Introduction:
God became a working Man, and so for ever dignified honest work. We can be sure that as a Carpenter He always did good work, and as the great Teacher and Prophet He went about doing good. Eternal King of glory, He set the one perfect example of humble service, always doing the Father's will.
Healing of human bodies had a large place in -the ministry of Jesus, because then as now sinful men were more concerned for the health of their bodies than for the salvation of their souls. This, miraculous ministry of healing served the higher purpose of attracting attention to the spiritual ministry of the word. Our present lesson tells something of Jesus' work in His healing ministry. The lesson may be outlined as follows: 1. Work of Authority, Matthew 8:5-9a. Sick servant, 5, 6 b. Sympathetic Savior, 7 c. Sensible soldier, 8, 9 2. Work of Acclaim, Matthew 8:10-13 a. Surpassing of faith, 10 b. Separation of faith, 11, 12 c. Success of faith, 13 3. Work of Affection, Matthew 8:14, 15 a. Friend to need, 14 b. Friends indeed, 15 4. Work of Agenda, Matthew 8:16, 17 a. Healing in progress, 16 b. Healing in prophecy, 17 Notes on the Printed Text:
Work of Authority, Matthew 8:5-9.Authorities may command more or less respect, and some rebellious souls will recognize no authority but that of superior force. Whatever we may think is most essential to authority, the highest Authority is God Himself, to Whom all others are willingly or unwillingly subject. It was in this Authority that Jesus did all His work.
Sick Servant, 5, 6. Concern for his sick servant brought the centurion to Jesus, either in person or, if Luke's account (Luke 7:1-10) is of the same case, through emissaries. Fortunate servant, whose earthly master was so concerned over his illness! But if we are servants of the most high King, the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10) is much more concerned over us.
A centurion was an officer in the Roman army who had the command of a hundred soldiers. Evidently this centurion had heard of the miracle-working power of Jesus.
Sympathetic Savior, 7. Jesus never refused help to anyone who came to Him sincerely seeking it. In a spiritual sense, He still welcomes all who will come: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37.)
Sensible Soldier, 8, 9. A man with some authority himself, the centurior understood that he did not always have to be personally present to see that his orders were obeyed. Though his authority was tiny in comparison with that of Jesus, he rightly supposed that the One Who had demonstrated in other cases miraculous authority over the unseen powers of sickness and death could likewise speak the word and have His orders obeyed.
Foolish people pretend to believe in God while in their imaginations they think of Him as smaller and weaker than themselves. The living God revealed in Jesus Christ has all knowledge, wisdom, and power, infinitely beyond all that His creatures can even imagine. The centurion, as a sensible soldier; rightly reckoned that authority is authority, and that a greater authority could not be less than his own. Work of Acclaim, Matthew 8:10-13.
God honors those who honor Him, and part of the work of Jesus is to declare the judgments of God. Earthly fame is fleeting and fickle, but the acclaim, of God resounds for eternity.
Surpassing of Faith, 10. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:11.) And even among the few in Israel who did receive Him, there was none that had so great faith as this Gentile. Jesus recognizes and appreciates faith wherever He finds it, and it still appears that a new convert may sometimes show more faith than do shallow believers who have more formal familiarity with. the words and works of God.
Separation of Faith, 11, 12. Final and eternal separation of the human race will not be along racial, social, or economic lines, but simply according to whether men have believed or have not believed In the Son of God. Gentile believers who share the common faith of the patriarchs will also share their eternal inheritance, while unbelieving children of the earthly kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness, forever separated from God and His saints. The "weeping and gnashing of teeth" tell us something of the eternal miseries of lost souls.
Success of Faith, 13. Faith is God's appointed means for us to obtain His blessings. He can and does give many blessings to the unbelieving and the unfaithful; but His greatest blessings, including especially the blessings of salvation, are reserved for those who believe His word. It is not that faith in itself makes us any more worthy or deserving of His grace: if we deserved it, it would not be grace. But He delights in blessing all who believe in Him, and we can. be sure of being blessed according to our faith when our faith is according to His word. Work of Affection, Matthew 8:14, 15.
God is not indifferent to natural human relationships: He approves and blesses them except when they interfere with the higher duties which we owe to Him. Jesus, the perfect Man, valued human friendships and family relationships in their proper perspective.
Friend in Need, 14. Unlike those frauds who falsely claim to be his successors, Peter had a wife, and on this occasion his wife's mother was sick. The relationship, if nothing else, might suggest some ties of friendship; and as she lay weak with fever, Jesus came into the home as a Friend to meet her need.
Friends Indeed, 15. When the sick woman was healed by Jesus, she needed no time for convalescence. Being now well and strong, she got up and went to work, serving the company. She proved herself a friend to Jesus, as He had shown Himself a friend to her. Should those who have been spiritually healed do less? Work of Agenda, Matthew 8:16, 17.
"Agenda" means simply "things to be done," and Jesus made it clear again and again that He had definite work to do: His life and activities were not unplanned or without conscious purpose, as many of ours are; He was born to die, and had planned every step along the way to the cross.
Healing in Progress, 16. Again we are reminded that a spoken word from Jesus was enough, to cast out demons, or to heal the sick. Even fake healers attract great crowds; so it is easy to understand why great multitudes came to Jesus, Whose miracles were genuine, and "Who never failed to heal all that came to Him.
Healing in Prophecy, 17. All this was in fulfillment of ancient prophecy. Prophetic and apostolic healers could heal only as instruments of God, having no power in themselves; but the Son of God "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." What He did, and more than He did, for a comparatively few people in His earthly ministry, He will do for all His people in the world to come.
Key Verse: "Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God." — Job 37:14.
Nowadays it is difficult to get anybody to stand still long enough to consider anything. But consideration of "the wondrous works of God" can be richly rewarding for time and eternity. ================= [From AAB, February 13, 1970. - jrd]
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