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In the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens there are four verses that tell us how we can enter into the kingdom of the heavens. The first is Matthew 5:3, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” The second says, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens” (5:10). Both of these verses refer to the present. If we would be in the reality of the kingdom today, we need to be poor in our spirit and to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. The reality of the kingdom today depends mainly upon righteousness. We are ushered into the reality of the kingdom by being poor in spirit. After we have had a change in our mind, we turn to the Lord and become empty in our spirit. In this way the Lord enters our spirit with His heavenly kingdom. From that moment, we begin to live in the reality of the kingdom. By being righteous, we are kept in this reality. However, if we are unrighteous, we are outside the reality of the kingdom. As long as we maintain righteousness, we are preserved in the reality of the kingdom. Examine your daily life. If you are loose, too free, and careless about righteousness, you are immediately separated from the reality of the kingdom. If we would be in the reality of the kingdom today, we must be poor in our spirit, and we must keep ourselves in righteousness, willing even to suffer for the sake of righteousness.
The other two verses that tell us how to enter the kingdom both refer to entering into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the future. Matthew 5:20 says, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” This refers to participating in the manifestation of the kingdom. If we would enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, we need the surpassing righteousness. Hence, righteousness not only keeps us in the reality of the kingdom, but also brings us into the manifestation of the kingdom.
The last verse is 7:21, which says, “Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in the heavens.” This verse reveals that in order to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, we must do the will of the Father. Therefore, it is righteousness and the doing of the Father’s will that will usher us into the manifestation of the kingdom. Righteousness refers mainly to our living, and doing the will of the Father refers mainly to our work. Both our living and our work must be according to the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens. If our living is according to this constitution, it will be righteous. And if our work is according to the constitution, it will be the doing of the will of God. This kind of living and work qualifies us to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom. Therefore, by being poor in our spirit, we are ushered into the reality of the kingdom, and through righteousness we are kept in this reality. By the surpassing righteousness and the doing the will of the Father, we shall enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.
After delivering the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens on the mountain, the Lord Jesus came down from the mountain to continue His ministry. In this message we shall consider the continuation of the King’s ministry (8:1—9:34).
After the new King came down from the mountain to carry on His kingly ministry, the first thing He did was to cleanse the unclean, heal the sick, and cast the demons out of the possessed that they might all become people of the kingdom of the heavens (8:2-17).
The miracles, or signs, recorded in verses 2 through 17 have a dispensational significance. The order of the four instances recorded in Matthew 8:2-16 differs from that in Mark 1:29—2:1 and Luke 4:38-41; 5:12-14 and 7:1-10. The order of Mark’s record, showing that Jesus is the Servant of God, is according to history. The order of Matthew’s record, proving that Christ is the King of the kingdom of the heavens, is according to doctrine. In his Gospel, Matthew put certain instances together to present a doctrine. The order of Luke’s record, revealing that Jesus is the proper man to be man’s Savior, is according to morality. The order of John’s record, testifying that Christ is the Son of God and even God Himself, is also somewhat according to history. Therefore, in the four Gospels there are three kinds of sequences: historical, doctrinal, and moral. In Matthew 8:1-17 three miracles — the cleansing of the leper, the healing of the paralyzed Gentile servant boy, and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law — and the healing of many are grouped together to present a meaningful doctrine, that is, they have a dispensational significance. Let us first consider the healing of the leper (vv. 1-4).
Verse 1 says, “Now when He had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him.” The coming down of the King from the mountain signifies that the heavenly King has come down from the heavens to the earth. He comes firstly to reach the Jews, for undoubtedly the leper here represents the Jewish people. The heavenly King came down from the heavens to bring salvation firstly to the leprous Jews. According to Romans chapter one, salvation is for the Jews first and then for the Gentiles (v. 16).
Verse 2 says, “And behold, a leper approached and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can cleanse me.” The leper worshipped the new King and called Him Lord, recognizing that He is the Lord God. In reality the new King is Jehovah God (1:21, 23).
The diseases healed in the cases recorded in Matthew 8 are significant, for every disease signifies a specific spiritual sickness. The first class of people saved by the kingly Savior to be the people of the kingdom is represented by a leper. According to the scriptural examples, leprosy comes from rebellion and disobedience. Miriam became leprous because of her rebellion against Moses, God’s deputy authority (Num. 12:1-10). Naaman’s leprosy was cleansed because of his obedience (2 Kings 5:1, 9-14). All fallen human beings became leprous in the eyes of God because of their rebellion. Leprosy is the expression of rebellion. Rebellion is inward, and leprosy is the outward manifestation. Now the kingly Savior comes to save men from their rebellion and cleanse them from their leprosy that they may become His kingdom people.
Leprosy is a filthy disease. In the Old Testament a leper had to be excluded from the camp of the children of Israel until he was cleansed. This indicates that anyone among the people of God who is rebellious and thereby becomes leprous will be cut off from the fellowship of God’s people until he is healed. The leper here represents the Jews. The Jews have become rebellious against God. Thus, in God’s eyes they are lepers. Nevertheless, the heavenly King came first to them, not to judge them, but to heal them. As the Lord indicated in 9:12, He came as a Physician to heal the sick. He came first to reach the Jews to heal them and to bring them salvation.
Verse 3 says, “And stretching out His hand, He touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” According to the law, a leper should be excluded from the people because of his uncleanness. No one could touch him (Lev. 13:45-46). But the new King, as a man and as the kingly Savior, touched him. What mercy and sympathy! By His one touch, immediately his leprosy was cleansed. What wonderful cleansing!
Verse 4 says, “And Jesus says to him, See that you tell no one, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses prescribed for a testimony to them.” The new King told the cleansed leper still to do things according to the regulations of the old law for his cleansing, because the transitory period still remained, when the old law was not yet fulfilled by His redeeming death.
After the Lord had entered into Capernaum, “A centurion approached Him, beseeching Him and saying, Lord, My servant boy is lying in the house paralyzed, terribly tormented” (vv. 5-6). A centurion was an officer over one hundred soldiers in the Roman army. The leper in verses 2 through 4 represents the Jews, whereas the centurion in verses 5 through 13 represents the Gentiles. Before God, the Jews became leprous, unclean, because of their rebellion and disobedience; whereas the Gentiles became paralyzed, dead in function, because of their sinfulness. The kingly Savior came firstly to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Acts 3:26; 13:46; Rom. 1:16; 11:11). The believing Jews are saved by His direct touch (v. 3), whereas the believing Gentiles are saved through faith in His word (vv. 8, 10, 13).
When the Lord told the centurion that He would come and heal his servant, “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit that You should enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant boy shall be healed.” The Gentile centurion recognized the authority of the kingly Savior and realized healing authority was in His word. Thus he believed not only in the kingly Savior, but also in His word, asking Him not to go personally but only to send His word. This is stronger faith, and it was marveled at by the Savior (v. 10).
Verse 10 reveals that the Lord Jesus marveled at the centurion’s faith and said, “Truly I say to you, With no one in Israel have I found so much faith.” Therefore, in verses 11 and 12 the Lord said that many would come from the east and west to recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens, but that the sons of the kingdom would be cast into outer darkness. This indicates that the Gentiles will participate in the gospel of the kingdom (Eph. 3:6, 8; Gal. 2:8-9; Rom. 1:13-16). The reference to the kingdom of the heavens in verse 11 refers to the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. It will be in the manifestation of the kingdom that the overcoming Gentile believers will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The sons of the kingdom in verse 12 refer to the saved Jews who are the good seed (13:38), but who do not have strong faith enabling them to enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted way (7:13-14). They will miss the feast in the manifestation of the kingdom (Luke 13:24-30). The outer darkness will be the darkness outside the bright glory in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens (25:30; 16:28). To be cast out into the outer darkness in the coming kingdom age differs from being cast into the lake of fire after the millennium and for eternity (Rev. 20:15).
Verse 13 says, “And Jesus said to the centurion, Go; as you have believed let it be done to you. And the servant boy was healed in that hour.” The Jewish leper was healed by the King’s direct touch. The King stretched out His hand and touched him, and the leper was healed. But the centurion’s servant was not healed by the King’s direct touch. Rather, he was healed by the King’s word. The Gentile centurion believed in this word, and his servant was healed. The Jews are always saved through the King’s direct touch, but we Gentiles are saved, not by His direct touch, but by the sending out of His saving word. We believe in this word and we are healed. None of us Gentiles has had a direct touch from the Lord. We have been saved through believing the enlivening, regenerating word of the gospel. Hence, the centurion’s servant represents all the Gentile believers. The Lord did not commend the faith of the leper, because faith was not the outstanding characteristic there. The significant thing was the King’s touch. But with the healing of the centurion’s servant, faith is very outstanding. Hence, the Lord praised the centurion’s faith. Consequently, the servant boy was healed.
The boy had been paralyzed. To be paralyzed means that the body is out of function. Before we Gentiles were saved, we were totally out of function. The Jews were leprous, but we were paralyzed, out of function, because of our sinfulness. We need the heavenly King’s healing salvation. He has sent us a word, and we have believed it. Therefore, we have been healed, our function has been recovered, and now we may begin to serve our Master. We are just like the servant boy who was healed and was able to serve again.
Verses 14 and 15 say, “And when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law laid aside and in a fever; and He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose and ministered to Him.” Peter’s mother-in-law represents the Jews at the end of this age who will be saved by receiving the kingly Savior. At that time, during the great tribulation, in the eyes of God the Jews will be in a fever (v. 14), hot in things other than God. The kingly Savior, after the fullness of the salvation of the Gentiles, will come back to this remnant of Jews that they might be saved (Rom. 11:25-26; Zech. 12:10). Peter’s mother-in-law was healed in Peter’s house, which represents the house of Israel. At the end of this age all the remnant of the Jews will be saved in the house of Israel. They will also be saved by the kingly Savior’s direct touch (v. 15), as the Jewish leper was (v. 3).
At the end of this age salvation will come back from the Gentiles to the Jews. However, it will not come back to the scattered Jews, but to the Jews in the house of Israel. At that time the Jews will be sick of a fever. This is even true of the Jews today. So many of them are fervent in science, in finance, in education, and in all manner of worldly pursuits. But in the eyes of God all this is a fever. The temperature of the Jews today is very high in their fervency for politics, industry, agriculture, and warfare. They are represented by the feverish mother-in-law of Peter. But in their heat and fervency they neither trust in God nor care for morality. Just as the Lord healed Peter’s mother-in-law, so will He come back again at the end of this age to heal the Jews who will be fervent, burning, and sick of a fever. He will not heal them through their faith, but through His direct touch. At the Lord’s second coming, the Jews will be directly touched by His arrival and be saved.
Immediately after Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she arose and ministered to the Lord (v. 15). This signifies that at the Lord’s coming back, the remnant of the Jews, after being saved, will arise and minister to Him in the millennium.
Verse 16 says, “And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all those who were ill.” The words “many” and “all those” represent all the people on earth in the millennium. The millennium will be the last dispensation of the old heaven and old earth; thus it is considered the evening of the old heaven and old earth. After this “evening,” there will be a new day, that is, the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem.
In the millennium, there will be to the uttermost the power to cast out demons and heal illnesses. Hence, all the demon-possessed and all the sick will be healed. The prophecies of Isaiah testify of this (Isa. 35:5-6). That will be a real restoration. The casting out of demons and the healing of the sick in this age are just a foretaste of the extensive power of the coming age. In verse 16, after the Lord had healed Peter’s mother-in-law, when evening had come, He healed many who were demon-possessed and all who were ill. This indicates that after Christ comes back and the Jews are saved, the millennium will begin. During that period of time, all sicknesses will be healed. Hence, the signs recorded in verses 2 through 17 have a dispensational significance.
Verse 17 says, “In order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, He Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” All healings accomplished on fallen people are due to the Lord’s redemption. He took our infirmities and bore our diseases on His cross and accomplished full healing for us there, However, the application of healing by divine power can only be a foretaste in this age; the full taste will be accomplished in the coming age.
Verse 18 says, “Now when Jesus saw great crowds around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side.” In His ministry, as recorded in the four Gospels, the Lord always withdrew from the crowds. He did not want the curious ones to be with Him. He did not care for great crowds, but only for the sincere seekers after Himself.
In verses 18 through 22 we see the way to follow the heavenly King. The way is revealed through the cases of two who came to the King. The first, a scribe, said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” In saying this, he did not consider the cost. Hence, the King answered in verse 20 in a way to cause him to consider the cost.
In verse 20 the Lord said to the scribe who wanted to follow Him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have roosts, but the Son of Man has nowhere that He may lay His head.” Here the Lord referred to Himself as the Son of Man. The new King in His kingly ministry continually took the standing of the Son of Man until 16:13-17. The King of the kingdom did not even have a resting place, as the foxes and birds do. This proves that the kingdom which He was establishing was not material in the earthly nature, but spiritual in the heavenly nature. The Lord seemed to be saying to the scribe, “Do you intend to follow Me? You have underestimated the price. You, a scribe, a learned one with a high rank in society, must realize that I am nothing and that I have nothing. I have even less than the birds and the foxes, for I have nowhere to lay My head.” I believe that the scribe was disappointed and that he did not follow Him. The principle of following the Lord is the same today. We must consider the price. In following this King, there is no material enjoyment.
Verse 21 says, “And another of the disciples said to Him, Lord, permit me first to go away and bury my father.” In saying this, this disciple, who was not a scribe, overly considered the cost of following the King of the heavenly kingdom. This disciple, apparently warned by the first case, overestimated the cost. He seemed to be saying to the Lord, “I will follow You, but I have a dead father. Let me first go back to bury him, and then I will come back to follow You.”
Because this disciple overestimated the cost of following the King, He answered him in the way of encouraging him to follow Him and drop his consideration of the cost, leaving the burial of his father to others. The Lord said, “Follow Me and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” How wonderful the Lord Jesus is! He purposely disappointed the first and deliberately encouraged the second. The Lord was very wise in dealing with people. If I had been the Lord Jesus, I would have been excited to hear that a scribe wanted to follow me, and I would have encouraged him to do so. The Lord, however, was cool toward him and did not encourage him at all. Rather, He seemed to say, “Will you follow Me? You have a nice bed, a comfortable place to lay your head. But if you come to follow Me, you will not have a place to lay your head. I have even less than the birds and the foxes do.” Thus, He discouraged this person of high rank. But to the disciple who had been warned by this case not to follow the Lord in a light or loose way, the Lord gave a word of encouragement. The Lord’s word encouraged him to forget about all the preparations he was making, to leave the dead to bury the dead, and to follow Him.
By these two cases we see that it is not easy to contact people. How would you deal with these two if they came to you today? Probably you would accept both of them. However, the Lord differentiated between them, discouraging the one and encouraging the other.
In these two cases we see the way to follow the heavenly King. First, as we follow Him, we should not expect to have any material enjoyment. Second, in order to follow Him, we must ignore the requirements of the dead. The Lord told the disciple to “leave the dead to bury their own dead.” The first dead refers to the people who are spiritually dead, as mentioned in Ephesians 2:1, 5; the second refers to the physically dead father of the disciple. Eventually, the spiritually dead will fulfill the duty of burying the physically dead. Through experience we have learned that we should not go back to fulfill the duty for the dead. Let the dead perform these duties on behalf of the dead. We are the living ones and we must go on to follow the King. But do not expect any material enjoyment, for you may have no nest, no roost, no place to lay your head. If you do not expect any material enjoyment and if you will leave the dead duties to the dead, you can go on to follow Him.
