‏ Matthew 8

Summary for Matt 8:1-9:34: 8:1–9:34  ^a Here the Kingdom of God is manifested with supernatural power (see 4:23-25  ^b; 11:2-6  ^c). It reaches people who had been excluded from the blessing of God: Gentiles, lepers, blind people, sick women, demoniacs, tax collectors, those with a chronic hemorrhage, and the dead. Jesus shows compassion, but the religious leaders are provoked to opposition. Jesus calls his followers to faith and discipleship.
8:2  ^d Leprosy refers to various skin diseases. Lepers were ceremonially unclean; they were excluded from society unless they became symptom-free and a priest pronounced them clean (see 8:4  ^e; Lev 14:2-32  ^f). On some occasions, leprosy was a judgment from God (Num 12:9-15  ^g; 2 Kgs 5:27  ^h; 15:5  ⁱ).
8:3  ^j Be healed: Jesus’ healing of lepers was tangible evidence of the Kingdom in his person and ministry (11:2-6  ^k).
8:4  ^l The leper’s healing would be a public testimony—either that the religious leaders were wrong not to trust in the Messiah (10:18  ^m) or that Jesus was not against the law of Moses (5:17  ⁿ).
Summary for Matt 8:5-13: 8:5-13  ^o Jesus once again ministered to the marginalized or ostracized. The centurion was a Gentile soldier, and ministry to him would have evoked strong resentment from both the nationalistic and the separatist wings of Jewish society. 8:5  ^p Capernaum is located on the Sea of Galilee, about two and a half miles west of the Jordan River outlet. In Jesus’ day, it was a prosperous fishing village. Standing at a crucial junction on the Great Trunk Road linking Mesopotamia and Egypt, it was an international village, and much of Jesus’ Galilean ministry was based there (e.g., 4:13  ^q; 8:14-17  ^r).

• a Roman officer (Greek a centurion): A centurion, one of sixty commanders in a legion, commanded 100 Roman soldiers (see also Mark 15:39  ^s; Acts 10:1  ^t; 27:1  ^u).
8:7  ^v I will come (cp. Acts 10:9-35  ^w; Gal 2:11-14  ^x): Some have rendered this as a question: Shall I [a Jew] come [into the house of a Gentile, risking defilement] and heal him?
Summary for Matt 8:8-10: 8:8-10  ^y The centurion recognized Jesus’ authority. From his own experience, he knew that when he gave orders, they were quickly obeyed. He perceived that God had entrusted Jesus with authority to work miracles. The centurion’s faith shows that the Kingdom of God includes Gentiles (8:11  ^z).
Summary for Matt 8:11-12: 8:11-12  ^aa The influx of Gentiles fulfills Old Testament promises (Isa 2:2-3  ^ab). God’s promise to Abraham included being a blessing to many nations (Gen 18:18  ^ac). Christ fulfills this promise (Gal 3:8  ^ad, 16  ^ae).
Summary for Matt 8:16-17: 8:16-17  ^af Jesus is the authoritative Lord over every disease and demon. 8:16  ^ag with a simple command: Jesus’ authority extended beyond touch; his words brought healing and life.
8:17  ^ah He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases: When he took the sins of humanity, the Messiah also took our sickness. Sickness exists because sin is in the world, and one of the effects of Jesus’ taking our sin on the cross is physical healing (1 Pet 2:24  ^ai). Jesus’ healings and exorcisms demonstrated, in fulfillment of Scripture, that he is the Messiah (see Matt 11:2-6  ^aj; 12:28  ^ak; 1 Cor 11:29-30  ^al; Jas 5:13-16  ^am).
Summary for Matt 8:18-22: 8:18-22  ^an Jesus confronted two would-be followers with what it truly means to follow him.
8:19  ^ao The teachers of religious law had a prestigious vocation of preserving, learning, and interpreting the Scriptures for the good of society. The way to God was thought to be through them (15:13-14  ^ap; 23:13  ^aq).
8:20  ^ar Following Jesus is not easy; it involves more than intellectual mastery. Following Jesus entails being willing to forgo life’s normal comforts.
8:21  ^as Another of his disciples: This statement suggests that the teacher of 8:19  ^at was a disciple as well. Lord suggests a stronger commitment to Jesus.

• bury my father: This was one of the highest religious duties in Judaism, but Jesus requires total commitment to him.
8:22  ^au Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead: Jesus’ opponents would have misconstrued this instruction as blatant disregard for the fifth commandment to honor one’s parents (Exod 20:12  ^av), but in essence it is a restatement of the first commandment (Exod 20:1-3  ^aw). It was warranted by Jesus’ messianic authority and the impact of the Kingdom upon normal human life, including family ties and commitments (see Matt 10:34-39  ^ax; 12:46-50  ^ay; 19:29  ^az; Zech 13:3  ^ba; Luke 14:26-27  ^bb).
Summary for Matt 8:23-27: 8:23-27  ^bc The episode at sea extends the theme of what true discipleship involves. The storm challenged the disciples to entrust their very lives to Jesus for protection and deliverance. Jesus even has authority over dangerous weather and the sea (see Job 38:8-11  ^bd; Pss 29  ^be; 65:1-13  ^bf; 89:9  ^bg; 107:23-32  ^bh).
8:24  ^bi a fierce storm struck the lake: Sudden squalls are common on the Sea of Galilee, which is among mountains.
8:27  ^bj Who is this man? Salvation requires a proper answer to this question and active faith in him. Jesus’ disciples had still failed to understand.
Summary for Matt 8:28-34: 8:28-34  ^bk This episode focuses on Jesus’ authority as well as on the cost of following him; those who walk by faith will, like the Messiah, also experience opposition. 8:28  ^bl possessed by demons ... so violent: Demon-possession was often accompanied by violence, revulsion at the presence of the Son of God (8:29  ^bm), inability to speak (9:32  ^bn; 12:22  ^bo), blindness (12:22  ^bp), seizures (17:15  ^bq), and self-destructive behavior (17:15  ^br). With Jesus’ exorcisms, the power of the Kingdom broke into human history (12:28  ^bs).
8:29  ^bt Those controlled by Satan immediately recognized Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God (see Mark 1:24  ^bu) and answered the question asked by Jesus’ disciples when he had calmed the storm (Matt 8:27  ^bv). Elsewhere, Jesus’ true nature and identity are acknowledged by the Father (3:17  ^bw; 17:5  ^bx), Satan (4:3  ^by, 6  ^bz), humans (14:33  ^ca; 16:16  ^cb; 27:54  ^cc), and Christ himself (11:27  ^cd; 24:36  ^ce; 28:19  ^cf).

• God’s appointed time is the final, eternal damnation of all who oppose God (see Jude 1:6  ^cg; Rev 20:10  ^ch).
8:31  ^ci The demons were no match for Jesus’ authority; they desperately begged to avoid imminent doom.
8:32  ^cj Jesus’ word had sufficient authority to expel demons.

• drowned: Jesus had begun to defeat the enemy (12:28  ^ck; Luke 10:17-20  ^cl; Rom 16:20  ^cm; Col 2:15  ^cn).
8:34  ^co The tragedy of the incident is that those who witnessed the Son of God’s power to give salvation feared having their world upset, so they rejected him.

‏ Matthew 9:1-35

Summary for Matt 9:1-17: 9:1-17  ^cp Controversy ensued among Jesus’ opponents, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees (9:1-13  ^cq), and among the disciples of John the Baptist (9:14-17  ^cr). 9:1  ^cs His own town was Capernaum (Mark 2:1  ^ct), where he apparently relocated from Nazareth after being rejected there (Matt 4:13  ^cu; Luke 4:16-31  ^cv).
9:3  ^cw Does he think he’s God? God alone could forgive sins (Ps 103:3  ^cx; Isa 43:25  ^cy; Jer 50:20  ^cz). The teachers of religious law failed to comprehend Jesus’ mission as God’s incarnate Son (Matt 3:17  ^da; 11:25-27  ^db). As God’s Messiah (1:1  ^dc; 11:2-6  ^dd), he was saving mankind (8:17  ^de; 26:26-28  ^df).
9:5  ^dg It is easier for Jesus to pronounce forgiveness, since that might have no verifiable effects; it is harder to enable a paralytic to walk. The miracle, visible to all, corroborates Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and forces all who witness it to decide about Jesus.
9:6  ^dh So I will prove: Jesus performed the miracle to reveal his authority and identity as God’s Messiah (see 11:2-6  ^di; 12:28  ^dj).
9:8  ^dk The mixture of fear and praise in the crowd’s response corresponds to the awesome truth they perceived about Jesus. He is indeed the Son of God who has authority on earth to forgive sins (9:6  ^dl).
Summary for Matt 9:9-13: 9:9-13  ^dm Jesus, as Lord and Messiah, tore down the barriers that prevented righteous Jews from intermingling with those who were unclean or sinful. 9:9  ^dn Matthew was also called Levi (Mark 2:14  ^do). Matthew might have had two names, or he might have been given a new name by Jesus.
9:10  ^dp The Jewish people despised Jewish tax collectors (5:46-47  ^dq; 18:15-20  ^dr), who cooperated with Roman oppressors and were considered betrayers of the Israelite nation. Many also considered them unclean because of their frequent contact with Gentiles and because of the idolatrous images on Roman coins. Tax-collection was a private enterprise. In each district, Rome granted the right to collect taxes to the highest bidder (cp. Luke 19:1-10  ^ds). Anything collected above the bid was profit for the collectors, who, driven by greed, often used extortion.
9:13  ^dt I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices: God’s desire is applied to the question of table fellowship with sinners; Jesus’ mercy in eating with sinners contrasts with the Pharisees’ separation from sinners (symbolized as sacrifices).

• Jesus revealed the true spiritual condition of the Pharisees, who think they are righteous; they failed to recognize that they were in fact unrighteous and in need of the Messiah’s salvation. See 7:1-5  ^du; 8:11-12  ^dv; 19:30  ^dw; 20:16  ^dx; 21:43  ^dy.
9:14  ^dz fast: Fasting expressed personal humility and repentance (2 Sam 12:16-23  ^ea; Dan 9:3  ^eb). It called attention to the national need for repentance (Lev 16:29-31  ^ec; Neh 9:1  ^ed) and probably sought to hasten the arrival of the Messiah through purification. The fact that Jesus and his disciples did not fast (Matt 11:18-19  ^ee) subtly proclaimed that the Messiah had already arrived (see also 6:16  ^ef).
9:15  ^eg wedding guests ... groom: John the Baptist had also described the Messiah and his disciples in this way (John 3:29  ^eh), drawing on Old Testament imagery to reveal Jesus’ status (see Matt 25:1-13  ^ei; Isa 54:5-6  ^ej).

• taken away: This is Jesus’ first prediction of his violent death (see Matt 16:21  ^ek; 17:12  ^el, 22-23  ^em; 20:18-19  ^en; 26:2  ^eo, 26-35  ^ep; Isa 53:8  ^eq).

• then they will fast: Jesus may be referring to the disciples’ sorrow immediately after his crucifixion, or to the disciples’ lifestyle after his death and resurrection (see Acts 9:9  ^er; 13:2-3  ^es; 14:23  ^et; 27:9  ^eu, 33  ^ev).
Summary for Matt 9:16-17: 9:16-17  ^ew These riddle-like parables contrast the new covenant that Jesus has established (26:26-29  ^ex) with the old covenant, especially in relation to such rituals as fasting. Jesus consummates, but does not abolish, the law (5:17-20  ^ey; see Gal 2:21  ^ez; 5:4  ^fa). Yet the new covenant requires new practices.
Summary for Matt 9:18-34: 9:18-34  ^fb Jesus is the Messiah whose power knows no boundaries. He calls people to have faith in him. 9:18  ^fc lay your hand on her: The laying-on of hands is a visible symbol of prayer for God’s power to flow into someone, often resulting in new life or ministries (19:13  ^fd; Num 27:18-23  ^fe; Deut 34:9  ^ff).

• The man believed that Jesus had the power to raise the dead (cp. 1 Kgs 17:8-24  ^fg; 2 Kgs 4:18-37  ^fh).
9:20  ^fi The woman’s constant bleeding rendered her always ceremonially unclean and made whoever she touched unclean as well (Lev 15:25-30  ^fj). But instead of rendering Jesus unclean, her touching him made her clean, a stunning reversal that illustrates Jesus’ power to redeem and sanctify (see Matt 14:36  ^fk; Mark 3:10  ^fl).

• fringe: The tassels at the bottom of a tunic (Matt 23:5  ^fm; Num 15:37-41  ^fn) reminded Jews to live in accord with God’s law.
9:22  ^fo Your faith has made you well (literally has saved you): Physical healing demonstrated her spiritual salvation (see 8:17  ^fp).
9:23  ^fq noisy crowd ... funeral music: Sorrow over the death of a family member was publicly expressed, with musical accompaniment and dirges by professional mourners. “Even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman” (Mishnah Ketubbot 4:4  ^fr).
9:24  ^fs Though she was physically dead, from Jesus’ perspective the girl was just asleep—she would soon be raised back to life (see Isa 26:19  ^ft; John 11:11-14  ^fu, 25  ^fv; 1 Thes 4:14  ^fw).
9:27  ^fx Eye diseases were common in the ancient world. Blindness was often considered to be divine punishment (see Exod 4:11  ^fy; Deut 28:28  ^fz; 2 Kgs 6:18  ^ga; John 9:2-3  ^gb). The Old Testament predicts that the Messiah’s coming would bring restoration of sight for the blind (Matt 11:4-5  ^gc; Isa 29:18-19  ^gd; 35:5-6  ^ge).

• Son of David is a messianic title particularly associated with miraculous healings (see Matt 1:1  ^gf; 12:23  ^gg; 15:22  ^gh; 20:30-31  ^gi; 2 Sam 7:12-16  ^gj).
9:28  ^gk Jesus intended his question to elicit confessions of faith from the two men.
Summary for Matt 9:32-34: 9:32-34  ^gl The Messiah’s acts invoke faith, astonishment, and derisive rejection. 9:32  ^gm Enabling the deaf to hear and the mute to speak is a sign of the Kingdom of God (11:4-5  ^gn; Isa 35:5-6  ^go).
Summary for Matt 9:35-11:1: 9:35–11:1  ^gp Jesus here extends his ministry (shown in 4:23–9:34  ^gq) to others within Israel through his disciples (10:5-6  ^gr). Jesus’ instructions to his disciples (10:5-42  ^gs) focus on missionary activity and its consequent opposition and hardship. 9:35  ^gt This verse connects with the section begun at 4:23  ^gu. Matthew has presented Jesus to his readers as the Messiah who teaches, preaches, heals, casts out demons, and calls for a decisive response of faith.