This study of Matthew's Gospel is a collaboration between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. We study Matthew's Gospel using Mary's notes and Alice addresses points of historical and anthropological relevance. When studying the biblical texts, it is important to consider the cultural contexts of the writers and their intended audiences.
Begin by reading Matthew, Chapter 8. After you have read the chapter, answer the 10 questions. Check your answers by scrolling to the bottom of the page.
Chapter 8 narrates events involving Jesus after the Sermon of the Mount. The chapter describes great crowds that followed Jesus. We imagine the people drawing back from Jesus as a leper came and knelt before him, pleading to be cleansed. Jesus also healed the Centurion's paralyzed servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and many who were demon possessed.
Jesus and his disciples went without the comforts and security of home, unlike the animals who have places to rest. Their itinerant way of life meant hardship and self-denial.Seeking relief from the crowd, Jesus and his disciples traveled by boat to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. A storm arose while they were on the boat. Jesus calmed the winds and the waves with a simple command. This caused the disciples to marvel because only God has such authority.
Arriving at the other side of the lake, Jesus was confronted by more demon possessed people. The demons recognized Jesus' true identity and begged to be sent into a heard of swine. The herd rushed off the cliff, and the herdsmen were so frightened that they run into the city with a report of what had happened. The people of the city begged Jesus to leave their area.
Questions
1. The leper knelt before Jesus. What does his posture indicate about his heart and his need?
2. What reason might Jesus have for telling the healed leper not to tell anyone and to perform what Moses commanded?
3. What does the story of Jesus' healing of the Centurion's servant teach us about true authority?
4. What was Jesus referring to when he spoke of people coming from east and west to sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
5. Why did Jesus speak of his itinerant way of life by referring to foxes and birds?
6. What did Jesus mean when he said, "Let the dead bury the dead"?
7. During the storm the disciples were filled with fear. Why did Jesus rebuke them for having little faith?
8. The demons that Jesus encountered in the country of the Gadarenes recognized Jesus as the Son of God. What does the Bible teach about the Son of God?
9. What did the demons mean by "the appointed time"?
10. What attitudes and behaviors in our lives are equivalent to asking Jesus to leave?
Answers
1. Kneeling before God signifies a heart of humility, reverence, and submission. Such a posture acknowledged the Lord's supreme authority and one's dependence on Him. In biblical times, leprosy was a cause for severe social isolation as mandated by religious law. To be restored to his community, the leper first had to present himself to the priests for confirmation that he was healed.
2. Jesus was dealing with large crowds and crowds are difficult to control. News of the leper's healing would have caused Jesus and his disciples to be overwhelmed by people seeking to be healed. As the Jewish leaders were growing suspicious of Jesus, it was important that he not be perceived as speaking against the Law of Moses.
3. The Centurion understood that Jesus' authority is such that he needed only to speak the word. Authentic faith recognizes and trusts in Christ's authority. The story also teaches the importance of humility.
4. Jesus was referring to the universal and inclusive kingdom of God. People from all nations and backgrounds will enjoy the future banquet of the Lamb. The banquet represents the joyful fellowship of salvation and is linked to the "marriage supper of the Lamb" mentioned in Matthew 22: 2-14, Luke 14:15, and Revelation 19:9. The Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are already citizens of the kingdom of God. Those who receive Christ by faith are citizens now and will be included at the future marriage feast at the fulfillment of the kingdom.
5. Jesus said that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. He made this statement in response to a potential follower who declared his intention to follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus wants us to count the cost of an unconditional commitment to Him. Such a commitment may mean doing without the comforts of home and family.
6. Jesus told a potential follower that the mission of the kingdom of God is more important than earthly responsibilities. The spiritually dead are those who are not following Jesus. They are to handle worldly matters while Jesus' followers are to focus on the higher calling of proclamation and discipleship.
7. The disciples' fear revealed a lack of trust in Jesus though He was present with them. Their fear of the storm overshadowed their faith in Jesus' power to protect them. The rebuke was to help them move past their fear and trust Jesus as Lord over all of creation. Scripture teaches that fear is the opposite of trust. Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand". (Also see Joshua 1:9, John 14:27, 1 Peter 3:6, and 2 Timothy 1:7.)
8. In the Bible the "Son of God" refers to Jesus Christ. The title signifies Jesus' unique relationship with God the Father, distinguishing him from other "sons of God" such as angelic beings or high kings of the Ancient Near East who were described as "sons of God" (Gen. 6;1-4).
Long before the time of Abraham (c.2000 BC), the Hebrew people believed in God Father and God Son. They expected the Son to be virginally conceived by divine overshadowing (Luke 1:35). They recognized the Son as being co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, and they spoke of the Son as his Father's advocate. This belief is found in 3500-year Egyptian Book of the Dead which speaks of the Son as the "advocate of his father" (cf. 1 John 2:1).
The Son was called HR in the Proto-Egyptian which means "Most High One". In Greek he was called Horus. The Horite Hebrew priests were his devotees. Some of those chiefs, such as Seir the Horite, are named in Genesis 36.
The Son was expected to trample down the serpent. This was expressed in the 6000-year Pyramid Texts: "HR has shattered the mouth of the serpent with the sole of his foot" (Utterance 388). This belief is found in Genesis 3:15 where we read that the Seed/Son of the Woman would crush the serpent's head. The Evangelists teach that there is no salvation apart from faith in Jesus, the Son of God. 1 John 5:12, "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
9. The Jews believed that some evil spirits were sent to hell before "the appointed time" (2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6). The appointed time would be Judgement Day when all that oppose God are to be cast into the abyss. The "appointed time" can also refer to times that God has set for events to occur such as the birth of Jesus. The concept emphasizes God's control over time and the unfolding of His plans according to His divine schedule.
10. Attitudes and behaviors that spring from pride, lack of gratitude, hardness of heart, worldly ambitions, and hypocrisy are equivalent to asking Jesus to leave. On the other hand, we invite Jesus into our lives when we repent of these and sincerely seek to live lives that are pleasing to God.
Summary
Jesus is unique among humans because he is fully human and fully God, eternally existing, the only begotten son of the Father, and the only sinless human. As the Christ (Messiah) he delivers people from sin and death. His divinity was demonstrated to the disciples by his authority over demons and diseases, his control over the winds and the waves, and in the demons' recognition of him as the Son of God (v. 29).
Next week we will consider Matthew, Chapter 9. Please invite your friends to join us in our study of Matthew's Gospel.
Related reading:
Matthew Chapter 2: The Magi Worship the Christ and Defy Herod
Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus and John Fulfill All Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus Exposes the Devil's Tactics
Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
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