Reading: Matthew 8.1-17
All of us face life with a whole series of “givens” – the things about ourselves, our families, our time in history, our society, our world... that seem to be the .fixed unchangeable factors in our situation. Do you wish it were different? Have you got a personal list of all the things that you would change if you could?
We recall from our school days the story of the Danish king named Canute who ruled over England in the years 1014-1035. The encyclopaedia says he was “a wise and effective ruler, [who] reconciled with the English and maintained peace with the Continental powers.” But the story we remember is that King Canute became tired of hearing his retainers flatter him with extravagant praises of his greatness, power and invincibility. So he ordered his chair to be set down on the seashore, where he commanded the waves not to come in and wet him. No matter how forcefully he ordered the tide not to come in, however, his order was not obeyed. Soon the waves lapped around his chair. One historian tells us that, thereafter, he never wore his crown again, but hung it on a statue of the crucified Christ.
I suppose we have all heard that prayer, “Lord, give me the courage to change the things that I can change, the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.” That is a helpful prayer, though I feel it doesn’t really go far enough. There is an important option missing. Is the Lord just the comforter of our souls? or is there place in prayer for calling on him to do what he alone can do? There are things that he expects us to do, but it is vitally important that we be open to him in those areas where he alone can work.
Today’s reading introduces us to some of the healing miracles of Jesus. Later in the chapter we read of the stilling of the storm. We hear the disciples’ amazement, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8.27)
It will be some time yet before Peter makes his great affirmation, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” (recorded in 16.16), before his controversial, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8.58), before Thomas’s believing words, “My Lord and my God!” (20.28)... “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
In Philippians 2, Paul writes of Jesus, “He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a man and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death – his death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honour of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father” (Phi1ippians 2.6-11).
Notice the words Paul uses. “He gave up all he had” – literally, he emptied himself. “He was humble” – literally, he humbled himself.
Jesus could still say, “I and the Father are one” and “Before Abraham was, I am”.
He “always had the nature of God”. He didn’t give up the nature of God by becoming a human being. But he did give up his heavenly power and glory. He “took the nature of a servant”, living a life of a human being – the life of obedience to the Father. Is that how we think of the normal human life, a life of obedience to God? We see only the life of human autonomy and rebellion. It is only in Jesus that we see human life lived as God always intended it to be lived.
But, we complain, he was the Son of God – it was easy for Jesus! Yet in Hebrews 4.15 he is described as one who is “able to feel sympathy with our weaknesses”, who was “tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin”. No! For his time on earth, he had emptied himself, given up all he had, he had humbled himself – so that he was living on earth with the same resources available to him that would be available to every humble obedient human being. On the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James and John had a momentary glimpse of his radiant glory, but elsewhere it is completely hidden. Even in the garden of Gethsemane, we see him refusing to call down twelve armies of angels to protect him (Matthew 26.53).
So when we consider Jesus’ ministry of healing, we are not looking at the amazing acts of the Son of God, but at divine healing mediated through the one who has perfectly lived in communion with, in obedience to and in dependence on the Father. We see both the approach to healing used by Jesus and the response of those who received healing.
First we have the case of the man suffering from a dreaded skin disease (8.1-4) – “leprosy” in the old Bible. Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease, as it is now called after the Norwegian physician who identified the leprosy bacillus in 1874, is a chronic, infectious disease of human beings that primarily affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves. In both the Old and New Testaments the name leprosy is given to a number of physical conditions unrelated to leprosy. The victim was said to be in a state of tsara’ath, or defilement. This Hebrew term was later translated as lepros, from which came the word leprosy. This is why the Good News Bible talks about “a dreaded skin disease”.
The leper was required to live outside society and to warn anyone not to approach, because he was “unclean”.
We can imagine the crowd stepping back as this man dares to rush up to Jesus pleading to be “made clean”. He believes that Jesus can heal him “if you want to”. He himself comes to Jesus with expectant, confident faith. Jesus does the unthinkable and touches the leper. He is healed, but he is to submit himself to the examination of the priest so that his healing can be confirmed. Otherwise he would not be accepted back into society.
The second case has to do with the servant of a Roman officer (vv. 5-13). As Jesus enters Capernaum, he is met by a Roman officer who begs him, “My servant is sick in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly.” Jesus offers to go and make him well. The officer protests, “I don’t deserve to have you come into my house.” He is not asking Jesus to break with Jewish practices about contact with Gentiles. But, even more, he, a Roman officer, is deferring to Jesus whose greatness he senses. We recall another Roman officer – at the crucifixion – who said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
But, Jesus, you don’t need to come – “Just give the order, and my servant will get well.” Strikingly, his reason for saying this is, “I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and 1 order that one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” He is not portraying Jesus as a superman who can do anything, but believes Jesus is able to heal him because he is living under the authority of God the Father.
Jesus recognises in this Roman officer a faith greater than he has found anywhere among the Jews – a reminder that the call of the gospel is for all who believe and a warning that being a Jew doesn’t guarantee anyone a place in the Kingdom. “Go home, and what you believe will be done for you.” The servant was healed that very moment – on the basis of his master’s faith in Jesus. The servant may well have believed too. We aren’t told that. We simply know came in faith on behalf of his servant and he was healed.
We then have the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 14-15) – “He touched her hand; the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.” Then in the evening many were brought to him for healing (vv. 16-17) – “Jesus drove out the evil spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” Matthew saw this as a fulfilment of Isaiah 53.4, “He himself took our sickness and carried away our diseases” – a passage we must come back to in a moment.
Chapter 9 recounts the healing of a paralysed man (9.1-8). Again there is mention of the faith of the people who brought him, together with reference to the forgiveness of sins. Jesus does not subscribe to the view that all sickness is the result of human sin. He recognises in this case, however, that some specific sin or sins have contributed to the man’s paralysis and that forgiveness must precede cure.
Later in the chapter, we read of the woman who had suffered from severe bleeding who touched the edge of his cloak (vv. 20-22). She was immediately healed as she exercised faith. It was after she was healed that Jesus reassured her “Your faith has made you well” – her wholeness was now complete.
That took place on the way to the raising of the official’s daughter (vv. 18-19,23-26) – Mark and Luke tell us the official’s name was Jairus. The father has confidence in Jesus – “My daughter has just died; but come and place your hands on her, and she will live” (v. 18). Already when they arrive at the house, the official mourners are there. Jesus sends them out, goes into the room, takes the girl by the hand and she gets up.
Later Jesus is met with two blind men who call out for his pity (vv. 27-31). “Do you believe that I can heal you?” “Yes, sir!” “Let it happen, then, just as you believe!” – words that remind us what Jesus said to the Roman official – and their sight is restored.
Recounting the stories in these two chapters can seem a little like watching Test Cricket on the television news. We see either a whole series of brilliant fours and sixes, or else watch the wickets fall in quick succession!
What are we to say of the healing ministry today? There are a number of things we need to understand.
God still heals in answer to our prayer. He is the Healer.
We need to be open to every miracle God may give in response to our prayer – which may include a miraculous intervention, a speeding up of natural processes which God has designed into our bodies often assisted by drugs and medical remedies, guidance to a specific cure, the all-sufficient grace of God in living with physical disability.
The healings we experience in this life are partial and a foretaste of heaven. That little girl undoubtedly grew up to mature adulthood, but – she died again! So did Lazarus whom Jesus raised. This mortal body cannot inherit immortality. It is, as Paul said, like a tent. In time, the fabric of this body will be destroyed. Then God will give us “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”. One writer calls this “the triumphant crossing”. It is the final healing of all our brokenness.
We are to come in confident faith to our loving Father – for ourselves, for our loved ones and friends, for those to whom we minister...
© Peter J. Blackburn,
Buderim Uniting Church, 7 May 1995
Except where
otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Good
News Bible, © American Bible Society,
1992.
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