The Weekend Word

Matthew 8:14-22

Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother in Law & the many

¹⁴ And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

• Peter was married – there seems to be no admonition to stay single or chaste.
• Now marriage and family may interfere with ministry – but there must be balance.
• Some great missionaries we read about, revere and study and we try to hold up as examples as great men of the faith were terrible husbands and fathers.

¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

• God’s healing / restoration – so that you can resume your vocation – as did Peter’s Mother in Law.
• A thought on y part as we watch Jesus day after day traveling and healing – I wonder if Jesus ever caught what they had? Did Jesus every wake up, call Peter into the room and say “Pete, I am too sick to get up and go to work today. You will need to lead the others in today’s ministry chores.”
• Or did he just touch himself and tell the demon of flu to depart?

¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

• What do we think of oppressed or possessed of demons?
• Do you know anyone? Have you taken them to the Church?
• All of these healings and miracles are sermons!!
• Preaching who? Preaching what?
• Jesus is the;
• ) Suffering Servant
• ) Compassionate one
• ) One who descended for you

¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

• A key Matthew phrase – Matthew connects us back to Isaiah –
• 53:4-5 – the vicarious atonement
• Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
• Whatever power Jesus has he uses for others
• Jesus is that servant who does the downward service
• Christianity is about God who comes down / reaches down.
• All other religions are reaching up to God – we need to keep that in mind.

Is There a Cost of Following Jesus?

¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

• Is Jesus always trying to avoid the crowds?

¹⁹ And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

• A note: it is always the bad guys / enemies who call Jesus teacher / rabbi
• Opponents (12:38; 22:16,22,24) the rich man (19:16)
• The guys collecting the 2 drachma tax – to the disciples they refer to Jesus as “your teacher” (17:24)
• Follow? Because Jesus is packing up to go to the other side
• Follow? Yes as long as there is something in it for me.

²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

• Son of Man – the title Jesus uses for himself.
• What is in it for followers? Possible trouble – no guarantees.

²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

• Another disciple – does that make the scribe above a disciple?
• Looking deeper into the grammar, it looks not that way.
• But here we do have a disciple.
• First = where is your priority?
• A waiting / delay tactic
• It’s not like dad is dead and the funeral is tomorrow – it’s really – I have family responsibilities – mom & dad are still alive, wait until they pass and I will follow.
• How many times has a pastor heard “Pastor, I would come to church and I would worship Jesus – but… (fill in the blank)
• We have a soccer game – It’s my only day to sleep in – my only day to do yard work etc.

²² And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

• Here is the priority – the Kingdom of God first
• First Jesus then take care of everything else – Matt 10:32-39
• Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
• ³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 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— ³⁶ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
• ³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

*** This is the “Son of Man” – go back and read Daniel 7- the language of Daniel 7 has been picked up here and again in Revelation ***

• This Jesus is the one given the eternal kingdom and the authority to reign over all earthly kingdoms.
• He is not Son of Man for himself – but for you and for me. To give away this kingdom to you.
• This is why we studied Daniel first and will study Revelation next – they are 3 gospel messages linked together. (My order for my class)