Matthew 8

Every week I find some excuse for not posting in the notes after reading - and then by the weekend I'm even more reluctant to make a whole heaps of notes at once. Readings haven't been on schedule either. Sigh. This is not meant to be a chore.

S - Matthew 8
O -
This chapter is about the healing and miracles that Jesus performs.
I'll be making notes of the versus that stood out to me.

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."

For me, the miracles don't come as a surprise. I've read them many times before. Jesus is the Son of God. What strikes me more is that each time he tells the healed to not tell anyone.
Matthew 12:15-21 offers explanation for this

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16 warning them not to tell who he was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope."

Matthew 8: 17 also speaks of Jesus fulfilling the prophecy by Isaiah
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

With all the people that Jesus was healing, some came to him in faith, while other probably just wanted to be healed of sickness and disease. Jesus can perform all these miracles, but his disciples, the pharisees and teachers of the law who witnessed didn't necessarily believe that he was the Son of God and that he was the Christ. Shows that even seeing doesn't equate to believing. It is in the sinner to doubt, and we are all like that.

Faith of the Centurion v5-13
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go 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 astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, 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! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

The faith of this man is so incredible it surprised Jesus. What would it take for us to have such confidence in him? Should it even take anything to have such faith? Why do we doubt?
Furthermore, this man is a roman centurion, and probably would be in danger if they showed faith in Jesus.
By the way, I'm finding Jesus' way of speaking ie "I tell you the truth" quite cute lol. I suppose because many people in the crowds would assume he was blaspheming, but didn't they think that regardless of what he says?

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 holes and birds of the air 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."


We can all easily point out what these people should be doing to truly follow Jesus, but we don't do it either. There's always some other priority that come before following Jesus. But as he says, "the Son of Man has no place to lay his head". It isn't going to be easy.


23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"


I find that the "Jesus was sleeping" bit reminds me of how God sent his son in human form. He was really just like any man, except that he was pure and sinless. Again, the theme of faith (or the lack of). When I keep praying for things in the long-term I often forget to have faith and trust in him. I'm just like the men in the boat, even though I have the whole bible in front of me and am more than 2000 years from this.


29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" 


Even the demons are afraid of Jesus for they recognised his identity as the Son of God.
This contrasts the reaction of the town.
33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
They were afraid, but not in a fearing God kind of sense. More so that Jesus had inconvenienced them and brought them material loss, even though he had heals those two demon-possessed men. Their eyes were focused not on the authority of Jesus over the demons, but on the spilt milk. (This reminds me of parents going "ack you spoilt my microwave!" instead of "are you ok? did you hurt yourself?" But they are much better now :D)


A/P - what does it take to have 100% faith in God? Considering that we have the entire bible in front of us, it shouldn't take anything more. I know truly that I don't need a miracle or anything extraordinary to have faith. The basis of my faith is there, but I need 100%. Pray that I will not doubt him.