d 4 And Jesus saith unto him, | unto him a centurion, a beseechSee thou tell no man; but going him, thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. c 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came b c.9.30. Mar.5.43. c Le.14.3,&c. His public manifestation as the Messiah. We are taught to signify our gratitude by careful obedience, rather than blind and headlong zeal. The man was to go and report himself at Jerusalem, according to the command, even before he should report the matter to others. Some have a religion which obeys natural impulses rather than Divine commands. Some people hope they are religious without attending to the appointed ordinances of God's house. Some think it of little account to join the church. But God has appointed His ordinance as a public testimony most important to be made at once. Mark tells us how Christ's work was hindered by this leper's disobeying His commands. How many hinder His work by neglecting the public ordinances. For a testimony unto them priests and people. The priest was to examine the case and publicly attest the benefit received from God, so that the miracle might be properly certified and circulated, and the man be restored again to society. The Jewish Rabbins allowed that curing lepers should be a characteristic of the Messiah. And the testimony therefore was to reach both priest and people for their conviction of Christ's claims. When a man is converted from the power of Satan unto God, it should be made public in the appointed way, for the sake of others. This testifies against them. 42. THE HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SERVANT.-Capernaum. Luke. 7. 1-10 5, 6. And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum. The Evangelist here Matt. 8. 5-13 Mark. John. 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and d Lu.7.2,&c. We takes up the narrative. This was the first event after coming down from the mount near Capernaum. Luke records it also.- -TA Centurion. This was a military officer among the Romans. As the name imports (the Latin centum meaning a hundred), it was the command of a hundred men. A Roman military force was stationed in Judea because it was now a province of the Roman Empire. It is not a man's occupation but his faith that gives him standing before God.- -T Beseeching, must come as suppliants, needy and anxious.¶ Lord. The word here would seem to mean sir, as used by a Roman. My servant. The Centurion shows great regard for his servant, being evidently anxious about the case, and taking the same steps, which he would naturally have done for a child. Good masters will pray for their servants, and strive to do their souls good. We ought to beseech Christ for others, especially for our own house.-T Lieth at home. The word intimates the severity of the disease and the infirmity consequent upon this reduced state.--¶ Sick of the palsy. See note, ch. 4. 24. 1. I will come-literally, I am coming, and will heal him. It falls in with God's eternal purpose, to hear prayer and to grant salvation. So it proved. What free grace! What full offices! Christ had only to sig. nify His willingness and this would Secure the result. He could even heal him on the way to the house, as He really did. This prompt reply of Christ to the request of this stranger, who was probably born a pagan, and not a Jew, showed His gracious rea said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, e Ps.10.17. Lu. 15.19,21. Ps.33.9; 107.20. diness to bless. It displayed also His conscious Omnipotence, who at His will could heal and save. Christ has now come to Christ we may apply. Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, that b g c.15.28. hIs.2.2,3. Lu. 13.29. Ac.11.18. Ep.3.6. Re.7.9. 10. He marvelled. He expressed astonishment or admiration. It was a remarkable instance of one not a Jew, showing the strongest confidence in Christ's ability. It was more signal and illustrious than any instance among the nominal Israel. His faith was probably of a saving nature. And this is the first case of conversion on record among the Gentiles. We learn that while the Jews thought this man worthy (as we find in Luke 7. 4), on account of his good deeds, Christ judged of him by his faith and 8. This gracious language of our Lord was humbling to the Centurion. He had great faith, for he could believe in Christ's ability to heal by a word, and now he felt the grace of Christ expressed to him. And this faith affected his views of himself; for he began to feel how unworthy he was to have his house honoured with Christ's presence. Such is the result of genuine faith upon our esti-humility. A sense of unworthiness mates of self, producing the deepest humility. So Job (42. 6), "I have heard of Thee," &c. Others said he was worthy (Luke 7. 4), but he himself thought he was not. Christ's offers of love abase him and overcome him. He feels that this love is too much, and casts himself upon Divine power. 9. I am a man under authority," &c. I am a man of subordinate rank, and yet can order my soldiers who obey me at a word. But Thou, who art Supreme, canst command even diseases and they shall obey Thee. "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Being under authority, he knew also what it was to be commanded and to obey with strict military precision and promptness. He had experience of this in both ways, and he saw that Christ had absolute authority over disease. How blessed to have Christ's word enough for us, to fly to the power of it, and have it carry Divine authority for our salvation. should never keep us back from Christ, and will not, if we have right views of Him; we shall cast ourselves on His sovereign ability the more we distrust ourselves. "I am not worthy, but Thou canst perform by a word." Parents and householders who have heard of Christ, ought to seek His blessings on their families and servants. And as all disease and distresses are at the command of God, we ought to mark in all our lot His providence, and cast all our cares submissively on Him. We should adore the sovereignty of His will, and in all our prayers should say, Thy will be done."- -T In Israel-among the Israelites or Jews. Jacob was called Israel (see Gen. 32. 28), meaning Prince of God, because in prayer he prevailed with God. And so his descendants are called Israel and Israelites, after this patriarch of the Jews. 11. Many shall come. That the Centurion was a true believer, and had saving faith, and that he was the many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. i c.7.22,23. j c. 13.42,50. first instance of conversion among the Gentiles, would appear from this declaration of our Lord. This case should not be alone. The Gentiles should yet be converted in large numbers, from the east and west and from all quarters of the globe. Isa. 45. 6; 59. 19. Shall sit down with as at a meal. This is the sense of the word. The benefits of the Gospel were commonly represented by the provisions of a feast. Matt. 26. 29. Luke 14. 15. And this would naturally conciliate the Jew to the Gospel, that it would bring him into happy communion with the patriarchs of his ancient religion. 12. The children. The child of any thing is a phrase in Hebrew, expressing the special property which such an one has in the thing specified. So in Greek, as in Luke 10. 6, The Son of Peace." So children of disobedience (Ephesians 2. 2). Here those are meant who have special property in the kingdom, i. e. the Jews, to whom it naturally belonged (Rom. 9. 4), and to whom the kingdom had come by hereditary descent, through their fathers. To them "pertained the adoption," &c. They were born into it, and to them it specially belonged by natural associations, and they were related to it by outward covenant. So the baptized children are now called "the Ichildren of the church." In Acts 3. 25, the Apostle says to the Jews, "Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers," &c.-¶ Outer darkness. As Abraham and others are represented as sitting down to a 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour. 14 TAnd when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his brilliant feast, splendidly lighted at night, so those who are excluded are described as being thrust out in the midnight darkness, which reigned outside. They were to have the very opposite portion. So the rich man is described as lifting up his eyes in torment and calling upon Abraham in heaven. Darkness is the scriptural image of perdition. It signifies the confinement and distress of a dungeon, the shutting out of cheerful light from the soul, and the shutting up of souls to all the deprivation and despondency and despair of the blackness of darkness forever. There shall be sorrow and torment there which words are unable to portray. See ch. 13. 42, 50. Luke 13. 28. Acts. 7. 54. This is 13. As thou hast believed. According to his faith was his success. the Gospel rule-not on this ground, but in this measure. The healing was performed at once, and his faith was doubtless strong as the grace was signal, and the result sublime. Faith is the measure not the merit (Ps. 33. 22). "Let Thy mercy O Lord be upon us, according as we hope in Thee." This narrative differs somewhat from that of Luke, but only as the different Evangelists naturally dwelt upon different points or narrated different fealures of the transactions. [31. THE HEALING OF PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER, AND MANY OTHERS.Capernaum.] wife's mother laid, and sick of and he cast out the spirits with a fever. his word, and healed all that were sick: 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: k Mar. 1.30,31. Lu.4.38,39. 7 Mar.1.32,&c. Mark and Luke, just after Christ had called Simon and Andrew. Mark's narrative of it leads us to infer that it was on the Sabbath day, immediately after coming out of the synagogue, where a demoniac had been healed. See 30 of the Harmony. Also that it was at the house of Simon Peter and Andrew his brother, whom He had lately called. "Anon they tell Him of her." Blunt notices a coincidence in proof of the veracity of the Gospels, that Matthew and Paul both speak of Peter as married (1 Cor. 9. 5). From this raising of Peter's wife's mother, it is incidentally signified that Peter had a wife, which Paul's statements corroborate. OBSERVE, The Papists claim that Peter is the head of their church, and yet they forbid the clergy to marry. How could he be a Bishop or Pope if he was married? Or how can they forbid marriage if he was their head and married? How inconsistent is such a system with the Scriptures! They who give heed to the doctrine of devils forbid to marry. 1 Tim. 4. 1-3. And in making out testimony of a miracle, would it have been related of a person who did live or had lived (Peter's wife's mother) if there was intent to deceive? The miracle here consisted in Christ's healing by a touch, for a miracle is a supernatural work, a suspension or contradiction of nature's laws. It is a wonderful result effected by a power that is utterly beyond that of man. This healing by a touch is a Divine operation, because it is not in the power of man, nor is it according to the constitution and course of nature. No m 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. m Is.53.4. 1 Pe.2.24. tice the immediate effects of Christ's cure-" Immediately the fever left her;"-and the striking results, “She arose and ministered unto them." Her gratitude included Christ. 16. When the even was come. This being on the Sabbath, which they kept from evening to evening-the Jews awaited this time when the sacred day was ended, to bring their sick (Luke 13. 14). Or they might have come after sunset, because the heat of the day would have proved too oppressive to the infirm. OBSERVE, This showed the fame He had acquired among the people and their faith in His healing power. So His fame should spread in the case of every conversion, that many may be induced to apply. "He healed all that were sick.' This illustrates His abundant grace. How compassionate and kind to sinners. Who need fear to apply? "Come unto me all." "For every one that asketh receiveth." His word has healing power. 17. That it might be fulfilled. Isa. 53. 4. -T Himself. Christ Himself. Matthew, writing for the Jews, aims to connect Christ's doings with their own inspired prophecies, and so to identify Him to them as their Messiah. "He that put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," and "bore our sins in His own body on the tree," undertook to put away all the fruits of sin. This is the connection of His healing with His atonement. aimed to remove the curse and restore the ruin of the fall. He took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses, taking the curse and bearing the condemnation of our sin "in his own He 18¶ Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, body," even in numberless physical sufferings. It may be expressed more generally, "He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows." This Hebrew clause in Isaiah is precisely rendered by the Greek in Matthew here. He took a large share of human woes of every kind, sympathized in the suffering, and provided for the cure. His atoning plan provides as well for the body as the soul. The old versions read, "He took on Him our sicknesses," &c. We can suppose that He was a man of pain and ailment in the flesh, so far as would not interfere with His active labours. We know not how He was at Nazareth, the greater portion of His life; but there is authority for saying He "was without form or comeliness." "His countenance was marred more than the sons of men." In the Jewish Talmud is this striking passage: "What is the name of the Messiah? Some say Leprous. According is that 'surely he hath borne our sicknesses,' &c., and Messiah sitteth in the gate of the city. And by what sign may he be known? He sitteth among the diseased and poor." It is also said in the Zohar, “That all the diseases, griefs and punishments due to Israel shall be borne by Him." His taking our nature and taking such active part in relieving our woes, is not mere human sympathy, but belongs to His mediatorial work. This lively feeling for our sicknesses, and this prompt and effectual cure of all that were brought, show the reality of His re he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. medial work for sinners, and the hearty interest He has taken in the redemption of men. In undertaking our salvation He took our load of woes-a man of sorrows. The contemplation of our woes was a living pang to Him-Christ's rule in healing seems to have been to cure applicants and such as He met, where it was asked for. This was in accordance with His redeeming plan: "for every one that asketh receiveth." OBSERVE, The worst cases He can cure as well as any even the possessed with devils, along with the sick. Our relatives we should bring to Christ's attention. We may go to Him for ailments of the flesh, and for woes of the spirit, for it is His part to cure them both. His control over diseases should satisfy men of His higher work and of all His Divine claims. NOTE, That between verses 17 and 18, there intervene, in the proper order of the history, 3 chapters of events, as recorded in the 11th, 12th and 13th chapters. This crossing the lake (vs. 18), was after a second circuit in Galilee, and after speaking the several parables near Capernaum. (See the Harmony.) In ch. 13. 1, we find our Lord seating Himself by the sea-side, giving instructions," and great multitudes were gathered together unto Him," &c. (vs. 2). This explains His giving order here (ch. 8. 18), "to depart unto the other side," on account of the multitudes. |