Monsterlizard - Born Again

Matthew 10 is a short chapter, but I have found much light in it.  Here, the 12 apostles are given the charge from Jesus to carry his message to the people of Israel.  They are told to do no more than He has done.  They are also told to be on guard for those who do not wish to hear the truth.

Jesus tells them to seek out worthy people and to leave the dust of the unworthy, like an ancient investigation committee.  He also tells them to proclaim from the rooftops what He shows us in the dark or whispers in our ear.

I think the biggest eye opener for me in this chapter is that Jesus says “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34).  Jesus did not come to solve the problems of the earth, but to prepare His people for the kingdom of God.  Not everyone will enter.  Members of our family today may not be worthy to join us.  We must love Him over ourselves, but more especially over our family.

Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”  28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
      ”Yes, Lord,” they replied.

 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

 34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

The Workers Are Few

 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:27-38)

Here is our charge brothers and sisters, to be sent out as workers into the harvest field.  I am trying hard every day to talk about Jesus to at least one person.  The seeds must be planted for the harvest to grow.  One person can do this, if everyone just brings a friend.

18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.  20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

 22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

 23When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region. (Matthew 9:18-26)

Here, the Bible is explaining that through Jesus, you can be saved from your sins (represented by 12 years of bleeding) with only Faith in Jesus.  It is also showing that Jesus has the ability to stop death.  Faith in Jesus will give you life forever.

14Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

 16“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:14-17)

I believe this is Jesus explaining to people performing “the old laws” and explaining that God does not want such things, but that there is a new Covenant.

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.  10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?”

 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

I think I have found my favorite verse But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13)  This really jumped out at me.  I found the corresponding verse that Jesus was talking about and it was Hosea 6:6. 
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
       and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

That got me reading Hosea 6, which I am sure was Jesus’ reason for citing it.  More to come on that book later.

Well I think we really need to remember “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” because sometimes I think we do things more as a sacrifice to God than as mercy to others which Jesus is commanding.  Are we going to church to show mercy to others who may need it that day, or are we sacrificing our Sunday for something we would rather be doing?

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 
3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. (Matthew 9:1-8)

I remember this story from RE (Religious Education) when I was growing up.  I remember hearing about this man’s friends lowering him from a hole in the roof.  This had to have been a rather difficult task.  First, they had to get him to the roof.  Then, I assume there wasn’t a crane or pulley system already in place, so I picture in my mind several men holding a rope on the roof and lowering the weight of a fully grown man to the ground.  They were so sure in their faith of Jesus and his ability to heal, they were willing to endure that hardship to see that the man met Jesus. 

However, Jesus does not simply heal the man and move on.  He says, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven”.  In Jesus’ eyes, the problem of sin trumped that of any physical ailments.  It isn’t until this that teachers of the law call Jesus out (without realizing that he hears them).  Then, in order to prove to men his authority, he physically heals the man.  This is because we cannot as men see the forgiveness of sin.

I think this passage is less about Jesus healing a paralyzed man, and more about leading people to Jesus so that their sins can be forgiven.  We as Christians are always trying to get people to Jesus, even through great difficulty that can be paralleled to the men lowering someone from a rooftop.  However, we have to remember that in doing so we shouldn’t be so focused on the fact that they have earthly problems that we know Jesus can heal.  We should be focused on the fact that Jesus will forgive their sins, which is a much greater concern than those short term problems people have on Earth.

Jesus Calms the Storm

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 
26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 
27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27)

The Healing of Two Demon-possessed Men

28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” 
30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 
32He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (Matthew 8:28-34)

These 2 sections show a strange parallel to me.  Matthew 8:23-27 shows men were traveling with Jesus, but didn’t beleive or understand that we was the Son of God.  Even when he commands the wind and waves they ask, “what kind of man is this?”  This in and of itself is not strange.  I think if some random man came around and was teaching what Jesus taught and then he mad the wind stop, I would wonder what kind of man he was too.

Matthew 8:28-34 shows deamons talking to Jesus who call him “Son of God”.  What better proof that he is God’s Son that for his enemies to call him that.

18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 
20Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 
21Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 
22But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22)

Jesus knows that it takes effort to follow Him.  Anyone can say they know Him, but true followers have to sacrifice possessions (a place to lay his head) and (let the dead bury their own dead).  He is explaining that we do not need to worry about physical things.

14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 
 16When 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. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
   ”He took up our infirmities
      and carried our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14-17)

The first thing that amazed me when reading this was that Peter’s mother-in-law after being healed “got up and began to wait on him.”  I know when I am sick and get better, the last thing I want to do is wait on someone.

Now verse 16 has me wondering what does it mean “daemon-possessed”.  Was it a scene from the Exorcist, or was it healing someone with a sickness?  I don’t think I will ever really know, but that is my new quest.  If anyone has an Old Testament reading they can lead me to, I would really appreciate it.

Finally, I looked up the passage in Isaiah that is referred to in verse 17, it comes from Isaiah 53.  This chapter fortells the coming of Jesus, and too the letter explains his life:

1 Who has believed our message
       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 
 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 
 3 He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 
 4 Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted. 
 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed. 
 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all. 
 7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth. 
 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken.  
 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth. 
 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 
 11 After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
       by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities. 
 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,  
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong,  
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53) 

5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,  
6and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 
7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 

8But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9“For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

10Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 
11“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
12but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.  (Matthew 8:5-13)

Two huge things happen here.  First, Jesus is showing that he has come to save everyone who believes in Him.  It is not longer the Jews against the world, but man with Jesus against sin.  And second, that to be saved requires no more than absolute faith in Christ.  The centurion knew that Jesus could heal his servant with having to be there and do some magic.  Because of that faith, his servant was healed.