This week’s reading: Matthew 8:1-34
Hi Friends,
This week we continue in the Gospel of Matthew and read the entire chapter 8, that’s verses 1 through 34, but please take your time reading it. Pay attention to the authority of Jesus over the Law, disease, nature and demons. Now listen to just these amazing verses:
“When Jesus 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 cleansed of his leprosy.” Mt 8:1-3 NIV
I am willing. What beautiful words from our Lord! As He walked this earth, there was not anything He was not willing to do, except leave us in our broken, fallen, lost state, of course. We read here that Jesus was willing to do what no other human of that time would dare to even think of doing, Jesus reached out to this outcast and touched him. This was a huge “no-no” back then. Not only was it forbidden in the Law of Moses, but leprosy was highly contagious. Now the Bible uses this term for many types of skin diseases, yet whichever one it was, this poor man could not be a part of the community until he was healed…if he was ever healed. Can you imagine? Being kicked out of your home and family, your synagogue and neighbors, your livelihood and life?! Left all alone to live whatever way you could manage? It must have been awful. Yet we all know, all too well now, how contagious diseases can cause such devastation, yes? For everyone’s good, this leper had to be cast out. But in comes Jesus! Watch as this leper struggles with his growing Faith. He approaches Jesus, kneels down before Him and humbly broken, asks for the unthinkable, “Lord, IF You are willing….” Jesus does not miss a beat! Yes, He physically heals this man as everyone around could plainly see, the leprosy was cured. But what Jesus really does for this man is so much deeper than just his skin! Jesus restores his life. This cured leper now gets to live the life he used to know, do we see that? We are talking about how Jesus has authority over everything and everyone, including demons as we see in this week’s reading, but let us never, ever forget that His greatest authority is over death itself! The focus of Jesus is always Life. In having authority over this disease, Jesus gives this man a reason to live again. And He continues to do the same for you and me…if we are willing!
I will go and heal him. Next we see how Jesus is asked to come to the aid of a centurion’s servant. Now, you and I might not get the impact here, but let me spell it out: a Jew did not associate with a Gentile, and a Roman centurion was doubly unacceptable. They were the enemy of the Jewish people, horribly oppressing them. These two supposedly opposing nations believed the other nation was unclean and unworthy of their time or attention. I hope we see the Faith in this man, just like that of the leper above. See the courage to put themselves out there, in the Hope that Jesus would be willing? Willing to see them, willing to hear them, then willing to heal. This is really a lot bigger than we might first understand. The fact that a Roman soldier, with some level of power, would submit to this Jewish Rabbi was a miracle in and of itself. Then comes the response of Jesus! Again, Jesus did not miss a step. He says, “I will go and heal him.” (Mt 8:7) The depth of this Gentile’s Faith though is even more amazing than that of the leper. He basically tells Jesus, “I know You have authority over everything and everyone, and that Your power knows no bounds, it has no boundaries, no limitations! Just say the word and I know my servant will be healed.” Jesus is so impressed by this that He proclaims in front of those following Him that He has “not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Mt 8:10) Jesus then heals the servant with just His thoughts, that very hour. Oh, Israel. These were supposed to be God’s people. These were supposed to be the ones who would drop everything the moment their Messiah came. These were the nation that should have been ready to surrender their whole lives to Jesus because they had been anticipating His arrival for centuries! Jesus was, and still is, the culmination of all time, life and love. Now for all humanity, Jesus is our only Hope. He is our only means of Salvation. These folks should have recognized Him and had the same deep Faith that the centurion displayed…but do we recognize Jesus?
You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Jesus continues to heal many, including Peter’s mother-in-law, and He also warns people that there is a price to following Him. Life as they knew it must change in order to be His disciples. Then as He and some disciples get in a boat to move on to the next place, a storm hits them out of nowhere. You ever experience that? Indeed, this is a huge part of life, isn’t it? Everything seems to be going smoothly when, bang, your child is diagnosed with brain cancer! My world was rocked so hard by that horrific news that I can easily understand the fear and hopelessness of these disciples! Storms can be so consuming. Storms can block our view of the Son…S-O-N. Storms can leave us feeling like impending death is the only option. Put yourself in the shoes of these disciples. “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” I have cried a similar prayer so many times now…I get this situation here, don’t you? Again, Jesus responds, perhaps with sleepy eyes, but I am sure with His voice dripping of compassion, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Mt 8:26) Jesus gets up, yells at the storm, and instantly, it is over. The waters go completely calm. Please notice: Jesus does not say that these men have NO Faith, but rather, just that their Faith is little and needs to grow. This is you and me, my Friends! If we have surrendered to Jesus, then we have Faith, and Faith in the right Person I might add, but we need to continue to grow in that Faith. Every time I choose to reach out to Jesus, placing my trust in Him alone, He does not yell at me, but He does set me straight about how He is with me, how He will never leave me nor forsake me and how He is in complete control of everything and everyone. I can rest in Jesus. Whatever storm is raging in my life at the moment loses it power when I become secure in the arms of the One who has authority over the storm. Jesus will either eliminate the problem, as He does in our reading, or He will grow me in spite of the storm. Faith. Faith does not require us to work, we do not DO something, but it does demand that we surrender to His authority. Faith as with the leper, the centurion, these disciples and myself, is merely people realizing that we have NO authority, while Jesus has FULL authority. If we surrender to His Lordship, then we can live under His authority….but do we?
Go! Jesus comes to the other side of the lake and is confronted by two demon-possessed men. It is always interesting, and a bit sad, that these demons are quick to recognize Who Jesus is and tremble at His authority. Ahh, if only we humans could be that quick too! We know the story, right? These demons would rather live in animals, as they try to remain part of God’s Creation, than to wander in the spiritual realm all alone. So, they know there is no way Jesus is going to allow them to continue to oppress these poor men, but before Jesus can cast them out, they come up with the bright idea to make a suggestion. Let’s pause here. Have we ever made suggestions to God? I know I do, as if He needs a little help from me, some guidance about how He should be reigning over my life and the world. Lord, help me! I am not saying we shouldn’t speak our hearts to God, but when we focus so intently on our plan, instead of trusting God to do whatever is best, do we miss the wonders of living by Faith? Ahhh, if I could just learn to live like Jesus in the Gethsemane Moment! Where I am totally honest with God, “Lord please, I really do not want this!” But then I quickly remember His Love AND authority and instead add, “But not my will, Yours be done!” Surrendering to His authority is a big part of this Christian Life, did you know that? But if we do not first recognize Who Jesus is? If we do not first surrender to His authority over everything and everyone? If we do not choose to place all our Faith on Him and Him alone? I really believe we are the ones missing out on a life that can be, more and more, filled to the overflow with all that is truly good. Ok, let’s finish up the story. These demons make the great suggestion that Jesus should let them go into the pigs that are nearby…and well, what ends up happening is kind of funny. Their suggestion actually leads to the very thing they really did not want in the first place! Go read it if you are not sure. Of course, the reaction from the people who lived in that region is so very sad. Little Faith, God can work with. No faith though? Lord, I pray this is not us!
Authority over the Law, disease, nature and demons, because Jesus has authority over Life. As I mentioned before, according to the Law of Moses, that leper should not have even been near anyone else, but certainly no one was supposed to touch him! Jesus here, as in the many, many times where He heals on the Sabbath, is declaring that the Son of Man has authority over the Law. As He continues to heal, Jesus declares that the Son of Man has authority over diseases. As He calms the storm, Jesus declares the Son of Man has authority over nature. And as He rebukes the demons, Jesus declares the Son of Man has authority over demons too. Authority. Jesus had, and still has, this authority because, as God, He is the Creator of all that is seen and unseen. Jesus is Life, and so He is the only one who can define Life. (see Jn 1:1-3; and Col 1:15-17) Jesus had, and still has, this authority because, as a Human, God the Father bestowed upon the Son the right to act as His representative. Jesus was given the power to show humanity what God looks like, how God loves, and to fulfill God’s Plan to make all things new by reconciling the world to the Father through the Son. (see Php 2:6-8; go back to Col 1:18-20; then go to 2Co 5:19) Jesus had, and still has, this authority to influence everyone for good because, as our Savior and Lord, only Jesus can bring us true and everlasting Life. Jesus, and Jesus alone, has the power and right to be the Lord, that is to rule over everything and everyone, because Jesus, and Jesus alone, has fought death and won. But there are questions we need to ask ourselves, my Friends. Are we willing to let Jesus be our number one reason to live? Are we willing to recognize His hand in our lives? Are we willing to surrender to His authority over us? Are we willing to allow Him to give us, then increase our Faith, so we can love Him and others? I know every time I surrender my heart to His authority, every time I submit my mind, emotions and will to His Grace, every time I choose to obey His Will over mine… guess what? My life gets more and more abundantly fulfilling. Want that too? Then won’t you join me?
Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.
<>< Peace, Diane
