Life Project Blog

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”

Matthew 8:14-17

In our last passage, we saw that the Kingdom would extend not only to Jews but to Gentiles as well; here we see that where the Kingdom goes, healing follows.

Jesus is a visitor in Peter’s house in this scene, which gives us an interesting little bit of insight into Peter’s life. I’m sure that you recall that Peter, who was a commercial fisherman, dropped everything to follow Jesus as soon as Jesus called him.  The disciples of Jesus were very young men, and we often pick up on that and almost discount the fact that they left their lives and careers to become His disciples, but here, almost in passing we see that Peter also had a house, a wife… were there children?… and his mother-in-law was in residence there. Peter had family depending on him for support, and yet he dropped everything to follow Jesus.

I’ll just pause a moment to let that sink in…

It seems that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with some kind of fever, but Jesus touched her and she was healed, and then she got up and began to wait on Him.

Maybe I should pause again while that one sinks in…

That evening, people began to come around; they brought many who were demon possessed, and Jesus drove out the demons. They brought the sick, and Jesus healed the sick; yes sir, the Kingdom of Heaven was in town. As is Matthew’s way, he ties this in with the prophetic past of Israel, citing the prophecy of Isaiah who looked forward to that very day (Isa. 53:4).

When the Kingdom comes along, nothing is ever the same again.

Matthew 8:5-13

As Jesus moved about proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, many amazing things took place; Kingdom things. In the last section we saw the significance of Jesus’ healing of the leper, and here we will see something just as amazing.

Jesus was walking along one day when a Roman Centurion approaches Him with a request. Jews didn’t care much for Gentiles, as you know, and Roman military officers were certainly no exception. The Centurion asks Jesus to heal his (gentile) servant. An appropriate Jewish response would be something like “buzz off jerk”, but Jesus didn’t respond that way…

Jesus’ response to the news that the servant was paralyzed and suffering was to ask the man if He should proceed directly to his house!

Jews did not enter the homes of Gentiles.

The Centurion’s reply amazed even Jesus: in essence it was no, that won’t be necessary, just give the command and all will be well. The Centurion was a military officer who knew all about giving orders and having them obeyed, after all. Jesus’ response this comment is classic:

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 8:10-12

This unclean, dirty, nasty dog of a Gentile displayed more faith than any Jew Jesus had met up to that time, and such was the requirement to enter the Kingdom. Jesus goes on to tell the people that there would be many Gentiles (many will come from the east and the west) in the Kingdom, and that many “Jews” will be left out of it (the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth) This verse references the “subjects” of the (earthly) kingdom (of Israel) who will reject Jesus in the future and be left outside of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Obviously, this would blow the minds of most Jews of the time, but as we know, the Kingdom is a place of healing for Jew and Gentile alike, should they choose to place their faith in Jesus, and by doing so, place their faith in God who sent Him.

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said.“Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 8:1-4

With this passage, we enter into the next section of Matthew’s Gospel (8:1-9:35). Before we jump in, let’s take stock of what we have seen so far. Back in chapter 4 our author told us that Jesus had gone forth proclaiming the Kingdom after His baptism by John and testing in the Wilderness. Where Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, certain amazing things would take place, but as of yet, Matthew hasn’t told us in detail about them. In chapters 5-7, we read exactly what Jesus was teaching in these sessions proclaiming the Kingdom, and we discovered a revolutionary new kind of life for citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. In chapters 8 and 9 we are going to see exactly the kinds of things that were going on when Jesus proclaimed Kingdom and taught His new way of life. We will see ten miracles in this section, miracles that demonstrate the power, authority and divinity of Jesus, along with the healing power of the Kingdom that He embodied.

In the passage above, Jesus heals a leper. The healing of a leper was a big deal for several reasons. First, there was no cure for the disease, second, it made a person “unclean” in the ceremonial sense of the Law which meant that they were not permitted to touch anyone or participate in the religious life of the community, and in that sense, they were also cut off from the worship of God. In an apocalyptic sense, to be a leper is like being a sinner; to be healed of leprosy is symbolic of being redeemed from sin and restored to fellowship with both Man and God. Thus, when Jesus healed a leper, we have a “type” of His cleansing us from our sin.

In this story, we would do well to take special note of two things: First, the man came to Jesus in faith: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The only question in the man’s mind was whether or not Jesus was willing to save him, not whether or not Jesus could save him; oh that we should have such faith!

Second, after Jesus had healed the man, notice that Jesus admonished him not to run around telling everyone about it. Jesus wasn’t doing this sort of thing to make a name for Himself as our world would understand such things, for He already had the Name that is above all names. Then, Jesus instructs the man to go to Jerusalem and offer the prescribed sacrifice at the Temple, as a testimony of his healing and redemption. In doing this, Jesus demonstrated that He was among men to do the work of His Father, and that in due course, He Himself would be the sacrifice that would redeem all Mankind from their sin, restoring humanity to fellowship with God.

Next time, we will see if only Jews can place their faith in Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven…

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a parable of two men who built houses. One was wise and built his house on a solid foundation of rock, while the other was foolish and built upon the sand; we all know what happened when the storms came…

Of course Jesus wasn’t teaching an engineering class; He has a greater purpose, to be sure. His message here is really the summation and conclusion of His remarks: You’ve heard the teaching, now put it into practice. Putting His message into practice is the meaning of building the house on a solid foundation; not doing so is the meaning of building in the sand.

In the previous part, I made much of the idea that having a relationship with our Lord will result in a response on our parts and Jesus is in a sense saying the same thing here: Put my words into practice that is the response that grace demands. Make no mistake, Jesus’ purpose in making this address was not to get His name in the history books as a “great moral teacher”, it was to see lives change.

So, to conclude our look at His teachings in chapters 5-7, we are at the very same place His original hearers were: how will we respond?

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

Right after He comments on false prophets, Jesus has a few things to say about false disciples. Many people say they believe in Jesus without doing the Father’s will; that isn’t going to cut it on the last day. I want to be careful here not to give the impression that I am suggesting that they somehow haven’t earned their salvation, for salvation is not something we earn; it is God’s free gift. However, receiving grace demands a response, and it seems to me that Jesus is telling us that where there is no response other than saying, “yeah sure, I believe in Jesus,” and then going on with business as usual, we have a false disciple. I say this because of the discussion in the last section; look at the fruit. If there is not fruit, then you are no disciple.

There are many groups out there who claim to be Christian, but who are not. There are many religious leaders who take on the form and appearance of following Jesus, but who do not, and they have many followers who do likewise, and are not followers of Jesus at all, in spite of what they may claim. This is what Jesus is warning us about.

Take particular note of verse 23 where He tells how it is that He knows this: “I never knew you”. Do you see the relational aspect of that? To “know” Jesus is to be in relationship with Him; it is quite a different matter than simply “believing in” Him… as the Devil and his demons do.

Here is a trustworthy saying: Relationship with Jesus always brings about a response; where there is no response, there is most likely no relationship.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 7:15-20

As Jesus continues His exhortations here at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we come to another zinger, false prophets bearing fruit. Jesus makes a very simple case in these verses: trees bear the fruit they are supposed to bear; apple trees bear apples, lemon trees bear lemons. If an apple tree bears lemons, you should be on guard!

False prophets, likewise, do not bear good fruit; instead they bear bad fruit. If they teach hate and discord, their followers will spread hate and discord. If they teach sexual immorality, so will their followers. If you aren’t sure about a prophet or teacher, observe their followers. If their followers are not following “The Way” then get out of there.

Remember what happens when the Kingdom of Heaven was preached by Jesus: The results were stunning… healing, love, wholeness, sight, chasing out evil spirits, and above all Truth.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

I find that I am often confused when I listen to or read modern day attitudes and notions, and maybe the reason for this is that they are… well, confusing.

During my secular education and training, there was the appearance of great academic freedom; all the teachers preached it, all the professors demanded it. Listening to the popular media, freedom of expression and freedom of thought are touted as the right paths. I was always taught that to be broad-minded was good, and that to be narrow-minded was bad; free-thinkers were to be lauded, if not always copied…

Yet I was a curious child and an observant youth; as a child I suspected they really didn’t mean it, and as a youth I came to recognize that it was all a complete and total lie. As an adult, I shrug my shoulders; there is nothing more hilarious than a politician talking about free and open discussion while following the “party line”.

You see, as a child, I quickly came to see that freedom of expression didn’t apply to my views, only those of the teacher. As a youth I came to see that “academic freedom” meant that we must all conform to one view, and now?

My wife’s views on controversial social issues (say, gay marriage for example) are contained in a policy directive from her employer. Even in church I have been criticized for saying things that aren’t “politically correct”! “Tone it down Don or you’ll offend someone.”

Seriously?

Can you think of anything that is more politically incorrect that openly being a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ?

Maybe you can, but I can’t.

Yet how many times have I been told that being a Christian is “narrow-minded”?

I never really kept a tally, but I sure would like to have a dollar for each one…

That broad road that Jesus mentioned in verse 13…?

It’s a lie.

The narrow gate? That dear reader is the only way to the Father.

So, all I can say is go ahead and call me a narrow-minded… or close-minded fool if you like, Mr. Politically Correct; I’ll take that as a sign that I’m on the right track… as you check your latest policy memo to be sure you are pulling the latest party line.

You know dear reader; there are days when blogging is really too much fun!

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12

Ah yes, the “Golden Rule”; everyone knows this one…

The main body of the Sermon on the Mount runs from 5:17 through 7:11, and is summed up here in verse 12 with the “rule” that fulfills all of “the Law and the Prophets”. Who can argue with it?

Yet for us to really understand what Jesus said here, we must recognize that it is much more than a summation; it is a radical call for every man and woman to turn upside down the way we view everything. If we really stop to consider the ramifications of this… wow! Oh yes, dear reader, it is a very simple and straightforward notion; treat everyone the way you want to be treated, you were probably taught this from early childhood… but who really does it?

Oh well, I treat my friends that way; but what about those other people, those who aren’t “nice”?

“Well, obviously hat’s different.”

Did Jesus say that? I don’t see it, do you?

If I am having a bad day, I would like you to be understanding and be nice anyway, but when you’re having a bad day, I think I can be a jerk right back.

When I need a helping hand, I want you to help me out, but when you need a hand, I must check my schedule; I might be too busy.

I’m guessing you get the idea…

This verse is a radical statement about putting love into action, and it isn’t worded as though it were a suggestion. This is how people were to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven when they saw it; its people were to be quite different from everyone else, in fact, it is the very definition of being “like Christ” which, it may interest you to know, is the sign of the New Covenant, theologically speaking. People would know who the descendants of Abraham were, for they bore the sign of circumcision, people would know who the Jews were, for they observed the Sabbath, and they would know who the followers of Jesus were, because they acted like Jesus.

So, how are we really doing with that?

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11

These verses emphasize prayer and our relationship with God. Notice the present imperatives in verse 7: ask, seek and knock; as present tense imperatives, they are commands that demand a persistent action. They are found next to the passive “will be given” and “will be opened” that anticipate God’s response. Verse 8 provides a balance in which the present participles “asks, seeks, knocks” are balanced with three verbs, “receives, finds, and opened” which demonstrates God’s responsiveness to the persistence we show in seeking His presence. If you stop and think about this, Jesus is telling us something wonderful here: Not only is it possible for us to enter into God’s presence, but God is expecting us to seek Him out, as though He might see us there and say something like, “Well there you are, welcome!”

Verses 9-11 amplify this with the example of a human parent who will do what is beneficial for their child, using the simple logic that if a fallen and imperfect human will see to the needs of a child, God, who is neither fallen nor imperfect, can be trusted to bless His children to the fullest extent.

When I was a child, my impression of God was of a God who was inapproachable, and everything I saw in church reinforced that notion. There was a great deal of bowing and kneeling going on, the preacher never prayed in any manner that seemed “normal” to me, it always seemed like he was afraid, saying things like “our gracious and most merciful Father” at the beginning of a prayer as though he was afraid of being struck dead at his audacity to even address an Almighty God who was never pleased by anything. Even as a little kid, I wasn’t especially fond of this God; He was just too scary!

I don’t know about you, but I am sure glad that this is not the kind of God Jesus is telling us about here!