79 – A Hard Road Before Them; Matthew 10:16-23 

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so [a]be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and [b]cause them to be put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 

23 “But whenever they persecute you in [c]one city, flee to [d]the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. 

Footnotes 

a. Matthew 10:16 Or show yourselves to be 

b. Matthew 10:21 Lit put them to death 

c. Matthew 10:23 Lit this 

d. Matthew 10:23 Lit the other 

Commentary 

This is a relatively short passage but one that has plenty to uncover, starting with the imagery to explore in the first verse. Regarding sheep being sent out among wolves, I love this thought by Charles Spurgeon: “After all, the mission of sheep to wolves is a hopeful one, since we see in the natural world that the sheep, though so feeble, by far outnumber the wolves who are so fierce.” However hopeful, it is still clear that Jesus means to warn the disciples that they are to be sent out, innocent and unarmed, into the company of those who would seek to do them harm. After the sheep and wolves reference, we see another comparison, this time to serpents and doves. During this time, serpents were generally considered the wisest animals. Jesus tells His disciples that they will need to use wisdom if they are to deal effectively with the opposition they will face (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1194). This wisdom will also help to keep them from getting into any unnecessary trouble. The innocence of doves will keep them from retaliating when they do find themselves unduly persecuted. 

Jesus then illuminates some of His symbolic admonitions and prepares them for the fact that they will be hated by government, religious groups, and their own families, but that their boldness in the name of Jesus will be a testimony, not only to the Jews (to whom they were specifically being sent), but also to the Gentiles (who likely represented the majority of the government and who would be the subject of later missions). 

Jesus not only warns them that this intimate betrayal will happen, but that they must endure it if they are true followers. The Nelson KJV Bible Commentary suggests that the statement about endurance in verse 22 does not imply that salvation is contingent on endurance or perseverance, but rather that those who are truly saved will demonstrate endurance until the end. “Why, if every man would be saved who began to follow Christ, who would be damned? In such a country as this, the most of men have at least one religious spasm in their lives.” To rephrase Spurgeon’s comments, I liken it to the seed that took root on rocky soil, grew up quickly, and withered under the heat of the sun. It was not ultimately successful seed, even though it started out looking good. 

While Jesus warned the disciples that some would die for the sake of the gospel, they were to escape harm if at all possible by leaving the city or using their serpent-like shrewdness (to which He had referred in verse 16). However, the words that the Spirit would give them in response to judicial questions would not necessarily be the words that could save their lives, but the words to clarify the true testimony of Christ. In many cases, these men may have been more afraid of misrepresenting Christ through their ineloquence than of experiencing personal pain and death. 

Verses 21 and 22 recall Old Testament scriptures, and this attests to the fact that Jesus and His ministry represented a fulfillment of prophecy. Remember that Jesus’s audience for this speech was composed of Jews who would have been well-versed in Old Testament scripture and would have immediately called to mind long passages when Jesus delivered short quotes from those prophecies. Verse 22 has allusions to Isaiah 19:2 and Micah 7:6, both pasted here and in the references for convenience.  

Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.  

In Isaiah, the prophet was talking about a civil war that would come to Egypt and would weaken the empire to the point that it would be able to be conquered by other kingdoms. God’s people had to rely on other aggressors to vanquish their oppressors. 

Micah 7:6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.  

In Micah, the prophet is talking about man’s inability to trust any human, even one he considers a friend or close relation. The deterioration of interpersonal relationships would lead to chaos and would result in a return to the days of the judges, when each man did what was right in his own eyes. However, the next verses go on to say that God still remains faithful and that He alone is trustworthy. “The prophet is functioning as a spokesman for all those who are godly. In spite of the dark outlook around them, they resolutely look unto Jehovah and patiently wait for his salvation” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1056). 

Isaiah 66:5 You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” 

Verse 22 contains an allusion to Isaiah 66:5, where God promises to deliver those who repent and fear the Lord. Isaiah 66:6 goes on to talk about the Lord being glorified when he appears (or “comes near”). “the Hebrew root word is similar to that of a bird of prey dropping down from the heavens. It refers to the second coming of the Lord” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 864). This is relevant to Jesus’s mention of His return in verse 23. Apparently, some people interpret the end of verse 23 to mean that Jesus is foreshadowing the coming of the true Messiah, but, given His self-identification throughout the rest of the gospel accounts, it seems clear that in this verse He is referring to His own second coming.  

The second half of verse 23 was difficult for me to understand, as are some of the other statements where Jesus makes reference to specific people standing in His presence who will not taste death until His return. Obviously, Jesus has not yet returned, and everyone who had been in His presence for this speech is now deceased. Here is what one resource has to say about the apparent discrepancy. “This is one of the hardest-to-understand statements of Jesus in Matthew. Could Jesus really mean that He would return to this earth before the disciples would make it through all the cities of Israel? If so, this would make Jesus plainly wrong in this prediction. Instead, it is better to see His “coming” in this passage as His coming in judgment upon Judea in AD 70 which did happen before the gospel came to every city in Israel. This is the fulfillment of the day of judgment warned of in Matthew 10:15. [‘Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.’] In many ways, the judgment poured out by God upon Judea through the Roman armies in AD 70 was worse than the judgment that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-10/#:~:text=Enduring%20Word%20Bible%20Commentary%20Matthew%20Chapter%2010%20Matthew,the%20Twelve%20A.%20Twelve%20disciples%20chosen%20and%20commissioned).  

I do still believe there is judgment coming when Jesus returns, so this argument falls short in explaining why there would be two judgments. However, the impending defeat by the Roman army definitely would explain the reason behind Jesus’s urgency to send the gospel message to the Jews first. He needs them to have a chance to hear it and repent before AD 70, whereas he can send the later missions to the gentile population, who, through their ignorance of God, may be shown some more mercy and given extra time. Confusing aspects aside, my key takeaways from this passage were: allow the Spirit to guide you in your testimony, and persistently evangelize in the face of persecution, enduring to the end. 

References 

Matthew 10:16 

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'” 

Jeremiah 40:16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.” 

Hosea 7:11 So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove–calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria. 

Matthew 24:25 See, I have told you in advance. 

Matthew 24:45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? 

Matthew 25:2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 

Matthew 10:17 

Matthew 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’  

Matthew 23:34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. 

Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 

Mark 13:9 So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 

Luke 12:11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. 

Acts 5:40 At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. 

Matthew 25:4 But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 

Matthew 10:18 

Psalm 119:46 I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed. 

Matthew 10:19 

Exodus 4:12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.” 

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

Mark 13:11 But when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what to say. Instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 12:11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. 

Luke 12:12 For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.” 

Luke 21:12 But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors. 

Matthew 10:20 

Exodus 4:12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.” 

Luke 12:12 For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.” 

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 

Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 

Acts 13:9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas 

2 Corinthians 13:3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God–the word which is now at work in you who believe. 

Matthew 10:21 

Psalm 50:20 You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. 

Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian; brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. 

Micah 7:6 For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household. 

Matthew 10:35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 

Matthew 10:36 A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 

Mark 13:12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 

Luke 12:53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 

Matthew 10:22 

Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked. 

Isaiah 66:5 You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” 

Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 

Matthew 24:13 But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 

Mark 13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 

Luke 21:17 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. 

Luke 21:19 By your patient endurance you will gain your souls. 

Matthew 10:23 

Jeremiah 26:21 King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt. 

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. 

Matthew 16:28 Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” 

Matthew 23:34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. 

Matthew 23:36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

Matthew 24:34 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 

78 – Jesus Instructs The Twelve; Matthew 10:5-15; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 9:1-5 

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not [a]go [b]in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, [c]preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven [d]is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [e]bag for your journey, or even two [f]coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his [g]support. 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay [h]at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the [i]house, give it your [j]greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, [k]give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, [l]take back your blessing of peace. 14 Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. 

Mark 6:7 And He *summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8 and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no [a]bag, no money in their belt— 9 but [b]to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two [c]tunics.” 10 And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you [d]leave town. 11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust [e]off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 

Luke 9:1 And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a [a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have [b]two tunics apiece. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there [c]until you leave that city. 5 And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 

Footnotes (Matthew) 

a. Matthew 10:5 Or go off 

b. Matthew 10:5 Or on the road of (Gr hodos: way or road) 

c. Matthew 10:7 Or proclaim 

d. Matthew 10:7 Lit has come near 

e. Matthew 10:10 Or knapsack, or beggar’s bag 

f. Matthew 10:10 Or inner garments 

g. Matthew 10:10 Lit nourishment 

h. Matthew 10:11 Lit there until 

i. Matthew 10:12 Or household 

j. Matthew 10:12 I.e. the familiar Heb blessing, “Peace be to this house!” 

k. Matthew 10:13 Lit your peace is to come upon it 

l. Matthew 10:13 Lit your peace is to return to you 

Footnotes (Mark) 

a. Mark 6:8 Or knapsack or beggar’s bag 

b. Mark 6:9 Lit being shod with 

c. Mark 6:9 Or inner garments 

d. Mark 6:10 Lit go out from there 

e. Mark 6:11 Lit under your feet 

Footnotes (Luke) 

a. Luke 9:3 Or knapsack or beggar’s bag 

b. Luke 9:3 Or inner garments 

c. Luke 9:4 Lit and leave from there 

Commentary 

In the passage from Matthew, Jesus begins by telling the disciples where to go on their mission. The region of Galilee was composed of many cities, several of which were Greek, and some of which were Jewish. Jesus’s commission in this passage was for His disciples to go to the Jewish cities only, to the extent “that they were not to enter into a road even leading to the Gentiles, nor were they to enter into a city of the Samaritans” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1194). By beginning with an exclusive offer to Jewish people, Jesus was demonstrating God’s will to fulfill His desire for Israel to have its kingdom, led by its rightful king (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1194). The gifts and instructions Jesus gave to His disciples in these passages were very specific and were intended for a targeted mission at that time. Jesus later gave instructions to the seventy, and I will save the comparisons for when we get to those passages. However, because of the specificity of this mission, we may not need to think that this is Jesus’s proposed plan for everyone who wants to evangelize in His name. Here is a sermon that has some insights into the way this mission was intended for a specific group of people, at a specific time https://youtu.be/6IUZu-TxXl0.   

Despite the clear instructions to the disciples only, St. Francis of Assissi famously used this passage as the basis for his life and ministry. After being exposed to the corruption of the Roman church and seeing the plight of the Roman poor population, he heard a sermon on Matthew 10:7-10 and determined to live the rest of his life in poverty, as a servant, preacher, and healer of the poor. Others were inspired to follow suit, and this group continued to commit themselves to service and poverty, rejecting the agency of the organized church, and adhering only to the example set by Jesus and the disciples in this short passage (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1649). However, he only modeled his ministry after certain aspects of the commission; for instance, he obviously did not limit the scope of his reach to Jews only. I do not say this to diminish his efforts or contribution, but perhaps to explain that not every Christian is called to minister in quite this way. 

Following the geographical directions in Matthew, Mark 6:7 contains Jesus’s practical instruction for the disciples to go out in pairs. The system of sending missionaries two by two is a standard that was set in Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.” In Matthew, Jesus then tells them to proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The warning about the nearness of the kingdom of God was a reference to a physical kingdom predicted in Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:1-9; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-8), in which Jesus will reign over the world, from a throne in Jerusalem. Those prophetic verses are below, in the References. 

All the passages then proceed with the delegation of heavenly power and authority to the disciples. “Christ granted His twelve disciples power and prerogatives over demons and sickness never exercised by man either before or after. The purpose of this was to place a divine seal of approval upon their message as well as to meet the needs of people” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1276). He also granted the authority for these men to proclaim blessings and curses over cities. Blessings “may … be proclaimed through [God’s] official representatives, as by the father of a household (Gen 27; 48; 49), by the priestly Aaronic blessing (Num 6:22-27), through the king (2 Sam 6:18), or the apostle (the introductions and closings of the NT epistles)” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 1, pg. 625). 

From a leadership perspective, The Word in Life Study Bible points out some interesting traits manifested in the delegation that takes place here, and earthly leaders may have some take-aways. Despite the fact that the disciples had proven themselves to be spiritually immature (and would continue to do so), Jesus imparted real authority to them and sent them out, unsupervised, to execute His instructions. Performing these duties was part of their growth process, and it helped to mature them while they still had Jesus as a resource on Earth. Earthly leaders today tend to delegate superficial tasks and heavily supervise the completion of those tasks, in order to ensure a satisfactory outcome, whereas their subordinates and the organization would accrue greater benefit from sharing real responsibilities (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1799). This is risky, as it was for Jesus.  

We don’t often think of Judas’s contribution to the story of Jesus’s ministry, except in the context of his betrayal. However, he was sent on this mission, just as the other disciples were, and he dutifully shared the message of the gospel as he had been challenged to do, even in the face of the danger Jesus predicted for them. Further, Jesus eventually gave Judas the responsibility to handle the money allotted for His provision and that of the other disciples. Although these were part of the things that had to take place in order for Jesus to fulfill the burden of sacrifice the Father had placed upon Him, it is unlikely that earthly leaders would want to expose themselves to the risk that they could be betrayed or spectacularly failed by someone to whom they had given critical responsibilities. However, this risk is inherent in the execution of good leadership. There unfortunately will be times when subordinates do not meet expectations, but leaders who want to imitate Jesus will strategically delegate responsibility, anyway. Additionally, there will be times when we are paired with coworkers to complete an assignment, and our partners betray us (imagine being the disciple who had been paired with Judas for this mission, and later feeling personally betrayed by what he did to Jesus). We can still do good work, in spite of the circumstances and the people with whom we labor. 

The passage in Matthew closes with the declaration that judgment will be less severe for the most evil cities in history than for the cities that do not accept the disciples’ message. Some scholars propose that the reason Jesus says judgment will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah is that those cities did not have the advantage of witnessing the miracles Jesus and the apostles were doing.  

Because Jesus mentions Sodom and Gomorrah in this passage, it is worth remembering why they were such a well-known reference among those acquainted with the Old Testament (Genesis 19). These two cities were part of the land Lot received from his uncle Abraham. When the Lord visited Abraham (along with some angels), to tell him that Sarah would have a baby, the Lord told Abraham that He intended to leave there to investigate the evil being done in Sodom and Gomorrah and potentially destroy them because of the grave sins being committed. Abraham pleaded with the Lord to preserve Sodom (Lot’s dwelling place), and the Lord agreed not to destroy the city if He found at least 10 righteous citizens. As the heavenly men arrived in Sodom, Lot, unaware of their mission and Abraham’s plea, invited them to stay at his house (he in fact insisted, probably because he knew what fate awaited them if they did not have safe refuge). As evidence of the depravity in the city and the lack of any righteous citizens, a mob that included every man in the city came to Lot’s house to try to beat down his door and rape the heavenly visitors. The Lord determined to destroy both cities and granted Lot an opportunity to escape, despite that Lot’s track record (i.e. his treatment of his daughters) did not align with the qualities of righteousness we would expect. It’s possibly even more telling that Lot was righteous by comparison to the other citizens; if God would save someone who would have surrendered his virgin daughters to a lustful mob and would later get drunk and commit incest with both of them, how bad must the rest of the population have been? And, by extension, how bad must the people have been who did not welcome the disciples when they went on this mission? Rejection of the gospel is a very grave matter, indeed. 

“The Prayer of St. Francis 

Lord, 

Make me an instrument of Thy peace; 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

Where there is injury, pardon; 

Where there is doubt, faith; 

Where there is despair, hope; 

Where there is darkness, light; and 

Where there is sadness, joy. 

Divine Master, 

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; 

To be understood as to understand; 

To be loved as to love; 

For it is in giving that we receive; 

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

References 

Matthew 10:5 

2 Kings 17:24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. 

Luke 9:52 He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 

Luke 10:33 But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion. 

Luke 17:16 He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving to Him–and he was a Samaritan. 

Matthew 10:6 

Jeremiah 50:6 My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. 

Ezekiel 34:4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 

Matthew 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 

Matthew 10:7 

Matthew 3:2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 

Luke 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 

Luke 10:11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 

Matthew 10:8 

Numbers 18:7 But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.” 

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! 

Acts 8:20 But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 

Matthew 10:9 

Luke 10:4 Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road. 

Luke 22:35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 

Matthew 10:10 

1 Samuel 17:40 And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. 

Luke 10:7 Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 

1 Corinthians 9:14 In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 

1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.” 

Matthew 10:12 

1 Samuel 25:6 and say to him, ‘Long life to you, and peace to you and your house and to all that belongs to you. 

Psalm 122:7 May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.” 

Psalm 122:8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 

Ezekiel 2:5 And whether they listen or refuse to listen–for they are a rebellious house–they will know that a prophet has been among them. 

Matthew 10:13 

Psalm 35:13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. 

Matthew 10:14 

Luke 10:11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 

Acts 13:51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 

Matthew 10:15 

Ezekiel 16:48 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did as you and your daughters have done. 

Matthew 7:22 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 perform many miracles?’ 

Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 

Matthew 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 

Matthew 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” 

Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 

Luke 10:12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 

Mark 6:7 

Mark 3:13 Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. 

Luke 10:1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit. 

Mark 6:8 

Luke 10:4 Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road. 

Luke 22:35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 

Mark 6:9 

Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 

Mark 6:11 

Luke 10:11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 

Acts 13:51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 

Luke 9:1 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 8:9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes; and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.” 

Mark 3:13 Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. 

Luke 10:1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit. 

Luke 9:3 

Luke 10:4 Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road. 

Luke 22:35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 

Luke 9:5 

Luke 10:11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 

Acts 13:51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 

Commentary 

Isaiah 2:1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. 

Isaiah 11:1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 

Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the Lord who does this. 13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. 14 “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 “I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the Lord your God. 

Micah 4:6 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will assemble the lame And gather the outcasts, Even those whom I have afflicted. 7 “I will make the lame a remnant And the outcasts a strong nation, And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever. 8 “As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come— Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. 

77 – Shortage of Workers, Matthew 9:35-38; Mark 6:6b; John 4:43-44 

Matthew 9:35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the [a]people, He felt compassion for them, because they were [b]distressed and [c]dispirited like sheep [d]without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” 

Mark 6:6b And He was going around the villages teaching. 

John 4:43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  

Footnotes (Matthew) 

a. Matthew 9:36 Lit crowds 

b. Matthew 9:36 Or harassed 

c. Matthew 9:36 Lit thrown down 

d. Matthew 9:36 Lit not having 

Commentary 

Since I committed to attempt a chronological study on the gospels, here are a few notes on my choices. I’m reusing John 4:43-44 because it may (or may not) have been out of order before, and in this case, it illustrates that Jesus returned to Galilee after being rejected in Nazareth and that He had said “a prophet is not welcome in His own country,” which is the passage I just explored in my last post. Therefore, this post seems appropriate for tracking His next steps after He left Nazareth for what was possibly the last time (see previous post for more on that). I am not, however, grouping all the parallel passages that relate to the topic of the harvest and workers. For instance, Jesus also used the statement, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” when he commissioned the seventy in Luke 10:1-16. However, because the commissioning of the seventy seems so much later in His ministry, I’m going to assume that He simply repeated this sentiment later, rather than try to combine that passage with this study. 

The meat of this study is in Matthew. There are seven Old Testament verses in the reference section below, relating to Matthew 9:36, but the primary verse scholars believe Matthew was recalling was Numbers 27:17. This is consistent with Matthew’s gospel approach, which was to preach to the Jews and use the familiar Old Testament scriptures and prophecy to point to Jesus’s credence as the Messiah. In Numbers 27:17, Moses was old and was asking God to designate a successor to lead the people after he died. Moses lamented that God’s people would be like sheep without a shepherd, and at the time, God appointed Joshua to be their shepherd. The interesting thing about this choice is that, as we may have discussed before, the names Jesus and Joshua are the same in the original language (https://www.gotquestions.org/Yeshua-Jesus.html), and some 14 centuries after Joshua began to lead the people toward the promised land, Jesus/Yeshua succeeded the ancient prophets as the spiritual leader of the Hebrews and began to point them to the promised kingdom. By comparison to His statement in Matthew (above), where He says the people are like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus refers to Himself as a shepherd in John 10:11. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” This implies that Jesus is the designated leader that the people have been missing. 

There are also many parallels between the life of Jesus and the life of Moses (fasting for 40 days, calling God’s people to repentance, among others), and there is an interesting parallel between the sins of the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness and the temptations Jesus experienced while He was in the wilderness for 40 days. In fact, most of His retorts to Satan were pulled from Deuteronomy, where the Israelites were learning their lesson after committing the very sin in which Satan tried to get Jesus to engage. Jesus succeeded in resisting temptation where Israel had failed. One of the most striking elements of foreshadowing in Deuteronomy is the fact that, when Moses handed over the law to the priests in Deuteronomy 31:11, he told them to read it out loud every seven years, in order for the law to be a witness against their sin and lead them to repentance. This became the Feast of Tabernacles, which Jesus attended in John chapter 7 and where He read the scriptures in the temple and indicted the people for their sinful hearts. I’ll explore that symbolism in more depth when I do the study on John chapter 7, but Jesus’s familiar cry for repentance among the people should be ringing in your ears as you consider the manifestation of the law and the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Like Moses, Jesus also knew that His time on earth was limited, and He also mourned that the people had been and would again be like sheep without a shepherd in His physical absence. Therefore, He encouraged His followers to pray that righteous people would take up the mantle of leadership. Regarding Matthew 9:38, “Kent (p. 945) observes: “As so often occurs those who prayed were themselves sent”” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary p. 1194). Jesus’s audience in this setting consisted of the very people through whom the church was built and experienced explosive growth in the surrounding cities. In fact, how did it grow so fast? 

Despite the prevailing perception that Jesus’s ministry was rural, He actually did much of His work in urban and suburban areas. Jerusalem is estimated to have had about 55,000 to 90,000 residents, and the surrounding area had a total of about 2.5 to 3 million inhabitants. The gospel record cites at least three of Jesus’s visits to Jerusalem itself, and He interacted with a wide variety of people, such as soldiers, Gentiles, women, Pharisees, tax collectors, and beggars. Similarly, when Jesus commissioned His disciples, and later the seventy, to go preach, He sent them to crowded urban areas (Matthew 10:5, 11-14; Luke 10:1, 8-16), and one of the keys to the successful early church campaign was the planting of churches in at least 40 cities, where the population lent itself to rapid growth (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1647).  

The disciples took their commission seriously and were propelled by their conviction that Jesus was the Christ and that the only way to save the lives of those around them was to make them disciples, as well. When we lose our enthusiasm for evangelism, may we also remember that lives are at stake. 

References 

Matthew 9:35 

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 

Matthew 10:1 And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness. 

Matthew 11:1 After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. 

Mark 1:14 After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 

Mark 1:39 So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 

Matthew 9:36 

Numbers 27:17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 

1 Kings 22:17 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.'” 

2 Chronicles 18:16 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.'” 

Isaiah 13:14 Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land. 

Jeremiah 50:6 My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. 

Ezekiel 34:4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 

Ezekiel 34:5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild beasts. 

Matthew 9:37 

Matthew 20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 

Luke 10:2 And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest. 

John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. 

James 5:4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. 

Matthew 9:38 

Matthew 10:1 And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness. 

Luke 10:2 And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest. 

John 4:35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. 

Mark 6:6 

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 

Mark 1:39 So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 

Mark 10:1 Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom. 

Luke 13:22 Then Jesus traveled throughout the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way toward Jerusalem. 

John 4:43 

John 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. 

John 4:44 

Matthew 13:57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 

Mark 6:4 Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 

Luke 4:24 Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 

Commentary 

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 11 And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. 12 As you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13 If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14 Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 

Luke 10:1 Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! 16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” 

76 – Rejection at Nazareth; Matthew 13:54-58, Mark 6:1-6a, Luke 4:16-30 

Matthew 13:54 And He came to [a]His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these [b]miraculous powers? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his [c]hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many [d]miracles there because of their unbelief. 

Mark 6:1 Jesus went out from there and *came into [a]His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and [b]the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such [c]miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of [d]James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in [e]his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.” 5 And He could not do any [f]miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief.  

Luke 4:16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the [a]book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the [b]book and found the place where it was written, 

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 

Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. 

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, 

And recovery of sight to the blind, 

To set free those who are oppressed, 

19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 

20 And He closed the [c]book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your [d]hearing.” 22 And all were [e]speaking well of Him, and wondering at the [f]gracious words which [g]were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25 But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to [h]Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way. 

Footnotes (Matthew) 

a. Matthew 13:54 Or His own part of the country 

b. Matthew 13:54 Or miracles 

c. Matthew 13:57 Or own part of the country 

d. Matthew 13:58 Or works of power 

Footnotes (Mark) 

a. Mark 6:1 Or His own part of the country 

b. Mark 6:2 One early ms many listeners 

c. Mark 6:2 Or works of power 

d. Mark 6:3 Or Jacob 

e. Mark 6:4 Or his own part of the country 

f. Mark 6:5 Or work of power 

Footnotes (Luke) 

a. Luke 4:17 Or scroll 

b. Luke 4:17 Or scroll 

c. Luke 4:20 Or scroll 

d. Luke 4:21 Lit ears 

e. Luke 4:22 Or testifying 

f. Luke 4:22 Or words of grace 

g. Luke 4:22 Lit were proceeding out of His mouth 

h. Luke 4:26 Gr Sarepta 

Commentary 

Many scholars believe this was Jesus’s first sermon, and this makes sense, based on the astonishment of the crowd and the fact that the passage from Luke is very early in Luke’s account. It is possible the accounts from Matthew and Mark were a separate incident, but the reaction of the people and Jesus’s words are so similar that I grouped them together, even though Matthew and Mark placed the incident much later in Jesus’s ministry. In many gospel harmonies, the passages from Matthew and Mark are listed together as Jesus’s final visit to Nazareth, but the passages still convey brand new awe from the audience. Joseph had probably already passed away by this point, since he is not mentioned as an active character after the incident when Jesus was 12 and got lost. However, he was a long-standing member of the Nazarene community, and they clearly remember him and know his family. The people could not overcome their shock that someone they had seen grow from a child was now claiming to be their savior. 

To focus on their comments about Jesus’s family and history, I wanted to take a closer look at some of Jesus’s past and His relationships. The crowd remembers Joseph as a carpenter, and the literal translation of the original word for “carpenter” could mean either a carpenter or a stone mason. If He had been a stone mason, this has some interesting implications for the stone references Jesus made throughout His ministry (the stone the builders rejected, the cornerstone, Peter being the rock on which the church would be built). Although speculative, it’s interesting to consider this possibility that is somewhat contrary to our traditional view of Jesus’s work.  

Regardless, carpentry or masonry was Joseph’s trade and would therefore have been Jesus’s, as well. He may have even continued to work this trade as He travelled around ministering, since He did not earn any money as a teacher. “Only officials of the temple and religious courts drew salaries. The rest of the religious teachers and leaders were either independently wealthy or supported themselves through a trade or profession. Jesus did receive support from several wealthy women … and He was welcomed as a guest into many homes. But of all the complaints that His enemies lodged against Him – that He failed to keep the Sabbath, that He ate and drank with sinners, that He made Himself out to be God – they never accused Him of being lazy” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1725). The people could not accept that a person with such remedial religious credentials, whose family was similarly common, could be a prophet or religious teacher. Today, this same issue afflicts pastors, whose wisdom is not highly regarded among their family members or others who can’t see past the pastor’s upbringing, especially if the pastor’s position in the family is “lower,” such as a son or younger brother. 

Regarding the mention of Jesus’s brothers, “There is no valid reason for understanding brethren and sisters in any sense but the normal one. They are Jesus’ half brothers, the children naturally generated by Joseph and Mary after Jesus’ virgin birth … Two of them, James and Judas (Jude), wrote New Testament epistles and played a prominent role in the early church” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1202). “Hegesippus says (Euseb. Hist. II. 23) that James was known as “The Just” and as “the bulwark of the people.” He lived a life of such holiness and piety that he was respected even by non-believing Jews. He never ceased to keep the Jewish law with rigor and care… His knees were said to be hard as a camel’s because he was so constant in prayer and entreaty to God for pardon for the people” (The Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 395). James’s death was recorded by Josephus; the high priest Ananias had him stoned to death, and non-Christian Jews had so much respect for James that they relieved Ananias of his office after this decision (The Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 395). Some believe that the reference to Jesus’s appearance to James in 1 Corinthians 15:7 is a reference to Jesus’s brother James (The Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 394). Interestingly, James’s ministry was so prominent that Jude, in his epistle, identifies himself as “brother of James” rather than “brother of Jesus” (The Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 395). However, this passage clearly lists him among the siblings of Jesus and gives some insight into the fact that most of Jesus’s family did not appear to come around to His claims until after His death and resurrection. We see that same resistance to Jesus from the other locals who had known him from childhood. 

Despite the fact He knew it would be shocking for a skilled laborer to speak at the temple meeting, Jesus persisted in standing up in His hometown synagogue and teaching. Jesus made a point of regular attendance at synagogue meetings, which may have been somewhat unusual, since the gospel writers all thought it was remarkable enough to make mention of Jesus’s “custom,” and later in the New Testament, the author of Hebrews admonishes early Christians not to give up “our own assembling together, as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25). The Sabbath in these passages was observed on Saturdays because “they were still bound under the dispensation of law” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 120). Later, after Jesus’s resurrection, early Christians began meeting on the first day of the week, which we have now designated as Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2).  

The passage from Luke says that Jesus stood and read from the scroll, and the cross-reference shows us that He read 1.5 verses from Isaiah 61:1-2a. “He read a portion that dealt directly with the earthly ministry of the Messiah (such as preaching and healing) and stopped just before the passage went on to describe his coming judgment in the end times” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1270). Everyone understood that this passage pointed to the coming Messiah, and when Jesus proclaimed that the prophecy had been fulfilled, He was clearly making a claim to be the redeemer. They also would have memorized the passage well enough to know the parts that came afterward (judgment and end times). This is almost certainly part of the reason they became upset with Him, if they felt He was implying they were going to find themselves on the wrong side of judgment.  

The reference to the “favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19) is a reference to the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:8-19), and I encourage you, as always, to read the cited passage which is conveniently pasted below. “Every fifty years, the Israelites were to set their slaves free, cancel each other’s debts, and restore lands to their original owners. Apparently Jesus intended to make a dramatic difference in the lives of people, not only spiritually, but sociologically and economically as well” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1778). As Jesus began insinuating that the Messiah was there to serve the poor and the marginalized, the listening crowd was eager to receive the message because they thought He was talking about them. I had a hard time deciphering the meaning of “gracious words,” or “words of grace,” as cited in the footnotes for Luke 4:22. A translation of the original Greek says the word which was translated as “gracious” is a word that means graciousness of manner or act. The 1828 version of Webster’s Dictionary actually cited Luke 4:22 as an example in the use and definition of the word gracious, which Webster defined as favorable, expressing kindness, virtuous, good, or proceeding from divine grace (http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/gracious). In this context, Jesus was proclaiming freedom for captives and liberty for the oppressed, which is what the Hebrews perceived themselves to be. For additional reference, biblehub.com has some verses cited to specifically complement the phrase “the gracious,” cited in the reference section below (Luke 2:47; Luke 21:15; Psalm 45:2,4). 

However, when Jesus alluded to the widow of Sidon and to Naaman, He was making a statement about the lack of faith in the Israelites, such that prophets often had to go elsewhere to find people who would respond to God (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1778). Once the people realized He was in fact reproving them and warning them that they might not receive God’s gracious gift if they did not repent, they became incensed. However, Jesus’s message was critical for them to understand and apply if they were to experience the portion of Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus did not read in 61:6 “You shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God.” “This would be a profound change. The Tasks of ‘ministry’ would no longer be done just by priests, rabbis, or clergy, but by all of God’s people. Just as the Spirit of the Lord had come upon Christ, enabling Him to accomplish God’s work, so the Spirit would enable Christ’s followers to accomplish God’s work, too” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1779). 

In addition to claiming to be the Messiah, Jesus’s reading also foreshadowed His fate, as aligned with that of Isaiah. Isaiah himself had brought prophecy to Judah, knowing it would be rejected, and he was later executed. Isaiah’s writings are the richest in Old Testament references to the Messiah, and his predictions clearly depicted a person who would heal and perform miracles. Regarding those miracles, the text says that Jesus didn’t do mighty works in Nazareth, and this was not because He was unable to do so in the face of unbelief, but because He only worked miracles in response to faith, which He was explaining that these people did not demonstrate (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1202). However, they had heard He performed many miracles in Capernaum, and they taunted Him to prove Himself in the same way in Nazareth. Even though Jesus had performed many miracles, however, the people refused to believe He was the savior God had promised, and they attempted to kill Him, whereupon God supernaturally saved Him by allowing Him to pass through the crowd unseen. 

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2023/04/04/shortage-of-workers/

Scripture References 

Matthew 13:54 

1 Samuel 10:11 All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 

Matthew 7:28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 

Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 

Matthew 13:55 

Matthew 12:46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. 

Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ: 

Matthew 13:57 

Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.” 

John 4:44 Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown 

Matthew 13:58 

Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus 

Mark 6:2 

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 

Matthew 7:28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 

Mark 10:1 Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom. 

Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers. 

Mark 6:3 

Matthew 11:6 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.” 

Matthew 12:46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. 

Acts 12:17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place. 

Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ: 

Mark 6:4 

John 4:44 Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown 

Mark 6:5 

Mark 5:23 and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.” 

Acts 28:8 The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. 

Mark 6:6 

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 

Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. 

Mark 1:39 So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 

Mark 10:1 Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom. 

Luke 13:22 Then Jesus traveled throughout the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way toward Jerusalem. 

Luke 4:16 

Luke 2:39 When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 

Luke 2:51 Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 

Acts 13:14 And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down. 

Luke 4:17 

Luke 16:29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’ 

Luke 4:18 

Isaiah 42:1 “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. 

Isaiah 49:9 to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill. 

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, 

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 

Matthew 12:18 “Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. 

John 3:34 For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 

Luke 4:19 

Leviticus 25:10 So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan. 

Isaiah 42:1 “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. 

Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, 

Luke 4:20 

Matthew 26:55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. 

Matthew 27:60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. 

Luke 4:22 

Psalm 45:2 You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips, since God has blessed you forever. 

Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. 

Luke 2:48 When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. “Child, why have You done this to us?” His mother asked. “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.” 

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 

Luke 4:23 

Matthew 4:13 Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 

Mark 1:21 Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. 

Mark 2:1 A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum. And when the people heard that He was home, 

Luke 2:39 When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 

Luke 2:51 Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 

Luke 4:24 

John 4:44 Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. 

Luke 4:25 

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives–the God of Israel before whom I stand–there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!” 

1 Kings 18:1 After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.” 

James 5:17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 

Revelation 11:6 These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 

Luke 4:26 

1 Kings 17:9 “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 

Obadiah 1:20 And the exiles of this host of the Israelites will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev. 

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 

Luke 4:27 

2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 

2 Kings 5:14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean. 

Matthew 8:3 Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 

Luke 4:28 

Matthew 2:16 When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. 

Luke 4:29 

Numbers 15:35 And the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death. The whole congregation is to stone him outside the camp.” 

Acts 7:58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

Hebrews 13:12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood. 

Luke 4:30 

John 10:39 At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp. 

Luke 4:31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people. 

Commentary 

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 

1 Cor 16:2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. 

Leviticus 25:8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. 10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field. 13 ‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property. 14 If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend’s hand, you shall not wrong one another. 15 Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops. 16 In proportion to the extent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the fewness of the years you shall diminish its price, for it is a number of crops he is selling to you. 17 So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God. 18 ‘You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land. 19 Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. 

Luke 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.  

Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.  

Psalm 45:2,4 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever… 

75 – Healing and Blasphemy; Matthew 9:27-34 

Matthew 9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When 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. 

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

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And 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.” 

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

Commentary 

This miracle is reported only in the book of Matthew. Many people have suggested that Mark was the first to write a gospel account and that Matthew and Luke modeled their accounts after his, since there is so much material that is consistently reported across all three books. Indeed, because of their similarities, these three books are called the synoptic gospels. “One of the stable findings of synoptic criticism has been the priority of Mark. It is a striking fact, that whereas the order of Mark and Matthew may agree against Luke and the order of Mark and Luke may agree against Matthew, the order of Matthew and Luke never agree against Mark. In other words, Mark is the stable factor. Most probably, Mark was the source common to the other two, which they generally followed, but sometimes altered” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 2, pg. 788). The fact that there are differences in the books, however, gives credence to each account as a separate testament to the life of Jesus. Therefore, the fact that no other book corroborates this miracle is evidence that Matthew was able to use his own experience to add to the events that Mark had recorded.  

This event may have had particular significance to Matthew because it possibly happened in his home. Verse 28 says Jesus went indoors, and other translations say He went into a house. Scholars believe this would have been Matthew’s house because of the previous reference to Matthew’s house in verse 10 and the corresponding accounts in Mark and Luke, of Jesus calling Matthew (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1193). 

The first miracle to occur in the home is the healing of the blind men. Just like the last passage we studied, Jesus tells the men their faith has saved them. When the men call Jesus “Son of David,” they are indicating that they believe Him to be the Messiah. There are also numerous scriptures referenced in the reference section below, where other people referred to Jesus as Son of David throughout the Gospel accounts. I am always interested by the people who show such enormous faith to believe that Jesus can heal them and then immediately disobey Him when He tells them to keep the thing a secret. However, “their disobedience does not need to be viewed as a serious violation, but rather, as an overt exuberance from the effect of the miracle itself” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1193). It may also be that these people were immature in their faith, and although they had great confidence in Jesus, they had not mastered the self-discipline it would take to follow His instructions and teachings. As we have discussed before, Jesus likely told people to keep their healing secret because the unrelenting crowds that chased Jesus for healing were an impediment to His teaching ministry, and the spread of His fame made Him a target for the Pharisees (which, although it was bound to lead to His death, was not something Jesus would have wanted to end His ministry prematurely). 

We see both these effects in the latter section of the passage. If the first part of the passage makes it seem as though two isolated men followed Jesus inside, the description of second miracle seems to make it clear that Jesus was actually being followed by a whole crowd of people. Once the blind men left, a demon-possessed man was led in, and after he was healed, the Pharisees watched the crowd marveling at Jesus and attempted to discredit Him. 

Regarding this demon possession, I talked more at length in a previous study about what types of disorders may have been confused with demon possession during Jesus’s lifetime, and I am tempted to think that, when we do not read that Jesus spoke directly with the demon, it is possible that He simply healed a person of a physical or mental disorder. However, it is unclear what made the author assume that the issue was a demon. Perhaps Jesus did address the demon, and Matthew just didn’t say so specifically because that method had become a matter of course for Jesus when casting out demons. Additionally, muteness was typically a symptom of deafness, so if the man could hear and only suffered from an inability to speak, the probability increases that the issue was spiritual, rather than physical. 

In either case, the crowd was clearly awed by the man’s immediate recovery, and their remarks reveal their reverence for Jesus as one uniquely appointed by God. This was problematic for the Pharisees, who relied on the people’s undivided allegiance and obedience in order to maintain their authority. They felt they needed to discredit Jesus, so they could maintain their position. Although Matthew does not record Jesus’s response to the Pharisees in this instance, we know that Jesus regularly castigated them for their pettiness and fuzzy logic. Matthew 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2023/03/21/final-visit-to-nazareth/

Scripture References 

Matthew 9:27 

Matthew 1:1 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: 

Matthew 12:23 The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?” 

Matthew 15:22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” 

Matthew 20:29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 

Matthew 20:30 And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 

Matthew 20:31 The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 

Matthew 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 

Matthew 21:15 But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” 

Matthew 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered. 

Mark 10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Mark 10:48 Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Mark 12:35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 

Luke 18:38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Luke 18:39 Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” 

Luke 20:41 Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David? 

Matthew 9:28 

Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 

Acts 14:9 This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed. 

Matthew 9:29 

Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. 

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour. 

Matthew 9:30 

Psalm 146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous. 

Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.” 

Matthew 12:16 warning them not to make Him known. 

Mark 1:43 Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning: 

Mark 3:12 But He ordered them sternly not to make Him known. 

Matthew 9:31 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 9:26 And the news about this spread throughout that region. 

Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus 

Matthew 28:15 So the guards took the money and did as they were instructed. And this account has been circulated among the Jews to this very day. 

Mark 1:28 And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee. 

Mark 1:45 But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter. 

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region. 

Luke 4:37 And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region. 

Luke 5:15 But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 

Luke 7:17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region. 

Matthew 9:32 

Isaiah 35:6 Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. 

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, does this man drive out demons.” 

Luke 11:14 One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed, 

Matthew 9:33 

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 

Mark 2:12 And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” 

Matthew 9:34 

Matthew 10:25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 

Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. 

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, does this man drive out demons.” 

Matthew 12:27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 

Mark 3:22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” 

Luke 11:15 but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.” 

John 7:20 “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?” 

Commentary 

Matthew 9:10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 

Mark 2:15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 

Luke 5:29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 

74 – Healing a Woman and Resurrecting a Child; Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56 

Matthew 9:18 While He was saying these things to them, behold, [a]a synagogue [b]official came and [c]bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.” 19 Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the [d]border of His [e]cloak; 21 for she was [f]saying [g]to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will [h]get well.” 22 But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has [i]made you well.” And [j]at once the woman was [k]made well. 23 When Jesus came into the [l]official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24 He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25 But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl [m]got up. 26 And this news spread throughout that land. 

Mark 5:21 When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and He [a]stayed by the seashore. 22 And one of the synagogue [b]officials, named Jairus, *came, and upon seeing Him, *fell at His feet 23 and *pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will [c]get well and live.” 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. 25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His [d]cloak. 28 For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I will [e]get well.” 29 And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power from Him had gone out, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has [f]made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease.” 35 While He was still speaking, people *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?” 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only [g]believe.” 37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter, [h]James, and John the brother of [i]James. 38 They *came to the house of the synagogue official, and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39 And after entering, He *said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40 And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was in bed. 41 And taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha, kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished. 43 And He gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat. 

Luke 8:40 And as Jesus was returning, the [a]people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 And a man named Jairus came, and he was an [b]official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began urging Him to come to his house; 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him. 43 And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His [c]cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the [d]people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had left Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has [e]made you well; go in peace.” 49 While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He responded to him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be [f]made well.” 51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all weeping and mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and spoke [g]forcefully, saying, “Child, arise!” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that something be given her to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened. 

Footnotes (Matthew) 

a. Matthew 9:18 Or one 

b. Matthew 9:18 Lit ruler 

c. Matthew 9:18 Or worshiped 

d. Matthew 9:20 Or tassel; i.e., a ritual tassel sewn to corners of garments for Jewish men 

e. Matthew 9:20 Or outer garment 

f. Matthew 9:21 Or thinking 

g. Matthew 9:21 Lit in herself 

h. Matthew 9:21 Lit be saved 

i. Matthew 9:22 Lit saved you 

j. Matthew 9:22 Lit from that hour 

k. Matthew 9:22 Lit saved 

l. Matthew 9:23 Lit ruler’s 

m. Matthew 9:25 Or was raised up 

Footnotes (Mark) 

a. Mark 5:21 Lit was by the sea 

b. Mark 5:22 Or rulers 

c. Mark 5:23 Lit be saved 

d. Mark 5:27 Or outer garment 

e. Mark 5:28 Lit be saved 

f. Mark 5:34 Lit saved you 

g. Mark 5:36 Or keep on believing 

h. Mark 5:37 Or Jacob 

i. Mark 5:37 Or Jacob 

Footnotes (Luke) 

a. Luke 8:40 Lit crowd 

b. Luke 8:41 Lit ruler 

c. Luke 8:44 Or outer garment 

d. Luke 8:45 Lit crowds 

e. Luke 8:48 Lit saved you 

f. Luke 8:50 Lit saved 

g. Luke 8:54 Lit loudly 

Commentary 

This is another group of long passages, and even though there is more than one event, I found it difficult to break up because they happen simultaneously.  

It opens with the first part of Jairus’s story. However, after Jairus first approached Jesus, their progress to the house was slow because the crowd of people pressed on them, to the extent that the original Greek word used in Mark to describe it was like the burden of a pack animal, bearing down on it (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1245).  

At this point, the story shifts focus to another woman who is looking for healing. The woman with a bleeding disorder is generally believed to have had some sort of ongoing menstrual flow, which would have made her ceremonially unclean (see the scripture references from Leviticus) and would also cause anyone who touched her to be unclean for 24 hours. This inhibited her from participating in community at all, for twelve years, and it is believed that she was single and unable to support herself further after having exhausted all her resources on doctors. This was therefore not only an issue of discomfort, inconvenience, and loneliness, but also of livelihood – with no means left, she would not be able to eat or take shelter. Although it was inappropriate for her to have been moving through a crowd, due to her uncleanliness, she understood Jesus was her only hope (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1646). This may be why she only dared to touch the very tip of the tassel on His coat, to prevent defiling Him, but He technically would still have been considered unclean until the following day. Obviously, since He continues about the business of travelling to Jairus’s house, neither He nor His companions considered Him untouchable, and they still followed Him to help the girl. Perhaps this is because the woman was healed, but that’s conjecture on my part. 

When the woman touched Him, Jesus knew power had left Him and almost certainly knew who the woman was without her confession, so why did He insist upon delaying the convoy to save Jairus’s daughter and engaging the woman, instead? Similar to the way God asked the question of Adam and Eve, “Did you eat the fruit I forbade you to eat,” Jesus asks a question He likely knows the answer to in order to demonstrate the importance of relationship and spiritual growth, above physical healing. Although she was physically made well, the woman still needed to receive the peace He offered her when He affirmed her (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1245). Also, the exchange benefits Jairus because he can see the woman was made well through faith. Subsequently, when his servants come to tell him his daughter has died, Jesus is able to remind him that continued faith is the key to his daughter’s survival. Surely, after having witnessed the woman’s healing through faith, Jairus is more easily persuaded that Jesus has the power to heal, or even resurrect, his daughter. 

There is an interesting contrast in the way both men refer to a daughter. It was customary at the time for a rabbi to call a young girl daughter (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1193), but Jesus addresses the old woman this way. Mark’s account of Jairus’s request is particularly moving because the original Greek word for “little daughter” was a term of endearment and conveys Jairus’s despair over her immanent death (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1245). The contrast of the two stories of healing is in the position of those requesting Jesus’s help. Jairus had the recognition and authority to be able to access Jesus first, but Jesus tarried in order to serve a nameless woman who also needed help. “A little girl who had been living for twelve years and an old lady who had been dying for twelve years” (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1724), a girl who Jairus called daughter and a woman who Jesus called daughter. That Christ availed Himself to them both is a perfect picture of the gospel message. 

Jairus’s position, while an advantage in gaining access to Jesus, may also have been reason for Jairus to closely consider whether to approach Jesus at all. It is another parallel in the story that both he and the bleeding woman broke with tradition in order to seek help from Jesus. He could potentially have lost his position as a ruler of the synagogue, and his actions would not have escaped notice because he was very well-known among the community. The desperation over his daughter’s life, however, led him to seek Jesus’s help, despite the potential consequences. When Jesus complied, and he took the dead girl’s hand, he again took the risk of making Himself ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person, to say nothing of how inappropriate it was for a man (a rabbi, no less) to touch a woman, even a girl of twelve. “Jairus risked his secure, prestigious job because he loved his daughter more than his career. Jesus risked His reputation as a teacher in order to bring the daughter back to life” (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1723). 

When they reached the house, they encountered mourners who were loudly grieving. At the time, it was common for families to hire professional mourners to publicly grieve the deceased. The mourners were usually women, who would write songs in praise of the departed and sing or chant them in the streets, accompanied by flutes or other instruments. They wept and wailed, wore sackcloth, and threw dust or ashes in the air and on their heads, in an attempt to draw onlookers into the sadness of the family (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1645). It is helpful to understand they are likely not family members because their manic transition from keening to laughing at Jesus is hard to understand, unless you realize they were there to create a dramatic scene. I found the scripture reference for Mark 5:40, very interesting. The mourners were laughing at Jesus, and the scripture reference is to Matthew 15:11, “A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.” Make of that what you will. 

There is another scripture reference when Jesus raises the girl from the dead, and it is found in 2 Kings 4:33. In the passage from 2 Kings, Elisha raised a child from the dead, and there were many similarities between these two stories. Elisha’s Shunammite woman had an only son (Jairus had an only daughter) and had favor with Elisha because of her service to him (Jairus served in the temple). She demonstrated enormous faith by going to Elisha before she even told her husband the child had died (Jairus showed faith by risking his career and all he had in order to plead with Jesus), and she also stayed with Elisha while his servant went ahead to the house (Jairus stayed with Jesus while the servants reported back from the house). Elisha went into the child’s room and didn’t allow anyone but his servant Gehazi to enter with him (Jesus entered the home with only 3 disciples and the child’s parents). The scripture references are so helpful because they continually highlight the way God’s plan is carried out in similar events across history. 

The accounts in Mark and Luke close with Jesus’s instructions not to tell anyone what happened. In contrast to the last passage, where Jesus encouraged the ex-demoniac to tell everyone about what had happened to him, Jesus tells Jairus and his family not to talk about their daughter’s resurrection. “Since opposition to Him had already grown from the religious leaders, raising a dead person might have terminated His ministry too early. Furthermore, He limited some of His greatest miracles to the witness of only a chosen few (Mk 9:2)” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1245). In this case, He also “preserved the sanctity of the home by not parading twelve men into this private place” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1276). 

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2023/03/14/healing-and-blasphemy/

Scripture References 

Matthew 9:18 

Matthew 8:2 Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 

Matthew 8:25 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 

Matthew 9:17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” 

Acts 28:8 The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. 

Matthew 9:20 

Leviticus 15:25 When a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days at a time other than her menstrual period, or if it continues beyond her period, she will be unclean all the days of her unclean discharge, just as she is during the days of her menstruation. 

Numbers 15:38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout the generations to come they are to make for themselves tassels for the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 

Deuteronomy 22:12 You are to make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear. 

Matthew 14:36 and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed. 

Matthew 23:5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 

Mark 6:56 And wherever He went–villages and towns and countrysides–they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him to let them just touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed. 

Matthew 9:21 

Matthew 14:36 and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed. 

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. 

Luke 6:19 The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. 

Matthew 9:22 

Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. 

Matthew 9:2 Just then, some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 

Matthew 9:29 Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” 

Matthew 15:28 “O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. 

Mark 10:52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. 

Luke 7:50 And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Luke 17:19 Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!” 

Luke 18:42 “Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.” 

Matthew 9:23 

2 Chronicles 35:25 Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments. 

Jeremiah 9:17 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Take note, and summon the wailing women; send for the most skillful among them. 

Jeremiah 16:6 Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried or mourned, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them. 

Ezekiel 24:17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” 

Acts 20:10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” 

Revelation 18:22 And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. 

Matthew 9:24 

Job 12:4 I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. 

John 11:13 They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus. 

Acts 20:10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” 

Matthew 9:25 

Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 

Acts 9:40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 

Matthew 9:26 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 9:31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land. 

Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus 

Mark 1:28 And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee. 

Mark 1:45 But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter. 

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region. 

Luke 4:37 And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region. 

Luke 5:15 But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 

Luke 7:17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region. 

Mark 5:21 

Matthew 9:1 Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town. 

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore. 

Mark 4:36 After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him. 

Mark 5:2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. 

Mark 5:22 

Luke 13:14 But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.” 

Acts 13:15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.” 

Acts 18:8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized. 

Acts 18:17 At this, the crowd seized Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was of any concern to Gallio. 

Mark 5:23 

Mark 6:5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. 

Mark 7:32 Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. 

Mark 8:23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked. 

Mark 16:18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.” 

Luke 4:40 At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. 

Luke 13:13 Then He laid His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God. 

Acts 6:6 They presented these seven to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 

Acts 8:17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 9:12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 

Acts 9:17 So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

Acts 28:8 The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. 

Mark 5:24 

Luke 11:29 As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 

Mark 5:25 

Leviticus 15:25 When a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days at a time other than her menstrual period, or if it continues beyond her period, she will be unclean all the days of her unclean discharge, just as she is during the days of her menstruation. 

Mark 5:29 

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. 

Mark 5:30 

Luke 5:17 One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. 

Mark 5:34 

1 Samuel 1:17 “Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.” 

2 Kings 5:19 “Go in peace,” said Elisha, and Naaman departed. But after he had traveled a short distance, 

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. 

Luke 7:50 And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Acts 15:33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them. 

Acts 16:36 The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.” 

James 2:16 If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? 

Mark 5:35 

Matthew 26:10 Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. 

Mark 5:37 

Matthew 17:1 After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 

Matthew 26:37 He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 

Mark 9:2 After six days, Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. 

Mark 5:39 

John 11:11 After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.” 

Acts 20:10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” 

Mark 5:40 

Matthew 15:11 A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.” 

Mark 5:41 

Luke 7:14 Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!” 

Acts 9:40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 

Mark 5:43 

Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.” 

Matthew 12:16 warning them not to make Him known. 

Mark 9:9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 

Luke 8:40 

Luke 8:39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him. 

Luke 8:43 

Leviticus 15:25 When a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days at a time other than her menstrual period, or if it continues beyond her period, she will be unclean all the days of her unclean discharge, just as she is during the days of her menstruation. 

Mark 12:44 For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” 

Luke 8:45 

Luke 5:5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked through the night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” 

Luke 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. 

Luke 8:46 

Luke 5:17 One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick. 

Luke 8:48 

Luke 7:50 And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Luke 8:49 

Matthew 26:10 Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. 

Luke 8:51 

2 Kings 4:33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 

Luke 8:52 

Matthew 11:17 We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 

Luke 23:27 A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him. 

Luke 23:48 And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home beating their breasts. 

John 11:13 They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus. 

Luke 8:56 

Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.” 

Commentary 

Mark 9:2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 

73 – Healing the Gerasene Demoniacs; Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39 

Matthew 8:28 And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “[a]What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before [b]the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them. 31 And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and [c]drowned in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, [d]including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region. 

Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “[a]What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had already been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding [b]nearby on the mountain. 12 And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And then they *came to Jesus and *saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Him to leave their region. 18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was begging Him that he might [c]accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them [d]what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis [e]what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. 

Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out onto the land, a man from the city met Him who was possessed with demons; and he had not put on clothing for a long time and was not living in a house, but among the tombs. 28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, “[a]What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; because many demons had entered him. 31 And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain; and the demons begged Him to permit them to enter [b]the pigs. And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 Now when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported everything in the city, and in the country. 35 And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been [c]made well. 37 And all the [d]people of the territory of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed by great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might [e]accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

Footnotes (Matthew) 

a. Matthew 8:29 Lit What to us and to you (an ancient idiom) 

b. Matthew 8:29 I.e., the appointed time of judgment 

c. Matthew 8:32 Lit died 

d. Matthew 8:33 Lit and the things of 

Footnotes (Mark) 

a. Mark 5:7 Lit What to me and to you (an ancient idiom) 

b. Mark 5:11 Lit there 

c. Mark 5:18 Lit be with Him 

d. Mark 5:19 Or everything that 

e. Mark 5:20 Or everything that 

Footnotes (Luke) 

a. Luke 8:28 Lit What to me and to you (an ancient idiom) 

b. Luke 8:32 Lit those 

c. Luke 8:36 Lit saved 

d. Luke 8:37 Lit multitude 

e. Luke 8:38 Lit be with 

Commentary 

This event is recorded in three of the four gospel accounts, and we will explore some of the tensions that exist between the different versions. First, however, I’ll mention that when I looked up the reference verses, I noticed one verse recurring several times. I don’t think there has been any study where there was a single verse referenced more often than Matthew 4:24 is referenced in these passages. News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. This verse occurs much earlier in the gospel account of Matthew, but it is a reminder that Jesus’s fame continued to spread and that He made it a point to take time to heal people whenever He came into contact with them. 

The first tension that we encounter is that the accounts appear to contradict with regard to the location where Jesus encountered the men, but it seems that one account refers to a town or territory, and the other accounts refer to a district. “Gergesa was a town on the eastern slope of the Sea of Galilee and was included in the district of Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis. Both of these were included in the larger administrative district of Gerasa, whose center was the town of Gerasa in Gilead” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). 

We now believe the setting was an area that is now known as the ruins of Khersa, “in the eastern edge of the steep slopes overlooking the Sea of Galilee” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1276). “Immediately over this spot is a lofty mountain, in which are ancient tombs; and from this mountain there is an almost perpendicular declivity, literally (κρημνός) corresponding accurately to what is required by the description in the narrative of the miracle. Dr. Farrar (‘Life of Christ’) says that in the days of Eusebius and Jerome, tradition pointed to a “steep place” near “Gerasa” as the scene of the miracle. The foot of this steep is washed by the waters of the lake, which are at once very deep” (https://biblehub.com/mark/5-1.htm). So Jesus really could have pulled up from the deep water and been immediately confronted by the men who had come down from the cliff. 

“The people are called Gadarenes in Mark (and Luke) but “Gergesenes” in Matthew. The discovery of the ruins of Khersa (Gerasa) on the lake shore disproved [the claims that the accounts conflict] because this location was in close enough proximity to the larger city of Gadara that a single event could be identified with either place” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1244). 

The accounts also seem to diverge on the number of men Jesus encountered. This issue can also be resolved. Several commentaries assert that two of the accounts focus on the predominant convert only, whereas Matthew mentions both men. 

When the demon-possessed men ask Jesus if He has come to torment them before the time, bear in mind that this is eye-witness testimony from people who saw the interaction between the men and Jesus. They saw the men (or rather, the demons inside them) acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God and that they knew a time was coming when He would destroy them. This story speaks, once again, to the reality of demons and demon possession, which I covered in more depth in a previous post. There are angels and demons, and the Bible refers to them many times, as their activities become a part of various stories. These beings are more intelligent and powerful than humans, and they all know for certain who God is. Their presence in this case is evidenced by the supernatural strength of the man who broke his chains and the fact that the demons inhabited the pigs after leaving the humans. Not only did the men commit self-harm while they were possessed, but the pigs proceeded to bring their own end once they became possessed. The Nelson KJV Bible (pg. 1276) mentions injury among the four characteristics of demonic possession (the other three are insanity, indecency, and infamy), and the description of this event demonstrates all the signs of demonic activity, as opposed to illness. 

Although it is not clear whether the demon’s self-description as “Legion” was figurative, a literal Roman legion at the time “usually consisted of six thousand men, or ten cohorts of six hundred. They feared that Christ would send them into the deep (Gr abyssos). Apparently, while on earth Jesus did cast many demons into a place of confinement from which they will not be released until the Tribulation Period (cf. Rev 9:1-11)” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1276). “The unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not” (Matthew 12:43 KJV). What we read in fact is that the demons all inhabited one man and subsequently affected about 2,000 pigs. That they were able to enter the animals and affect them at all is remarkable, as I had never considered the idea that demons could possess animals. It raises lots of questions about the spirituality of animals, but those may go unanswered until we get to Heaven. 

Why did Jesus concede anything to the demons when they begged? Mark 5:6 said the man saw Jesus from afar (possibly from his vantage point at the top of the cliffs) and immediately went toward Him to bow down. This sign of honor may have been the thing that caused Jesus to show any mercy (pure speculation by me). It is odd that the worship seems sincere in this case, whereas there are so many other times when demons seem to use their captives to mock Jesus and/or the disciples. One commentary suggests that the Gerasene may have witnessed the calming of the storm, which occurred while Jesus was in transit to the shore, and that this inspired awe, even in the demons (https://biblehub.com/mark/5-1.htm).  

The mention of the swine here draws attention to the fact that there were Jewish herders raising pigs, which were considered unclean by Mosaic law (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). The law held that Jews could not eat pork, but they had relaxed their interpretation of the law to allow for Jews to breed pigs for sale to others. Some other commentaries assert that the poorest Jewish people would care for other people’s pigs, but that it was unseemly for them to do so, even if it was out of desperation. Whether the pigs were their own or someone else’s, the loss of them was a massive blow to someone’s wealth. 

“This is Jesus’ only recorded miracle that was destructive in nature” and shows Jesus’s deep concern for the men who were possessed (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). “The spiritual principle in this incident is that those who are deliberately disobedient (as was the case of the pig-breeders) deprive themselves of divine protection and place themselves at the mercy of the forces of evil” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). Was it the conviction of their sin or the destruction of their ill-gotten gains that caused them to ask Jesus to leave? If the Jews were working as herders, and the owners of the pigs were Gentiles, the owners may have been dismayed at their loss and unsettled by Jesus’s supernatural power. 

In contrast to the way Jesus was treated by the Gadarenes, go read Luke 8:40 (in the references section). The people in the Gadara area had asked Jesus to leave, but when he returns to the other side of the lake, the crowds have been waiting to welcome Him back. “The response of the Gadarenes was typically human; they were afraid of the unknown. Fear had existed before because of the demoniac, but as long as he remained in his own domain, they could live with it… They preferred the status quo, where everything could be explained by natural means” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1244). 

The fact that Jesus turned the man away from following Him speaks to the mystery of God’s plan for each of us. Many people feel they can only truly honor God if they pursue a career in ministry, but God may have plans for a person to minister to the people who are already in the person’s own circle, instead. Not only was the healed man able to deeply impact his family, who were keenly aware of his previous condition and subsequent redemption, but he also shared his story throughout the 10-city region of the Decapolis. 

The Word in Life Study Bible remarks that, since the man was likely a Gentile from Gadara, when Jesus sent him back to tell his family and friends about what had happened to him, he probably became the first Gentile evangelist (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1796). In many other accounts, Jesus tells the person who has been healed not to tell anyone what happened, but He encourages this man to return to his people to tell them about what Jesus did for him. Why the difference? There could be a variety of reasons (1) Jesus’s ministry was soon coming to a close, so Jesus had less reason to keep people from acknowledging who He was (2) Jesus didn’t have plans to spend a lot of time in that area, so he could afford for locals to know, without the overwhelming crowds or political opposition that often hampered His efforts to teach and minister (3) Jesus recognized the man’s earnest desire to participate in the ministry and wanted to honor that by giving him a job to do. At any rate, Jesus chose to appoint the redeemed demoniac as a witness to others, and the man enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to meet and exceed the requirements of Christ’s assignment. 

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2023/03/07/healing-a-woman-and-resurrecting-a-child/

Scripture References 

Matthew 8:28 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!” 

Matthew 8:29 

Judges 11:12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?” 

2 Samuel 16:10 But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?'” 

2 Samuel 19:22 And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?” 

1 Kings 17:18 “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” 

2 Kings 3:13 Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” 

2 Chronicles 35:21 But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty. God told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!” 

Mark 1:24 “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!” 

Luke 4:34 “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!” 

John 2:4 “Woman, why does this concern us?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 

James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. 

Matthew 8:30 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Matthew 8:31 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Matthew 8:33 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 8:16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 

Matthew 8:34 

Amos 7:12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 

Acts 16:39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. 

Mark 5:1 

Mark 4:41 Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” 

Mark 5:2 

Mark 1:23 Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: 

Mark 3:9 Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him. 

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore. 

Mark 4:36 After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him. 

Mark 5:21 When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea. 

Mark 5:4  

Psalm 105:18 They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons, 

Mark 5:7 

Matthew 4:3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 

Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 

Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 

Hebrews 7:1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 

James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. 

Mark 5:9 

Matthew 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.” 

Matthew 26:53 Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 

Mark 5:11 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Mark 5:12 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Mark 5:13 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Mark 5:14 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Mark 5:15 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 26:53 Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 

Mark 5:16 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 9:32 As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus. 

Mark 5:17 

Acts 16:39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. 

Mark 5:18 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Mark 5:20 

Psalm 66:16 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me. 

Matthew 4:25 The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 

Mark 7:31 Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 

Luke 8:26 

Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!” 

Luke 8:27 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Luke 8:30 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Matthew 26:53 Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 

Luke 8:31 

Romans 10:7 or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 

Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss. 

Revelation 9:11 They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon. 

Revelation 11:7 When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. 

Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw–it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be. 

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 

Revelation 20:3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time. 

Luke 8:32 

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 

Luke 8:35 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Luke 10:39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His message. 

Luke 8:36 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Luke 8:38 

Matthew 4:24 News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed–and He healed them. 

Luke 8:39 

Luke 8:40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 

Commentary 

Rev 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key to the shaft of the abyss was given to him. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke ascended out of the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will flee from them! 7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like human faces. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. 

72 – Calming the Storm; Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25

Matthew 8:23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, a [a]violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you [b]afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [c]it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 After dismissing the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And a fierce gale of wind *developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [a]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [b]afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Luke 8:22 Now on one of those days [a]Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging [b]waves, and they stopped, and [c]it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

Footnotes (Matthew)

a. Matthew 8:24 Lit great

b. Matthew 8:26 Or cowardly

c. Matthew 8:26 Lit a great calm occurred

Footnotes (Mark)

a. Mark 4:39 Lit a great calm occurred

b. Mark 4:40 Lit cowardly

Footnotes (Luke)

a. Luke 8:22 Lit He

b. Luke 8:24 Lit waves of water

c. Luke 8:24 Lit a calm occurred

Commentary

One thing I never noticed about this passage before is that there were other boats with them (see Mark 4:36). We aren’t told who was in them, but these people would have experienced the same storm and subsequent calm. They may not have witnessed the miracle of Jesus speaking to the elements because they would have been in a loud, dark, frightening place in their own boats, but they certainly would have experienced the wonder and relief of the sudden peace.

The disciples would have been familiar with storms, since many were fishermen. However, this storm must have been especially severe to cause them to think they were going to die. The Sea of Galilee has tremendous storms to this day. “Storms rapidly form over the Sea of Galilee when air masses from the surrounding higher plains and mountains are funneled through deep river ravines to meet the warm shore air rising off the lake” (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1798). “The lake is 700 feet below sea level, and is fed by rivers that have cut deep ravines surrounded by flat plains that are in turn hedged in by mountains. The ravines act like wind siphons or tunnels, gathering cooler air from the mountains as it crosses the plains. Then the air mass runs into the hot lake shore, violent storms are whipped up with no warning” (The Word in Life Study Bible, pg. 1798).

Jesus’s ability to sleep through the storm indicates not only peace and confidence in God’s plan for Him, but also complete exhaustion. The boat was obviously tossing and lurching in the waves, and Jesus remained asleep, despite significant physical obstacles to peaceful rest. Consider how tirelessly He gave of Himself to teach, pray, heal, and spread the message of the kingdom of God. He had to take every opportunity possible to rest, and when He did get to sleep, He slept hard.

As I said, however, a factor that had significant bearing on His peace was His confidence in His purpose and of course His knowledge that He had ultimate power over the wind and waves. “Jesus rebuked their little faith in light of the fact that He had commanded the trip across the Sea of Galilee” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). The disciples started out being afraid of the storm, but they end up being afraid of Jesus. They almost can’t admit to each other that they believe He is God. There are several scripture references from the Old Testament that indicate God controls the wind and waves. (See in the scripture references below Psalm 65:7; Psalm 89:9; Psalm 107:29; Nahum 1:4.) This was a very important miracle Jesus performed because it showed evidence of His deity. “Although they had seen demons cast out and diseases cured, the apostles perceived Christ as a prophet only. Witnessing His sovereignty over nature, they respond among themselves in fear… What emotions must have flowed as they pondered if their Master indeed was God Himself!” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1243).

The implications for us today are similar to those in the story. It doesn’t matter what rages around us, but Who is with us. If we are going in the same direction, for the same purpose, in the name of Jesus, we can be confident in the end result. (To be clear, though, many people think they are going in the same direction, for the same purpose, when they may not be – this is a matter for much prayer and fasting.) This sermon offers a nice, clear depiction of the circumstances of this miracle and the implications. https://vimeo.com/351920582

Findn the next post here https://wordpress.com/post/onthepath.online/741

Scripture References

Matthew 8:24

Habakkuk 3:10 The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high.

Matthew 8:25

Matthew 8:2 Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Matthew 9:18 While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”

Matthew 8:26

Psalm 65:7 You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

Psalm 107:29 He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Nahum 1:4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.

Matthew 6:30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 16:8 Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?

Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Luke 4:35 But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.

Matthew 8:27

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Mark 4:35

Matthew 8:18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

Mark 4:36

Mark 3:9 Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

Mark 5:2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs.

Mark 5:21 When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Mark 4:37

Acts 27:14 But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

Mark 4:38

Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You defer to no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

Mark 4:39

Psalm 65:7 You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

Psalm 89:9 You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.

Psalm 107:29 He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Luke 4:35 But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.

Mark 4:40

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

Mark 4:41

Mark 5:1 On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.

Luke 8:22

Matthew 8:18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

Luke 5:1 On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,

Luke 8:33 Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Acts 27:2 We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

Luke 8:23

Luke 5:1 On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,

Acts 27:2 We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

1 Corinthians 15:30 And why do we endanger ourselves every hour?

Luke 8:24

Psalm 107:29 He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Luke 4:35 But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.

Luke 4:39 and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them.

Luke 5:5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked through the night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

Luke 8:25

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Luke 8:26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee.

71 – Requirements of Discipleship; Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 9:57-62

Matthew 8:18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19 Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Luke 9:57 As they were going on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Commentary

This one was a little tricky, chronologically. In Matthew, it looks as though they are getting ready to cross the lake, where Jesus will calm the storm (that will be in the next study), and someone stops Jesus on the way to the boat. In Luke, these interactions appear to take place on the road, after Jesus has not been received in Samaria, and He is headed to another village with the disciples. I decided to go with the context in Matthew because Jesus gave orders to go to the other side of the sea in verse 18, and then verse 23 describes Him getting into the boat.

The first person who approaches Him is a scribe. “The reference to a certain scribe is unusual since scribes were usually spoken in the plural. [The words “I will follow you”] indicated that he was willing to follow Christ both spiritually and publicly” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). Jesus’s response about being homeless must have been a significant hang-up for the scribe, and I wonder if it was a well-known obstacle for scribes in general. Jesus didn’t even seem to ask if it was something the man was willing to accept as part of discipleship, but He summarized the situation bluntly, with the apparent assumption that it would not be possible for the scribe to overcome this issue. Of course, Jesus understood the hearts of everyone with whom he came in contact, and He always got right to the individual’s stumbling block (as He did with the rich young ruler, who would have to sell everything he had in order to get into the kingdom – wealth was that man’s personal obstacle). “Jesus was born poor and lived poor. His comment in Matt. 8:20 even suggests that He was homeless. He never celebrated poverty, but He did ask His followers to forsake the common belief that real security comes from having wealth (Matt. 6:19-34)… Christ is not asking us to do anything that He did not do Himself. He wants us to learn to hold what we have very lightly” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1641).

Within the context of His dismissal of the scribe’s request, Jesus refers Himself the Son of Man, which He often does throughout the gospel accounts. This is a reference to Daniel 7:13, with messianic significance. “It must be understood that our Lord deliberately used this title of Himself in order to emphasize that He was, in fact, the Messiah” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). Daniel 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.

Jesus then proposed that another disciple follow Him, and that disciple had a different objection. The other disciple’s request to bury his father likely did not mean the man’s father was terminally ill, but that the man wanted to stay at his home until his father was gone, at whatever point in the future that might happen. “Jesus’ strong reply, let the dead bury their dead, was not intended to be harsh, but rather to emphasize that the time to be about the heavenly Father’s business was now” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1192). The phrase probably implies that those who are spiritually dead (ones who would not be inclined to follow Jesus) should stay back and bury the physically dead, and the urgency of Christ’s ministry, for those who believe in Him, supersedes even attendance to one’s own father’s funeral (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1278).

Even though it may not have been intended as harsh, it is such a strong admonition that it gives me pause. How much am I really sacrificing to follow Jesus? Does everyone need to sacrifice as much as Jesus called these men to do? Obviously, we recently studied that a group of women supported Jesus through their means, so there were also people who had wealth and used it to facilitate Jesus’s ministry. What are we called to do today?

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2022/05/02/calming-the-storm/

Scripture References

Matthew 8:19

Luke 9:57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

1 Corinthians 16:6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.

Matthew 8:20

Psalm 104:12 The birds of the air nest beside the springs; they sing among the branches.

Daniel 7:13 In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.

Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Matthew 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

Matthew 12:40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 13:37 He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Luke 9:58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Luke 12:8 I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.

Luke 18:8 I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Luke 21:36 So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

John 1:51 Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven–the Son of Man.

John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

John 6:27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.

John 6:62 Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

John 12:34 The crowd replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

John 13:31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.

Acts 7:56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Matthew 8:21

1 Kings 19:20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

Matthew 8:22

1 Kings 19:20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.

Mark 2:14 As He was walking along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Levi got up and followed Him.

Luke 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 21:19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after He had said this, He told him, “Follow Me.”

John 21:22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

Luke 9:57

Luke 9:51 As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Luke 9:56 and they went on to another village.

Luke 9:58

Matthew 13:32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Luke 9:60

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Luke 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

Luke 9:61

1 Kings 19:20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

2 Corinthians 2:13 I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

Luke 9:62

1 Kings 19:20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Commentary

Matt 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

70 – Parables for the Disciples; Matthew 13:36-53

Matthew 13:36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the [a]tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the [b]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the [c]end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [d]all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, [e]let him hear.

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the [f]end of the age; the angels will come forth and [g]take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And [h]Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.

Footnotes

a. Matthew 13:36 Or darnel, a weed resembling wheat

b. Matthew 13:39 Or consummation

c. Matthew 13:40 Or consummation

d. Matthew 13:41 Or everything that is offensive

e. Matthew 13:43 Or hear! Or listen!

f. Matthew 13:49 Or consummation

g. Matthew 13:49 Or separate

h. Matthew 13:52 Lit He

Commentary

This section begins with an explanation of a parable we have already studied, and Jesus’s explanation is part of what we already covered in the previous study. However, because this discussion fits chronologically with his private teaching among the disciples, I included it here. It does offer some important context to the other parables, so keeping it in this section seems to add a lot of value.

When I first read these parables, as in the last several studies, my gut interpretation seems to have been wrong. Jesus starts in verse 43, with an explanation of the wheat and tares, in which He is represented by the sower; the good seeds are the believers, the bad seeds are unbelievers, and the reapers are the angels. Then the parables of the treasure and the pearl seem to be about men who must give up everything to have eternal life with God, and the parable of the fish is back to gathering the kingdom again. When I read this, I struggled to understand why these parables would be delivered in a string this way because the ideas didn’t really tie into, or build upon, one another that well.

However, reading the Nelson KJV Bible Commentary was really enlightening. Rather than interpreting the parables of the treasure and the pearl to be about mankind, it makes more sense thematically to interpret the real estate buyer and the merchant as Jesus, who gave up His own life to buy the lives of the lost. As Jesus is the key figure in the other parables, it makes sense He would be the central character in these parables, also. This position is further strengthened by the idea that mankind is saved by grace and can’t purchase salvation through works, anyway, so it would be less likely that Jesus is talking about man buying his own ticket to Heaven, no matter how high the cost. “If the pearl is Christ or the kingdom for whom a man must give all in order to obtain, then no man has ever yet given all that he has for Christ. While we receive Him as Saviour, we also progressively continue surrendering areas of ourselves to Him as we come to know better His will for our lives” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1202).

The fish in the dragnet seems pretty straightforward, and catching fish in a net pulled behind/between one or two boats was a common practice at the time. The net yielded lots of objects and creatures other than desirable fish, so especially the fishermen in the audience would have identified with the analogy. This is why they felt confident responding “yes” to Jesus when He asked them to confirm they understood what He was saying.

This may have been a trick question, though. In the last 2 verses, it seems that Jesus may be trying to show the disciples that they have not fully understood the implications of everything He had told them. “Jesus recognized that the disciples were claiming more insight than they actually possessed. So He gave them the parable of the householder to characterize the situation” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1659).

The scribe and the head of the household refer to the disciples. “An informed disciple is a true scribe who comprehends new and old truths and can rightly discern between them” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary, pg. 1202). At the time, it was common when entertaining guests for the master of the house to bring out some family treasures, either inherited or newly acquired, to impress or excite the guests. “Jesus likened His disciples to heads of the family in possession of His truth. Over the years they would tell people about the “old treasures” – the basics of the gospel – and about “new treasures” – the way in which His teaching applied to new situations” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1659).

Scribes of the day were responsible for understanding scripture and interpreting it for the Jewish people, and this would now be the responsibility of the disciples to share both the Old Testament teaching and the good news of the gospel. Jesus may be helping the disciples see that the insights of these teachings continue to produce fresh understanding over time, so if they think they understand things now, they may find that they come to have greater understanding in the future.

Jesus uses a phrase at the end, “disciple of the kingdom of heaven,” and I wanted to take a closer look at the connotation of the word disciple. Typically, the word disciple (which was originally derived from verbs meaning “to learn”) meant someone who was in close proximity to a teacher and who was working to align his lifestyle to that of the teacher (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 2, pg. 130). While in the New Testament, the term is often interpreted to mean the twelve men who accompanied Jesus, “the expression “disciple of Jesus,” was also used less strictly. It described those who were His disciples secretly (John 19:38), and by implication those who were not at all physically adjacent to Him (cf. Mark 9:38-40; 5:18, 19). This looser concept of disciple may have made it possible for the writer of Acts to use it as a general term for “Christian” (Acts 9:25 and 19:1 are the only exceptions), the original idea of being an intimate companion of the earthly Jesus now almost forgotten” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 2, pg. 130). Interestingly, the word disciple does not appear in the New Testament outside the gospel accounts and Acts, so it seems the New Testament writers did not think of their ongoing relationships as discipleship. However, Jesus’s statement in verse 52 seems broad enough to imply that anyone who chooses to believe, study, proclaim, and conform his/her life to the teaching of Jesus is a disciple of the kingdom of heaven.

Find the next post here https://onthepath.online/2022/04/27/requirements-of-discipleship/

Scripture References

Matthew 13:36

Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

Matthew 13:18 Consider, then, the parable of the sower:

Matthew 13:25 But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.

Matthew 15:15 Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

Matthew 13:37

Matthew 8:20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Matthew 13:4 And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Matthew 13:38

Matthew 5:37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Acts 13:10 and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Matthew 13:39

Matthew 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

Matthew 13:22 The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Matthew 24:3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 28:20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Hebrews 1:2 But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Revelation 14:15 Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest; for the crop of the earth is ripe.”

Matthew 13:40

Matthew 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

Matthew 13:22 The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Matthew 24:3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 28:20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Matthew 13:41

2 Samuel 23:6 But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.

Zephaniah 1:3 “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 8:20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Matthew 24:31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 13:42

Daniel 3:6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.”

Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:43

Daniel 12:3 Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Matthew 11:15 He who has ears, let him hear.

Mark 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

1 Corinthians 15:42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable.

Matthew 13:44

Job 28:13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.

Proverbs 2:4 if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

Proverbs 23:23 Invest in truth and never sell it–in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Matthew 13:45

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

Matthew 13:46

Revelation 18:12 cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

Matthew 13:47

Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Matthew 13:48

Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

Matthew 13:49

Matthew 25:32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 13:50

Daniel 3:6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.”

Matthew 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:52

Song of Solomon 7:13 The mandrakes send forth a fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, new as well as old, that I have treasured up for you, my beloved.

Matthew 12:35 The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 13:53

Matthew 7:28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching,

Matthew 13:3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

Commentary

John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.

Mark 9:38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is for us.

Mark 5:18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”

Acts 9:25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

Acts 19:1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.