Written by David Self Monday, 17 September :00 - Last Updated Saturday, 22 September :42

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview September 23, 2007 "Always Trust Christ" Background: Matthew 8:1-9:34 Lesson: Matthew 8:1-3, 23-27; 9:1-8 Motivation: Jesus demonstrates His power over sickness, the sea, spiritual powers, sin and even sorrow for death! What challenge are you facing that requires Jesus' power? Examination: I. Jesus Can Heal (8:1-22) Within these verses we have a beautiful picture of the inclusiveness of Jesus' Kingdom. (John 10:16) The three in need of help were all on the outside of the religious establishment looking in: leper (1-4), Roman Centurion (5-13), Peter's Mother-in-law (14-15). A. An Outsider by Physical Impairment (1-4) 1. His ailment - Leprosy was the most dreaded disease of ancient Palestine. Not only was it horribly disfiguring and almost certainly fatal, it separated the afflicted from any human contact. The by-product of leprosy was loneliness. Jewish religious leaders would have nothing to do with lepers; one scribe boasted of throwing stones to drive them away 2. His approach - Barclay (Matthew, vol. 1, p. 297) notes that he approached Jesus with: a) confidence - His only reservation about Jesus was His willingness, not His ability b) humility - There's no demand, only a request "If you will..." c) reverence - The leperous man worshipped Jesus, the Greek word used is reserved solely for the worship of the gods. 3. His appropriation - Because the leper approached in faith, Jesus touched and healed him. William Barclay goes on to say: "There never has been any disease which 1 / 6

2 so separated a man from his fellow-men as leprosy did. And this was the man whom Jesus touched. To a Jew there would be no more amazing sentence in the New Testament than the simple statement: "And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the leper." 4. His appointment - Jesus was meticulous in his follow-up instruction. The law is recorded in Leviticus 14:3-4. His instruction to "tell no one &q uot; (cf. 9:30, 12:16, 17:9; Mark 1:34, 5:43, 7:36, 8:26) was to gain Jesus time to instruct His disciples. B. An Outsider by Personal Inheritance (5-13) The Centurion was a stranger in a strange land. Whereas the leper would not be approved for reasons of health, the Centurion was unapproachable because of Jewish hatred. His race condemned him to scorn. 1. An Extraordinary Fondness (5-6) - Servants were slaves and slaves were property. The Centurion's compassion for his slave is highly unusual. One Roman writer (Cato) advised that sick slaves should be sold.; 2. An Extraordinary Faith (7-10) - Jesus "marveled" because the Centurion trusted the power of His word not just His touch. (cf. v. 26); 3. An Extraordinary Fact (11-12) - The Jews had always pictured themselves at the Messianic banquet in the "last days"; never had they imagined a Gentile present. Jesus declares that the deciding issue is not race but f aith. Some sons of the flesh are excluded. (Romans 9:6); 4. An Extraordinary Feat (13) - Jesus "reached out and touched" by long distance! Never had the people seen such a miracle! C. An Outsider by Gender (14-15) Women were not included in mainstream Jewish religion. They were segregated in the synagogue as well as the temple. [Barclay gives some historical background ( Matthew, p. 307): "When we compare Mark's narrative of events with that of Matthew, we see that this incident happened in Capernaum, on the Sabbath day, after Jesus had worshipped in the synagogue. When Jesus was in Capernaum, His headquarters were in the house of Peter, for Jesus never had any home of His own. Peter was married, and legend has it that in the after days Peter's wife was his helper in the work of the gospel. Clement of Alexandria tells us that Peter and his wife were martyred together. Peter, so the story runs, had the grim ordeal of seeing his wife suffer before he suffered himself. On seeing his wife led to death, Peter rejoiced on account of her call and her conveyance home, and called very encouragingly and comfortingly, addressing her by name, Remember thou the Lord.]" Here away from the crowds and public acclaim, Jesus came to rest but does not turn away from an opportunity to heal. The woman was "saved to serve," a good example for us all. In concluding the section (16-17) Matthew broadens the picture to show Jesus healing as "fulfillment of Isaia h" 2 / 6

3 53:4. (Isa. 61:1-2a) D. An Outsider by Condition (18-22) 1. The Condition of Respect (19) - The scribe had good intentions: he addressed Jesus as " Teacher" and pledged allegiance. 2. The Condition of Sacrifice (20) - "Wherever you go" needed some definition. Plummer commented "Jesus' life began in a borrowed stable and ended in a borrowed tomb." Basically Jesus was asking if the scribe was willing to be homeless. Our ultimate home is heaven. (I Pet. 2:11; Phil. 3:20-21) 3. The Condition of Priority (21-22) - Most likely, a funeral was not imminent. The tradition in the east is often for a son to care for aged parents until their death. Although it sounds harsh, Jesus is stating that spiritual priorities take precedence over physical needs. II. Jesus Can Help (8:23-9:17) A. Help During the Storms of Life (8:23-27) Gary Smalley calls attention to the " great faith" of the Centurion (10) and the " little faith" of the disciples (26). The difference was in their trust in Jesus' word. In verse 18, He clearly told the disciples that they were going to the other side. In the midst of the storm, however, they doubted His word. In fact, they " marveled " at His power, clearly not understanding who He was. B. Help During Oppressive Times (8:28-34) 1. The Problems of the Men: Demon possession left them discouraged, divid ed from their countrymen, and destroyed. 2. The Posture of the Demons (29-32): They recognized Jesus as the Son of God; yet, they felt that it was their prerogative to torment the men. 3. The Picture of a Materialistic Society (33-34): Roy Fish says "The price of bacon was never higher." Because they were upset at losing the swine, they drove Jesus away! C. Help for the Helpless (9:1-8) 1. The Right Friends (1) - "When Jesus saw their faith" a. A Picture of Goodness - Perhaps the paralytic man had given up hope, but his friends had not given up on him. Good friends see us at our worst but bring out our best. b. A Picture of Grace - We come to Jesus in need without the ability to even contribute a part of salvation. More than paralyzed, we " were dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph. 2:1) 2. The Right Formula (2-6) Jesus had demonstrated power over sickness, the seas and the sinister world of evil demons; now the scribes wanted to deny His ability to forgive sin. Sickness and sin were 3 / 6

4 intertwined in their thinking; therefore, in healing sickness, Jesus had already proven able to forgive sins. The scribes were reduced to quibbling over the formula. 3. The Right Faith "And he arose..." (7) Faith and obedience are two sides of the same coin. When Jesus commanded " Arise," he arose. D. Associating with Sinners (9:9-17) 1. Focus on People - Matthew humbly shares one verse concerning his call, but within that verse are volumes about Jesus' ability to see beyond a person's outward circumstances. Tax collectors were universally hated among the Jews and were lumped in Jewish law along with murderers and robbers. They were forbidden to enter the synagogue and were ritually unclean. Jesus declared that His mission was not to provide a haven for saints but rather a hospital for sinners. His feast with sinners is a prime example of His exhortation to be in the world but not of the world. (John 17:14) 2. Focus on Purpose (9:11-17) Often religious people forget why they do the things they do. Jesus asserts that old forms, such as the Jewish religious system, will not support this new message from God. The Gospel is not an improved version of the Law; it replaces it. (I Sam. 15:22,; Ps. 51:16-17) III. Jesus Can Restore (9:18-35) A. My Daughter (18-19, 23-26) As a ruler of a synagogue, Jairus (Mark 5) probably came to Jesus out of desperation. However, personal vendettas (9:3, 34) and political causes take a backseat when one of your own children is in danger. Although the religious establishment had opposed Him at every point, Jesus not only determined to heal the girl, He went personally to her home. The mourners " ridiculed Him.&q uot; Barclay notes "The mourners were so luxuriating in their grief that they even resented hope." (p. 345). The progression of miracles is now complete: Jesus' authority over death is demonstrated. B. Malady of Blood (20-22) This particular disease made a woman unclean and isolated her from the mainstream of Jewish life. Luke, perhaps ironically, notes that she " had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any " (Luke 8:43). We are touched by her humility and shyness; yet, even her small faith is recognized by Jesus (22). C. Men of Darkness (27-31) Blindness is often seen as a type of sin in scriptures. Jesus, the Light of the World, overcomes the dark (John 1:5). There are several aspects to the story that are unusual. 1. An Unwanted Title "Son of David" was not Jesus' preferred title because it fanned the expectations of a political/military ruler in the mold of King David. 2. An Unhindered Faith - Though they may have used the wrong address and left with the wrong attitude (31), they certainly expressed what Jesus desired: Faith. 3. An Unheeded Warning - Jesus "sternly warned them" to be quiet, but instead " t hey spread the news about Him in all that country. 4 / 6

5 " While disobedience is never flattering to one's reputation, we cannot but identify with these overjoyed men. (Luke 19:40) D. Muted Man (32-34) - When compared to calming the sea or raising the dead, one wonders why this miracle provoked such a reaction among the Pharisees (34). Here we have the same miracle which caused the multitudes to marvel but the Pharisees to c ondemn. E. Multitudes Healed (35) - The progression that began building in 8:1 has now become a crescendo of miracles and praise. Notice His work: 1. Teaching in their synagogues" - Jesus multiplied His ministry by teaching others. 2. Preaching "preaching the gospel of the Kingdom" - Jesus proclaimed God's kingdom, the "good news." 3. Healing "healing every sickness and every disease - "Jesus had a ministry balanced between the spiritual and the physical." We have no record of Him refusing to aid a physical need; but, He did not devote even the majority of His time to this. Application 1. Jesus included everyone in His plan, even those normally excluded from religious circles. 2. Jesus demanded that his disciples be prepared to sacrifice and prioritize. 3. Jesus demonstrated His power over sickness, spiritual powers, the sea, sins, and sorrow over death. Teachers Pack: Item 7: Chart: Lesson Outline; Illustrator: p. 36 "Who were the sinners'?" Notes: **You may now access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: study.org/ ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: 9/11-11/13 - Living Proof w/ Beth Moore; 9/13-12/11 - Men's Life & Breakfast; 9/ Evangelism Explosion Clinic; 10/12 - Bunko, Babes & Burgers, Women's Event; 10/25 - Leadership Commitment Event; 10/31 - Fall Festival; 11/4 - Celebration Sunday (churchwide event); 11/18 - Christmas Store Gift Collection Day; 11/25 5 / 6

6 - Thanksgiving - 10 a.m. worship (SS opt.) 6:30; 12/1 - MTC Christmas Store 9-4; 12/1 - Kingdom Kids Winter Event; 12/1 - Preschoolers Christmas Party; 12/ Christmas Presentation; 12/23 - Christmas - both a.m. services (no SS, no Ascend). 6 / 6