Jesus Brings Peace and New Life

²³ Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake (Sea of Galilee) with His disciples. ²⁴ Suddenly, a fierce (great, violent) storm struck the lake (Sea of Galilee), with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We are going to drown (perish)!” ²⁶ Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid (timid)? You have so little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm (peacefulness). ²⁷ The disciples were amazed (marveled). “Who is this Man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey Him!”

²⁸ When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake (Sea of Galilee), in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed (controlled) by demons met Him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent (fierce) that no one could go through that area. ²⁹ They began screaming at Him, “Why are You interfering with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” ³⁰ There happened to be a large herd of pigs (swine) feeding in the distance. ³¹ So the demons begged, “If You cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.” ³² “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. ³³ The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged Him to go away and leave them alone.

¹ Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake (Sea of Galilee) to His own town (Capernaum). ² Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat (bed, sleeping pad). Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” ³ But some of the teachers of religious law (scribes) said to themselves, “That is blasphemy! Does He think He is God?” ⁴ Jesus knew (seeing) what they were thinking (thoughts), so He asked them, “Why do you have such evil (malice) thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ⁶ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” ⁷ And the man jumped up and went home! ⁸ Fear (awe) swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised (glorified) God for sending a Man with such great authority.

⁹ As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him. ¹⁰ Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable (wicked) sinners. ¹¹ But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with such scum (tax collectors and sinners)?” ¹² When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor—sick people do.” ¹³ Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices (cf. Hosea 6:6).’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

¹⁴ One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked Him, “Why do your disciples not fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” ¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. ¹⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Matthew 8:23-9:17 (NLT)

In these Scripture passages, Matthew gives readers three more miracles of Jesus. Matthew wanted to reveal Jesus’ miraculous power over the winds and waves (Matthew 8:23-27), over legions of demons (Matthew 8:24-34), and finally over sin and sickness (Matthew 9:1-7), which lead the crowd to praise God for sending Jesus (Matthew 9:8). Then, Matthew gives his personal testimony of salvation, which dramatically revealed Jesus’ love and forgiveness for all people – saints and sinners (Matthew 9:9-13)!

While Jesus was with His disciples in a boat, a furious storm came up over the Sea of Galilee, so that the winds and waves swept over the boat (Matthew 8:24). However, Jesus was peacefully sleeping. Jesus’ disciples cried out to Him and said, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing” (Matthew 8:25, ESV). Jesus woke up from His sleep and said to His disciples during the storm, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26, ESV). Then Jesus arose and rebuked the storm, and there were a great peace and calm over the waters (Matthew 8:26). The disciples were amazed, saying, “What sort of Man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27, ESV). Jesus was not only strong enough to heal every disease and sickness (Matthew 8:16-17), but He can also calm our storms (Matthew 8:26-27).

After arriving on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was confronted by two demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:28). These two men were evil, violent, and dangerous (Matthew 8:28). Sadly, evil had robbed these men of their sanity and self-control. When confronted with God incarnate (Matthew 1:23), these two demon-possessed men screamed at Jesus, “What do You want with us, O Son of God?” (Matthew 8:29, TLB). Seeing a herd of pigs feeding in the distance, the demons begged Jesus to send them into that herd of pigs (Matthew 8:31). Jesus granted the demons’ wishes. The demons came out of the men, entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed over a cliff and drowned in the waters (Matthew 8:32). The people of the city heard about Jesus and asked Jesus to leave their region (Matthew 8:33-34). Shockingly, the people cared more about pigs than Jesus!

Then, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the people brought Him a paralyzed man (Matthew 9:1-2). Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2, ESV; see also Acts 3:16; James 5:15). Jesus’ miraculous healing of the paralyzed man caused a great controversy with the watching religious leaders, and they inwardly accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 9:3). Knowing and seeing their internal thoughts, Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4, ESV). To prove He has the power to forgive sins, Jesus said to the paralyzed men “Rise, pick up your bed and go home” (Matthew 9:6, ESV). The once paralyzed man arose and went home (Matthew 9:7). When the crowds saw Jesus’ miraculous healing, they marveled and glorified the living God, who had given Jesus such authority (Matthew 9:8). In Jesus, the people saw God at work!

As Jesus’ cured the paralyzed man, He said to the man, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2, ESV). Some biblical scholars noted that Jesus’ statement suggests that this man’s sin and sickness were interrelated. The Holy Scriptures teach that sickness and disease come for many reasons, including our sins (see e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-63; 1 Corinthians 11:27-32); to prevent sin (see e.g., 2 Corinthians 12:7-10); to test our faithfulness to God (see e.g., Job 2:1-7); to display God’s glory (see e.g., John 9:2); or because of demons and evil (see e.g., Acts 5:15-16). Though our sins are not always the direct cause of our suffering and sickness (see e.g., John 9:2-3), ultimately all sin and death resulted from the Great Fall or original sin in Genesis 3 that lead to humankind’s first death (see Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:16-19). As God incarnate, Jesus has the power to forgive all our sins and heal all our diseases (see Psalm 103:3). Through our faith in Him, Jesus heals our physical sickness and forgives our spiritual sickness in the form of sin and brings us new life (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

After telling of Jesus’ miraculous healings, Matthew tells the readers of his personal salvation by Jesus while working as a tax collector for Rome (Matthew 9:9-13). As Jesus passed by Matthew sitting at the tax collection booth, He said to Matthew, “Follow Me” (Matthew 9:9). Like the other disciples before Him (Matthew 4:18-22), Matthew immediately left His lucrative government job and followed Jesus (Matthew 9:9). Then, Matthew invited Jesus to his home where many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined with Jesus and His disciples (Matthew 9:10). During Jesus’ time, many Jews viewed tax collectors as cheats, traitors, and sinners that served the Romans Empire. When the Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11, ESV). Jesus overheard the Pharisees’ comments against Him and said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12, ESV). Then, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:13, NLT; see also Hosea 6:6). “Sacrifice” summarized observance to religious rituals and ceremonies. More important to God was our mercy and lovingkindness towards Him and towards others as our goodness bring Him glory (see Matthew 22:34-40; see also Matthew 5:13-16; Titus 2:11-14)! God in the Old Testament informed the people through His faithful prophets what He required: “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NLT; see also Genesis 5:22; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 1 Samuel 15:22-23; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3; Zechariah 7:9-10).

Then, John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14, ESV). Jesus said to John the Baptist’s disciples that He was the Bridegroom, and His disciples did not need to fast while He was with them (Matthew 9:15). Jesus revealed His life and teaching brought “a new wine” and fresh wineskins will be required (Matthew 9:17). As God incarnate, Jesus is all-powerful that the winds and waves obey, demons flee, and every disease healed! The Kingdom of God dawned with Jesus, and He brought new life and growth in Kingdom righteousness (see also Matthew 1:23; Matthew 4:16).

References

ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008).

Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).

Ryrie Study Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody, 1995).

Ross, Mark E. Let’s Study Matthew (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009).