St Louis UBF UBF Bible Study : Matthew 8:1-17

Bible Study Materials

Matthew 8:1-17

by Paul Choi 05/03/2015

Question

He Took Up Our Infirmities

Matthew 8:1-17

Key Verse: 8:17

1. Read verses 1 and 2. What had Jesus been doing on the mountainside? Why did the crowds follow him? (7:28-29) Who came to him with what request? What did this man believe? What was he not sure about? Why?

2. Read verse 3. How did Jesus respond to this man? How did this response defy people's opinion about lepers? What happened? What does this event tell us about Jesus? Read verse 4. What did Jesus tell the man to do? Why?

3. Read verses 5-7. Who came to Jesus as he entered Capernaum? What was his problem? What is a centurion? What might centurions be like? What was the attitude of this centurion toward people?

4. Read verses 8-9. What did Jesus offer to do? (7) What was the centurion's counter proposal? What does this show about him? What was his attitude toward Jesus' word? Why?

5. Read verses 10-13. How did Jesus praise this man's faith? How did he compare him with God's chosen people? Why? What did Jesus prophesy? What did Jesus do for the centurion?

6. Read verses 14-17. What else did Jesus do in Capernaum? Compare and contrast the individuals Jesus helped in this chapter. How did Matthew describe and view Jesus' healing ministry? What prophesy did this fulfill? (Is53:4) Why is this important? What does this chapter teach us about Jesus? About faith?

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Mt8_1-17q-revised.doc

Message

HE TOOK UP OUR INFIRMITIES

Matthew 8:1-17

Key Verse:8:17b “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Last Friday, May 1^st,2015, is the 11^th anniversary of my family moving from Chicago to St. Louis and starting our UBF ministry. When I look back on the last 11 years, I see that God has done many great things in us and through us for his glory and kingdom, especially on the campus of Wash U. Last Thursday, Missionary Isaiah Lim passed his dissertation and finished his Ph D successfully. God blessed Dr. Isaiah’s faithfulness and devotion to the Lord, and gave him a great victory in his personal life and in our ministry. We render all glory to the Lord Jesus Christ and pray continually for his family to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We also thank God for all the co-workers here who have worked together for God’s kingdom over the last 11 years. From my heart I love all of you and bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

In the beginning part of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’ ministry is summed up by three things: preaching the gospel (chp.1-4), teaching the Sermon on the Mount (5-7), and healing the sick (8-9). In today’s passage Jesus heals a leper, a servant of a centurion, Peter’s mother-in-law, and other sick people. Through his healing Jesus demonstrated his messianic compassion and power. Jesus especially blessed those who came to him by faith for healing. Let’s learn of Jesus who healed the sick and about the faith of those who came to Jesus.

First, “I am willing. Be clean!” (1-4) Look at verses 1,2. “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” When Jesus finished teaching the Sermon on the Mount and came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. They were amazed at his teaching because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (7:28,29) While Jesus was surrounded by the crowd, a man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” It was quite unusual and surprising that a leper appeared unhindered in public. According to Moses’ law, lepers were forbidden to appear in public. (Lev13:46) They were segregated from society and had to live in quarantine. When they appeared in a town, they had to cover up their faces and cry out, “Unclean!” “Unclean!”, so that people might be kept away from them. (Lev13: 45) Leprosy is a contagious disease. So they had to be separated from society and even from their family.

The leper in this passage came to Jesus and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” We are not sure how this leper broke into the barrier of the crowd and appeared before Jesus. In order to come to Jesus he risked his life because he could have been stoned to death according to the law. He could have been rejected and humiliated by the crowd. Despite all these obstacles he came to Jesus because he had faith in Jesus’ healing power. But he knew that he did not deserve to ask for healing because he was a leper. At that time lepers were regarded as cursed people. In the book of Exodus, when Miriam, the sister of Moses, rebelled against God’s servant Moses, God punished her and she became a leper. (Num 12:10) But this leper didn’t mind what people said or how they looked at him. He came to Jesus by faith seeking God’s mercy. He believed that if Jesus was willing, he could make him clean. He believed that his healing would be a matter of Jesus’ willingness, not of the seriousness of his sickness. He believed that nothing would be impossible with Jesus. So he appealed to Jesus’ compassion and desire for his request.

How did Jesus respond to the leper’s humble request? Look at verse 3. “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Jesus didn’t say, ‘Uh, let me think about what I can do?” or “Let me ask you first how you got here”, and so on. He reached out his hand, touched the man, and said, “I am willing. Be clean!” Jesus touched the man. It was shocking to all when Jesus touched the leper. People, even among his family members, didn’t touch him because it was unclean and forbidden by Moses’ law. Leprosy is a contagious disease. Nevertheless Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. This is the touch of healing, the touch of love, and the touch of forgiveness. The leper never expected that Jesus would touch him. When he was touched by Jesus, his body and soul were electrified by the love of God for one lost soul. No one had dared to approach him because he was a leper. No one could call his name, or even touch him, even his family members. But Jesus touched him because He is the God of love and the God of compassion. By touching him Jesus could have been infected. He also broke Moses’ law. But Jesus didn’t mind because he could heal this man. His compassion for one lost soul went out from him and was manifested with healing power.

Jesus’ healing of this man did not take long. Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. He right away received new flesh and new skin after Jesus touched him. What did Jesus do for him after he had healed him? Jesus gave him a direction for his new life. Look at verse 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.” Moses’ law demanded that all those who were cleansed from skin diseases must show themselves before the priest and receive a certificate for their normal life. (Lev14) Jesus not only healed the man, but also guided him to live a normal life. Jesus is a merciful God and he is a good shepherd.

Second, But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (5-13) When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. (5) What is a centurion? A centurion was a Roman military officer in charge of 100 soldiers. Centurions must have been tough, strict, and merciless for the sake of maintaining discipline and executing orders. There was no reason for a centurion to come to Jesus for help. But this centurion was different. He had a reason to come to Jesus? What was it? Look at verse 6. “Lord, he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” The centurion came to Jesus for the sake of his sick servant. It was very rare for a centurion to ask a favor for his servant. At that time a servant was treated as a tool. The centurion, the Roman military officer, could have ignored his slave’s sickness. He could have sent the sick man somewhere and replaced him with someone else. But he did not do so. He cared for his sick servant as a father takes care of his son. He himself came to Jesus for help. According to Luke’s gospel he sent some Jewish elders and his friends to Jesus on his behalf (Lk 7:3), but Matthew’s gospel says that the centurion himself came to Jesus. It was amazing to see the centurion’s genuine love and compassion for the servant, regardless of their differences of social position and nationality. He was a man of good conscience.

He made Jesus more amazed. Look at verses 7,8. “Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 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. 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.” This centurion was well aware of the authority and power of an order because he was a military officer. In the army all systems are performed and executed by orders. When Jesus asked him if he should come and heal the servant, he gently refused. This was the expression of his humility and his faith in the authority and power of Jesus’ word. He said, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” Here, the words “I do not deserve” are equally used as John the Baptist said to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy” (3:11)

Jesus was amazed by two things from this centurion: his humility and his faith. Jesus was rarely amazed. The Bible records in two cases: Jesus was amazed by the unbelief of his townspeople (Mk 6:6), and he was amazed by the faith of the centurion. Jesus was amazed by the centurion’s humility and faith. How did Jesus answer the centurion’s request? Look at verses 10-13. “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 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. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The centurion was a gentile, not a Jew. Jesus was moved by the faith of the gentile. Jesus predicted that the gospel of Christ would reach to the gentiles, who would take over God’s blessing from the Jews. This prediction is good news for the gentiles, but a message of judgment for the Jews. The gentiles from the east and the west will receive Jesus Christ and become children of God. They will share Abraham’s blessing in the kingdom of heaven. The Jews who rejected Jesus would be thrown into the dungeon where they would weep and suffer.

Look at verse 13. “Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.” Jesus blessed the centurion’s faith and healed the sick servant. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” In these two separate events we find a few common points in Jesus’ healing grace. First, Jesus blesses those who come to him by faith. The leper came to Jesus by faith and the centurion came to Jesus by faith. We also must come to Jesus by faith, believing that he exists and that he gives rewards to those who earnestly seek him. Second, Jesus blesses those who are humble. The leper knelt down before Jesus for his mercy and the centurion showed great respect to Jesus. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” 1 Peter 5:6 also says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Third, he took up our infirmities (14-17) Suppose that you carry a lamp wherever you go. Your surroundings will be bright. In the same way wherever Jesus visited, there were miracles of healing. When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.(14) Peter’s mother-in-law didn’t come to Jesus. Jesus visited her first for the sake of Peter. Jesus is gracious and mindful of those who are in need. Jesus touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. (15) Whomever Jesus touched was healed. The leper was cured, and Peter’s mother in law was healed. Jesus performed his healing miracles for those who came to him by faith and for those who were brought to Jesus by faith. His grace reaches to all people in all situations.

Look at verse 16. “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” The news of Jesus and his healing work spread to the whole town by word of mouth. People brought demon-possessed people to Jesus. Jesus drove out the demons and made the people whole. How did the author Matthew view Jesus’ healing the sick? Matthew saw Jesus’ healing work as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Look at verse 17. “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Around 700 years before Jesus came, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, the coming Messiah, who would take up our infirmities and bear our diseases. (Is 53:4) Isaiah 53:4 says, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,…” Man sinned and through sin death came into the world. All men become sick and die due to the consequences of their sin. But God so loved the world and promised to send a Savior who would save us from our sins. In God’s appointed time, God sent his One and Only Son Jesus Christ as a man who would take up our pain and bear our sufferings. Jesus suffered and died on the cross in our place. By his wounds we have been healed. (Is 53:5, 1 Pe 2;24) We praise God’s great faithfulness and unchanging love for sinners like us. We give thanks to Jesus who took up our infirmities and carried our diseases. In one way or another we are all sick physically, mentally or spiritually. As there is no one righteous, not even one, there is no healthy person, not even one. We’re all sick and need Jesus’ healing. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mk 2:17)

Thank you Jesus who came to find the sick and heal them! There is no sickness which Jesus cannot heal. There is no one who cannot be healed by Jesus. Let us come to Jesus by faith to be healed. Jesus has power and authority to heal us from any kinds of sickness and to set us free from evil spirits. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8) Today miracles of healing occur among those who heal in the name of Jesus Christ. The work of the book of Acts continues. Many sick people are healed in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. I was healed not only from tuberculosis, but also from the meaninglessness of life. Others are healed from depression and addiction. Still others are freed from demon possession. Jesus touched each person one by one and healed them all. Our Lord Jesus is waiting for those who need healing. Jesus is waiting for those who come to him by faith. May God grant the grace of healing and redeeming to all of us when we come to Jesus by faith. Amen. Let us read verses 3, 13, and 17 all together. Praise Jesus!

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