WHEN HE CAME down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”
7Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one,‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases.”
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
9:1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Original Meaning
AS JESUS CONCLUDES the Sermon on the Mount and comes down from the mountain, large crowds of people follow him (8:1). His initial public ministry attracted large crowds (4:23–25), and his teaching in the SM has amazed the crowds (7:28), so they begin to follow him around the countryside of Galilee. Matthew now brings together several miracle stories to show that Jesus not only has a great messianic message but also a great messianic mission.1 Jesus is not only Messiah in word (chs. 5–7) but is also Messiah at work (chs. 8–9).
Jesus’ miracles may be divided into at least three general classes: healings, exorcisms, and nature miracles, with raisings of the dead a subcategory of the last (or a separate category). Matthew will focus on each of these types of miracles here as a demonstration that the kingdom of God truly has arrived (cf. 12:28).
But Jesus’ messianic mission will not unfold as many may have expected. First, he will heal the marginalized (8:1–17), disappoint current discipleship expectations (8:18–22), and overpower Satan’s strongholds, including nature, demons, and disease (8:23–9:8). Then he will reveal an unexpected form of discipleship (9:9–17), heal the unexpected (9:18–35), and enlist workers to go out with his messianic authority to extend his mission (9:36–10:4).
Healing the Marginalized (8:1–17)
IN THREE BRIEF scenes, Matthew demonstrates how Jesus’ messianic ministry brings restoration to people who were often marginalized within Jewish culture: lepers (8:1–4), Gentiles (8:5–13), and women (8:14–15). In this way Jesus breaks down purity, ethnic, and gender barriers so that all may respond to his invitation to the kingdom of heaven.
Cleansing the leper: purity boundaries (8:1–4). The narrative opens abruptly: “A man with leprosy [lepra] came and knelt before him.” The modern conception of leprosy brings to mind the dreaded and debilitating illness known as Hansen’s disease, prevalent in low, humid, tropical, or subtropical areas of the world (mostly in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Pacific Islands). While it is not highly contagious, the horror of the illness, which can waste away human limbs and extremities such as ears and noses, has led to the isolation of people with the disease.
But in the ancient world leprosy was more generally associated with a variety of skin diseases, such as dermatosis, psoriasis, lupus, ringworm, and other suspicious skin disorders. The Old Testament provided specific guidelines for the examination and treatment of those with these diseases (see Lev. 13–14), since many of the disorders were considered highly contagious.
This leper must have heard of Jesus’ widespread healing ministry (Matt. 4:23–25), because he kneels before Jesus and says, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The vocative title “Lord” (kyrie) is the title that people commonly use when they approach Jesus for divine aid.2 This leper does not presume to dictate Jesus’ agenda but appeals to him as one bearing God’s healing purity. The line between medical and spiritual impurity was often blurred because of the uncertainty of diagnosis. All those with leprosy were required to be examined by the priest, who after examination might pronounce the person clean or unclean (Lev. 13:2ff.). If found to be leprous, the diseased individual was to be isolated from the rest of the community and was required to wear torn clothes, cover the lower part of his or her face, and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” (Lev. 13:45–46; Num. 5:2–4).
The source of the healing of this leper is in Jesus, who only has to will to effect an immediate cure. As he reaches out to touch the leper, Jesus does not violate the Old Testament purity laws, for instead of becoming unclean himself, he cleanses the leper with his healing hand and spiritual purity. By commanding the leper to perform the prescribed ritual of presenting himself to the priest (8:4), Jesus fulfills the law required of lepers for reentry into society (Lev. 14:1–32). As Jesus fulfills the Mosaic law, it becomes a “testimony” (martyrion) to the priesthood and to the people of his true messianic identity (Matt. 8:4).
But the leper is instructed, “See that you don’t tell anyone.” A regular aspect of Jesus’ ministry was to demand secrecy about his identity and activity, which is especially emphasized in Mark’s Gospel, but also in Matthew (cf. 9:30; 12:16; 16:20; 17:9). Jesus’ desire for silence is not some theme contrived by the Gospel writers to explain the nonmessianic tradition they received,3 but is a theme that characterizes Jesus’ historical mission. He carefully avoids stirring up in the crowds a misunderstanding of his messianic identity. Although miracles will attest the authenticity of his gospel message about the arrival of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus does not want crowds clamoring for the miracles alone. They may easily misunderstand his message to mean that he has come to effect only physical healing or to bring national and military liberation. He will guide his disciples and the crowds to understand that his primary mission is to bring forgiveness of sins (see 9:1–8; 20:28; 26:28), which brings true cleansing.
Healing the centurion’s servant: ethnic boundaries (8:5–13). Not only do we find in this narrative an astounding account of Jesus healing a person from a distance, but we also find a staggering reversal of ethnic and religious expectations. At this early stage of Jesus’ ministry and Matthew’s narrative, a Gentile is healed, a promise of Gentile inclusion in the kingdom of heaven is revealed, and the nation of Israel is warned of exclusion from God’s program of redemption if they do not repent. This certainly must have shocked Jesus’ audience and is a stark reminder to Matthew’s readers of the true nature of discipleship.
Returning again to Capernaum, the base of his Galilean ministry (see comments on 4:13), Jesus encounters a centurion, a Roman military officer. The centuria (century), a group of a hundred soldiers, was the smallest unit of the Roman legion. Each one was commanded by a centurion, the principal professional officer in the armies of ancient Rome. Although there was little tangible evidence of a centuria being stationed in Galilee until A.D. 44,4 recent excavations reveal that a military garrison at Capernaum had its quarters to the east of the Jewish village. These excavations shed fuller light on the centurion of Capernaum. He must have been an able and responsible official, who maintained good relations with the Jewish populace.
In each of the miracle scenes in chapters 8–9, Matthew abbreviates the narrative to get at the primary figure or action of the incident. He has the centurion approach Jesus directly5 with a request, not for himself but for his servant: “My servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus has already cured the same malady (paralysis) of those brought to him by the crowds in 4:24, so the centurion has probably heard about Jesus’ power over this disease. This servant is suffering terribly. The source of the paralysis is unknown, but the descriptions have led some to suggest that the cause was poliomyelitis, a scourge of many ancient societies.
Using the same title uttered by the leper, “Lord” (8:2), this Roman centurion displays a remarkable sensitivity for Jewish traditions by considering himself unworthy to receive the Jewish teacher into his Gentile home: “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” Entering the home of a Gentile rendered a Jew ceremonially unclean (cf. Acts 10:28). But the centurion goes beyond the Jewish aversion to Gentile homes in his recognition of Jesus’ personal superiority as the One who can heal his servant. “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.” The Roman military exercised profound control over the lives of their own troops, as was necessary in readiness for combat situations. But this centurion pays homage to an even greater authority in Jesus, whose word alone, like God’s word (cf. Ps. 107:20), can heal.
The likelihood that this centurion is a Gentile God-fearer will not alone account for the statement of praise from Jesus to his followers: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” The centurion understands that in Jesus is the hoped-for Deliverer, whom Israel as a nation should have recognized. Hence, Jesus’ statement both singles out the centurion for exemplary faith and censures Israel for its lack of faith. Jesus’ praise and indictment turn to language of promise to Gentiles and judgment against Israel: “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”
The phrase “east and west” points to the breadth of peoples who will come from the ends of the earth. The Old Testament had anticipated the inclusion of all the peoples of the earth in the eschatological banquet (Isa. 25:6–9; 56:3–8).6 The covenant made with Abraham to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth, which has been fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus (cf. 1:1; Gen. 12:1–3; 22:18), is now made public in the pronouncement to the centurion. The peoples of the earth will join the patriarchs at the eschatological banquet in the kingdom of heaven.7
At the same time that Jesus assures the inclusion of Gentiles, he dramatically foresees the exclusion of those who seem to have an assured place: “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside.” The expression “subjects of the kingdom” (lit., “sons of the kingdom”) is a Semitism pointing to national Israel,8 whose leaders took exclusive claim to God’s kingdom through their Abrahamic heritage (3:8–9). With remarkable passion, Jesus continues the theme of judgment that John the Baptist announced (cf. 3:7–12). Israel’s claim to the kingdom will leave outside any who have not repented, unless they follow the path of faith in Jesus that the centurion has exemplified (see comments on 21:43–46). Jesus goes on to paint a woeful picture of the future of unrepentant Israel with terms common to descriptions of hell or Gehenna (22:13; cf. 4 Ezra 7:93; 1 En. 63:10): “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This declaration must have shocked Jesus’ listeners, but it is consistent with the Old Testament prophets, who consistently called Israel back to God. Jesus will continue to appeal to Israel to repent and enter the kingdom he has inaugurated. This fulfills the covenantal promises to Israel made through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which includes attendance at the eschatological banquet. Attendance at that banquet has one primary requirement for all of God’s children, regardless of ethnic identity: faith in Jesus as Messiah. Gentiles who believe will join Jews who believe.9 Those who do not turn to him in faith as the messianic deliverer will receive just punishment, whether Jew or Gentile. The Gentile mission has not yet been declared, but Jesus’ reply to the centurion indicates that the door to the kingdom is open to whoever believes.10
The actual healing is not in proportion to the amount of the centurion’s faith (see comments on 17:20), nor is the healing caused by the centurion’s faith (see comments on 15:28), but it is in response to his faith in Jesus as the One who can heal. Accounts of miraculous healing within Judaism are rare and were considered extraordinary, so Jesus’ healing in this story would have been regarded as astonishing. For example, the much-discussed story of Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa that is told in the Babylonian Talmud (b. Ber. 34b) indicates that the rabbi knew he was only a prayer intermediary and did not have even the stature of a prophet.11 But Jesus knows that he is himself the source of the healing (8:7), which the centurion knows as well (8:8). Jesus’ authority as the One who heals sets him apart from all others, a prerogative that only a divine Messiah could claim and validate.
Healing Peter’s mother-in-law: gender boundaries (8:14–15). Jesus has crossed purity (8:1–4) and ethnic (8:5–13) boundaries, and in this third healing miracle, he breaches a gender boundary to heal a woman, another person often marginalized in some circles of Judaism. Similar to the previous healing story, the incident of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law is abbreviated in Matthew (cf. Mark 1:21–31; Luke 4:31–39). Matthew focuses only on the healing incident rather than other elements surrounding it.
The scene takes place in Peter’s house in Capernaum. Peter and Andrew have apparently moved the family fishing business from their hometown in Bethsaida (John 1:44) to Capernaum and established a home there. Jesus enters Peter’s house. This may surprise the reader because of the earlier response of Peter and Andrew to Jesus’ call, “At once they left their nets and followed him” (4:20). Obviously following Jesus did not necessitate Peter to abandon his home or his family members (though see 19:27). Peter’s call to become a fisher of men meant to follow Jesus’ will for his life, but it did not mean to compromise his familial responsibilities or to assume an ascetic lifestyle in which he gave up all material possessions.
Interestingly, in 1968 excavations were undertaken on a site that traditionally was said to be the actual home of Peter. Sifting down through the remains of centuries-old churches, excavators came to what was originally a house, built in approximately 63 B.C. All of the historical and archaeological evidence has led the majority of scholars to the conclusion that the site actually was the original home of Peter in Capernaum during Jesus’ ministry.12 The excavation of a nearby synagogue is consistent with Mark and Luke’s narratives, which imply that the synagogue was near Peter’s home. The lowest level of this latter excavation is a black basalt first-century synagogue, probably the synagogue in which Jesus preached, just a few steps from Peter’s home.13
Mark informs us that the home belonged to both Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:29). Perhaps it was a home of their parents but was now occupied by the sons and their extended families, including at least Peter, his wife, and her parent(s). Matthew’s expression “lying in bed with a fever” indicates that Peter’s mother-in-law is in the throes of a severe illness, perhaps malaria, because fever was considered a disease, not a symptom (cf. John 4:52; Acts 28:8).
Jesus’ personal presence commands authority over this diseased-ravaged world as he heals the woman with a touch. The miracle is effective and instantaneous: “And she got up and began to wait on [diakoneo] him.” The straightforward implication is that the woman serves Jesus a meal. But Matthew’s use of diakoneo has significance beyond simple meal preparation. The woman’s actions indicate instantaneous gratitude for being healed, a strikingly significant motivation for all discipleship to Jesus (see comments on 20:1–15).
Exorcising and healing many (8:16–17). Since Matthew does not record the Sabbath synagogue exorcism found in Mark 1:21–28 and Luke 4:40, he gives only a general comment on the time of day: “when evening came.” Because the Sabbath ended with sunset, people can bring their demon-possessed and sick relatives and friends to Jesus without breaking Sabbath laws. As with the centurion’s servant, Jesus’ powerful “word” is all that is needed to heal.
Matthew once again emphasizes that Jesus’ life and ministry is the fulfillment of the Old Testament (cf. 1:23, 25; 2:15, 23; 4:14), specifying that his healing ministry fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrow.” This is another allusion to the Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy,14 now focusing on the Servant’s role as the one who brings healing. The Greek text of Matthew’s quotation gets at the heart of the meaning of the prophecy, in which both sin and sickness are in view. The quotation is from the larger “Servant Song” of Isaiah 52:13–53:12, which has substitutionary atonement as one of its central themes. The Servant bears the sicknesses of others through his own suffering and death. Matthew draws on this prophecy to link Jesus’ healing ministry with the substitutionary theme. Jesus does not himself become ill but takes and removes illness by his healing power.
While this does not yet explicitly introduce Jesus’ vicarious suffering and death for sin, it certainly prepares the way for it.15 Jesus came to save his people from their sins (1:21), and his healings point beyond themselves to the cross and his initiation of the new covenant in his blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sin (26:27–28). All sickness and death is ultimately rooted in the entrance of sin to human existence, so Jesus’ entire ministry in his inauguration of the kingdom of heaven begins to reverse the cycle of death and suffering.16
Some modern critical scholars doubt that first-century Jews interpreted Isaiah 53:4 messianically,17 but later rabbinic texts did know a messianic interpretation of the passage.18 So it is more than likely that at least some Jews of Jesus’ day saw the messianic significance of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, as Matthew indicates.19 Matthew makes explicit that in Jesus the Servant has come to take away the sickness of his people. The full disclosure of Jesus’ vicarious suffering for sin will be made clearer as Jesus’ ministry unfolds (e.g., 20:18–19, 28; 26:27–28).
Expected Discipleship Disappointed (8:18–22)
WE MAY BE surprised by Jesus’ actions after these healings, for when he sees the crowds, he goes away from them (see 5:1 for a similar note; see comments). Here Jesus sees the crowd and departs to be with his disciples (8:18). This is a consistent contrast in Matthew. The crowd is the object of Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the gospel and healing, inviting them into the kingdom of heaven to become his disciples. The disciples are those who have responded, and Jesus gives them specialized teaching that enables them to live kingdom life and serve others. The following incident records two individuals who come forward, already apparently Jesus’ disciples but deficient in their understanding of what discipleship to Jesus entails. To these two, Jesus declares the crux of discipleship in individual fashion for both of their shortcomings.
A would-be disciple’s professional expectations (8:18–20). Jesus directs his disciples “to cross to the other side of the lake” (8:18). The expression “other side” usually marks Jesus’ movement across the Sea of Galilee, on this occasion from the primarily Jewish region on the west side to the primarily Gentile region on the east side (cf. 8:28; 9:1). But before they depart, “a teacher of the law” comes to him (8:18; see also comments on 5:20). This person was a grammateus (“scribe”), an expert in handling written documents. In the ancient world only a few people could read and write. Although the Jews had a higher percentage of the population trained in reading and writing, only a special group regularly worked with written materials, and even fewer had access to books or Scriptures. The capabilities of scribes went far beyond simple secretarial skills to include teaching, interpretation, and regulation of laws.
In Galilee the scribes appear as lower-level officials who acted in the synagogue as teachers or interpreters (7:28–29), while in Jerusalem they were high-level officials linked with the chief priests and the Sanhedrin (2:4). Scribes joined with the Pharisees to question Jesus in Galilee (15:1) and Jerusalem (23:13) and linked forces with the chief priests in Jerusalem in their condemnation of Jesus (21:15). They were experts in Scripture according to their sectarian beliefs (hence the NIV “teacher of the law”).
The teacher of the law in 8:19 had been a disciple of a rabbi until he finished his course of study and then became a legal expert himself. He comes to Jesus with that background, referring to Jesus as “teacher,” the equivalent of the Hebrew title “rabbi” (see comments on 23:7–10). “I will follow you” normally indicates a desire for a discipleship relationship, but this man has in mind the kind of master-disciple relationship in which a potential disciple examines various masters and then enlists himself with the most popular or the best-equipped one.20
Jesus’ response to the teacher of the law’s volunteerism is surprising: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (8:20). Jesus is most likely drawing on a familiar metaphor to explain the uniqueness of his form of master-disciple relationship. This noticeably stern reply checks this enthusiastic recruit, because Jesus’ form of discipleship is a different sort from what the scribe has experienced in his prior training. Rabbis enjoyed a relatively high status within Judaism, but Jesus has no school or synagogue or prestigious place of honor among the religious establishment. He stays at the home of friends, relatives, and disciples through most of his ministry (e.g., 8:14). So the expression “no place to lay his head” does not indicate a homeless, Cynic-type philosopher but rather that his ministry will not result in an institutional establishment with comfortable benefits, and this will also be the lot of those who follow him.21
The expression “Son of Man” (8:20) would have struck a relatively ambiguous chord with this teacher of the law. He would have remembered its use in Ezekiel, where God refers to the prophet with the expression “son of man” over ninety times (e.g., Ezek. 2:1, 3, 6, 8, etc.; cf. Dan. 8:17), stressing Ezekiel’s frailty as a human before the mighty God revealed in the vision.22 But the teacher of the law would also have recalled how Daniel used “Son of Man” to refer to a glorified Sovereign, the apocalyptic messianic figure who rules forever with the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:13–14). This latter sense of the expression found its way into Judaism, because it occurs in the pseudepigraphal writings 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra 13. The reference in 1 Enoch is particularly interesting because it probably precedes the time of Jesus:
Pain shall seize them when they see that Son of Man sitting on the throne of his glory. (These) kings, governors, and all the landlords shall (try to) bless, glorify, extol him who rules over everything, him who has been concealed. For the Son of Man was concealed from the beginning, and the Most High One preserved him in the presence of his power; then he revealed him to the holy and the elect ones (62:5–7).23
But this title was not widely used. With such an ambiguity, it was for Jesus a convenient vehicle to convey his messianic identity. It did not have popular associations attached to it, such as were attached to titles like “Messiah,” “Son of David,” or even “Son of God.” Instead, he could teach the true meaning of his identity by referring to himself as “the Son of Man,” which is indeed Jesus’ favorite self-designation.24 With a general threefold progression, Jesus uses the expression to clarify who he is and what his ministry is.25
1. The Son of Man is the humble Servant who has come to forgive the sins of common sinners in his earthly ministry (8:20; 9:6; 11:19; 12:8, 32, 40).
2. The Son of Man is the suffering Servant, whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (16:13, 27–28; 17:9, 12, 22; 20:18, 28; 26:2, 24, 45).
3. The Son of Man is the glorious King and Judge who will return to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth (10:23; 13:37, 41; 19:28; 24:27, 30, 37, 39, 44; 25:31; 26:64).
Jesus’ mission is not always understood because of the misperceptions and faulty expectations of the people, the religious leaders, and even his own disciples. But at the end, after he has used this ambiguous title to clarify his identity and ministry, he uses it for the last time at his trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, where it is perfectly clear that he is claiming to be the divine Messiah of Israel (cf. 26:63–68).26
A would-be disciple’s cultural expectations (8:21–22). Now “another disciple” comes forward. Some suggest that the term “another” (heteros) makes a distinction between the teacher of the law (8:19) and this person, so that the former is a would-be disciple and the latter a true disciple.27 It is more helpful to view both of these individuals from the historical perspective of the Jesus movement. At the early stage of Jesus’ ministry people come to him and ask to join his movement. They come with their expectations of what discipleship to Jesus is like, based primarily on their past experiences. But in the later stages of his ministry, Jesus teaches explicitly what his form of discipleship is like, in distinction from other forms in Judaism. So these two individuals are disciples in the loose sense of the term. Neither is one of the Twelve, but is one of the broader circle of disciples who early on gather around Jesus (cf. Luke 6:13, 17), many of whom do not fully understand what Jesus’ form of discipleship entails.
But Jesus will have no disciples except under his own conditions, so he tests this disciple’s commitment. He later will do so to a large group of his disciples, at which time it is revealed that they have never truly believed (John 6:60–66).28
The disciple asks, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Burial of the dead superseded other religious obligations in Israel, even for the priests, who were allowed to be defiled by touching the dead if it was a family member (Lev. 21:2). The obligation to care for the dead came implicitly from the command to “honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; cf. also Gen. 50:5; Tobit 4:3; 6:15). Note this statement in the Mishnah about caring for one’s dead: “He whose dead lies unburied before him is exempt from reciting the Shema, from saying the Tefillah and from wearing phylacteries” (m. Ber. 3.1). The Talmud carried it one step further: “He who is confronted by a dead relative is freed from reciting the Shema, from the Eighteen Benedictions, and from all the commandments stated in the Torah” (b. Ber. 31a).
Jesus’ response is surprising, if not shocking: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” He later rebukes the Pharisees and teachers of the law for not rightly honoring father and mother (15:1–9), so he is not advocating that this disciple contravene the Old Testament prescription. Trying to understand Jesus’ response has led to a number of explanations. Some think that the person’s father has not yet died, and he wants to stay with him until then. Or perhaps he is returning to fulfill the second stage of burial by transferring the bones of his father a year after death to an ossuary. Still others look for explanation in a metaphorical allusion in Jesus’ language, such as: “Let those who are spiritually dead bury the physically dead.”29 In any case, Jesus is elevating his call to “follow me” above all other allegiances. Anything that gets in the way of unqualified commitment to him must be set aside.30
This calls for wise thinking. Jesus’ disciples must be guided by God’s mandate to honor their parents, but the supremacy of Jesus as their Master must always be heeded. This was a typical struggle in that culture, trying to balance responsibility to family with commitment to God, because on several occasions Jesus challenges the crowd and even his own disciples not to have any family commitment take priority over commitment to him (10:37–39; Luke 14:25–26.).
Overpowering Satan’s Strongholds (8:23–9:8)
THE FIRST SKIRMISH between Jesus and Satan resulted in Jesus’ victory over the temptations (4:1–11). He continues to invade and overpower three of Satan’s primary strongholds: the realm of nature as he calms the storm (8:23–27), the sphere of the spirit world as he exorcises the demoniacs (8:28–34), and the domain of disease and sin as he heals a paralytic (9:1–8).
Calming a storm: authority over nature (8:23–27). The desire of the teacher of the law (“I will follow you,” 8:19) and the command of Jesus (“follow me,” 8:22) are now exhibited by his disciples: “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.” The term “follow” (akoloutheo) is a synonym for discipleship (cf. 4:20, 22), marking a transition from the scene of the two would-be disciples to the story of Jesus with his disciples on the lake. In contrast to the preceding two, the disciples do follow Jesus, and their participation in the nature miracle demonstrates both the deficiency as well as the expected growth of their discipleship to Jesus.
These disciples, only four of whom have been named (Peter, Andrew, James, and John; see 4:18–22), have probably crossed the sea many times, being professional fishermen. But they are in for a trip that will mark them forever. “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake.” Ancient writers all acclaim the Sea of Galilee for its fresh waters and pleasant temperatures, unlike the Dead Sea. It had clear sandy beaches along the seashore and was well stocked with fish.31 The lake’s low elevation (636 feet below sea level) provided it with mild year-round temperatures, permitting sleeping outdoors as a common practice (e.g., 8:25).
However, surrounded by mountain ranges to the east and west that rise over 2,650 feet from the level of the lake, especially infamous was an east wind that blew in over the mountains, particularly during the spring and fall (cf. 14:19, 24; John 6:1–4). The lake’s low-lying setting resulted in sudden violent downdrafts and storms (cf. Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23; John 6:18) that produced waves seven feet and more, easily able to swamp a boat.32
Traversing the Sea of Galilee by night was a common experience for fishermen, who used trammel nets throughout the night.33 Many boats needed a crew of at least five to handle the boat (four rowers and one rudderman), though it could carry as many as sixteen. There was enough room for a person to lie down in the stern and sleep when not on duty, with perhaps a ballast sandbag for a pillow (cf. Mark 4:38).34
This must have been a most powerful storm for these disciples to be afraid. They cry out, “Lord, save us!” Under these circumstances their plea indicates that they understand Jesus to be powerful enough to turn to when they cannot control their fate. If he were a mere mortal, he would not have been able to do anything more than they could do for themselves.
But their appeal to him isn’t quite enough, because Jesus chides them, “You of little faith [oligopistos], why are you so afraid?” The disciples have faith, but it is not functioning properly (see comments on 6:30; 17:17, 20). Jesus calls them to understand more clearly who he is and then act on it. True faith will enable them to trust in God’s care even when the circumstances do not look promising.
To give them a clearer view of who he really is, Jesus “got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” As a human Jesus was extremely tired after an exhausting day, but with divine power he quiets the storm by a mere word of command. He is able to command even the forces of nature, in the same way that in the Old Testament God “rebuked” the sea, a demonstration of his sovereign control over all of nature (cf. 2 Sam. 22:16; Ps. 18:15; 104:7; 106:9; Isa. 50:2; Nah. 1:4). This is an obvious miracle, because if a storm suddenly stopped naturally, the wind might cease but the waves would be disturbed for quite some time.
The reaction of the disciples says much about whom they are beginning to understand Jesus to be: “The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’ ” The term for “amazed” is thaumazō, a different word from the one used to describe the reaction of the crowds to the SM (7:28). But it is similar in that it does not indicate a clear understanding of Jesus’ identity.35 Perhaps Matthew signals this deficiency by calling them here simply “the men” (8:27) instead of the usual “his disciples” (8:23).
It is still too much for the disciples to grasp fully, for what Jesus has just accomplished is something only God can do. When Jonah tried to run from his calling to preach to Nineveh, God caused the calming of the storm, which produced a similar reaction from the sailors (Jonah 1:16). In the Psalms Yahweh is celebrated as the master of the storm and sea (Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 104:6–7; 107:23–32).
In other words, Jesus is far more than the disciples have up to this time supposed. And he is far more than what we have often understood as well. It is a challenge for all of us to look clearly at Jesus as the divine-human Messiah, to allow him to amaze us, and even beyond amazement, to move us to follow him as his true disciples. We would do well to humble ourselves and call on him at our time of need, as self-sufficient as we might think we are.
Exorcising the demoniacs: authority over the spirit world (8:28–34). After the miraculous calming of the storm, Jesus and the disciples continue their trip across the Sea of Galilee. The next incident focuses entirely on Jesus; there is no mention of the disciples. Matthew draws our attention further to Jesus to help answer the exclamatory question, “What kind of man is this?”
The group arrives “at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes.” Jesus is now in the predominantly Gentile region of the Decapolis, which explains why pigs are being raised, an animal unclean to Jews (Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8). “Gadarenes” refers to both the village of Gadara, located about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, as well as to the surrounding region, which probably included the little village of Gerasa (modern Khersa or Kursi), which lay on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and is the traditional site of the exorcism.36
As Jesus arrives in the region of the Gadarenes, “two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him.” Mark 5:1–20 and Luke 8:26–39 record only one demoniac here. But rather than assuming that Matthew has added a second demoniac for a theological purpose, such as wanting two witnesses to the exorcism for legal reasons,37 we can infer that Matthew has independent knowledge of the second man.38 Matthew often gives only general details of a narrative, so he simply mentions two demoniacs, whereas Mark and Luke single out the spokesman and describe him in more detail, citing his name as “Legion”—a figurative expression for the amount of demons possessing the men. A Roman army legion had six thousand men.
Contact with the dead rendered a Jew ceremonially unclean,39 which may have been why the demon-possessed men come out to accost this Jewish contingent. But the mention of tombs also casts an ominous pall of death and evil on the scene. The danger is heightened by noting that these two men are “so violent that no one could pass that way.” Apparently they are well known among the populace and feared.
The demons immediately recognize Jesus’ true identity as the “Son of God” (cf. Satan in 4:3, 6). This is a title that eventually the disciples will use (14:33; 16:16; cf. 27:54) as they gain increased clarity of his uniqueness as the One whom the Father has revealed to be his beloved Son (3:17; 17:5). But from the demons, the use of the title trumpets their recognition that another stronghold of Satan, the sphere of the spirit world, is being invaded and overpowered. These demons apparently know quite well an appointed time when the forces of Satan will be judged. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shout. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” The author of 1 Enoch 16:1 says graphically:
From the days of the slaughter and destruction, and the death of the giants and the spiritual beings of the spirit, and the flesh, from which they have proceeded forth, which will corrupt without incurring judgment, they will corrupt until the day of the great conclusion, until the great age is consummated, until everything is concluded (upon) the Watchers and the wicked ones.40
In Jesus’ ministry the “time” has already begun with his ministry of exorcism. It indicates the arrival of the kingdom (4:17; 12:28) and the invasion and conquest of Satan’s strongholds, even though the time of final judgment awaits Jesus’ coming in glory.
The demons’ plea to be sent into a nearby herd of swine would not be an unhappy thought to Jews, who considered swine and demons of the same order. Jesus warns his disciples not to throw pearls before swine (7:6). Peter regards false teachers as those who will return to their (swinish) pagan nature (2 Peter 2:22). But since the east shore of the Sea of Galilee is a Gentile region, this was not a wild herd but pigs being raised for market. Their owners would be upset at the loss of this large herd, which Mark numbers at about two thousand (Mark 5:13).
The request of the demons to enter the pigs has an added sinister purpose. Demons are elsewhere known to cause injury and pain to God’s creatures (e.g., 17:14–20), and they do whatever they can to stimulate opposition to Jesus and his invasion of Satan’s stronghold. The destruction of the pigs leads the Gentiles of the region to ask Jesus to leave (8:34). This response is a sad commentary on the perversion of their values, for one would think they would rejoice at a victory over Satan’s demons. But as one commentator states, “all down the ages the world has been refusing Jesus because it prefers the pigs.”41 The darkness of the scene implies that the legion of demons go from the drowned swine looking for others to inhabit, an ominous thought for these people who have rejected Jesus. Jesus does not destroy the demons; rather, he allows evil to run its course in this world until “that day” when all will be rectified.
Matthew does not tell us the outcome of the exorcism, but Mark and Luke mention that the Gerasene demoniac begs to accompany Jesus. But Jesus tells him to go home and tell his family and friends how much God has done for him (Mark 5:18–19; Luke 8:38–39). The former demoniac sees the disciples with Jesus and desires to become one like them. But Jesus returns the man to his native place to witness. The Twelve will be fishers of men in one way, but this Gentile who has now become Jesus’ disciple will fish for men in another way, among his own people.
Healing the paralytic: authority over sin (9:1–8). Jesus has stilled the storm, demonstrating his authority over the realm of nature (8:23–27). He has exorcised the demon-possessed men, demonstrating his authority over the spirit world (9:28–34). Now he heals a paralytic, demonstrating his authority over Satan’s domain of disease, illness, and, surprisingly, sin. He does so back on the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee, in “his own town”—undoubtedly Capernaum, the home base of his ministry in Galilee (cf. 4:17; 8:5; 11:23).
Probably back at Peter’s home (see 8:14–15), “some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat” (9:2). This is the parallel account of the famous scene in which the paralytic is brought by four men and lowered through a thatched roof (see Mark 2:1–12; Luke 5:17–26). Jesus has already cured paralysis (Matt. 4:24), so the men have probably heard of Jesus’ supernatural healing ability and now bring their companion to him for healing. Jesus sees that they have faith in his ability to heal their companion, and they expect he will do so.
But Jesus’ supernatural ability goes beyond healing: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” The connection between sin and sickness was suggested earlier (8:17), but now Jesus states explicitly that they are related. The entrance of sin to the world brought corruption and death, and the only way of reversing this worldwide phenomenon is to have the sin problem corrected. God had promised to bring healing to Israel if they repented of their sin and sought forgiveness (2 Chron. 7:14; cf. Ps. 103:3). While individual sin is usually not the direct cause of a person’s sickness (see John 9:2–3), at the heart of humanity’s problem is sin. In 4:23–25, healing confirmed Jesus authority to announce the arrival of the kingdom of heaven, and healing now confirms that forgiveness of sin accompanies that arrival. Once sin is forgiven and redemption has occurred, all sickness and death will ultimately be abolished (cf. Isa. 25:8–9).
But not all rejoice at Jesus’ arrival to inaugurate the prophesied day of salvation, for “some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’ ”This is the first time that the teachers of the law appear in explicit opposition to Jesus in Galilee. Blasphemy is an act in which a human insults the honor of God. This extends to misusing the name of God, which is cursed or reviled instead of being honored, the penalty for which is death by stoning (Lev. 24:10–23; 1 Kings 21:9–14). The teachers of the law charge Jesus with blasphemy because they believe that he is dishonoring God by taking to himself the prerogative to forgive sins, something only God can do (cf. Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21).
We may wonder why the teachers of the law so often oppose Jesus. They were the officials charged with preserving the law and its traditions. But now Jesus claims to speak and act for God. From the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry the people see that Jesus gives new teaching with authority, in direct contrast with the teachers of the law (cf. 7:28–29). They see Jesus as a threat to their power and position in several ways.
• Jesus is a challenge to scribal interpretation and application of the Old Testament (5:17–48).
• Jesus threatens their understanding of the way God works, including healing on the Sabbath (12:1–14) and now forgiving sins (9:1–8).
• Jesus threatens their professional security as guardians of the law, because he contrasts his way of righteousness with theirs (5:20).
• Jesus is a threat to their popularity because his ministry is attracting the following of the people (21:15).
• The teachers of the law see Jesus as a threat to national security because of the popular excitement caused by his radical ministry (21:12–13).
The teachers of the law rightly understand that Jesus is making a profound equation of himself with God as he offers forgiveness of sin, but they have evil thoughts against him. They assume Jesus is wrong and label him with the charge of blasphemy. Later the Sanhedrin (which includes teachers of the law) likewise charge Jesus with blasphemy and condemn him to death because he tells the truth of who he actually is (26:63–68), thus presenting a threat to the establishment (cf. Luke 19:47–48).
Jesus turns on the offensive and questions them, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” This rhetorical question assumes, of course, that it is easier to say your sins are forgiven, because there is no way of confirming whether or not it has happened. It is obviously much more difficult to declare a person healed, because it can be immediately confirmed by the person’s ability to walk. Then Jesus, using his title “Son of Man” again (see comments on 8:20), reveals another aspect of his identity by declaring that he has authority to forgive sins. As the teachers of the law have already ascertained, this is tantamount to an explicit claim to be divine.
The evidence of Jesus’ authority is demonstrated as the man gets up and goes home. Not only have the teachers of the law witnessed the miraculous healing and authoritative claim to forgive sins, but the crowds also are witness; “they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” This is similar to the crowd’s reaction at the conclusion of the SM (7:28–29), except now instead of amazement, they are “filled with awe [phobeo],” a word that normally connotes an element of fear. The crowds still do not get the full implication of Jesus’ identity, because they think that the authority to forgive sins has been given “to men,” not to the Son of Man. But Matthew’s readers, including us, recognize that in Jesus an entirely new era has dawned—the age of forgiveness of sins, the reason for which Jesus was born (1:21).
Bridging Contexts
THE SERMON ON the Mount and the two subsequent chapters are sandwiched between two almost identical summaries of Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing (cf. 4:23–25 and 9:35–36). Those summaries form a literary inclusio, because, like two bookends, they set off the material between them. This leads many to the conclusion that the SM and the chapters of Jesus’ miracles form a literary diptych, or double panel, of the ministry of Jesus.42 Jesus is not only Messiah in word (chs. 5–7) but is also Messiah at work in his miraculous deeds (chs. 8–9).
Authority. A central theme that characterizes Jesus as Messiah in word and work is “authority” (exousia). Of the nine times Matthew uses the word, five occur in this section. The crowds are amazed at Jesus’ teaching with authority (7:29), the centurion recognizes Jesus’ inherent authority to heal (8:9), Jesus declares that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins (9:6), to which the crowds react with astonishment (9:8), and Jesus will soon delegate this authority to the Twelve to work miraculous deeds to confirm the same message of the kingdom of heaven (10:1, 7).43 As Jesus establishes his messianic authority in word and work in the early stage of his Galilean ministry, he lays an authoritative foundation for the rest of his earthly ministry and subsequent ministry through his disciples (28:18–20).
Chapters 8–9 are generally recognized to have been organized by Matthew as collections of three groups of miracle stories, each of which is followed by sayings of Jesus. As is typical of Matthew’s emphasis, this arrangement highlights both authoritative Christology and discipleship. Each miracle highlights particular aspects of Jesus’ person and mission as the central figure of the narrative, and then the sayings clarify how discipleship to Jesus demands an allegiance to him and his calling that is strikingly different from other forms of discipleship in the ancient world.44 These are important preparations for the pinnacle of Matthew’s Gospel in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and the Great Commission.
People have authority in an area when they are able to back up their claims about some specific area of knowledge. When we look at court cases, people are said to be expertsif they have the credibility and the ability to back up their claims. Jesus’ healings in the Galilean narrative certainly point to his compassion, but they especially highlight his authority regarding the message of the kingdom that he brings—his disciples can trust him and should adopt his vision for life. Jesus did not present the SM as being optional or culturally conditioned; rather, it was a necessary foundation for life. Now in these chapters he backs up his authority to make this kind of claim with his powerful actions.
Those who encounter Jesus are attracted to, or threatened by, his authority. In this section we see what an appropriate response to him should be in the face of his authoritative person and mission. One response is to come with trust, having a humble recognition that he alone is adequate to handle the needs of all who come, regardless of whether society considers them worthy or not. Jesus has the power to break down purity boundaries, so the leper comes to Jesus, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (8:2). Jesus can also break down ethnic barriers, so the centurion comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, I am not worthy. . . . Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (8:8). This results in glowing commendation from Jesus about his faith (8:10) and rebuke for the unfaithfulness of his own people who have not trusted him. Jesus has the authority to break down gender barriers, so he takes the initiative to reach out to Peter’s mother-in-law to heal her (8:15).
Another appropriate response to Jesus’ authority is unqualified allegiance to his person and mission. We are to place him at the center of our world. His authoritative work in our lives should cause us to serve him (8:15), to follow him and him alone (8:18–23), and always to turn to him in the moment of our deepest fears (8:26), because he has authority over the ravages of nature (8:26), the oppression of the spirit world (8:29–32), and the most devastating malady of humanity, sin (9:2–6).
But the tragedy is that not all who encounter his authority respond with trust in and allegiance to his person and mission. Many see Jesus’ authority as a threat. Some come to Jesus with mixed motives and find that following him is a threat to their comfortable lifestyle (8:18–20). Others come with dual allegiances and find that commitment to Jesus threatens their social and cultural acceptability (8:21–22). Still others become so fixated on the consequences of Jesus’ assault on the powers of this world that they are threatened by the consequences in their own lives if they allow him to take up residence in their personal, everyday world (8:34). And still others find that Jesus’ claims threaten the very core of their religious worldview, and they flatly refuse the paradigm shift in their thinking and belief structure that will allow him the authoritative role in their lives that he deserves and demands (9:3–4).45
When exposed to the reality of Jesus’ identity and ability, the proper response is unqualified trust in and allegiance to his authoritative person and mission. He deserves our awe and reverence, but he demands that we follow him wherever he calls, regardless of the cost and of the threat to our status quo.
Contemporary Significance
FACING FEARS. I have lived most of my life near the ocean, and I never tire of its beauty and vastness. Every day brings a different wave size, swell direction, and atmospheric marine layer. One day the water sparkles with blue-green iridescence, but the next day dark rolling waves surge with foaming white tips as a storm passes through. The ocean can provide the most relaxing ambiance as the surf rocks gently against the coast. But it can also be a most frightening place when rogue, monster waves threaten the heartiest of souls. One thing every wise person learns early on when adapting to the ocean is that it deserves a healthy respect and an appropriate fear of its awesomeness.
Several years ago my daughters gave me the best-selling book by Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm. I was gripped by the magnitude of the storm and the immensity of the waves. Most of all, I was gripped by the terror that those caught in the storm experienced. Not only skilled recreation boaters but also well-trained and well-equipped Coast Guard veterans and experienced merchant sailors were traumatized by the storm’s immensity—and especially those seasoned, professional fishermen who lost their lives on the commercial fishing boat, the Andrea Gail. They had gone out fishing for swordfish in beautiful, calm weather in the fall of 1991, but they fatally experienced the full brunt of nature’s most powerful force—the hurricane. Junger describes the intensity of this phenomenon of nature.
A mature hurricane is by far the most powerful event on earth; the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former Soviet Union don’t contain enough energy to keep a hurricane going for one day. A typical hurricane encompasses a million cubic miles of atmosphere and could provide all the electric power needed by the United States for three or four years.46
The Sea of Galilee is a microcosm of the ocean, where the disciples of Jesus also face the full force of nature’s wrath. For these veteran fishermen to express their fear and plea for help to a carpenter indicates that they know he can do what they cannot do for themselves. But what do they think he will do? After all, when he calms the storm they ask, “What kind of man is this?” (8:27). They have faith, because they place as much confidence in Jesus as they think he can accomplish. But it is “little faith,” because it is deficient to the task at hand. A more complete knowledge of who he really is and what he is able to accomplish would allow them to trust him fully and without fear.
Facing sin’s fears. They are not the only ones who face their fears in these scenes. Disease, spiritual oppression, social ostracism, and, of course, the ravages of nature’s storms all produce fear. But the final scene depicts the most fearful of all life’s challenges—sin. The other fearful challenges can ultimately result in physical death, but sin results in death for eternity. Facing death with the prospect of eternal consequences can evoke the greatest of all fears.
But just as faith in Jesus’ ability to care for his disciples in the most fearful situations of life will get them securely through a storm of nature, so faith in Jesus’ ability to forgive us our sins will guide us securely through life’s storms to our eternal destiny. We know that sin, the greatest threat to our well-being and security, has been vanquished. It’s important to keep this perspective, because it allows us to take in stride other fear-inducing challenges we face.
Think of the stark fear that a woman experiences when she finds the lump in her breast, or the terrifying paranoia that a person feels when he discovers his house has been broken into. Consider the horror that a parent experiences when discovering that her child was killed in a car accident, or the gut-wrenching dread that can overcome someone who has just been informed he has been laid off. Or even the anxiety many brides and grooms feel just before the wedding as they consider the prospect of their own inadequacy or the faithlessness of their future spouse.
All of these are very real storms of life. But first things first. Having the right perspective on our eternal destiny enables us to have a different perspective on daily challenges. With our sins forgiven, we know that our own mortality will eventually lead to a secure eternity. The knowledge that our loved one’s sins are forgiven will give us a peace beyond comprehension as we turn his or her care over to the Savior. And when we experience suffering in this life, we can rest secure in the knowledge that the Savior who suffered death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins not only awaits us in our eternal resting place but also travels with us as we endure the travail of this life.
Likewise, if we ignore eternity, we close our eyes to the consequences of the choices we make in this life. Our priorities change when we recognize that there will be an accounting for all that we do now. Rebellion against God and his ways is less prevalent in the person who realizes that there will be no future possibility for rectifying mistakes made today.
Thus, author Gary Thomas drolly advises us that “wise Christians clip obituaries” 47—not out of a morbid preoccupation with death but out of a practical way of keeping a right perspective on life and eternity. We should remember the accomplishments of Christians who have lived life God’s way, and we should follow their example. Let us rejoice at the prospect of eternal life so that we do not fear the challenges of earthly storms. The authority of Jesus over all of life’s challenges enables us, with an eternal perspective, to trust him fully wherever he may call us to follow him.