Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 84, Matthew 8:14-17 — Jesus Heals Many Matthew 8:14-17 (NASB1995) “When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.” Historical Context The events recorded by Matthew throughout Chapter 8 and 9 are not in chronological order. It was common practice among scribes in ancient times to record information by topic instead of by time. Matthew employs this practice as we read about some of Jesus’ miracles. He likely organized his gospel this way to show Jesus’ power and authority, both naturally and spiritually, through His teaching and miracles. Matthew’s gospel is also proving to the original Jewish audience that Jesus is the awaited Messiah. Review Jesus finished His Sermon on the Mount and headed to Capernaum, where He and many of the disciples lived. On the way, Jesus encountered and cleansed a leper and met a Roman centurion, who needed healing for his servant. Jesus’ interaction with these two men provides beautiful glimpses into the great compassion He has for people who come to Him in humility and faith. Discussion Yesterday, we discussed Jesus’ seemingly misplaced two-verse discourse, settled between Jesus telling the centurion about his great faith (8:10) and healing the servant (8:13). We learned Jesus was rebuking the Jewish audience in these verses because they believed salvation was only for them. But Jesus reveals that the great marriage banquet at His second coming will welcome all people from all nations who put their faith in Him. It is not exclusive to Israel, just as it is not exclusive to the Gentile Bride of Christ as dispensationalism teaches. Today, we read about Jesus’ many healings in Capernaum, including the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and see another Old Testament prophecy fulfilled. In this passage, Matthew once again leaves out most of the details surrounding the event. This is because Matthew did not write his gospel completely chronologically. Instead, he organized it by topic, as we will read about the miracles of Jesus throughout Chapter 8 and 9. Thankfully, Mark and Luke provide context to fill in the gaps. Since Mark and Luke are almost verbatim, we will cross reference from Luke as usual. The timing of today’s passage is not clear from Matthew’s writings, as he jumps directly into Jesus going to Peter’s home. Mark 1:29-34 and Luke 4:38-41 provide further context, where we see Jesus enter Peter’s house following a teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Notably, Matthew wrote his gospel much later than Mark and Luke. Because of this, Peter is not named Simon here, while Mark and Luke call him Simon. If you do not know, Simon was the name of Peter before he became a disciple of Jesus. But since we are reading Matthew, we will call Peter by that name. We begin the passage with Jesus heading to Peter's home, following His teaching at the local synagogue. Once there, He finds Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a fever. Luke 4:38 says, “Then He [Jesus] got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s [Peter’s] home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.” Fevers in ancient times were not just mild symptoms like we see today, but more like a potentially fatal disease. But no disease or illness can stop the power of Jesus, as “He touched her hand, and the fever left her.” Matthew writes she immediately gets up and begins serving—food and drink—Jesus like nothing happened. That Peter’s mother-in-law could ‘serve’ them shows the extent to which she was genuinely healed.[1] Later that evening, many who were sick and possessed were brought to Jesus for healing. Matthew writes, “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.” There were many pagan exorcists and other hyper-spiritual sorcerers at that time who performed miracles, but none could heal with just a word like Jesus. Most of the sorcerers performed many incantations and other specific techniques to heal, but many times it was for naught.[2] The power and authority Jesus carried with just a word was unlike anyone had ever seen. Many “anthropologists have documented experiences indigenously interpreted as spirit possession in a majority of the world’s cultures.”[3] Matthew references the famous prophecy from Isaiah 53 here to further confirm that Jesus is the Messiah: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.” While the context of Isaiah 53 emphasizes divine healing from sin, Keener states it makes sense that Matthew also finds the nuance of physical healing here, as “Jesus inaugurates the messianic era, making some of its benefits available even in advance of the cross.”[4] Jesus’ power and authority displayed here further confirmed His claim as the Messiah, and further showed the compassionate heart God has for His creation. Application Sometimes I think about how amazing it would have been to witness some of Jesus’ healings. With so many fake healers in ancient times, I cannot imagine how incredible of a sight it was to see Jesus cast out demons with a word. The power and authority He carries is unlike anything the ancient Jews had ever seen. What makes it even more amazing is how these healings proved more and more that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. But what I love most about reading Matthew is seeing all the confirmed Old Testament prophecies from hundreds of years before Jesus arrived. It must have been incredible to have known the prophecies from Isaiah and then see them fulfilled in your home. Before I came to Christ, I was heavily bound by depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and other oppressive attacks and sins. By God’s grace, Jesus healed me when I humbly came to Him and repented of my sin—and I have never been the same. While it may be hard to believe miracles like this still happen, demonic deliverance is still alive today, and many people are healed of varying diseases and other forms of oppression every day. If you are somebody battling various mental attacks or other forms of oppression, Jesus can deliver you today. He did it for me and He can do it for you, too. All it takes is coming to Him with a humble heart, genuinely seeking Christ for forgiveness and freedom. In that moment, you can come to faith in Him and be born again and made completely new. All your past is erased as you become a born-again child of God, free from the oppression that binds you. Thank you, Jesus, or your healing power and authority. Thank you for healing and delivering me. Thank you for the healing and deliverance you will provide to others who humbly come to You. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 8:18-22. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Keener, “IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition.” [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid.
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