Mateus 8
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 8
Guzik on leprosy - The Jews thought two things about a leper: (1) you are the walking dead and (2) you deserve this because this is the punishment of God against you. Jewish custom said that you should not even greet a leper. Custom said you had to stay six feet (two meters) from a leper. If the wind blew toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet (45 meters) away. One Rabbi bragged that he would not even buy an egg on a street where he saw a leper, and another boasted that he threw rocks at lepers to keep them far from him. One other Rabbi didn’t even allow a leper to wash his face. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body. For these reasons leprosy was considered a picture of sin and its effects. It was a contagious, debilitating disease that corrupts its victim and makes him essentially dead while alive. Therefore society and religious people scorned lepers. Rabbis especially despised them (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) Warren
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Guzik adds that "the leper came to Jesus by himself and despite many discouragements. He knew how terrible his problem was. He knew most everyone thought his condition was hopeless. He had no one who would or could take him to Jesus. He had no previous example of Jesus healing a leper to give him hope. He had no promise that Jesus would heal him. He had no invitation from Jesus or the disciples. He must have felt ashamed and alone in the crowd. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) Comment: A person with leprosy, apart from the telltale malignant raw flesh and white hair, was to be otherwise identified by tom clothes, announcement of "unclean" when in the streets and was to live isolated from the community. Jesus knew the Law of Moses and yet He does not chastise this man for (1) approaching Him (recall the 10 lepers "stood at a distance" - Lk 17:12) and (2) not crying out "Unclean! Unclean!" Jesus saw the man's heart and his intent, not his scaly disgusting rash! And Jesus looks at you and I that same way -- at our heart, always looking for a heart of loving obedience (empowered by the Spirit) (cf 1 Sa 15:22). The law of Moses had specific instructions for anyone who had leprosy: Leviticus 13:45, 46+ (cf Nu 5:2-4, 12:14, 15, 2 Ki 7:3) “As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered (let his hair be unkempt,uncombed), and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ “He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. NET Note - Tearing one's clothing, allowing the hair to hang loose rather than bound up in a turban, and covering the mustache on the upper lip are all ways of expressing shame, grief, or distress (cf., e.g., Lev 10:6 and Micah 3:7).
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Guzik says "In his concern for both his servant and for Jesus, this centurion was an others-centered person." “God sends none away empty but those who are full of themselves!” Worthy (2425)(hikanos from the root hik- = to attain, hence, adequate) refers to that which reaches or arrives at a certain standard and in the present context hikanos means worthy or sufficient for an honor, a place or a position. It means to be adequate for something, in this case for Jesus to come to his house, which as discussed above could refer to the centurion's awareness that Jesus coming to his home would not be an acceptable practice for a Jew. More literally it could be read "I am not fit (which is the meaning of hikanos)". This recalls the line below from Joseph Hart's "Come Ye Sinners" which speaks of our "fitness" for Jesus to come to our house -- truth be told ,NONE of us are "worthy" for Him to come! And so are not our words those of the centurion "Lord I am not worthy?" And yet just as Jesus healed the centurion's servant with a WORD, He has healed our "sin sick" souls with His WORD of the Gospel! This truth should cause us all to bow with hearts filled with overwhelming gratitude for healing us! Thank YOU LORD JESUS!!! Let not conscience make you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness he requireth Is to feel your need of him. This he gives you, this he gives you; ’Tis the Spirit’s glimmering beam. Augustine commented that "By saying that he was unworthy, he showed himself worthy of Christ's entering, not within his walls, but within his heart." It is clear that the centurion's heart was tender toward the Lord. He was unlike so many today who feel they deserve to go to Heaven. Beloved, we don't deserve Heaven, but we do deserve Hell, for the wages of our continual sin against God is eternal death (cf Ro 6:23+). No one is good enough or righteous enough to get to Heaven on their own merit, for as Paul writes "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE." (Ro 3:10+) Isaiah said "all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isa 64:6) The centurion reminds us of Peter's humility "But when Simon Peter saw that (THE MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH - Lk 5:7), he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8+) But just say the word, and my servant will be healed - "Speak it!" "Just command it!" Now don't miss this -- the centurion is not asking for Jesus to pray that his servant be healed but asking for healing by a word from Jesus! Amazing! Such healing from a distance is unprecedented in Matthew to this point! This Gentile had faith in Jesus to the point that all Jesus had to do was speak and his servant would be healed. He belief that Jesus can heal by merely uttering a word implies his belief in (even if he did not fully understand who Jesus was) divine omnipotence on the part of Jesus. This is amazing faith indeed, especially coming from a man who was a Gentile! " Luke 7:3 says "When he (CENTURION) heard about Jesus" so clearly the centurion had heard about the miraculous healings of Jesus, and even though he most likely did not understand His identity as the God-Man, he knew or heard enough to believe that God's power worked through Him! Geldenhuys wrote that “He believes that, just as he, a man with authority, is obeyed by his subordinates, just so surely will the authoritative utterance of Christ be fulfilled even though He is not present where the sick person is.” 🙏 THOUGHT - We can never deserve His blessings, but we can ask for them in faith. We should all come to Christ like this man: With a Confession of Humility “I am not worthy” and with a Confession of Faith “Say the Word.” We are not speaking about "Name It-Claim It" which is a horrible, destructive false teaching! Israel experienced God's healing Word (this might refer to the affliction and healing in Nu 21:4-9) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. 20 He sent His WORD and healed (rapha/rophe; Lxx = iaomai) them, And delivered them from their destructions. (Ps 107:19-20)
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Guzik - Jesus was not afraid to discourage potential disciples. Unlike many modern evangelists, He was interested more in quality than in quantity. “Nothing has done more harm to Christianity than the practice of filling the ranks of Christ’s army with every volunteer who is willing to make a little profession, and to talk fluently of experience.” (Ryle, cited in Carson) John Broadus - Various Fathers wildly allegorize the foxes and the birds (see Aquinas, Cat. Aur.). The Son of Man - First use in Matthew' Gospel, drawn from Daniel 7:13+ where Daniel declared "behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days (GOD THE FATHER) And was presented before Him." And so Son of Man was clearly a Messianic Title which Jesus does not hesitate to apply to Himself. The Jews who had ears to hear, would have known immediately what Jesus was claiming! He was claiming He was the long expected Messiah! To paraphrase C S Lewis Jesus is either Lord, liar or lunatic, but He cannot just be a good Teacher! This is the name Jesus used for Himself more than any other. It is used 83 times in the Gospels, always by Jesus Himself. Son of man is Jesus' Name emphasizing His identity as the representative Man, the "last Adam" (cf 1Co 15:45-47). Son of David was His Jewish Name, and Son of God His divine Name. Son of Man -Matt. 8:20; Matt. 9:6; Matt. 10:23; Matt. 11:19; Matt. 12:8; Matt. 12:32; Matt. 12:40; Matt. 13:37; Matt. 13:41; Matt. 16:13; Matt. 16:27; Matt. 16:28; Matt. 17:9; Matt. 17:12; Matt. 17:22; Matt. 18:11; Matt. 19:28; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 20:28; Matt. 24:27; Matt. 24:30; Matt. 24:37; Matt. 24:39; Matt. 24:44; Matt. 25:31; Matt. 26:2; Matt. 26:24; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:64; Mk. 2:10; Mk. 2:28; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 8:38; Mk. 9:9; Mk. 9:12; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:33; Mk. 10:45; Mk. 13:26; Mk. 14:21; Mk. 14:41; Mk. 14:62; Lk. 5:24; Lk. 6:5; Lk. 6:22; Lk. 7:34; Lk. 9:22; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 9:56; Lk. 9:58; Lk. 11:30; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:10; Lk. 12:40; Lk. 17:22; Lk. 17:24; Lk. 17:26; Lk. 17:30; Lk. 18:8; Lk. 18:31; Lk. 19:10; Lk. 21:27; Lk. 21:36; Lk. 22:22; Lk. 22:48; Lk. 22:69; Lk. 24:7; Jn. 1:51; Jn. 3:13; Jn. 3:14; Jn. 5:27; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:53; Jn. 6:62; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 9:35; Jn. 12:23; Jn. 12:34; Jn. 13:31; Acts 7:56; Heb. 2:6; Rev. 1:13; Rev. 14:14 More detail on the Son of Man - Our Lord constantly uses this term as implying that His mission (Mt 11:19; Lu 19:10), His death and resurrection (Mt 12:40; 20:18; 26:2), and His second coming (Mt 24:37-44; Lu 12:40) transcend in scope and result all merely Jewish limitations. When Nathanael confesses Him as "King of Israel," our Lord's answer is, "You shall see greater things . . . the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" (Jn 1:50,51). When His messengers are cast out by the Jews, His thought leaps forward to the time when the Son of Man comes again to the human race (cp. Mt 10:5,6 with Mt 10:23). Son of Man is the Name by which He referred to Himself when He explained that universal judgment was committed to Him by God the Father (Jn 5:22,27). Who better to judge men than the Son of Man? Son of Man is also a name indicating that in Him is fulfilled the OT foreview of blessing through a coming man (see Ge 1:26, 3:15; 12:3; Ps 8:4; 80:17; Isa 7:14; 9:6,7; 32:2). Question: What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man? Answer: Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah. A second meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is that Jesus was truly a human being. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. A son of a man is a man. Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also a human being (John 1:14). First John 4:2 tells us, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Yes, Jesus was the Son of God—He was in His essence God. Yes, Jesus was also the Son of Man—He was in His essence a human being. In summary, the phrase “Son of Man” indicates that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is truly a human being. MATTHEW 8:20 (cf. Matt. 20:18; 24:30; etc.)—If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? PROBLEM: Jesus referred to Himself most often as the Son of Man. This seems to point to His humanity more than His deity. If He was really the Messiah, the Son of God, why did He use the self-description, “Son of Man”? SOLUTION: First of all, even if the phrase “Son of Man” is a reference to Jesus’ humanity, it is not a denial of His deity. By becoming man, Jesus did not cease being God. The Incarnation of Christ did not involve the subtraction of deity, but the addition of humanity. Jesus clearly claimed to be God on many occasions (Matt. 16:16–17; John 8:58; 10:30). But, in addition to being divine, He was also human. He had two natures conjoined in one person. Furthermore, Jesus was not denying His deity by referring to Himself as the Son of Man. The term “Son of Man” is used to describe Christ’s deity as well. The Bible says that only God can forgive sins (Isa. 43:25; Mark 2:7). But, as the “Son of Man,” Jesus had the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). Likewise, Christ will return to earth as the “Son of Man” in clouds of glory to reign on earth (Matt. 26:63–64). In this passage, Jesus is citing Daniel 7:13 where the Messiah is described as the “Ancient of Days,” a phrase used to indicate His deity (cf. Dan. 7:9). Further, when Jesus was asked by the high priest whether He was the “Son of God” (Matt. 26:63), He responded affirmatively, declaring that He was the “Son of Man” who would come in power and great glory (v. 64). This indicated that Jesus Himself used the phrase “Son of Man” to indicate His deity as the Son of God. Finally, the phrase “Son of Man” emphasizes who Jesus is in relation to His Incarnation and His work of salvation. In the OT (see Lev. 25:25–26, 48–49; Ruth 2:20), the kinsman redeemer was a close relative of someone who was in need of redemption. So Jesus, as our Kinsman Redeemer, was identifying Himself with humankind as its Savior and Redeemer. Those who knew the OT truth about Messiah being the Son of Man understood Jesus’ implicit claims to deity. Those who did not, would not so recognize this. Jesus often said things in this way so as to test His audience and separate believers from unbelievers (cf. Matt. 13:10–17). (When Critics Ask - Norman Geisler) Matthew 8:21 Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." another - Lu 9:59-62 permit - Mt 19:29 Lev 21:11,12 Nu 6:6,7 De 33:9,10 1Ki 19:20,21 Hag 1:2 2Co 5:16 Matthew 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Luke 9:59-62+ And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” FORGO RELIGIOUS DUTY FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father" - In Luke 9:59+ Jesus first gave the command " “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” It is interesting that Matthew refers to these interrogators as disciples. We know from Luke 10:1+ that "the Lord appointed seventy others and sent the two and two ahead of Him." So it is possible that this disciple was one of the seventy and also possible he heeded Jesus called to discipleship. We will discover the answer in Heaven. We do know that many disciples were only loosely connected to Jesus and were not willing to count the cost, John recording after some difficult teaching on Jesus being the Bread of Life that " As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore." (Jn 6:66). And so we see that physical following and spiritual following are worlds apart (pun intended) and that is what Jesus is teaching. Some say that permission to first bury his father was a figure of speech or idiomatic way of saying that he had to wait until his father died. This also suggest that he may have had interest in something besides Jesus, because he may have been in line to receive the inheritance when his father died.
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Guzik observers that "In the span of a few moments, the disciples saw both the complete humanity of Jesus (in His tired sleep) and the fullness of His deity. They saw Jesus for who He is: truly man and truly God." (Ibid) Amazed (2296)(thaumazo from thauma [from thaomai = to wonder] = wonder, admiration) means to wonder, marvel, be struck with admiration or astonishment. Thaumazo describes the human response when confronted by divine revelation in some form (Mt 9.33). Obey (5219)(hupakouo from hupó = agency or means, under, assumes the need for submission + akoúo physical hearing and apprehension of something with the mind - akouo gives us our English acoustics - the science of design which helps one hear) literally means "under the hearing" or to listen under, listening with attentiveness and then responding positively to what is heard -- to obey what is heard. The creation is personified as obeying its Creator! All uses in Matthew - Matt. 8:10; Matt. 8:27; Matt. 9:33; Matt. 15:31; Matt. 21:20; Matt. 22:22; Matt. 27:14 Brian Bell adds that "R.C.
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Guzik - They also understood that they had limited time, and therefore worked as hard as they could up until they could not work anymore. This is one of the few admirable things we can say about Satan and his demons. The time (kairos) is that pre-determined appointed time in which Satan and his henchmen would face their eternal judgment. And in this verse the demons "seem to have viewed Jesus' arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God's plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed." (NET) Both of the other synoptic accounts record the demon either begging (deomai - Lk 8:28+) or imploring (horkizo - adjuring) (Mk 5:7+, ) Jesus to not torment them. Henry
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Guzik writes that "Some protest that this was unfair to the owner of the pigs. “ ‘But the owners of the swine lost their property.’ Yes, and learn from this how small value temporal riches are in the estimation of God. He suffers them to be lost, sometimes to disengage us from them through mercy; sometimes out of justice, to punish us for having acquired or preserved them either by covetousness or injustice.” (Clarke) Spurgeon had several wise comments on the way the demons affected the swine: “Swine prefer death to devilry; and if men were not worse than swine, they would be of the same opinion.” “They run hard whom the devil drives.” “The devil drives his hogs to a bad market.” (Enduring Word Commentary) Rushed (3729)(hormao from horme = violent impulse from ornumi = to excite, arouse) means to set out, to rush headlong, violently, impetuously. It describes a "swift and violent forward motion uncontrolled by reason." (Friberg) It is so fitting that while here hormao describes a herd of Sanhedrin controlled by their rage rushing at Stephen in Acts 7:57+, all three synoptic accounts Mk 5:13+, Mt 8:32+ and Lk 8:33+ us hormao to describe the herd of swine controlled by evil spirits rushing to their death! There is not much difference between these two pictures, because the "religious" mob was also controlled by evil spirits and had destruction on their mind! Perished (died) (599)(apothnesko from apo = marker of dissociation implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation + thnesko = die) literally means to die off (that is, to die and thus be away from this earthly realm) and thus speaks of literal physical death for the swine. Question: Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? Answer: The story of Jesus casting the legion of demons into a herd of pigs is found in Matthew 8:28–34; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:26–39. Only Matthew mentions the more prominent of the two demoniacs involved. Demoniacs were persons whose minds came under the control of an evil spirit or spirits. That such phenomena were especially prominent during the days of Christ’s earthly ministry is consistent with Satan’s efforts to counteract God’s program. It also allows us to witness the spiritual warfare in which our Savior was constantly engaged. Demons knew exactly who Jesus was—"Son of God"—and were aware of their ultimate doom (Matthew 8:28-29). As Jesus was traveling in the hilly region east of the Jordan River, the path of this man who was controlled by demons and lived among the tombs crossed that of Jesus. Because of the physical strength the demons gave the man, he was able to break and throw off the chains with which people tried to bind him. When the demons begged Jesus to let them go into a herd of pigs, He gave them permission. They entered the pigs, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned. Jesus thereby made known His authority and thwarted whatever evil purpose the demons had. Why the demons begged to be allowed to enter the swine is unclear from the account. It could be because they didn’t want to leave the area where they had been successful in doing their mischief among the people. Perhaps they were drawn to the unclean animals because of their own filthiness. The demons may have made this strange request because it was their last chance to avoid confinement in the Abyss, the place of confinement to which evil spirits are doomed (Revelation 9:1-6). Whatever their reasoning, it is clear from the account that demons had little power of their own and were unable to do anything without Jesus’ permission. As Christians, we can take comfort in the knowledge that the forces of the enemy of our souls are under the complete control of God and can only act in ways He allows. The Bible doesn’t explain to us Jesus’ reasoning, but displaying His sovereign power over demons could be one reason why Jesus sent them into the pigs. If the pigs’ owners were Jews, Jesus could have been rebuking them for violating Mosaic law which forbids Jews from eating or keeping unclean animals such as swine (Leviticus 11:7). If the swineherds were Gentiles, perhaps Jesus was using this miraculous event to show them the malice of evil spirits under whose influence they lived, as well as displaying His own power and authority over creation. In any case, the owners were so terrified to be in the presence of such spiritual power that they made no demand for restitution for the loss of their property and begged Jesus to leave the region. The people were awe-struck but unrepentant—they wanted no more of Jesus Christ. This shows the hardness of their hearts and their desire to remain in sin. The healed demoniac, on the other hand, demonstrated the true faith and repentance of a changed heart and begged to be allowed to follow Jesus. Perhaps the unmistakable difference between the saved and the unsaved was an object lesson for the disciples and all who witnessed the event. Jesus sent the healed man away, giving him a commission that he joyfully obeyed: "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5:17-20). (Gotquestions) Vance Havner - The Gadarene AFTER mastering a wild sea the Lord Jesus masters a wild man. Three Gospels give us the story of the Gadarene demoniac (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39), and it is unusual that Mark's account, usually the briefest, is here the longest. There are those who would make this man to be only an insane case, but our Lord clearly recognized demon-possession by His saying, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit." That He was merely accepting the common view of His time is an argument too foolish to reserve room for refutation. Much has been said about the destruction of the swine who refused to endure what men put up with. Huxley made much of this "destruction of property" as an argument against the Lord. Our Lord never went at anything tamely. He made bold strokes and brushed everything else aside to get at a needy life. What are a few hogs compared to a human soul? The destruction of the swine was a bold evidence of the miracle and a daring declaration that lives are ever more important than property. If the owner of the hogs had accepted the Lord Jesus he would have had a treasure inestimable. Instead, he saw only temporal loss and gain, and because Jesus was hurting his business, he besought Him to leave. Men have followed that procedure through the ages. When Christ interferes with our personal gain we usually beseech Him to leave. There is a beautiful truth in the healed man's desire to go with the Lord and His disciples in the ship to other parts. Doubtless he wanted to get away from the scenes of his past, and it looked very inviting—this prospect of sojourning with the Lord in new fields, ever hearing His words and witnessing His miracles. But it was not so to be; he must stay in the old, unromantic spot and tell what the Lord had done for his soul (and what a witness he must have been!). Many of us have known this experience. We have longed to follow the Lord across the sea or into some more interesting field, but He has commissioned us to stay at home—live down an evil past, perhaps—and be an obscure and unknown witness. It is not given to everyone to go far afield; there must be the disciple who stays at home. Time and time again we meet with those who went to foreign fields or undertook vast enterprises under mistaken leadings. It is so easy to confuse our wants with God's leadings. The work of the gospel is too often made the springboard from which to dive off into water too deep for us. This man obeyed the Lord's command, and as he proclaimed his story men marveled, according to Mark's account. Together with a marvelous experience of deliverance he had an obedient spirit, and that makes a great combination. Are you willing that Christ should do His wonders in your life at any cost to property and circumstances? Then you need to be willing to let Him station you where He will, to be His witness Matthew 8:33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Mk 5:14-16 Lu 8:34-36 Ac 19:15-17 Matthew 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel passages - Matt. 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20 Luke 8:26–39 Mark 5:14+ Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. Luke 8:34+ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything - Everything would be the financial loss and the healing of the demon possessed men, the former taking being more important to the people than the latter.