Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

UPDATE!

We’ve just finished the very informative Chapter 8 in the Gospel of Matthew and will be starting on Chapter 9 on Monday, January 18th.

In Chapter 8 we saw how Jesus dealt with those who were dying of leprosy. People that society had abandoned and were declared untouchable.  But with the touch of the Master’s hand they were made whole.  And then our Lord encounters a non-Jewish Roman soldier who was part of the occupying force in Capernaum who needed healing for his dying servant.  Jesus offered to go to his house, but the man did not feel he deserved such an honor.  However, as a Roman officer in charge of his soldiers, He recognized Jesus as a man of authority in charge of healing powers, so he told Him, just say the word and it will happen.  Jesus was so impressed that the Centurion’s servant was healed immediately.

Then we saw where one Jewish Scribe who was so impressed with Jesus’ ministry that he wanted to become His disciple, but when Jesus told him that he would have to leave everything and follow Him wherever He went with no remuneration or special privileges, the man decided not to go.  And one man who was already a follower, wanted to put some personal business ahead of the ministry of evangelizing people so they could know that the Messiah had come, but Jesus told him to make up his mind whose interests came first, his or the Lord’s.

Then came the boat ride across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberius to the area of Gadara.  In the picture below you can see at the top of the lake the northern shore of the sea where Tiberius is located and the shoreline of Gadara at the bottom shoreline, just at the foot of the hills of Gadara.  And it was on this journey that they were engulfed by a terrible storm that threatened to capsize their boat, but to their amazement this special Man from God calmed the storm with one command.

After they landed, this is where Jesus encountered two demon possessed men who lived among the tombs dug into the sides of the hill.  But the demons asked that they not be left homeless, but enter a herd of swine nearby, Jesus consented.  But as soon as they entered the pigs, the herd ran down the hillside into the water and drowned.  The people’s response was unbelievable. Instead of asking Jesus to stay they told Him to go away.  They were more upset by what happened to their swine than what happened to these demon possessed men.

So we’ll see you on Monday with Chapter 9 where Jesus calls another disciple named Matthew, and those who follow Him get to see His miracle power as he raises a dead girl, heals an incurably ill woman, and brings sight to the blind.

There were so many people sick and without any spiritual guidance, that it broke our Lord’s heart.  So He told those following Him to pray that His heavenly Father would send more workers into the harvest fields.  And to all you who are studying the greatest story ever told, you are those workers that Jesus asked for.  But the question is, are you willing to go all the way?

See you Monday!  And may God bless you for your hunger of His word so that you can get to know and understand Him better.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part V

Verse 30: Near that place there was a large herd of pigs feeding.

This was Gentile territory, so it was not unusual to see a breeder of hogs in that area. We know that Jews were forbidden to eat pork.¹ Nevertheless, Jews were not prohibited from having Gentiles raise hogs for sale, in particular to the Romans. However, Rabbis made it quite clear that such pigs could not be raised just anywhere in Israel.²

As a matter of fact, there is an interesting story that goes like this: “When the Kings of the house of Hasmonean fought one another, Hyrcanus was outside and Aristobulus within the city walls. Each day those that were inside used to let down to the other party money in a basket, and haul up in return animals for the Daily Offerings. An old man there, who was learned in Greek maxims, spoke with them using a Greek maxim saying: ‘As long as they continue the Temple services they will never be delivered into your hands’. The next day when they let down money in a basket to haul up a pig. When it reached halfway up the wall, it stuck its claws into the wall, and the land of Israel was shaken over a distance of fourteen hundred miles by fourteen hundred miles.³ At that time they declared, ‘Cursed be the man who rears pigs and cursed be the man who teaches his son Greek maxims!’”⁴ But other reasons may have been because of the smell and its resulting uncleanliness.⁵

Verses 31-34: The demons begged Jesus, “If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs.” Jesus said to them, “Go!” So the demons left the men and went into the pigs. Then the whole herd of pigs ran down the hillside into the lake, and all were drowned. The men who had the work of caring for the pigs ran away. They went into town and told the people everything that happened, especially about the men who had the demons. Then the whole town went out to see Jesus. When the people spotted Him, they begged Him to leave their area.

There seems to be a lack of correlation in the minds of the herdsmen as to the connection of these two incidents. The people however, put two and two together to form their opinion. They knew that before Christ came the swine and demoniac’s coexisted in peace. Now, the peaceful swine had gone berserk and the berserk demoniac’s had become peaceful. Yet, in their evaluation, the lives of the pigs who were lost meant more than the lives of the men who were saved. After all, these swine could be sold for good money to the Romans and other Gentiles.

But what could they get out of these men who now were sane and given the opportunity to live descent lives? So instead of giving glory to God that the Messiah had visited their area, they wanted Him gone because it cost them money. Does that sound familiar to what we might hear today if a great spiritual awakening came to your town, turning many who are in control of Satan into witnesses of the power of Jesus, the Son of God?

So to the Gentiles, pigs were a valuable commodity. Bit for Jesus, He was casting one unclean entity into another. But they no doubt also feared that Jesus might decided to use His authority for other reasons. Just like when Samuel went to Bethlehem to find a new king, “Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem. The elders of Bethlehem shook with fear. They met Samuel and asked, ‘Do you come in peace?‘”⁶ And when Elijah returned to the woman who cooked him a meal after learning that her son had become sick, the trembling woman said to Elijah, “You are a man of God. Can you help me? Or did you come here only to remind me of my sins and to make my son die?”⁷ But Job recognized the mentality of evil and how it can affect humankind, “They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We don’t care what You want us to do!’”⁸ And Job’s friend Eliphaz agreed, “They told God, ‘Leave us alone!’ and said, ‘God All-Powerful cannot do anything to us!’”⁹

Early church theologian Jerome sees this request by the people for Jesus to leave their area as not coming out of pride but out of humility. In so doing, they judged themselves unworthy of the Lord’s presence, just as Peter after the catch of fish fell before the Savior’s knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”¹⁰ But a contemporary of Jerome’s, Chromatius, believes that the town from which the people came out to meet the Lord, asked Him to leave their district, because they did not want to recognize Him as the Lord and Savior of the human race, even after witnessing His divine power. He says: “Such people are also found among us. Out of faithlessness they compel the Lord and Savior of the world to depart from the district of their hearts, for according to Scripture, ‘the Holy Spirit will not enter a perverse soul or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.’¹¹”¹²

Another question that is often asked, is over what precipice did these herd of pigs run, and into what lake did they plunge to their deaths. We are told by Bible archaeologists that after the Lord Jesus and His disciples landed in the harbor and got out of the boat and were met by a demon possessed man (men) who lived in tombs. There were tombs in the area as attested to by three sarcophagi that were found in the area. The demons requested to be thrown into the herd of swine which were a good way off, on or near the mountain(s) of the Golan Heights.

There are two possibilities as to where this event took place. The first possibility is just behind what used to be known as Kibbutz Haon. This area is located at the foot of the Golan Heights about a twenty-minute drive from Tiberias. There is a ridge there that comes down from the Golan Heights that would allow the swine to run down from the top of the heights. The second possibility, suggested by Michael Avi-Yonah, is in on the grounds of Kibbutz Ma’agan. This location is the only one in the southern part of the lake with a cliff that drops off into the lake. However, it should be pointed out that text does not demand a cliff. Most English translations have down the hill or hillside.

Today, this area can be seen by going to an area in NW Jordan known as Umm Qais. It is situation about 110 km north of Amman. We are told that in ancient times Gadara was strategically situated here and laced by a number of key trading routes connecting Syria and Palestine. It was blessed with fertile soil and abundant rainwater. This town also flourished intellectually in the reign of Augustus and became distinguished for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, university’s scholars, attracting writers, artists, philosophers and poets, the likes of satirist Menippos (2nd half of the 3rd century BC), the epigrammist Meleagros, and the rhetorician Theodoros (14-37 AD). Gadara was also the resort of choice for Romans vacationing in the nearby Himmet Gader Springs.

Archaeological surveys indicate that Gadara was occupied as early as the 7th century BC. The Greek historian, Polybius, described the region as being under Ptolemaic control at the time. The Seleucid ruler Antiochus III conquered it in 218 BC, naming the city Antiochia and Seleucia. In 63 BC, Pompey liberated Gadara and joined it to the Roman league of ten cities, the Decapolis.

Then we are told that The city reached its peak of prosperity in the 2nd century AD. New colonnaded streets, temples, theaters and baths sprouted. Meleagros (circa 110-140 BC) the husband of Cleopatra, compared Gadara with Athens, which testifies to the city’s status as a creative center of Hellenism in the ancient Near East.¹³ We also see that after the Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in 70 AD this place where Jesus delivered to men became thriving community. One of the most magnificent of the Decapolis cities, Hippos, sitting high on a hill, could be clearly seen across the Sea of Galilee by the fishermen of Capernaum and other villages around the sea. Ironically, this area would become a vital center for the early church.

What a lesson for today! Often, when some unusual event occurs that brings about a drastic change, even to the point of loss or misery, we tend to look at what is wasted rather than looking for what was gained. Also, when God acts to carry out His will in our lives, if it costs us some earthly possession or material goods, we often see this as an unnecessary loss; why couldn’t He have done that without our losing so much? But God knows just how much we can handle; how much we can carry.

And when our hearts and minds are stuffed full of earthly things, the only way He can create room for those things He wants to give us is by removing some of those items we really don’t need in carrying out His will and purpose for our lives. And as sure as this may sound overstated or ridiculous, some of those things that possess us are demons of the sort that make our lives miserable and unusable for the ministry He has in store for us. And by the fact that on this occasion these demons were cast out of these men and went into the swine, shows what our Lord thought of those men He set free, and what His attitude was toward the demons He got rid of.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part IV (con’t)

Verse 28: Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the country of the Gadarene people. There, two men who were demon possessed came toward him. They lived in the burial caves and were so dangerous that no one could use the road that went by those caves.

Now here is a question, could it be that since the devil is called the prince of the power of the air, he may have conjured up this storm to prevent Jesus from getting there and his demons being cast out? If so, it was a miserable failure. It also seems that somehow the demons inside these men knew Jesus was coming their way.

We are introduced to this area known as Girgasite (“Girgashi”, in Hebrew).¹ According to various scholars, this was because the area consisted of large deposits of clay soil which is called by that name. It retains this name in various other scriptures.² So by the time Jesus visited, it had become known as Gadara. The main town was some six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, so the people who came out to complain about the pigs being stampeded into the water, must have been from a hamlet nearby. As a matter of fact, Jewish historian Josephus tells us: “So when Justus had, by his persuasions, prevailed with the citizens of Tiberias to take up arms, in fact, had forced a great many to do so against their will, he went out, and set the villages that belonged to Gadara and Hippos on fire; which villages were situated on the borders of Tiberias, and of the region of Scythopolis.”³

One early church father says: “Girgasa, from whence were the Girgasenes, is an ancient city near the lake; now called Tiberias; surrounding which is a precipice adjacent to the lake, from where it is shown, that the swine were cast down by the devils. Girgesa is interpreted,, ‘the habitation of those that cast out’; being called so perhaps prophetically, for what the inhabitants of those places did to the Savior, pleading with Him to depart out of their coasts.’”⁴ Also, Rabbi Abraham Zacuto visited this area between 1452 – 1515 AD, and tells us that the land of Girgashi was now called “Gurgan.”⁵

Thus the location seems quite documented. Jewish historian Josephus tells us that Gadara was the metropolis of Peraea, or the region beyond Jordan; and he also observes that it was sixty furlongs, or about eight miles from Tiberias. It is therefore rightly placed opposite Tiberias, at the southeast end of the lake. Jewish historian Pliny says it was then called Hippodion, and was one of the cities of Decapolis, and had the river Hieromax flowing nearby. It was under Gentile jurisdiction when perhaps it was destroyed by the Jews; but was rebuilt by Pompey and joined to the province of Syria. Caesar Augustus afterwards gave it to king Herod, on whose death it was again annexed to Syria. It is now called Om Keis; its ruins are in a very mutilated state, and when visited by John Lewis Burckhardt it had not a single inhabitant. However, the remains of the sepulchral caverns in which the demoniacs dwelled are still to be seen.

Again, because these demon possessed men could not live in the city, they met Jesus out in the open, much like lepers did. What a wonderful testimony to the fact that we need not always invite sinners to church to meet Jesus, He will meet them where they are. These men had found a place to stay among the tombs in the hillsides outside of town. Jews did not allow cemeteries within the city’s walls. The Rabbis clearly taught: “…they must be carried out for burial.”⁶ And these tombs that were dug out of the hillside were not always small. As a matter of fact, according to Jewish verbal tradition there is a whole section given to this:

“If one sells a plot of ground to another as a family grave and, likewise, if one signs a contract with another to construct a family grave, family graves were constructed in a rectangular form of a central cave, out from which burial chambers are dug into the surrounding walls of the cave, each must have an area six feet wide and nine feet long. Eight burial chambers are to open out into the central cave; three each from the two longer walls on the sides, and two from the shorter wall facing the entrance. The burial chambers must be six feet in length, and twenty-one inches in height, and eighteen inches wide. A space of two feet, 3 inches are between each chamber on the side walls and 3 feet the chambers of the wall facing the entrance. Rabbi Shimon says: The central space of the cave must contain an area of nine feet by twelve feet, and thirteen chambers are to open out into it: four on one side, four on the other; three in the front wall facing the entrance, one on the corner diagonally, across to the right of the entrance and one on the left. Outside the entrance to the cave, is to be made a courtyard of nine feet by nine feet, which is the space the bier and those who bury it occupy. Two chambers are also to open out into the courtyard: one, on the left and one on the right of the entrance. Rabbi Shimon says: Four; one for each of its four sides. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: It all depends on the quality of the rock. If the rock is hard, more burial chambers may be cut, since less space is required for the intervening walls. If, on the other hand, the ground is soft, more space would be required for the thickness of the walls, and, consequently, the number of chambers would have to be reduced.”⁷

So as we can see, these demon possessed men were able to use the empty tombs and no doubt those that had been pillaged as their place to live. And according to Jewish tradition, these men were not alone out there. In fact, in one Jewish document, it says: “that for twelve months after the soul is separated from the body it still hovers around.”⁸ This induced some to go to the tomb in hopes of speaking to the spirit of their departed loved one. As a matter of fact, we read this story: “It is related that a certain pious man gave a denar to a poor man on the eve of New Year in a year of drought, and his wife scolded him, and he went and passed the night in the cemetery, and he heard two spirits conversing with one another.”⁹ The story goes on quite a ways with continued visits to the tombs and spirits. So you can imagine how surprised these demon possessed men were when suddenly this group of live individuals show up in a boat, to be joined by a crowd from the nearby city. But their surprise didn’t last long.

Verse 29: They came toward Jesus and shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Did You come here to punish us before the appointed time?”

We see that both Mark and Luke record that there was one demon possessed man who met Jesus here.¹⁰ Some skeptics are quick to point to this as a biblical error or contradiction. However, scholars note that this can easily be explained in that there were in fact two who showed up, but Mark and Luke focused on the one who spoke, no doubt because he was the one most fierce and aggressive. Thus the name of the demon was “legion”¹¹ is even more plausible with two people as opposed to one, and there may have been other men in this same group possessed by this herd of demons.

When Jesus encountered these demon possessed men, He did not need to introduce Himself. It was not an oddity that our Lord should encounter such people living in a graveyard. The Jewish rabbis taught that this was where they hung out. They said: “Who is deemed an imbecile? He that goes out alone at night and he that spends the night in a cemetery, and he that tears his garments. It was taught: Rabbi Huna said: He must do all three things. However, Rabbi Johanan said: Even if he only does only one of them. On what grounds? If he does them in an insane manner, even one is enough proof. If he does not do them in an insane manner, even all the others prove nothing? — Actually, it is a case where he does them in an insane manner. But if he spent the night in a cemetery, I might say: He did it in order that the spirit of impurity might rest upon him. If he went out alone at night, I might say: He was seized by lycanthropy (ability to morph from human to animal). If he tore his garment, I might say: He was lost in thought”.¹²

They also taught: “One…that consults with the dead: this means one who starves himself and spends the night in a cemetery, so that an unclean spirit of a demon may rest upon him to enable him to foretell the future.”¹³ So we can see that the actions of these men that confronted Jesus, and were described as being demon possessed, were thoroughly discussed by Rabbis on that day.

Early church writer Cyril of Alexandria notes that long before this encounter, Jesus “was shutting up the fiercest demons in blocked roads. He was undoing the devil’s tyranny. They knew from the Scriptures that Christ was going to come and would judge them. Treating the incarnation if it had happened at the wrong time, they suggested that He had come in an untimely manner. This misrepresentation is not surprising. In their deceptiveness, they did not hesitate to say such a thing. Yet, although they know the vengeance is to fall upon them, they still ask haughtily, ‘What have You to do with us?’ They know that the final Judge in fact has a score to settle with them.”¹⁴

No doubt this is why neither Jesus nor His disciples were shocked or amazed to find such demon possessed individuals there. In fact, now we know why Jesus wanted to go to this side of the Sea of Galilee. There is no evidence that these men ever attended one of Jesus’ lectures. Since they were kept out of town and could not communicate with people, how did they know they were meeting the Son of God?

The literal translation of their question in Greek reads: “What to us and to You, Son of God? Are You come here before the time to torment us?” The oldest Hebrew version of Matthew reads: “What is between You and us, Jesus Son of God? Have you come before the time to grieve us and to destroy us?”¹⁵ This could be understood several ways. In modern vernacular we might say, “What are you doing in our territory Son of God?” It might also be interpreted to imply that they were disclaiming any design to interfere with the work of Christ. Therefore, He should not meddle with them. It also appears they feared His great power over them.

In any case, in the Aramaic language this is also a phrase which often occurs in the Old Testament, signifying: “an abrupt refusal of some request, or a wish not to be troubled with the company or importunity of others.” Jehu said to the messenger who was sent by Joram to meet him, “What have you to do with peace?” Even David was quoted as saying: “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?”¹⁶ So there remains no doubt that these demons were scared. But the one question of how they knew it was Him, can only be traced back to some prior meeting. That would take us further back to when the disobedient angels were thrown out of heaven along with their leader, Lucifer. This would then confirm the point John was making when he wrote: “He with God in the beginning.”¹⁷

Chrysostom believes that the demon’s charge: “Did you come here to torment us before the set time?” as another way of accepting the fact that they knew they were going to be punished, but they wanted a reprieve so that they would not need to suffer what was coming on them before the time that God had established. But Chrysostom suggests that because these demons had so tortured these men, forcing them to live out among the dead in these tombs, that Jesus decided it was time to give them their due. Could it be that by this plea the demons were indicating that although they were ultimately headed for the pit of fire and brimstone in the end, the next worst thing that could happen to them now was to be homeless here on earth where they could not carry out some sort of revenge as spite for their coming punishment, by tormenting God’s highest creation who would inherit the place in heaven they lost due to their disobedience along with Satan?

These are all speculative thoughts and ideas. But the fact remains that being with God from the beginning, the Son of God had power over these demons when they were thrown out of heaven; He had power over them as the Son of Man by casting them out of possessed human beings; and He will have power over them in the end when they are cast into the pit for everlasting confinement. So not only can we confront them today by reminding them of their past, but also their future, and we do so in the same name they feared during this occasion, the name of Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah and soon coming King. Therefore I am thoroughly convinced that no born again believer with Jesus living in their hearts, and the Holy Spirit abiding in them as His temple, can ever be defeated and taken over by the demons of Satan. In fact, when Spirit filled men and women encounter such demons, they too may ask: “What have we to do with you?”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part IV

Verses 23-25: Jesus then got into a boat, and His followers got in with Him. Sometime after the boat left the shore, suddenly a furious squall developed over the lake. The waves lashed over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The followers ran to Him and woke Him up. “Lord, save us!” they cried, “we are going to drown!”

According to those familiar with this area of Galilee, such storms are frequent during certain times of the year. Dr. Donald B. DeYoung of the Creation Research Society tells us these storms result from differences in temperatures between the seacoast and the mountains beyond. The Sea of Galilee lies 680 feet below sea level. It is bounded by hills, especially on the east side where the peaks reach 2000 feet high. These heights are a source of cool, dry air. The Sea of Galilee is small, and these winds at times descend directly to the center of the lake with violent results. When the contrasting air masses meet, a storm can quickly arise and without warning. Small boats caught out on the sea are in immediate danger. The Sea of Galilee is relatively shallow, just 200 feet at its greatest depth. A shallow lake is “whipped up” by wind more rapidly than deep water, where energy is more readily absorbed.

Chrysostom sees a lesson being taught here by Jesus to His disciples. He writes: “Jesus sends the multitudes away, but He took the disciples with Him: for the others mention this too. And He took them with Him, not for nothing, nor to face a hazard, but in order to make them spectators of the miracle that was to take place. For like a most excellent trainer, He was anointing them with a view for two objectives; to remain undismayed in dangers and modest in honors. Thus, that they might not be high-minded, because after having sent away the rest, He retained them, He permits them to be tossed with the tempest; at once bringing calm, and disciplining them to bear trials nobly. For great indeed were the former miracles too, but this contained also in it a unique kind of discipline of exceptional importance, and was a sign akin to that of old (When Moses parted the Red Sea). For this cause He takes the disciples only with Himself. For as, when there was a display of miracles, He permits the people also to be present; so when trial and terrors were rising up against Him, then He takes with Him none but the champions of the whole world, whom He was to discipline.”¹

This observation by Chrysostom gives us a reason to examine all the miracles Jesus did in public, and those He did only in the presence of His disciples. What was Jesus trying to teach the people who saw Him heal the sick, and what lessons did He want His disciples to learn when they saw Him manipulate the power of nature? It also highlights the fact that Jesus did not perform wonders just for the sake of displaying His power. He had a reason for each miracle. Our task is to read about those events and see what it may teach us about Him as a person, as the Messiah, and as the Son of God.

We know Scripture tells us that Jesus wept, but here it informs us that Jesus slept. Not because He was ignorant of the climate or well-known tendencies for such storms, but because He was physically exhausted and also not afraid of the conditions, even if they worsened. This story of Christ falling asleep has caused some in the Jewish community in the past to question how this could be. In the previously mentioned Jewish polemic literature we read where the writer asks: “How is it possible for the son to be like the Father and the Holy Spirit when he ate and slept and grew tired and was afraid? He grew tired, as it is written in their Bible, ‘And he came to Jacob’s well and was tired, and he asked the Samaritan woman for water.² He was afraid, as it is written, ‘My Lord, my Lord, why have you forsaken me’?³ He slept, as it is written in a passage which I have already discussed, ‘The wind came across the sea, yet Jesus was asleep. His disciples came and woke him up’.⁴ If you argue that the three are considered one because of the Holy Spirit that was in the flesh, then the same should be said of every prophet who had the Holy Spirit.”⁵ While this controversial approach to what happened here with Jesus falling asleep may seem open for questioning, the writer did not address our Lord’s ultimate calming of the winds and the waves. Like many skeptics today, they have no answer for that, and often dismiss it since it requires faith.

I like what a very famous preacher named Peter Chrysologus (AD 406-450), goes on to say about what happened here. He says: “The sea offered its heaving back for Christ to walk upon. Now it leveled its crests to a plain, checked its swelling and bound up its billows. It provided rock-like firmness, so He could walk across the waterway. Why did the seas heave so, and toss and pitch, even as if threatening its Creator? And why did Christ Himself, who knows all the future, seem so unaware of the present that He gave no thought to the onrushing storm, the moment of its height and the time of its peril? While all the rest were awake, He alone was fast asleep even with utter doom threatening both Himself and His dear ones. Why? It is not a calm sky, beloved, but the storm which tests a pilot’s skill. When the breeze is mild even the poorest sailor can manage the ship. But in the crosswinds of a tempest, we want the best pilot with all His skill.”⁶ What a beautiful, poetic way to describe the fact that the storm did not catch our Savior unawares, it simply served as a way for Him to teach the disciples that even in the time of storm He will be our pilot, and help us make it safely to the other shore.

In another sermon, Chrysologus makes this same point: “Christ gets into the vessel of His church, always ready to calm the waves of the world. He leads those who believe in Him through safe sailing to the heavenly homeland and makes those whom He made to share in His humanity citizens of His land. Christ does not need the vessel, therefore, but the vessel needs Christ. Without the heavenly helmsman the vessel of the church is unable to sail over the sea of the world and, against critical odds, arrive at the heavenly harbor.”⁷ I don’t know about you, but I would love to have been there to hear this gifted messenger preach these sermons.

Verses 26-27: Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? Don’t you have enough faith?” Then He stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm. The men were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey Him!”

Now Matthew gets back to his story of Jesus wanting to take this same powerful ministry to other areas. Looking at the geography it would require a boat to reach their destination. I could easily be convinced that Jesus knew about the storm and wanted to go by boat on purpose. However, such storms were not unusual, so maybe there was another force behind this storm. We know that something similar happened to Jonah along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea: “The Lord brought a great storm on the sea. The wind made the sea very rough. The storm was very strong, and the boat was ready to break apart.”¹ But rather than being caught by surprise, Jesus was in control from the beginning.

For Chrysostom, Jesus is here instructing the disciples concerning how human fear emerges out of weakness of mind, not out of the actual approach of threatening trials. He writes: “Their awakening Him was a sign of their lack of a right understanding of who He was. They knew His power to rebuke when He was awake, but His power to rebuke when asleep they had not yet grasped. Even after so many other miracles their impressions of Him were still confused. This is why He remarked that they were still without understanding.”⁹ Even today we might ask, no matter how many times God answers prayer and performs miracles, why do His people have to collect themselves and with great effort call up enough faith to believe He can do it again?

But His disciples were still not that advanced in their faith. Finding Jesus asleep was much like what the Old Testament Korah family described: “Lord, wake up! Why are You sleeping? Get up! Don’t ignore us forever!”¹⁰ When the disciples went to wake our Lord, they could have used the words of Isaiah, “Wake up! Wake up! Arm of the Lord, clothe Yourself with strength. Show Your power the way You did long ago, as You have from ancient times.”¹¹ As odd as it may sound, the captain of the ship found Jonah asleep as well.¹² Jesus was quick to admonish His followers for having so little faith. Just as God had a message for Israel,¹³ Jesus had a message for His disciples. It’s one thing to tell people not to be afraid, but it’s another to show them why they shouldn’t be afraid. All of us have done this at one time or another with our children.

Cyril of Alexandria makes a valid point here to the credit of the disciples. He says that by their exclamation “Save us!” it showed some faith. Had they cried out “We are going to die!” it would have shown a real lack of faith for those who were in deep distress. So by calling out to be saved they put their hope in Christ who was sailing with them. Cyril says: “They were not totally faithless but were at the point ‘of little faith,’ since in their danger they did not take courage from the fact of Christ’s being with them.”¹⁴ So Jesus was not accusing His frightened disciples of having no faith, only that their faith was not enough to help them make it through the storm, so they needed a miracle to get them safely to shore. We can learn from this, that when we are caught in a sudden storm of persecution or adverse circumstances that may keep us from doing His will, just remember, He’s always with us. Day and night He is in us and around us through the Holy Spirit.

But what Jesus did next was spectacular. It left His disciples astounded by His control and power over nature. It was reminiscent of what God did to remind Job of His divine power, “Who closed the flood gates as the sea gushed from the womb? Who covered it with clouds and wrapped it in darkness? I set the limits for the sea and put it behind locked gates. I said to the sea, ‘You can come this far, but no farther. This is where your proud waves will stop.’”¹⁵ This also led David to exclaim, “You can calm the roughest seas.”¹⁶ Ethan the Ezrahite agreed, “You rule the stormy sea. You can calm its angry waves.”¹⁷ And one Psalmist said with confidence, “The crashing waves of the sea are loud and powerful, but the Lord above is even more powerful.”¹⁸ The Psalmist put it clearly, “He stopped the storm and calmed the waves.”¹⁹

But for His disciples none of this came to mind at that moment. Even the prophet Isaiah had to remind the Israelites about the command God gave Moses over the Red Sea, “He was by Moses’ side and led him with His wonderful hand. He divided the water, so that the people could walk through the sea. He made His name famous by doing those great things.”²⁰ But they were about to experience a wonder such as they had never seen, and it was done by the same power of the same God.

Christ’s rebuke of the disciples here is very interesting and a bit more severe than it appears. He has two descriptions for these men who followed Him; one was a poke at their fear, and the other a jab at their faith. In the first instance He calls them cowards. The American Standard Version is kind by using the phrase “fearful.” The Amplified Bible renders it as “timid and afraid.” The Greek word used here is employed has the root meaning of “dread”: and by implication – faithlessness. It is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe those who through cowardice give way under persecutions and apostatize.²¹

Chrysostom adds the note that the disciples already knew Jesus was a man. They could see Him sleeping in the back of the boat. But their perplexity was over “What manner of man is this?” There was enough man in Him to make Him sleepy, but now it seems He had enough God in Him to calm the winds and the waves. This might be something we can all ponder as it relates to our own composition as believers. When the world looks at us, do they see enough human traits in us to know that we are fellow human beings here on earth, but do they ever see enough spiritual traits in us to believe that we are also part of God’s divine world, His kingdom of heaven? Have we ever prayed and they saw something happened that could not be explained in human terms? It doesn’t have to be a spectacular miracle or healing, even though those do count very highly, but it can be our attitude and behavior during times of trial and tribulation.

These disciples were experienced men of the sea. Why should a natural weather occurrence, even though it was more tempestuous than usual, scare them and make them look like cowards? Had they come to rely on the power of the Master too much to stand their own ground when tested? Were they becoming conditioned to remain physically aloof from the problems facing them? Is it possible that by now they thought of themselves as VIP’s who should be spared such emergencies? We can only surmise, but Jesus clearly points them out as having become timid with fear.

Secondly, Jesus accuses them of having too little faith. Not their faith in the sturdiness of the boat; not their faith that the storm would soon blow over; not their faith that they would be miraculously saved; but their faith in feeling safe because of Christ being with them. He was, after all, on board with them. His remaining calm during the storm should have inspired their faith that all was well. But instead, they interpreted His relaxed attitude as being unconcerned. How often today are we likewise guilty of being timid in our faith and thereby making what faith we do have of little use?

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part III (con’t)

So our Lord’s response to the scribe’s wish to be His follower had other implications as well. With all the attention and masses who came to see Jesus, it might appear that His religious center there in Capernaum might grow into a large and popular operation. As such, anyone working with Him would be accorded all the rewards and amenities that went with such an organization. So Jesus wanted to let him know, this would be a long, hard, arduous journey with few stops for rest and recreation. Since we have no record that this scribe signed on, it might be that he saw no benefit in becoming part of an itinerant prophet’s ministry that would spend most of their time walking through the countryside, with little or no compensation.

Clement of Alexandria had an interesting take on this in his encounter with the philosophers of his day. He quotes the words of one Athenian lawmaker who said: “You look at the language and the words of the man who makes comments. But you don’t look on any work that has been done; so each one of you is walking in the footsteps of a fox, And all you have are empty minds.” In other words, the disciples of the Greek philosophers were mindless robots, they did not think for themselves. They merely regurgitated what their teacher said.

But Jesus had no intention of being such a fox and leaving behind followers who did not understand His message. They not only heard what Jesus said, but also saw the works that He did and taught them to do the same. So Clement compares this to our Lord’s statement: “I think that this has the same meaning as what our Lord said. For on the believer alone, those who live apart from the world rests the head of the universe, the kind and gentle Word, who challenges the wise in their own craftiness. For the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they see in vain; the Scripture calling those the wise who are skilled in words and arts, sophists.”¹

This saying of Jesus certainly confused one Jewish writer of a polemic critique who remarked by saying: “Jesus complained about His plight and said, ‘Wolves have holes and birds of the air have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no place to lay My head’; that’s because He was so poor.”² This criticism certainly fits the error of taking something out of context.

But let us look at another aspect of this statement. Jesus’ use of the term, “Son of Man”:

Here in verse 20 we find the first use of the term, “Son of man.” The key to understanding this phrase is to learn what is meant by the word: “man.” In this case, the Greek word used is anthrōpos, which means: “human being”. As rendered in Numbers 23:19, the Hebrew “ben adam” literally means, “son of Adam.” In writing on how it is used in the New Testament, Jewish scholars say, “In the Gospels the title occurs eighty-one times. Most of the recent writers have come to the conclusion that Jesus, speaking Aramaic, could never have designated Himself as the ‘son of man’ in a Messianic, mystic sense, because the Aramaic term never implied this meaning. Instead, Greek translators coined the phrase, which then led, under the influence interpreting Daniel 7:13 and the John’s Gospel, to establishing this title for Him, which is now basic to the Christology of the Church.” We see this used in Jewish writings where Rabbi Alexandri quoted Rabbi Joshua’s comments on two verses of scripture: “Behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven;³ “Behold your king comes to you… lowly, and riding upon a donkey!⁴ showing that he could not reconcile the two.⁵ To this construction reference is Rabbi Abbahu’s controversial saying: “If a man tells you, ‘I am God,’ he is lying. If he says, ‘I am the son of man,’ in the end he will regret it.”⁶ Indeed, examination of many of the passages shows that in the mouth of Jesus the term ‘son of man’ was equivalent to the personal pronoun ‘I’. Jesus was truly the Son of God and made no excuse in calling Himself such. But He was also man, and this was His way of noting that as a human being, He understood life as a human being. That’s why when this phrase is used in reference to his ascension or return, it shows that even after the resurrection, He did not shed His human image, but retained it as the symbol of victory over sin and the conquering of death. Is there any wonder then that Jesus received such a blast of condemnation from Jewish leaders by using this term.

Verse 21: Another disciple said to Him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Remember, Jesus was wanting to cross over to the other side of the lake, but here comes another man who was already a follower of Jesus who desired to have a leave of absence just to attend the funeral of his father, Jesus rebukes him also. Jesus was not against people wanting to be His followers, nor was He against people showing respect to the parents when they die. Rather, He is emphasizing a salient point of discipleship; a point that should be well considered before the decision is made to follow Christ. It should be known ahead of time that following Christ will often bring hardships, trials and tribulations. Likewise, once one becomes a disciple of our Lord, one must never consider doing His will as something to put on hold while attending to earthly matters. Discipleship is a critical decision, one designed to last for the rest of one’s life.

Having had the privilege of being sent out as a missionary to both Europe and Asia, I too had to consider whether to leave my mother, brothers and sisters, and other family members, and go far away where it would not be possible to see them for years and years. My human nature wanted to stay so I could have fellowship with those I grew up with and loved, but my spiritual nature told me I have a spiritual family in these other lands, and I needed to go and help lead them to greater understanding of His Word. I was not dismissing my family in the United States, I loved them even more and enjoyed their fellowship each time I was allowed to come back for a visit. But by going, my Christian family grew and I ended up with many more mothers, brothers and sisters than I would have had, should I have stayed home.

But our Lord’s words did not come as quaint or out of line to His Jewish listeners. These sentiments were already recorded concerning Levi’s children: “They were more loyal to you, Lord, than to their own families. They ignored their fathers and mothers. They did not recognize their brothers. They did not pay attention to their children. But they obeyed your commands. They kept your agreement.”⁷ Since these two responses involved two specific individuals, then whatever point Jesus made was meant for them, at that moment and time in their relationship with Him.

In the case of the second man who was already a follower, the problem seemed to be that when Jesus announced that they were moving out of Capernaum to the open shore on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, it came at an inopportune time for this disciple. Apparently his father was dying, otherwise he would have already gone home to take care of the funeral. That’s because according to Jewish tradition burying one’s deceased family members was called: “the practice of loving deeds.”⁸ As one Rabbi stated: “The Holy One, blessed be He, buries the dead.”⁹ So this follower knew that if he left with Jesus to go over to the other side of the lake, he might not have time to go home to bury his father once he learned that he had died.

As a matter of fact, other Rabbis say: “One whose close relative has died, is obligated to mourn him before he is buried, but is exempt, according to the Torah, from the reciting the Shema and from prayers while he is occupied with the obligation of burial.”¹⁰ So if this disciple was not obligated to say the Shema – “Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One,” and the required daily prayers, then how much more should he be excused from going on such short notice with His Lord. So it appears that this disciple was actually asking for leave so he could go home and comfort his father who was gravely ill.

Bishop Cyril of Alexandria had this to say about believers who find themselves conflicted with family issues and ministry obligations. He writes: “Whoever wishes to serve God must not let any ties of kinship become an excuse, on grounds of preoccupation, for not following Christ. Christ Himself, for the benefit of those who were with Him, even slighted His own mother and brothers, saying, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ and ‘Such a one is my mother.’ ¹¹”¹²

However, in today’s culture, any minister or believer who refuses to go home for a family member’s funeral, especially a parent, would be looked upon with disgust rather than admiration for their dedication to the ministry. On the other hand, when we send men and women overseas into combat situations, we understand why they can’t leave the front lines and come home for a burial that they deeply regret having to miss. That’s why we must interpret exactly what Jesus was saying to this disciple. Being away is no excuse. But being on a mission that would fail or be impaired is one left is another matter. It is understood, that by serving one’s country one is serving their family. Our Lord’s answer to this follower is quite clear:

Verse 22 Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

For most readers, the part of Jesus statement that catches the eye is the part where the “dead” bury the dead. It is obvious that these people being called “dead” was not to be taken literally. We all know that it would be physically impossible for one person who expired to bury another person already deceased. So we must look for the usage of the word “dead” in the metaphysical or symbolic sense. There is ample evidence in the writings of Jewish rabbis that reads: “These are the wicked who in their lifetime are called dead, as it says. And you, O wicked one, the prince of Israel, you are dead.¹³”¹⁴

Here is what early church father Origen has to say on the subject. He writes: “Let the dead bury their dead implies spiritually: Waste no more time on dead things. You are to ‘put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.’¹⁵ These things therefore are dead. Cast them away from you. Cut them off as you would cut off gangrenous flesh to prevent the contamination of the whole body, so that you may not hear it said, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead.’ But to some it seems abnormal and contradictory that the Savior does not allow the disciple to bury his father. It seems inhumane. But Jesus does not in fact forbid people from burying the dead, but rather He puts before this the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, which makes people alive.¹⁶ As for burying the body, there were many people who could have done this.”¹⁷

In other words, Origen sees our Lord’s answer to this disciple’s request to first go home to comfort his dying father as a spiritual metaphor for the things of this world. However, it may be that Jesus already knew that this disciple’s father had died, and therefore there was no further need for him to go back since the family there would do the burial. Rather, he should go forward and follow Him where he could better serve his Master. In any case, it was an isolated remark to one follower that was not meant for all believers to duplicate or use as an excuse. In fact, Jesus never used it again.

Yet there is another aspect to consider here. It basically is the idea that when one leaves on a journey from which they will be unable to return on short notice, to considered going back to bury them as a dead issue. We see this expressed in the writings of the venerable Jewish Rabbi Rashi who commented that Terah, the father of Abraham is listed as dying at the age of 245 years old.¹⁸ Says Rashi: “This happened after Abram left Haran and arrived in the land of Canaan, and was there for over sixty years, for it is written: ‘And Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran,’¹⁹ and Terah was seventy years old when Abram was born,²⁰ making Terah one hundred and forty-five years old when Abram left Haran. Accordingly, many of Terah’s years were still left. Why then did Scripture relate Terah’s death before Abram’s departure? So that the matter should not be publicized to all, whereby they would say: ‘Abram did not fulfill the commandment of honoring his father, for he left him in his old age and went away.’ Therefore, Scripture calls him dead, for the wicked, even in their lifetime, are called dead, whereas the righteous, even in their death, are called living, as it is said: ‘And Benayahu the son of Jehoiada, the son of a living man.’²¹”²²

Also when discussing the flood of Noah, the sages say that: “…only the righteous possess the life-force known as the ‘soul’”.²³ They go on to explain that only the wicked died in the flood waters because all the righteous either died before the deluge came or were the ones on the ark who were saved. Since the wicked did not possess a ‘living soul’ when they perished, they were already spiritually dead. Therefore, it goes without saying that although they may be physically alive, the unrighteous were considered spiritually dead. So it may be that the family of this disciple were not believers, so let them follow the rules of the Jewish law so they would be in compliance with their customs. Even today we speak of believers being spiritually alive while sinners are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin.²⁴

So we see that this distinction was clearly part of Jewish thinking. For instance, one sage said in describing the Sabbath: “The very day is meant primarily for the benefit of the souls…especially for righteous people who are described as ‘alive’.”²⁵ So to put it another way, Jesus was saying that since neither this disciple’s father or family were His followers; and that to follow Jesus to the other side meant putting the issue of going back to rest; then let those left behind take care of each other’s physical needs while he comes with Jesus to take care of those in spiritual need. This was a hard lesson for this follower to learn, and it is no easier for those who follow Him today.

Sometimes we are not fooled by hidden clues but by obvious factors. For instance: What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven? Start keeping time and see how long it takes you to figure it out.

We are often confronted with things in life that are supposed to have an obvious answer. But when we stand in need of knowing what to do next, the answer does not come as easily as we think it should. It’s a matter of looking at all the options. I have a rule when it comes to finding solutions. I never call what I’m facing, “a problem.” The dictionary defines “problem” as: “something that is difficult to deal with: something that is a source of trouble, worry, etc.” Webster also says that a problem is a feeling we get when we do not like or want to do something.

I’ve always insisted on calling them “challenges.” A challenge is a question or demand that arouses and stimulates thinking because we are convinced that it can be solved or accomplished. That’s because it becomes a quest for truth and finding proof. One dictionary defines it this way: “Something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort.”

People who always deal with such situations as problems can quickly become discouraged, despondent, demoralized or disheartened and want to give up. People who see them as challenges feel the call to exercise their skill, strength and intelligence. Challenges are a stimulant, not a sedative like problems. – Dr. Robert R. Seyda

By the way, the answer to the brain teaser we started with about why those words are unusual, for each word, take the first letter and place it at the end. It spells the same word backwards.

Since I was very young I heard over and over the saying: “The Bible says that money is the root of all evil.” What confused me was that everyone I knew, even my dad, talked about and spent a lot of their time discussing money. Since my father was a preacher, it was about tithes, offerings, and mission money.

Then as I grew older I learned that there was a scripture that actually read: “The love of money is the root of all evil.”¹ But it wasn’t until I could do research on the scriptures that I discovered even that was not the most accurate translation. That the word in the original language is best described in English as “avarice.” The dictionary defines “avarice” as: “an insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.”

To put it in our modern vernacular, it is another way of saying: “Not satisfied with what you already have, but always wanting more than you need.” If you can’t find a copy of 4^th Maccabees, a book that was in the canon of the Old Testament of the Georgian Bible, and included in the 1688 Orthodox and the 18th Century Greek Catholic Romanian Bibles, and read Chapter One, it is an enlightening chapter on how we should handle our emotions. If you can’t find a copy, Google it on the internet.

There are many expressions of this greed for things one does not need that people often use to justify it. For instance, have you ever heard someone say: “If I were rich, I’d give away more of my money.” Don’t count on that happening. Statistics show that’s not the case. But it is amazing what some people would do for money, if they were offered enough.

I heard a story years ago about a rich gentleman who was dining with a beautiful, well-known actress from a very noble family. He asked her, “Would you sleep with me one time for $10,000,000? She at first was shocked at the question, but after a moment or two said, “I guess I would.” Then he asked her if she would do it for $5,000,000? She seemed annoyed at first, but then after some time relented and said, “Yes, but only one time.” Once again he asked her if she would do it for $1,000,000? At this she became very angry, and blurted out, “What do you think I am!” The man replied, “I know what you are, I’m just trying to set the right price.”

It’s another way of saying the most people can be bought if the price is right. But what about being bought if you are a Christian. What would it take for other people to get you to try something that goes against your faith just once? What could the devil offer you that would persuade you to denounce your faith? Or what would you be willing to do in order to get something you’ve always wanted but could never afford, that would compromise your faith in God and His Word?

I’m sure that question was often one that the apostle Paul was asked. But he was not hesitant in giving his answer with sincerity and conviction. Here’s what he said: “I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.”²

The key to this statement is not that God is willing or desires to take away His love. John 3:16 proves that nothing can keep God from loving us. But it is what will we allow to come into our lives that will keep us from loving God the way we should. It may be big or it may be small, but for each one of us it is a matter of the price we set. And that price is most often influenced by our greed and desire for those things we really don’t need. – Dr. Robert R. Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part III

Verse 18: When Jesus saw the great crowd gathered around Him, He gave orders to sail across the lake to other side.

Although it is unwritten, we can safely assume that after Jesus ate the light meal Peter’s mother-in-law prepared for Him, and people began showing up at Peter’s house seeking healing, that He moved outside to a more open area, which could have been down on the shore where He had preached to crowds before. The gathering masses soon made even this spot too small, so our Lord decided to go across the lake to the SE of Capernaum area where He fed the 5,000.

You can imagine why a healer with the reputation of Jesus of Nazareth would soon attract a tremendous following. Apparently His disciples were not all that keen on the idea. Remember, they had had a frightening experience on such a trip once before. So from the tenor of the text, it appears that while He might have hinted at this earlier in the day, now He “commands” that they go. From this we may conclude that He did not want the crowds to become a problem in restricting His ministry, but a potential for expanding His ministry.

Early church preacher Chrysostom believes that with this action on Jesus’ part to leave the crowd behind, He was teaching them self-constraint. He writes: “Note once again His freedom from pretentiousness, in that as others say, ‘He charged the devils not to say it was He,’¹ so this writer says, He repels the multitudes from Him. Now in so doing, He was at once both training us to be moderate, and at the same time allaying the envy of the Jews, and teaching us to do nothing for display. For He was not, we know, a healer to bodies only, but also a healer of the soul, and a teacher of self-restraint; by disclosing Himself, both by putting away their diseases, and by doing nothing for display. Because they indeed were clinging to Him, loving Him, and marveling at Him, and desiring to look upon Him. For who would depart from one who was doing such miracles? Who would not long, were it only to see the face, and the mouth that was uttering such words?”²

On a personal note, I once was invited to be the guest speaker at an evangelism outreach in a German town near to the city where my father pastored after WWII. The Holy Spirit anointed the effort and crowds such as they had never seen before packed into the small auditorium. Soon the whole town was talking about it and the pastor was thinking about moving to a larger venue. When the planned time came for the meetings to be over, the pastor pleaded with me to stay on and continue the campaign. But I told him that when I prayed about it, I felt peace in my spirit to commit to the two weeks that he asked for. He just couldn’t understand how I could walk away from such an outpouring, and needless to say, nor could I. But the Spirit would not bear witness with my spirit to stay longer. Later on it appeared that his reason for wanting me to stay was that he did not feel qualified or capable in keeping the awakening going on his own.

When we see how the disciples reacted when Jesus told them He must go away, they didn’t understand that either. But the one factor I always had to keep in mind was this: it wasn’t I that brought the spiritual resurgence, it was the Holy Spirit. So I must never assume that He cannot carry on without me, and trust Him to do what I cannot do after I’m gone. We see that 40 days after our Lord ascended, the Holy Spirit came down on the Day of Pentecost, and the Gospel exploded into all the world without Him physically being here on earth.

Cyril of Alexandria also makes a point that shows the necessity of our Lord leaving at this particular moment. He writes: “It is only to the disciples that Jesus gave orders to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, lest, by the crowds pressing about Him, His disciples would be prevented from hearing those very teachings that were most appropriate for them. To the disciples He revealed God’s future mysteries more deeply than in the things that were spoken to the crowds only in ‘parables.’ Only the disciples had left behind all present goods and followed Him through love of learning. He commands them to cross over from temporary things to eternal things, from the earthly to the heavenly, from the carnal to the spiritual.”³

To continue my story on the revival, at that time I was teaching at the European Bible Seminary in Switzerland. After returning I was able to teach those Bible school students, many of who were along with me as part of the evangelism team, deeper truths about what happened so that they too could go out and let the Holy Spirit duplicate such soul-winning efforts through their ministry. In doing so, I was able to multiply myself through them so that instead of one outreach going on, there could be ten or twenty of the same kind of evangelism efforts occurring simultaneously in different places.

Verses 19-20: Just then a teacher of the law came up to Him and said, “Rabbi, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head.”

Immediately after Jesus had given the order to go over to the other side of the Sea or Galilee, He was approached by a man in the crowd who had been watching and listening to Him minister. It seems paradoxical then that this very committed person who came to Jesus to be His disciple, was rebuffed so quickly by our Lord, who enumerated the sacrifices involved in following Him. This teacher of the law was one of those who became known as a “scribe.” This was the description of Ezra, “He was a teacher (scribe) and knew the Law of Moses very well. The Law of Moses was given by the Lord, the God of Israel.”⁴ They had no political or sectarian allegiances, but were dedicated to interpreting the Scriptures, which they divided up into three section: The Torah, The Prophets, and The Holy Writings.

Maximus, early church Bishop of Turin, a theologian and preacher made this observation: “The scribe’s declaration is prompt indeed, but proud. The Lord was on His way toward His final suffering, descent into hell and ascent into heaven. Is human frailty really prepared to follow Him ‘wherever He goes’? This is more a foolish presumption than a confession of faith. Later the Lord would say to the apostle Peter, when he thought that he would follow the Savior in every circumstance: ‘Where I am going you are not able to follow Me now.’⁵ And when Peter obstinately insisted and said that death would not separate him from [Jesus], he heard that he would deny the Lord three times. In this he was censured, as it were, for his pride. Thus the one who promised, while confessing Christ, that he would not be separated from Him by death, is cut off from fellowship with Him by a little maidservant’s question.”⁶

I read in one Jewish commentary on the Book of Joshua by Rabbi Chiam Dov Rabinowitz, where the writer commented on Joshua 1:18 and the penalty imposed on those who might rebel against Joshua’s leadership. In response to the encouragement Joshua received from the Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to remain strong and courageous, Rabbi Rabinowitz adds: “Even the people perceive the many obstacles, yet they place their trust in their leader, who will know how to overcome these challenges. Only if Joshua succeeds in handling these difficulties will they agree to accept his authority.”⁷ No doubt it was by watching Jesus succeed in overcoming all the obstacles placed in His path that inspired His disciples to grow in faith of His being the Messiah, and no doubt motivated this scribe to join them.

Just taking a prophet at his word was a major step. Scribes placed emphasis on the smallest of nuances and shades of meaning. For instance, there is a small Hebrew tractate on how to copy the Torah. In one section instructions are given on what to do: “One leaves between line and line the amount of a line; and between word and word as much as a letter; and between letter and letter as much as a hair; and between column and column as much as a thumb’s-width; if one made the trailing edge of a column up against the leading edge it is unfit to read. If one joined the letters, or made a gap in the middle of a word, it is not to be read from.”⁸ They were particular in everything. We can only imagine what message Jesus was trying to send to this scribe when He talked about fox dens⁹ and bird nests.¹⁰

Maximus, whom we just referenced, goes on further to write about how what Jesus said about foxes could be interpreted in his time period: “Every Christian who wishes to hid his sins is spiritually a fox. For just as the fox lives in a hidden place because of its deceit, so also the sinner conceals himself in dens, keeping silent because of his knowledge of his sins. Just as the fox dare not manifest the deceitfulness of its deeds in the midst of society, so also the sinner is ashamed to confess the wickedness of his life in the midst of the church. One is a fox who sets up a snare for his neighbor, who daily strives to nibble away at others’ property, steal their fruits and devour their animals and – what is common in our day – seize wine like wolves and not only chickens, as the foxes do. Although he is strong enough to live by his own labor, he prefers to take pillage like the madness of a wild beast.”¹¹

But Jesus knew this scribe was familiar with Scripture, so this may have given him a clue to look in Isaiah 53. For someone as familiar with the Torah, the Prophets, and the Wisdom Writings as a scribe, to come to Jesus and offer to follow Him there must have been some compelling reason. Was it due to the fact that the Scriptures were clearly in favor of Jesus being the Messiah? Or was it that Jesus was proving to be so popular a teacher that this scribe wanted to be part of His entourage? We are not told, but the answer Jesus gave the scribe may hold a clue.

But first let’s look at the issue of Jesus referring to Himself as the “Son of Man.” One Jewish polemic writer had this to say in opposition: “This passage we deem as strong proof of the consciousness of Jesus that He was not God. For, if He had really been filled with such a conceit, why should He have called Himself the Son of Man? And moreover, why should He have dissuaded others from relying on Him? Perhaps He bore in mind the admonition given in Psalm 146:3, ‘Do not rely in princes nor trust in the son of man, for a salvation that does not belong to him.’ Or perhaps the words of Jeremiah in chapter 17:5, ‘Cursed is the man who relies on man.’ Had He imagined He was God, why should He have said He had nowhere to lay His head? Would He not have considered the whole earth to be His own resting-place; for does not the Psalmist remind us in Psalm 24:1, ‘That the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world, and the inhabitants therein’?”¹²

This certainly serves as an example of what the opponents of Jesus thought about His use of this phrase, “Son of Man.” However, according to British scholar John Gill, in the Targum of Abraham ben Ezra and the writings of Isaac Abravanel on the Mashmia Yeshua and others such as the Book of Enoch and Esdras, the Son of Man was considered part of the title for the Messiah. But we must also understand that often Jesus used familiar phrases and expressions to make a point, not make it the point. In this case, our Lord may have been saying in a sly way that this scribe must understand that Jesus was not staying long on this earth in order to establish a school or build a great center of learning. He was just passing through, so this scribe needed to know that once Jesus went away, he would be on his own just like all the other disciples following Him.

As far as we know from Scripture, none of Jesus eleven surviving disciples ever founded a school or learning center, as was common among the Jews of that day. Even the apostle John, who became pastor of the church in Ephesus, did not turn it into a synagogue for Christians to hang around and never go out to preach the good news. Like their Master, they too went where the Spirit led them and lived off of what was given them for support.

This was also true of the apostle Paul. The great educator that he was never led him to settle down and build a seminary in honor of himself. Does that mean we should abandon our Bible Schools and Seminaries. Of course not! They are places which draw people with a desire and commitment to know more about God and His Word, just as Jesus drew disciples to Himself. But once trained, those who attend these institutions should be ready to give their all in spreading the gospel and truth dispensed to them by their teachers, whether it’s at home, across town, across the nation, over in some foreign country or around the world. To be ready to endure whatever inconveniences they may encounter for the glory of God and the spreading of the gospel.

That’s what this scribe had to consider, but was he willing to do so? Was he ready to give up whatever position he had at the local synagogue, leave home and family behind, and embark on a journey without a road map, only the hand of Jesus to guide him? We’ll see shortly.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part II (con’t)

Verses 14-16: Then Jesus went to Peter’s house. He saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a high fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she stood up and began to serve Him. That evening people brought to Jesus many people who had demons inside them. He spoke and the demons left the people. He healed all those who were sick.

Both Mark¹ and Luke² note that Jesus went into the synagogue to teach because it was a Sabbath day. But Matthew picks up the story after Jesus finished teaching in the synagogue and went to Peter’s house where He found Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed and healed her. It is worthwhile to note that in the healing of the leper in verse 3, Jesus touched his hand, and here He touched the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law. From the teaching of the Rabbis we learn this to be a common practice when praying for the sick.

We read this story³: “Rabbi Hiyya ben Abba fell ill and Rabbi Johanan went in to visit him. He asked him: Do you welcome your sufferings? He replied: Neither they nor their reward.⁴ He said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand and he raised him.”⁵ The touching of the hand in order to heal is mention two more times in this same writing. The touching of the hand by Jesus occurs again in the next chapter.⁶

Chrysostom is very complimentary of Peter and how Jesus ended up going into his house. He writes: “I ask you, please take note herein of Peter’s reverence towards Jesus. For although he had his wife’s mother at home lying ill, and very sick of a fever, he did not draw Him into his house, but waited first for the teaching to be finished, then for all the others to be healed; and only when He came in, asked Him. Therefore, from the beginning it teaches us to prefer the things of all others to one’s own. Also, neither did Peter bring Jesus in, but He entered of His own accord (after the centurion had said, ‘I am not worthy that You should come under my roof:’ to show how much favor He bestowed on His disciple. And think of what sort of houses these fishermen lived in; but for all that, He did not hesitate to enter into their tiny huts, teaching us by all means to trample human pride under foot.”⁷

Since this all happened on the Sabbath, it helps explain why the people with relatives who were sick or possessed by demons waited until evening before they brought them to Jesus for healing. Since the Sabbath started after sundown on Friday, it was now after sundown on Saturday and the Sabbath had come to an end. According to Jewish tradition, the Sabbath was calculated to start and finish when it got dark enough for three stars to be seen.⁸

This is confirmed in other Jewish writings where we read: “How many stars must come out so that it is deemed night? Rabbi Pinhas in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Pappa, ‘If one sees one star, it is certainly day. If one sees two stars, there is doubt whether it is night. If one sees three stars, it is certainly night’.”⁹ Rabbi Maimonides goes on to say: “The stars mentioned are not large stars that can be seen during the day or small stars that are seen only at night, but of moderate size. When such three medium-sized stars are seen, it is surely night.”¹⁰

Jesus did not rebuke these people because they waited until the Sabbath ended just to prove his point that man is lord of the Sabbath.¹¹ He accepted them as they were. This is certainly a lesson for us today when dealing with others who are tied to their family’s religious traditions. A good friend of mine who was working in a country that was strongly Roman Catholic, decided to start his Sunday services after the morning masses were over so the people could go there first before coming to his worship service. It worked great, and those who became evangelical believers soon weaned themselves from their previous religious system and then suggested that their worship services start earlier. But for Matthew, it was our Lord’s fulfillment of Scripture, not Jewish tradition, that was important.

Verse 17: So Jesus made clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophet said: “He took away our diseases and carried away our sicknesses¹².”

Peter’s house may have been our Lord’s destination as He came down off the mountain side. Perhaps because Peter had already received word that his mother-in-law was sick. Since Matthew notes that after Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she served Jesus a meal, and that by evening time others came to the house to be healed, Jesus must have arrived there sometime in the afternoon, because according to Jewish tradition the last meal is served toward the Sabbath’s end, and is most often a light lunch. However, these meals are always prepared ahead of time so there is no work on the Sabbath.¹³

Matthew tells us that at Peter’s house Jesus expelled demons and healed many who were sick. Most of us have seen the list of Jesus’ miracles. But these are only those that were given individual treatment as stories in the Gospels. Matthew does not say how many were healed on this occasion, but it did make a big enough impression that Matthew commented on how this fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah spoke about the Messiah. This is the first time Matthew quotes from the portion of Isaiah where the Messiah is portrayed as a servant of Adonai who would suffer for the sins of the people.¹⁴ One verse reads: “Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering.”¹⁵

Apollinaris, the early church Bishop of Laodicea, has this to say about Isaiah’s prophecy: “In this saying Isaiah pointed toward the cross. But why was this saying employed by the Evangelist at this point when he was speaking of His healings?” Apollinaris asked this question because the natural application of this prophecy was toward Jesus’ suffering, though here it is applied to Jesus’ healing. But Apollinaris goes on to say: “This was to show that it was not in His activity alone but in His passion, His willingness to suffer, that Christ became the source of healing to humanity. By the indignities He endured and by His own death He prepared life for all humanity. He subdued those who were evilly disposed against themselves.”¹⁶

Chrysostom also has this to say on the subject: “Do you see how the multitude, by this time was growing in faith? For even when time was getting short they could not bring themselves to depart, nor did they think it unreasonable to bring their sick to Him at evening time. But I ask you to make note of what a great a multitude of people that were healed the gospel writers quickly over, not mentioning one by one, and giving us an account of them, but in one word spanned an unspeakable sea of miracles.”¹⁷

Had Matthew, Mark, Luke and John given individual accounts of all those that Jesus healed during His ministry here on earth, I’m sure it would have expanded the size of their gospels scrolls so that they became unwieldy and hard to handle.¹⁸

Then Chrysostom goes on: Then lest the greatness of the wonder should drive us again to unbelief, that even so great a number of people and their various diseases could be delivered and healed by Him in one moment of time, He brings in the prophet to bear witness to what is going on: indicating the abundance of the proof we have, in every case, out of the Scriptures; such, that from the miracles themselves we have no more; and He says, that Isaiah also spoke of these things; ‘He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.’ He did not say, ‘He did away with them,’ but ‘He took and carried them;’ which seems to me to be spoken rather of sins, by the prophet, in harmony with John, where he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, that bares the sins of the world¹⁹.’ How then does the evangelist here apply it to diseases? Either by citing the passage in the historical sense, or to show that most of our diseases arise from sins of the soul. For if the sum of all, death itself, has its root and foundation from sin, much more the majority of our diseases also: since our very capability of suffering did itself originate there.”²⁰

In one sense, Chrysostom is correct. Before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there was neither sin nor sickness. Only after they sinned was the curse of death applied, and disease then entered the human blood stream after God took away His protective hand. But to say that all sicknesses today are the cause of some sin a person committed, would be a misinterpretation of what Matthew is saying here. That is the reason why we see that in Isaiah’s prophecy on the Messiah, not only does he note how the sacrifice and suffering of the Messiah would pay the ransom for our sins, and that His blood would cover them, but also that by His stripes we are healed. Matthew’s intention was to prove that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and this was another occasion to make that point.

By indicating that these miracles were part of the Messiah’s ministry, let us look at why the Jews may have had difficulty in accepting Jesus of Nazareth as the one called the Messiah. In the Babylonian Talmud we find an interesting debate concerning what the Messiah’s name would be. One Rabbinical School says: “His name is Shiloh,²¹ for it is written, until Shiloh comes.²². Another Rabbinical School says: “His name is Yinnon,²³ for it is written, His name shall endure for ever: e’er the sun was, his name is Yinnon.”²⁴ Yet another Rabbinical School maintains: His name is Haninah,²⁵ as it is written, Where I will not give you Haninah”.²⁶ Others say: His name is Menachem²⁷ the son of Hezekiah, for it is written, Because Menahem who would relieve my soul, is far.”²⁸ The Rabbis said: His name is ‘the leper scholar,’ as it is written, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted.”²⁹

Following this, Rabbi Nahman said: “If the Messiah is one of those living today, it might be one like myself, as it is written, For their nobles will be come from among them, and their governors will proceed from out of their midst.”³⁰ Rab said: if Messiah is currently alive, it has to our holy Master”.³¹ And in Jewish Messianic writings we find it said: “There is one temple that is called the temple of the sons of afflictions; and when the Messiah comes into that temple, and reads all the afflictions, all the griefs, and all the chastisements of Israel, which come upon them, then all of them will come upon him: and if there was any that would lighten them off of Israel, and take them upon himself, there is no son of man that can bear the chastisements of Israel, because of the punishments of the law; as it is said, ‘surely he hath borne our griefs’”.³² In another version of the same manuscript we read this conclusion: “As long as Israel were in the Holy Land, by means of the Temple service and sacrifices they averted all evil diseases and afflictions from the world. Now it is the Messiah who is the means of averting them from mankind until the time when a man quits this world and receives his punishment”.³³

Since the New Testament often refers to Isaiah 53 as belonging to the experience of Jesus as the Messiah, we see that among many Jews it was also understood as being Messianic in its theme, since the main teachers in the Zohar were active between 150-200 AD. Thus it appears that Matthew was following the teaching of the Rabbis in applying Isaiah’s words to Jesus as the Messiah. Too bad that these same Jews did not recognize Jesus for who He really was, the Messiah, the one who came to take all their sin, shame, and suffering on Himself so they could be free.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER EIGHT

Part II

So our Lord takes this opportunity to address what happens to people with such an inconsistent and faulty mindset. He wants His critical opponents to know that even though they claim full citizenship in the family of Abraham and first in line to receive all the promises God made, others were being invited to take their place.

Verses 11-12: “Let me tell you, many people will come from the east and from the west. These people will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in God’s kingdom. And the subjects who should be given the kingdom will be thrown out. They will be thrown outside into the darkness, where people weep and grind their teeth in agony.

What makes this statement by Jesus so important, is that He just witnessed more faith in a Roman soldier, a non-Jew, than He had encountered throughout Israel among the Jews. The kingdom of God was supposed to belong to them simply because they were the legal descendants of Abraham. But not so, says Jesus! There are others in this world being invited to take your place if you refuse to believe that I’m the One promised by God as the Messiah. To the Jews, their anticipation of being part of the world to come was based on inheritance, not faith.

In the Jewish Babylonian Talmud we read: “Whoever recites this psalm: ‘Praise of David’ ¹ three times a day, is sure to inherit the world to come.”² Scholars say, that by using the word “inherit,” the person reciting this Psalm is then considered a son in order to inherit the world to come.³ This encouragement to recite certain religious prayers, psalms, or sayings in order to gain higher ground in the world to come is not restricted to the Jews. It has been practiced, and still is practiced, by many religions around the world.

We are also told that it was taught in a document called the “Tanna debe Eliyyahu” (a writing of Elijah), which is not part of the Mishnah, that: “Whoever repeats halachoth⁴ may rest assured that he is destined for the future world, as it says, His goings are to eternity.”⁵ So it is clear that this was considered by the Jews as an inherited right. There are many religions that teach if a child is born into a home where the parents practice that faith, and the child is subjected to the rites and rituals of that belief, they automatically become part of the religious community and eternal heirs to whatever that religious doctrine teaches.

Told among the Jews there was another allegorical story being told that goes like this: “Rabbi Beroka Hoza’ah used to frequent the market at Be Lapat where Elijah often appeared to him. Once he asked the prophet, is there any one else in this marketplace who has a share in the world to come?”⁶ In other words, did Elijah see any Jews shopping or working there, because they would be the only ones who had a guaranteed share in the world to come. This was a privilege given only to them because they were the descendants of Abraham. But so was Ishmael. Still they did not recognize his descendants because he was not the promised son of Sarah. Yet they could not see that another promised Seed of Abraham had arrived.⁷

This is what Jesus encountered, and why He was so resisted by the Jewish leaders by telling them you cannot claim what God Himself has not promised. And the only way to gain that promise is through faith in Him as the Messiah. Also it was taught by the school of Rabbi Ishmael that “One who finds himself physically impure on the Day of Atonement, let him be worried as to whether or not he can survive for a year, because if he survives the year, he is assured of being a child of the world to come.”⁸ In other words, there was nothing else they could depend on except their own works to save them, so they much hope and pray they don’t do anything to lose it.

And we also read that at one time a newly promoted council to the Temple Mount sent out this edict: “Who is destined for the world to come? He who is meek, humble, bowing when they enter and on the way out, and a constant student of the Torah without claiming any merit for it.”⁹ This was another way of saying that one should do all the works demanded by the Law, but don’t claim any credit for performing them, let them do the claiming for you. And in one Jewish mystical book we find this hope expressed: “Let all your works be for the sake of heavens. It is good to possess those that shine with brilliance, and the more the better. When you do them, be happy in the world. Good things come to you forever.”¹⁰

But Jesus came to let people know one cannot earn their way into the kingdom of heaven on their own. They need help; they need a Redeemer. Jesus said that He was the Gate, and it is only through Him they will be allowed entrance into the world to come. Therefore, they must believe in Him alone as their Lord and Savior.

I have listed these in order for you to have a better idea of the mindset facing Jesus when He talked about the Kingdom of God and who will enter there. No wonder Nicodemus had such a look of disbelief when Jesus told him these things didn’t count, that he had to be born anew. But the warning given here by Jesus about the Jews losing their position in the family of Abraham, continued to fester in the hearts of many Jews down through the ages.

Did not the prophet Jeremiah say: “If you people of Judah don’t listen to Him, I will hide and cry. Your pride will cause me to cry. I will cry very hard. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.”¹¹ After reading this, one Rabbi said prophetically: “…this is the result of ‘the pride of Israel, which is why the Torah will be taken away from them and given to the Gentile nations.”¹²

As far as what happens to those who thought the kingdom was theirs, only to find out that others had taken their place, the idea of being thrown out to join those who were wailing and gnashing their teeth, was also part of Jewish tradition. For in their own writings we read: “What is the meaning of the verse, with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth?¹³ Because they hypocritically flattered Korah in return for the feast he set before them, the Prince of Gehenna¹⁴ gnashed his teeth against them for their destruction.”¹⁵ Some Jewish scholars believe this is a reflection of what Job says, as the Jewish Targum puts it: “the wicked raging.”¹⁶ I can imagine the looks on the faces of some of the Jewish Rabbis and teachers there in Capernaum. No wonder they wanted to get rid of Jesus so badly.

But there is another factor to consider in this text. One Jewish translation reads this way: “Moreover, I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west to take their places at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven with Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya`akov.”<sup>17</sup> Some English translations render it: “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven;”<sup>18</sup> there is no mention of eating. In fact, another Hebrews translation it reads: “I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya`akov, in the Kingdom of Heaven.”¹⁹

This has led many Bible scholars to conclude that along the way the sitting down with Abraham, or even reclining at the table with Abraham as some translations put it, was not meant to infer that there would be such a banquet, but rather it was the way people were welcomed into a home.²⁰ But we read in Isaiah where it is said: “The Lord All-Powerful will give a feast for all the people on this mountain. At the feast, there will be the best foods and wines. The meat will be good and tender, the wine pure and clear.”²¹ So it appears that the Master was using this as a way of telling the non-believing Jews that Gentiles would soon be welcomed by Abraham as children of his spiritual family, and co-heirs to the promise of God.²²

Jesus was so impressed by the Centurion’s faith that He turned to the Jewish crowd around Him and wondered out loud why they didn’t have such faith. While there is no specific scripture defining the feast of Abraham, Jesus was no doubt referring to a traditional belief prevalent in His day. In one Jewish apocryphal book we find this passage: “And in the first year of the fifth week, Isaac was weaned in this jubilee and Abraham made a great banquet in the third month, on the day his son Isaac was weaned. And Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, stood in front of Abraham his father, at his residence, and Abraham rejoiced and blessed YaHWeH because he had seen his sons and had not died childless. And he remembered the words which He had spoken to him on the day on which Lot had parted from him, and he rejoiced because YaHWeH had given him seed upon the earth to inherit the earth, and he blessed with all his mouth the Creator of all things.”²³ The Psalmist hints at such an occasion in a Messianic Psalm,²⁴ and Isaiah alludes to such a gathering,²⁵ as does Micah;²⁶ Zechariah;²⁷ and Malachi,²⁸ but there is no mention of a banquet in either instance.

However, in Jewish literature we do find mention of such a banquet in Paradise: “Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Johanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in time to come make a banquet for the righteous from the flesh of Leviathan; for it is said: Companions will make a banquet of it.²⁹ Kerah must mean a banquet; for it is said: And he prepared for them a great banquet and they ate and drank.³⁰ Companions must mean scholars, for it is said: Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice; cause me to hear it.³¹ The rest of Leviathan will be distributed and sold out in the markets of Jerusalem; for it is said: They will part him among the Kena’anim,³² and Kena’anim must mean merchants, for it is said: As for Kena’an the balances of deceit are in his hand, he loves to oppress.³³ And if you wish you may infer it from the following: Whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth³⁴.”³⁵

But the real shocker was when Jesus said that as unbelieving Jews they will be thrown out and Gentiles like the Centurion will be allowed it to be part of the celebration as spiritual children of Abraham. As a matter of fact, that may have caused the Jews reaction we find in Luke’s account of this incident.³⁶ As we see, Jesus did not hesitate to grant the Centurion his request. His faith was rewarded with the instantaneous healing of his servant.

So this gave our Lord the opportunity to preach a sermon on the apostasy He had found among His own people. They knew what power there was when someone spoke in God’s name. In the Old Testament we read where God told Moses: “Get your special walking staff. Take your brother Aaron and the crowd of people and go to that rock. Speak to the rock in front of the people. Then water will flow from the rock, and you can give that water to the people and to their animals.”³⁷ Did not the Psalmist say, “Everyone on earth should reverence and respect the Lord. All the people in the world should revere Him, because when He speaks, things happen. And if He says, ‘Stop!’—then it stops.”³⁸ And again: “He gave the command and healed them, so they were saved from the grave. Thank the Lord for His faithful love and for the amazing things He does for people.”³⁹

I like the way early church father Irenaeus frames his rebuff of the heresies of his day. When applied to this encounter between Jesus and the centurion, here is what he had to say: “For there is no coercion with God, but a good will [towards us] is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good counsel to all. And in man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice (for angels are rational beings), so that those who had yielded obedience might justly possess what is good, given indeed by God, but preserved by themselves…. But because man is possessed of free will from the beginning, and God is possessed of free will, in whose likeness man was created, advice is always given to him to keep fast the good, which thing is done by means of obedience to God…. And not merely in works, but also in faith, has God preserved the will of man free and under his own control, saying, ‘According to your faith be it unto you;’ thus showing that there is a faith specially belonging to man, since he has an opinion specially his own. And again, ‘All things are possible to him that believes;’ and, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done to you’.”⁴⁰

Irenaeus was defending the church’s teaching that men possess a free will, and are endowed with the faculty of making a choice, either good or bad. This was against the heresy that some men are born with a good nature and others with a bad nature, and this is what determines their character. When contrasted with what happened here, the Jews were considered to be the people of the earth who were born good, yet in their pride and arrogance they made a bad decision to reject Jesus and not recognize His power. On the other hand, Gentiles were considered to be the people of the earth born with bad natures, yet in spite of his lack of scriptural knowledge about who Jesus really was, the centurion made a good decision to accept Him and believe in His power to heal. I dare say, after the crucifixion and resurrection, this same centurion exercised his will to believe in Jesus the Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Verse 13: Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home. Your servant will be healed the way you believed he would.” Right then his servant was healed.

This is how the centurion’s faith was rewarded. So we might ask, did Jesus purposely offer to go to the centurion’s compound to heal his servant so that this soldier could express such belief in His authority to heal? I don’t believe so. Otherwise this would have all been a charade. Also, Jesus would not have expressed such surprise at this centurion’s faith. This further reveals how God allows us to exercise our freewill and choice. He does not set us up for His own success. No wonder Jesus put such emphasis on faith as the thing that could move mountains.

So how did Matthew know that as soon as Jesus spoke those words, the centurion’s servant was healed? I’m sure that with him being a resident of Capernaum, Matthew was told later that as soon as this Roman soldier arrived back at his compound, his family and all the servants immediately told him how this paralyzed servant had suddenly sat up and announced that all the pain was gone.

Let me tell you a personal story. Some years ago when I pastored in the Dakotas, I woke up one morning with blood all over my pillow. The doctor told me that my ear drum had burst, and it was to my benefit that it did so outwardly and not inwardly, where it could have resulted in a more serious infection. Hearing out of one ear became a sudden handicap, especially when I was in the pulpit, and had the musicians play the piano and organ. The piano was on my right and the organ on my left. I could hear the piano fine, but not the organ.

After my sermon I felt inspired to invite those who needed healing to come forward for prayer. Imagine that! Here I needed healing but the Spirit was telling me to invite others. I had called the organist to come and play while the invitation was made. Suddenly I heard a “pop” in my left ear, and the music from the organ flowed in. I announced to the congregation what had just happened! There was a sudden rush of faith among those attending, and many were healed that night and the service lasted an hour longer than it normal because of all the rejoicing and people praying around the altar.

When I arrived back at the house, my oldest daughter, who had gone home earlier because of school the next morning, told me that my oldest sister had called from Maryland about an hour ago wanting to know how I was doing. So I called my sister back and found out that she had attended a service this same evening, when the evangelist told the audience that the Spirit had just spoken to him that someone in the congregation had a family member with an ear problem, and if they would come forward he would anoint them and pray for that family member. My sister immediately got up and went forward.

I asked her if she could remember what time this occurred. When she told me, I remember when my ear popped and it was the exact time. We both began to praise the Lord over the phone for the miracle that had occurred. A few years later when I has having a physical exam, the doctor asked me if I had ever had surgery on my left ear, because whoever performed it did a great job. When I told him that the surgeon was Jesus, he was astounded. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever! Amen!