the body,
• Then without knowing it you could literally rub away limbs.
• e.g. a man who has leprosy has ill-fitting shoes,
• And because he can’t feel that the shoes are ill-fitting,
• He can rub his toes off.
• e.g. A woman who works with her hands,
• Could easily find that she had rubbed her fingers off,
• Because she has no sensitivity,
• To what’s happening to her hands.
If you had Leprosy (or some other skin disease) at the time of Jesus.
• You were in big trouble,
• Not only were you in pain and your health was bad.
• But you were also a social problem,
• For your family and community.
• They were terrified that they too might catch the disease,
• Leprosy sufferers became social outcasts.
• Unable to live in the family home and village/town.
• Forced to live in caves or woodland.
Ill:
• The Talmud (Jewish oral/spoken law),
• Taught that you can’t get any closer than six feet to a leper.
• If the wind blowing, then 150 feet is the limit.
• Lepers wore a face covering,
• And had to make an announcement everywhere they went,
• And they had to shout towards anyone they saw, “Unclean! Unclean!”
Ill:
• In Judaism, the number one thing to defile a person,
• Was to touch a dead body.
• Number two on the list was to touch a leper.
• That was how bad the fear of infection was.
• Quote: One of the rabbis in the Talmud said,
• “When I see lepers, I throw stones at them, lest they come near me.”
• Quote: One other rabbi said,
• “I would not so much as eat an egg that was purchased on a street where a leper had walked.”
• TRANSITION:
• The religious leaders and the community,
• Feared and that fear turned into hated towards lepers.
• They were despised!
• That is why it was so shocking,
• That Jesus not only shows compassion the leper,
• But he even touched him!
• That went against common sense,
• His action would shock anyone looking on.
• And anyone who heard about this happening.
Ill:
• Humanly speaking touching the leper,
• Would then make anyone else unclean!
• i.e. If a doctor scrubs down, puts on his gown and gloves,
• And then on the way to the operating room,
• Shakes hands with someone,
• That does not make the other person is now sterile,
• Rather, it makes the doctor unclean again.
• TRANSITION: Jesus has the power,
• To touch the unclean and not be contaminated,
• Rather the unclean is made clean by the touch of Jesus!
Question: What is the first test when Christ has invaded your life?
Answer: Obedience!
• i.e. You get saved.
• i.e. You get baptised.
• i.e. You join a Church and use your gifts & talents.
• i.e. You evangelise.
• i.e. You do the things Jesus asked you to do!
Note:
• In our passage, Jesus tells the man,
• To do two specific things.
• Two things linked to his situation.
• FIRST: Do what Moses say in the Old Testament.
• You will need to have an 8-day examination by the priests.
• (In other words, I know you are healed,
• But the religious leaders, your community & family,
• Will need to know as well).
• SECOND: Don’t tell anyone.
• That would have been so hard and seems so strange!
• But there is logic in these words,
• Once the priests had examined the man,
• And found him to be cleansed,
• By their own testimony and examination,
• The priests will have to confirm the power of Jesus Christ.
• So, this man was a visual undeniable sign,
• To the religious powers that Jesus is their Messiah.
Note:
• In the New Testament lepers are never said to be healed,
• Instead, the language is quite specific.
• They are always cleansed.
• Question: Why that is, I don’t know!
• Answer: My suggestion is,
• That leprosy is the most graphic illustration of sin.
• Leprosy was not simply viewed as a physical disease,
• But also, spiritual defilement.
• The sufferer was cut off from both God and man.
• Ostracised from their communities and the temple.
And leprosy & sin have this in common:
• It was repulsive to all who saw the person,
• (our sin is repulsive toy a holy God).
• It defiled the whole body.
• (no such thing as a little sin).
• It was incurable by human means,
• (no person can cure or cleanse themselves).
• It was isolating - lepers were confined outside the city limits,
• (our sin separates us from God).
• It caused you to become unclean ceremonially,
• (Sin barres us from the very presence of God).
But the good news is:
• Like the leper we can know the touch of Jesus!
• There is cleansing for those who come to Jesus.
• Learn from the leper.
• He came humbly, he came respectfully he came in faith!
(2). The Authority to Heal (vs 5-13).
“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.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come 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.”
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. 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! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.”
The central character in this story:
• Was a man.
• I want to point out 3 things about him.
(1). HE WAS A CENTURION (VS 6A):
“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.”
• As soon as you speak the word centurion,
• You hear the word century in it,
• A centurion commanded a 'cen-tur-i-a',
• Which was up to a hundred men in his company.
• Think of a centurion,
• As we might think of a regimental sergeant-major,
• And these centurions,
• Were the backbone of the Roman army.
Ill:
• Centurions carried out specialised duties:
• e.g. Quelling riots that had broken out in a city.
• e.g. They performed various police duties.
• e.g. And they would be in charge of any crucifixion.
Note:
• This soldier would normally have been self-sufficient.
• His men came to him for answers,
• He did not go to them or anyone else.
• So, for him to approach Jesus.
• Meant he had to swallow his pride.
• He had to go outside his comfort zone!
• He would have to come to Jesus publicly.
• And risked being rejected by Jesus in front of a large crowd.
• His reputation would be shot!
• Remember he was an enemy soldier,
• His army were occupying the people & land of Jesus.
• The crowd detested him, so why not Jesus as well?
• It was a good job he swallowed his pride, because:
• “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”.
• Jesus to everyone’s surprise showed him grace!
• Noone is too far gone!
(2). HE WAS KIND (VS 6B):
“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
Lord, he said, my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering.”
• In Roman law a slave, was defined as a living tool.
• He had no rights; a master could ill-treat him,
• And even kill him if he chose.
QUOTE:
"A Roman writer on estate management recommends the farmer to examine his implements every year and to throw out those which are old and broken,
and to do the same with his slaves.”
• Verse 6 tells us his slave,
• "He was paralysed and suffering terribly".
• Normally when a slave was past his work,
• He was exchanged and replaced.
• The attitude of this centurion to his slave was quite unusual.
• Remember, this tough, hardened Roman soldier:
• Who had seen many a man dies; it came with the job!
• So, he was not a soft man full of sentiment.
• He was kind and caring even to a slave.
• Question: But what can he do?
• Answer: Humanly speaking – nothing!
• When we are ‘face to face’ with death,
• It brings home exactly how helpless we are!
• So, this soldier will face ridicule and lose face,
• In order to save his slave from dying.
• He approaches Jesus.
• Who spoilt every funeral he ever went to (even his own!)
(3). HE WAS A MAN OF FAITH (VS 9).
“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.”
• The whole of this little story builds up,
• To this conversation between Jesus and the centurion.
• Even the miracle itself takes second place,
• To this conversation.
The key word to note is, ‘faith’ (vs 11) & ‘believe’ (vs 13).
• Now this centurion’s faith was not blind.
• This soldier's faith is based on,
• His own experience and knowledge.
• Quote: Someone has said:
• “He argued from the here and now to the three and then.”
• He argued from his own experience,
• Which had taught him,
• That words of command are expected to be obeyed.
• i.e. when he told a soldier to jump.
• The soldier would reply, “How high!”
• There was never any question in his own mind,
• That his command would not be followed!
SO, THIS CENTURIONS LOGIC IS SIMPLE:
• If this soldier’s authority produced the results, it did,
• How much more must that of Jesus?
• (with all the authority of heaven behind his words).
• If this soldier was part of a chain of command,
• Then so also was Jesus.
• This Gentile, this heathen soldier realised,
• What Jesus own disciples and nation had not,
• The authority Jesus.
The end of the story (is recorded by Luke not Matthew):
• Was exactly as Jesus had said.
• When they got back to the man’s house,
• They found the slave was completely healed.
• Faith rewarded!
Note:
• I love verse 8b: “But just say the word!”
• Never underestimate the power of words.
Ill:
• A President or Prime Minster speaks, and a nation is at war.
• A judge speaks, and a person is condemned or set free.
• A doctor speaks, and a person has surgery,
• Or they go home from the hospital.
• A preacher speaks, a person con go from death to life!
• Never underestimate the power of words.
• Jesus Christ even today:
• Has the authority to forgive sins.
• Has the power to change lives!
(3). The Ability to Heal (vs 14-15).
“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 fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities.
and bore our diseases.””
These verses contain contrasting incidents:
• We have what seems to be a mini miracle.
• Although that is like saying,
• You can be a little bit pregnant!
• A miracle is a miracle!
• But it does seem to be almost a routine healing.
• Compared to the other two miracles.
• i.e. A man healed of the deadly disease of leprosy.
• i.e. A man healed over a long distance from where Jesus was!
Two incidents are mentioned:
FIRST MIRACLE:
• Jesus heals Simons Mother-in-law,
• Who was sick with a fever.
• This is not leprosy, it’s a fever (heavy flue like cold),
• But the fever was strong enough to zap her strength,
• And force here to have to rest in her bed.
Note:
• When Jesus, “touched her hand,” (vs 15)
• Straight away she was able to get up from her bed,
• Go into the kitchen and serve the Sabbath meal.
• The healing was complete.
• When a fever leaves a person that person is left weakened.
• Yet, when this fever left her,
• She recovered her strength immediately.
• One moment bed-ridden the next up and about!
SECOND MIRACLE:
• Jesus heals many people,
• A crowd of people who were sick with “various diseases”.
• We are given no details.
• We are given the basic facts,
• They came to Jesus with diseases,
• And they left healed, in good physical health.
• Once again, they go from one extreme to the other.
Note:
• The real point of interest for theologians in these verses,
• Is not the miracles but he quotation (vs 17),
• This quotation from Isaiah chapter 53 verse 4.
• It is a verse that divides Christians,
• And is often misunderstood.
• The word translated "griefs" in Isaiah,
• And "infirmities" in Matthew,
• In both the Hebrew and Greek means, "diseases of the body."
• To bear those griefs,
• Is clearly to bear them away, or to remove them.
Note: That seems straight forward.
• Matthew explains that in healing these people,
• i.e. the leper, the roman soldier’s servant,
• The crowds who had various diseases,
• Jesus has fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that,
• “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”
• Again, it is straight forward.
• Both Isaiah and Matthew recognise,
• That the Messiah when he came into the world,
• Would bear the sicknesses and griefs of the people.
• And we see that fulfilled in these verses.
Question: OK, so what’s the problem?
Answer:
• You will find Christians,
• In fact, Churches not too far away from this one,
• Who will quote the verse from Isaiah,
• And tell you to claim your healing from the cross!
• Just as you trust Christ for forgiveness of sins,
• You can also trust him for your physical healing as well.
• They would say healing is in the atonement/cross,
• And therefore, it is available for all believers.
Now my response to that is.
• Healing is part of Christ’s work on the cross.
• Because sin is the ultimate cause of all illness,
• Disease & death.
• And Jesus did bear our sickness,
• In the sense that,
• He was punished for the sin that causes sickness.
• And one day when we will be with him in glory,
• There will be no sin and no sickness etc.
Ill:
• Just as our sins are forgiven,
• But no-one in this room is sinless,
• We all must do battle with sin on a daily basis,
• Until we are in the presence of Jesus.
• So too Jesus bears away our illness and diseases,
• But no-one here is in perfect health,
• We all must do battle with illness and diseases on a daily basis,
• Until we are in the presence of Jesus.
Ill:
• And Peter in his letter (1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24),
• Also quotes this verse from Isaiah.
• But Peter emphasises that,
• Jesus has healed us spiritually not physically.
• He saved us from sin by his wounds, his atonement.
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
So, there is healing in the atonement,
• But you will probably have to wait,
• Until you get your glorified body to fully enjoy it
• But God can and does heal today,
• (Not by quoting this verse),
• But rather through people who have the spiritual gift of healing.
• Or God may choose to heal through nature or medication.
(4). The Cost of Following the Healer (vs 18-22).
“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.””
Salvation maybe free, but following Jesus Christ is costly!
• That may sound like a contradiction, but it is not.
• No one can earn their way to heaven,
• Salvation is a gift not a reward!
• But discipleship (following Jesus) is costly,
• It should cost us everything we have!
• Because we serve him out of gratitude,
• For what he has done for us!
Ill:
The Christian life is like a two-sided coin.
• First, God saves us through Christ.
• Second, we follow Christ in obedience to God.
• The first part is God's, and the second is ours.
• Too many Christians make the wrong mistake,
• They want God as Healer, Comforter, Provider,
• Saviour, Father, and Friend.
• But then forget that He is also, God, King, Lord, Boss.
• And demands and deserves our everything!
Ill:
• Isaac Watts Hymn, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross.’
• It contains four verses.
• Verses 1-3 talk about what Christ has done for us on the cross.
• Verse 4 calls for our response.
• He did all that for me, what will I do for him?
“Were the whole realm of nature mine,”
(o paraphrase, if I had the whole world and everything in it and tried to offer it back to God as thanks – it would be…)
“That were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.”
In this final section we see two people confessing their commitment to Christ.
• But when pressed,
• We discover that they are all talk and no action.
The first ‘would be’ disciple (vs 18-20),
• Did not understand,
• That the Lordship of Christ has no guarantees.
• By following Christ, we go where he leads!
• We don’t know the way but we can trust the person.
• This first ‘would be’ disciple would appear to be genuine.
• His words were great, "I want to come."
• But discipleship is more than good intentions.
• So, Jesus reminds him of what discipleship means.
Ill:
• Jesus was an itinerant preacher,
• That means he will be travelling from place to place,
• And doing that week after week, month after month.
• In fact for 3 years.
• It meant often sleeping under the stars,
• And not staying in houses or hostels or even tents.
• It was a rough, tough lifestyle without thrills.
• Jesus is not saying, "Don't follow me, don't come,”
• But rather he is asking the man to count the cost.
• If you can’t pay the price, then don’t come.
The second ‘would be’ disciple.
• Wanted to follow Jesus after he had buried his father,
• Again, on first reading that seems like a reasonable remark.
• But read it again,
• And you see the man has made an oxymoronic statement.
• His words are self-cancelling, "Lord, let me first."
• You can't say that.
• You can't call him, “Lord,”
• With means master and I submit to you,
• And then say you have a bigger priority than your master!
• By doing that he is no longer Lord.
• This man is putting his needs and his wants before Jesus.
In reply Jesus said, "let the dead bury the dead."
• The New Living translation gets it right when it translated it,
• "Let the spiritually dead burry the physically dead."
• In other words, there are some tasks,
• That nonbelievers can do as well as believers.
• Now, before you say, “Wasn’t that a mean response?”
• Most scholars believe that this is a figurative way of saying,
• "Let me first go home and take care of my dad until he dies,
• Then I will come and follow you.”
• But that could take 5yrs, 10yrs, 20yrs or even longer!
• We do not know when a person might die.
• This man did not understand that Christ’s Lordship,
• Takes precedent over everything in life.
Ill:
• Yesterday at the Wimbledon Ladies Final,
• A diehard fan remarked to the woman sitting nearby.
• That he was surprised to see an empty seat at such an important occasion.
• The woman explained,
• “It was my husband’s, but he died.”
• The man then said, “I’m very sorry to hear that!
• But I am really surprised that another relative, or friend,
• Didn’t jump at the chance to take the seat reserved for him.”
• The lady replied,
• “Beats me too! But they all insisted on going to the funeral.”
• TRANSITION: That story is funny,
• Because the woman had mixed up priorities:
• Priorities is simply,
• Learning the difference between what is important,
• And what is essential.
• And always do the latter!
• Quote:
• "The main thing, is to keep main thing, the main thing!"
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=AardXM4d7W5nU3XZc6j330YZfHBre5QA
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/ib7KMGj7zns
