Matthew 8:1-4

Matthew 8:1-4
The last words we read in chapter 7 is that the multitudes were astonished at the teaching of Jesus because He spoke as one having authority. However, to speak as one having authority is not the same as actually proving oneself to have that authority. Therefore, Matthew arranges his next two chapters in a way to prove the authority of Jesus by presenting nine miraculous incidents. These incidents appear to be grouped in three’s with a comment about the reaction of the people at the end of each group. At the end of the first three miracles, Matthew records a scribe saying he will follow Jesus wherever He goes (8:19). At the end of the second grouping the “multitudes marveled and glorified God (9:8). At the conclusion of the third group of miracles the multitudes exclaimed, “It has never been seen like this in Israel!” (9:33).In the first three miracles recorded by Matthew we learn the character of the King. When Jesus wants to prove His authority, He does not begin by setting up a political campaign and associating with the “greats” in Israel. Instead, He goes to the outcasts: a leper, a Gentile, and a woman. These are the people that were most despised by the Jewish leaders. They were the least, but they were also the ones who were symbolic of those who would become citizens of His kingdom.

Consider this leper. Never has a disease so separated a man from his community as this disease. Such a person was banished from all societal interaction. The disease was dreaded and from the moment of being diagnosed the victim was treated as dead. Now notice what Jesus did, “And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper.” This is a shocking sentence. No Jew would have ever touched a leper. But this isn’t just about a healing, it is about who Jesus seeks and accepts. Christians can so easily take pride in their well-dressed, middle-class churches while ignoring the poor and those who do not fit in with their standards and lifestyle. Even churches who would not purposely exclude such people have arranged themselves in a way that only people like them feel accepted. If we are to be like our Master, we will follow His example in offering His cleansing to those who most recognize their need.
Berry Kercheville