What I Noticed Today (Matthew 8; Mark 2)
Matthew 8
In Matthew 8, Jesus displays the power of the Son of God as a way of convincing those who were following him that He was who He said He was with five dramatic miracles.
In verses 1-4, as Jesus came down from the mountain, a leper presented himself to Jesus, asking to be cleansed. Jesus healed his leprosy and told him to present himself to the priests as proof of the cleansing.
Note: In the history of Israel, no one had ever been cured of leprosy. By sending the man to the priests, Jesus provided testimony to his claims.
In verses 5-13, a Roman centurion (an officer commanding 100 soldiers) presented himself to Jesus and asked for his paralyzed servant to be healed. The centurion’s faith was so great that he believed Jesus could heal just by speaking the command to be healed. The man was healed the moment Jesus spoke the command.
In verses 14-17, Jesus entered Peter’s house and found Peter’s mother-in-law sick. Her fever left her when Jesus touched her. Later that evening, many came to be healed and to have demons cast out, and He healed them all. This was in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4-6.
In verses 18-22, a scribe (a teacher of the Law) approached Jesus and said he would follow him, but Jesus said he did not even have a place to lay his head.
Note: I believe Jesus knew the man’s objective was to gain prominence by following a man of prominence. Jesus wanted only those who followed Him out of belief in who He was, the Son of Man.
A second man, already a disciple, said he would follow Jesus, but needed to bury his father first. Jesus told the man to follow him and let the dead bury their own dead.
Note: The man’s father was not dead. He thought he could go home until his father died and then begin to follow Jesus. Jesus said those who are spiritually dead could bury those who are physically dead.
In verses 23-27, Jesus and the disciples set sail across the sea of Galilee. As he slept, a great storm rose up, and Jesus rebuked the wind and the seas and brought calm.
Note: The men’s question of what sort of man is this was answered by what Jesus had done. He had demonstrated his power over the forces of nature as only the Creator could.
In verses 28-34, Jesus and the disciples arrived across the sea in the region of Gadarenes (some translations say Gergesenes or Garasenes). Two demon-possessed men presented themselves to Jesus. The demons recognized and referred to Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus cast the demons out of the men into a nearby herd of pigs who then drowned themselves in the sea. When the people of the city heard what had happened, they all came out to meet Jesus and begged him to leave their region.
The people were more concerned with maintaining their possessions (not losing any more of their pigs) than their own salvation.
Note: Gadarenes is in the region of the tribe of Gad. If these people were Jews, they had no business being in the pig business (Leviticus 11:17, pigs are unclean).
Mark 2
In verses 1-12, after returning to Capernaum, people found Jesus (probably in Simon’s house), and He taught them. While he was teaching them, four men carrying a paralyzed friend dug a hole through the roof of the house and lowered the man on a mat down to Jesus, asking that he be healed. Because of their faith, Jesus said to the man your sins are forgiven. Scribes in the audience viewed this as blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. Because of the Scribes’ doubt, Jesus then also healed the man who got up and walked out. (See also Matthew 9:1-8)
Note: Typical homes had a flat roof with a set of outside stairs leading up to the roof.
In verses 13-17, Jesus went out to the Sea of Galilee, where a large crowd assembled, and He taught them. As he was going, Jesus passed Levi, a tax collector, the son of Alphaeus, and called him to follow him. Levi immediately followed Jesus. Jesus had dinner with Levi and other tax collectors, and when the Scribes and Pharisees saw this, they wondered what kind of man eats with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus replied it is not the well who need a physician but the sick. He came not to call the righteous but the sinners. (See also Matthew 9:9-13)
In verses 18-22, people came to Jesus, asking why John’s disciples and the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus’ disciples did not. Jesus answered the wedding guests do not fast while the bridegroom is with them. When the bridegroom is not there, they will fast.
Note: Jesus is the bridegroom, and the day in which he is taken away is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Fasting was a time of sorrow, so the guests (believers) would not be sorrowful while the bridegroom was still there.
Two parables of Jesus:
- Jesus refers to the unshrunk cloth. No one puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, or it will tear away.
- Jesus refers to a wineskin. One does not put new wine in an old wineskin, or it will burst.
(See also Matthew 9:14-17)
Note: The point of these parables is one does not try to “fix” an old system (the religion of Judaism). The new replaces the old. Salvation available through faith in Jesus Christ replaced the old system of Judaism.
In verses 23-28, on a Sabbath day, Jesus and the disciples were walking through a grain field, and while they were going, they plucked some heads of grain and ate. The Pharisees said this was illegal (it was considered work which was not allowed on the Sabbath). Jesus responded to the Pharisees reminded them that David took the showbread from the temple, which was legal only for the priests to eat (1 Samuel 21:1-6). (See also Matthew 12:1-8)
Jesus said, 1) the Sabbath was made by God for man’s benefit not to be a burden, and 2) the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Note: Mark is the only Gospel writer to record the statement in verses 27-28 about the Son of Man having authority over the Sabbath.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
