St. Matthew

Chapter 8

There is a great moment in Chapter 8 summed up in the leper’s request to Jesus for healing. He said, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me well.” Jesus said, “I do choose.” The impact comes in the use of the idea of choice. Jesus, the God incarnate and bringer of the kingdom of heaven chooses to make the leper clean. It is God’s choice that all of those that have been kept apart by the “so called law” should be made clean. This represents and absolute reversal of the commonly accepted meaning of the law that is the Holiness Code that separated all of the unclean from the righteous. Now God’s choice opens the door to those who had been kept on the outside.

The second healing story illustrates exactly the same thing. The healing of the centurion’s servant is such an instance. Jesus crossed the gentile line again to offer to this pagan the gifts of God’s kingdom. By the law this is unheard-of and against the law.

The question at steak is one of Jesus’ authority to do these “illegal” things. Of those standing around at this time, only the gentile centurion understands the authority that rests in Jesus hands. Maybe he hasn’t grasped the truth that Jesus is God, but this man understands that Jesus has the authority to heal and to cross the line in the gentile world. Remember, Jesus’ crossing that line is the fulfillment of the job that was given to Abraham at the on-set of the covenant. Jesus is going out and bringing the goodness of God’s blessing to the gentiles and to all the families of the earth. When Israel failed, Jesus is succeeding. The twist is that Israel is now question Jesus’ authority to do it.

Matthew allows us to see that Jesus’ healing ministry is the answer to the prophecy that Isaiah made long ago and quotes Isaiah 53:4, “He took out infirmities and bore our diseases.” Peter’s mother-in-law and all of the other who were brought to Jesus received the blessing of God that came about as the fulfillment of the prophetic word.

Verses 18-22 deal with the question of discipleship. What does it mean to follow Jesus? Jesus is approached by one of the scribes who says he’ll follow Jesus anywhere. Discipleship is joining Jesus and the world at the bottom of the heap. Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the “Son of Man” has no place to lay his head.” Once again, the Son of Man reference is a Daniel reference to the end time when the Messiah will return to put an end to all evil and establish the kingdom of heaven. Someone else approaches with the desire to follow after they settle all earthly affairs. Jesus’ answer is sharp. Leave all those matters behind – “let the dead bury the dead.” Discipleship – following Jesus is a life of leaving the trappings (not world) behind. Discipleship is something lived (like Jesus’ life) in the midst of the world. The world is the disciple’s stage.

Once again (vs. 23-34) Jesus’ authority is the focus. Jesus and the disciples are in the boat caught in a storm. Jesus speaks and calms the storm. He had authority to call the storm. On the other side of the sea, Jesus confronts a pair of poor souls caught in the forces of evil – possessed by demons. Jesus’ authority reaches out and casts those demons into a heard of swine that then commit suicide. Once again, this is done in a gentile community where they raise and eat pork. Jesus broke down the boundaries and brings the kingdom of heaven to bear upon another gentile community. The act scares them and this group actually asks Jesus to leave.

There will be more about Jesus’ authority; but to this point what we have learned is that Jesus’ authority exceeds and crosses over the boundaries that were imposed by the law. Those communities of gentiles that were excluded have now been included by Jesus’ own authority.

The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann