QT 09/01/2024 Tuesday Matthew 8
QT 09/01/2024 Tuesday Matthew 8
http://www.esvbible.org/matt8
What are the responses to Jesus' First Sermon (The Sermon on the Mount) from Matt 5-7?
Firstly, Matthew highlights that even the "unclean" can come to Jesus. Even though Leviticus 13:46 says that "He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp".
BUT in Matt 8:2, the leper (an "unclean" person according to the Levitical law) came to Jesus and asked to be made CLEAN, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." The leper must live outside the camp, but he was now MADE CLEAN by Jesus (Matt 8:3).
Secondly, Matthew highlights that EVEN the PAGAN Roman soldiers' commanding officer (centurion in verse Matt 8:8) was able to believe and accepted Jesus' authority.
Even though Jesus enters his HOME TOWN Capernaum (Matt 8:5, also Matt 4:13), he concluded that "I have NOT found ANYONE IN ISRAEL with such great faith" (Matt 8:10). The one who exhibited faith and commended by Jesus was not someone from "the house of Israel", but was in fact a centurion pagan/Gentile.
Thirdly, Matthew highlights that Jews ARE NOT EXCLUDED from healing. Matthew again refers to Isaiah as pointing to Jesus (Matt 8:17) in response to what is happening.
In fact, many in Matt 8 came to Jesus for healing, be it fever (Matt 8:14), regardless of gender or age (Matt 8:14), demon-possessed (Matt 8:16), or sickness (Matt 8:16). Just "with a word" (Matt 8:16) from Jesus, they were all healed, Jews included.
Fourthly, Matthew encourages readers not to be afraid. The price of following Jesus might be high: (1) it could mean no secure/permanent place for physical sleep (Matt 8:20), or (2) some dilemma in family priorities, even with one's own father (Matt 8:21-22).
In the storm, Jesus asks (8:26) "why are you so afraid?" Matthew highlights the OBVIOUS THING, Jesus is the one whom "even the winds and the waves obey him" (8:27)!
REFLECTION: "Winds and waves", do they ring a bell? HE is the God that commanded the winds (Exo 14:21) and the waves (Exo 14:26-28) and parted the Red Sea to save Old Israel from the pursuing Egyptians then! If God can save Old Israel then, surely, Jesus is qualified to institute and able to SUSTAIN New Israel now.
Fifthly, even the two demon possessed men (& the demons within) RECOGNISED JESUS and shouted "What have you to do with us, O Son of God?..." (Matt 8:29).
IMPLICATIONS: If the ceremonially unclean came to Jesus, the pagan came to Jesus, many in Israel came to Jesus, the waves and the winds obeyed Him and the demons recognised Him, how about you? Come whole-heartedly to Jesus and the church He founded on earth now!
星期二 2024年1月9日 今日读经：马太福音8章
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Mat/8/
对于耶稣的第一篇讲道(登山宝训)，从太5-7章，人们有什么样的回应？
首先，马太提到就连那“不洁净”的也能到耶稣那里去，即使在利未记13:46里说到“在他患病的日子里，他是不洁净的；他既然不洁净，就要独居，住在营外。”
但是在太8:2,一个患麻风的人(根据利未律法，是一个“不洁净”的人)来到耶稣面前并要求被洁净，“主啊！如果你肯，必能使我洁净。”那麻风病人原本必须住在营外，但他现在已被耶稣洁净了(太8:3)。
第二，马太指出就连那些外邦人，罗马士兵的司令(太8:8的百夫长)都能够相信和接受耶稣的权柄。
虽然耶稣进入了他在迦百农的家乡(太8:5,也见太4:13)，他的结语是：“这样的信心，我在以色列中从来没有见过”(太8:10)。那表现出信心和被耶稣称赞的并不是来自“以色列家”的人，而是一个百夫长、异教徒/外邦人。
第三，马太指出犹太人在受医治这件事上并没有被排除在外。对于所发生的一切，马太再次指出，以赛亚乃是指向耶稣的(太8:17)。
事实上，许多人在太8章来找耶稣医治，无论是发烧(太8:14)；不论年龄或男女(太8:14)、被鬼附的(太8:16)或患病的(太8:16)。耶稣只须“一句话”(太8:16)，他们全部都被医治，包括犹太人。
第四，马太鼓励读者不要害怕。跟随耶稣的代价或许是高的：(1)你或许会没有安定的居所栖身之地(太8:20),或(2)在家庭优先顺序上出现一些矛盾，或甚至与自己的父亲有矛盾(太8:21-22)。
在风浪中，耶稣问(太8:26)“为什么害怕呢？”马太指出了那最明显的，耶稣就是那位“连风和海也听从他”的人(太8:27)!
反思：“风和浪”，这让你想起了什么？祂就是那呼唤风的神(出14:21)和呼唤海的神(出14:26-28),祂还分开红海拯救被埃及人追杀的旧以色列！如果神可以拯救旧以色列，那么很肯定的，耶稣是有绝对资格来兴起和维持新以色列。
第五，就连那两个被鬼附的男子(和在体内的鬼)都认得耶稣并喊道“神的儿子，我们跟你有什么关系呢？...”(太8:29)。
进深思考：如果那不洁净的来找耶稣，那外邦人来找耶稣，许多在以色列的人来找耶稣，风和浪都听从祂的，魔鬼也认得祂，那么你呢？现在就全心全意来到耶稣面前，来到祂在地上所设立的教会！
