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Verse 1: "And when He came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him." This verse should immediately follow the end of chapter seven.
Verse 2: "And behold, a leper, coming near, worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can cleanse me." From the other Gospels, we can see that this leper was healed before the giving of the teachings on the mountain. In contrast to the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Matthew was not written absolutely according to historical order.
Each writer of the Gospels has his own characteristic in arranging the order of the events. Matthew records the Lord's acts and words, whereas Mark records mostly the Lord's acts and very little of the Lord's words. This is because Mark shows the Lord as a slave. A slave should not speak too much. Mark especially uses the word "immediately," whereas Matthew especially uses the term "the kingdom of the heavens" thirty-three times. Since the word "immediately" is often used in Mark, everything recorded in the book is according to historical order. Therefore, of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark has the most accurate chronology of historical events. Regarding the chronological order, Mark is more accurate than Luke, and John is more accurate than Matthew. The words used quite often by John are "the next day" or "the second day." Thus, the chronological order in John is more accurate than that in Matthew.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are concerned in particular with the events that occurred while the Lord was in Judea; John writes specifically about the events that occurred while the Lord was in Galilee. Of course, this is not absolutely so. The order in Luke is according to morality, while the order in Matthew is according to doctrine. The miracles in Mark are recorded approximately according to chronological order, as can be seen in the incident of crossing the sea in Mark 4:35-41.
The order of the events recorded in Matthew 8 (as edited by him) is as follows: (1) the cleansing of the leper, (2) the healing of the centurion's servant, and (3) the healing of Peter's mother-in-law. However, according to chronological order, they should be as follows: (1) the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, (2) the cleansing of the leper, and (3) the healing of the centurion's servant.
Why did Matthew record these events in such a way? Because the Gospel of Matthew, from the beginning to the end, intends to show people the strictness of the kingdom of the heavens. Matthew's record uses the kingdom of the heavens as the backbone, as the center, and speaks continuously along the same line. Therefore, he puts the facts together without caring for the historical order. Luke is written with morality as its goal, which is to speak forth how God grants mercy to men. Therefore, in Luke we can see God's salvation in every section. John speaks of the Lord's preaching in Galilee. Galilee is sometimes called "Galilee of the Gentiles." Therefore, John writes with the world as the criterion and eliminates all the background.
Why should "behold" be inserted at the beginning of verse 2? This is to get people's attention because what follows is a special case. For instance, even Elisha dared not to see Naaman or to get near him, but ordered him to wash himself (2 Kings 5:10). In the Old Testament there are the ordinances of how the lepers can be cleansed (Lev. 14), but here we have the healing of the leper. Therefore, verse 2 begins with " behold."
According to history, the order of the events in this chapter is as follows: (1) the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, (2) the cleansing of the leper, and (3) the healing of the centurion's servant. These events are recorded in a different way because they are types.
There were many lepers, but only one was healed. The Jews were like lepers. They all committed sin, but among the Jews, only a small remnant received grace. The servant of the centurion was a Gentile. Because Israel would not receive grace, salvation went to the Gentiles.
In Luke it was recorded that the centurion sent some elders of the Jews to entreat the Lord. This is to show that salvation was of the Jews. Matthew was written to the Jews. However, in order to show that the Gentiles can come to the Lord directly, Matthew did not mention the elders of the Jews. The leper was healed by being touched by the Lord. This shows that the Jews were related in the flesh to the Lord. The servant of the centurion was healed, but the Lord did not touch him. Rather, He spoke a word from a distance. The centurion heard it and believed, but the servant did not see the Lord. This shows that the Gentiles are saved through believing. What the Lord has ordained for us today is that we believe without seeing (John 20:29).
Leprosy signifies the filthiness of sin and refers to the Jews. Paralysis signifies the impotence of sin and refers to the Gentiles. Fever signifies the energy of the flesh in disobeying God. Sin causes man not only to be filthy but also to be impotent. Filthiness is something before God and needs to be cleansed. Weakness needs power.
Peter's mother-in-law was healed because Peter had an intimate relationship with the Lord. This shows us that after the Gentiles have received salvation, the Lord again will be gracious to Israel for the sake of Abraham and David. Fever refers to the situation of the tribulation, since tribulation is like a furnace. Matthew recorded these events in such a way to emphasize the doctrinal aspect. Verse 17 refers in particular to the millennium, because in the kingdom the power of death ceases to exist. Although death will be there, it is for the punishment of sin, because those who will be born during the millennium may not all be saved ones. Their death will be due to God's punishment.
Concerning verse 2, Spurgeon said that if someone is a leper yet he does not come to worship the Lord, his leprosy must be very serious. In Mark 9:22-23, the man said, "If you can...." It was a questioning of the Lord's power, and that is why the Lord rebuked him. Here, the leper said, "Lord, if You are willing." This is a matter of the heart. The leper did not doubt the Lord; he just did not know whether or not the Lord was willing. The Lord said, "I am willing," meaning "I am definitely willing." Thus, we can see the Lord's heart toward the sick ones.
Verse 4: "Jesus said to him, See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them." This is because at that time the law had not been abolished. Only through the death of the Lord can we be freed from the requirements of the law, as shown in Romans 7:4. At that time the Lord had not yet died; therefore, they had to follow the law.
Verses 5-10: Fever is an abnormal power; paralysis is an abnormal weakness; and leprosy is an abnormal filthiness. To have great faith is to believe in God's authority. God's authority and God's word go together. For instance, "God said, Let there be light: and there was light." God created the heavens and the earth by His authority. The Greek word for power literally means "dynamite." The Greek word for authority denotes a very marvelous power that can subdue everything. People today pay attention to power but do not care for authority. Men commit sin because they overthrow the authority of God. During the time of the great tribulation, all the people in the world will try to use their power to overthrow God's authority. Satan is what he is because he wants to overthrow the authority of God. Not only will he not submit himself to the authority of God; he also stirs people up to oppose God. However, Christ withstood Satan with authority. The sharp sword coming out of the Lord's mouth is the power behind His authority. God does not use power to directly rule over the world. Therefore, Christians today should learn to submit themselves under the authority of God.
Verses 11-13: When the Lord mentioned the kingdom of the heavens, He did not specify whether it is in the present or in the future. Some say it refers to the present age. If so, then verse 11 cannot be explained. But in chapter eleven, verses 11-12, it seems that the kingdom of the heavens is in the present age. In Matthew 5:3 it is in the future because it is related to reward.
"The kingdom of God" is mentioned five times in Matthew. God's kingdom is God's sovereign authority. There must be a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens; otherwise, the Lord would not have used a different term. The kingdom of God is both today and in the future.
The way to explain the question is to first look for the facts, the phenomena, and then look for the explanation. The major sections: (1) Chapters one through four are the first major section. (2) Chapters five through seven are the second major section. (3) Chapters eight through nine are the third major section. The minor sections: 8:1-17 is divided into four small sections: (1) verses 2-4, the cleansing of the leper; (2) verses 5-13, the healing of the paralytic servant; (3) verses 14-15, the healing of the fever of Peter's mother-in-law; and (4) verses 16-17, the healing of many who were ill.
The four titles of the Lord on the earth as the Son are: (1) the Son of God, (2) the Son of Man, (3) the Son of Abraham, and (4) the Son of David. In the four small sections in chapter eight we see the Lord as the Son in four ways: (1) In the cleansing of the leper He is the Son of God — this is in relation to the Jews. (2) In the healing of the paralytic, He is the Son of Abraham — this is because of faith and because it is in relation to the Gentiles. (3) In the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, He is the Son of David — this is in relation to the Jews in the future. (4) In the casting out of demons and in the healing of all men, He is the Son of Man — this is in relation to all people.
Verse 14: "And Jesus, coming into Peter's house, saw his mother-in-law lying down and in a fever." The word "house" is one of the key words in this book. It refers to the Jews. In the Bible this word has its special significance. The same word is used in Matthew 2:11. In Matthew's record, the magi saw the Lord in the house; in Luke's record, the Lord was found in the manger by the shepherds.
The Lord healed the leper in the open air, not in a house. Coming into the house is an indication of intimate communication. Here it shows that there were only a few Jews who received salvation at the Lord's first coming. The Lord came to Peter's house to heal Peter's mother-in-law. A house is a place of intimacy and affection. This shows that all the Jews will be saved in the future. The Lord healed both the leper and Peter's mother-in-law by touching them. This indicates that the Lord has a special relationship with the Jews. Verses 16 and 17 show what the Lord will do in the coming kingdom. Matthew recorded the events in this way because the order in this book is according to doctrine.
Verse 15: "And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served Him." The Lord's touch is powerful. Once He touches us, His power contacts our weakness. Wherever the Lord touches, Satan has no more ground.
Verse 16: "And when evening fell, they brought to Him many who were demon possessed, and He cast out the spirits with a word, and all those who were ill He healed." "Many" here means a great many, a multitude. Here the Lord cast out demons "with a word"; this is a reflection of the case where the Lord healed the paralytic by speaking a word, as seen in the second small section. This shows that the Lord is the Son of God. "Brought to Him." This is to stand in a position where one can receive the blessing of the Lord.
Verse 17: On one hand, the word spoken through Isaiah, that "He Himself took away our infirmities and bore our diseases," was fulfilled at that time when the Lord healed the sick. On the other hand, the actual fulfillment of Isaiah's word was at the time when the Lord was on the cross. There are two groups of people with two extreme views: (1) The scope of the Lord's bearing of our diseases is as wide as the scope of His bearing of our sins. (2) The Lord bears only sins but not diseases. There are errors in both of these views. The Lord today does bear our diseases, but it is different from the bearing of our sins in scope, in degree, and in significance. ("Infirmities" in this verse and "weakness" in 2 Corinthians 12:9 are the same in Greek.) For instance, we may have the same faith concerning the forgiveness of sins and the healing of diseases, yet the results today may be different. When we believe in the forgiveness of sins, our sins are forgiven. However, when we believe in the healing of our diseases, our diseases may not all be healed. The Lord's work of bearing our diseases will not be accomplished until His coming back. The actual fulfillment of verse 17 is on the cross.
Spurgeon said that every time the Lord heals a sickness, He causes His power to flow to the sick one, and He Himself bears the weakness. In the above four small sections we see the Lord's power and man's intention.
The section from 8:18 through 9:8 is the second minor section of the third major section.
Verse 18: "Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side." When there were too many people, the Lord always departed. This is the Lord's way. He did not want the curious ones to draw near to Him. On "the other side" there was no one. The Lord was not reluctant to let go of people. Paying attention to people, gaining people for ourselves, and paying attention to having a crowd are great problems to our work. "Depart to the other side." This is the best principle for our work. When we work, we should not try to gain people for ourselves. This is the Lord's work. Once the work is done, we should leave immediately. If we remain, it will be nothing but "strange fire," and perhaps there will be more of man's attraction than of God's command.
Verses 19-20: The scribe here represents one who is zealous. He came of his own free will and seemingly without condition to follow the Lord. But the Lord told him that He did not have the comfort that the birds and the foxes had. This means that what the Lord had as an enjoyment was inferior to what the birds and the foxes had. Then the scribe withdrew after learning of the hardship involved. Therefore, one can never follow the Lord if he has not counted the cost. The scribe indeed represents those who care only for the building up of themselves. The scribe was not willing to sacrifice himself.
Verse 21: "And another of the disciples said to Him, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." "Disciples" are those who have already been called. "Bury my father" is the duty of a son. However, this one had been called yet shrank back.
Verse 22: "But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." The first "dead" refers to the dead mentioned in Ephesians 2:1. Here, the Lord has a demand that is more important than burying one's father. Burying one's father can be done by someone else. This demonstrates the principle that the Lord's calling is above everything else. The Lord would not allow anything besides Himself to have control over us or put a demand on us. "Permit me first...." This is a great mistake. The Lord's calling should certainly be above all things.
The difference between these two is that one does not count the cost, whereas the other overly counts the cost. In the matter of following the Lord, it would be foolish and improper not to count the cost at all. However, it would also be improper to always count the cost and dare not move forward. We should avoid these two extreme mistakes. If the Lord wants us to go, we should count the cost and tell the Lord, "I am willing"; we should let go of everything else. The pathway of obedience takes obedience, not the waiting for problems to be solved, as the end. "Follow Me" is the solution to the problem of "burying the father." If someone has been called by the Lord, although he may consider withdrawing, the Lord will still say to him, "Follow Me."
Verses 19 through 22 are an inserted section. A similar case is recorded in Luke, but that is probably a different event.
Verses 24-27: Their prayer was "save us," and the reason was "we are perishing." Because they realized that they would perish, they said, "Lord, save us." Because of their little faith, they said, "Lord, save us." Because of their cowardice, they said, "We are perishing!" Little faith is somewhat better, and somewhat more advanced, than no faith at all.
In the midst of His busyness, the Lord was still teaching His disciples. It was easier to deal with the winds and the waves than it was to deal with the disciples. All fear and cowardice are due to unbelief. Faith comes from the word of God. The Lord rebuked the disciples for having little faith because He already had said to "depart to the other side." (This is a command as well as a promise.) Yet they still said, "We are perishing!" This shows that they did not believe the Lord when He told them to "depart to the other side." It seems that they thought that the Lord had told them to depart to the bottom of the sea. The Lord's word is linked to faith. From this we see that many prayers are a sign of little faith. It does not mean the more prayer, the better.
The word "arose" is used twice in this section: "There arose a great tempest in the sea" and "Then He arose...and there was a great calm." Furthermore, "great" is in contrast to "little" — "great calm," "little faith."
In verses 2-17 several miracles are specifically put together. Verses 18-27 are a record showing the effect of the Lord's presence. The winds and the sea were rebuked. This means that they must have had some consciousness. However, the winds and the sea by themselves have no consciousness; the Lord was rebuking the demons behind the winds and the sea. The winds and the sea always come before a spiritual battle begins.
Verse 28: This verse is a fulfillment of what the Lord said in verse 18 concerning departing to the other side. This portion mentions that there were two possessed by demons, but Luke's record mentions only one. All of Luke's records are more detailed than Matthew's, especially concerning the sick ones, because Luke himself was a medical doctor. For example, Matthew 8:2 mentions "a leper," but Luke, in 5:12, says "a man full of leprosy." Concerning this particular case of being possessed by demons, Luke's record says that a certain man was possessed by a legion of demons (Luke 8:30). Because Luke was a medical doctor, he had his own observation concerning the sick ones.
Luke recorded only one possessed by demons for the following reasons: (1) Since the two were the same, it was enough to record only one. (2) Luke did not directly follow the Lord. What he wrote was based on what he had investigated. Therefore, he recorded only the events he had examined. (3) Matthew portrayed the Lord as King. Therefore, he often recorded two, that is, in plurality. On the other hand, Luke showed the Lord as man. For a man, it is sufficient to give the account of one. (4) The Gospel of Matthew is written to the Jews. According to the Jewish regulations, for a testimony there must be two people. On the other hand, the Gospel of Luke is written to the Gentiles. Since there is no such regulation among the Gentiles, there is no need to record two. (5) The emphasis of Matthew is on doctrine. Therefore, he did not record the rest of the things related to the person himself. On the other hand, the emphasis of Luke is on morality. Hence, he gave a detailed account of the person himself. "Coming out of the tombs." Those who are demon possessed are neighbors to the dead ones.
Verse 29: "They cried out, saying, What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have you come here before the time to torment us?" Although the demons are wicked, they still confess that the Lord is the Son of God. Therefore, in this respect they are better than some human beings. "Before the time." In the original text the definite article "the" indicates a specific time. The demons know the time of their torment. This gives us a hint that God has appointed a time for the demons to be tormented.
Verse 30: "Now there was, a good way off from them, a herd of many hogs feeding." The Lord did not respond to the demons. The less we speak to the demons the better.
Verse 32: "And He said to them, Go! And they came out and went into the hogs. And behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and they died in the waters." The Lord spoke only one word, "Go!" The hogs rushed into the sea on their own because they would not tolerate being possessed by the demons. In this respect, they are better than human beings.
Verse 33: "And those who were feeding them fled and went away into the city and reported everything, including what had happened to those possessed by demons." Spurgeon said that when false believers die, the pastor would flee into the city to report to people the terrifying news.
Verse 34: "The whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their borders." The people entreated the Lord to depart from their borders. This is the same as the request of the demons. The Lord never forces people, so He departed from them.
Chapters eight through twelve, constituting the third major section, describe how the King manifested Himself and how He was rejected by men. In 8:2-17 we see the Lord as the Son in four different ways. In 8:18—9:8, which is the second minor section, the Lord's authority is manifested in four aspects: the aspect of nature, the aspect of demons, the aspect of men, and the aspect of the believers. These four things reveal man's heart to man. These four sections reveal mainly two things: (1) the Lord's power and (2) the intent of man's heart. Verses 35-38 of chapter nine should be placed at the beginning of chapter ten. Matthew 9:9-34, the third minor section, speaks of how Christ shows mercy to man. The second minor section shows us the authority of Christ.
