He Takes Our Illness

Introduction

Commentator Grant Osborne, writes,

Matthew (Introduction to Jesus’ Miracle Stories (Matthew 8:1–9:34))

The Sermon on the Mount provided Jesus’ authoritative words, and now we see his authoritative deeds.

Coming Down from the Mountain

As Jesus descends the mountain, the wording is almost exactly like that of the description of Moses coming down the mountain. Again, we see the clear parallel and Jesus being the New Moses who clearly fulfills the law.

Many crowds follow him, and this is a key part of the cycle of Jesus ministry. They do not follow him as disciples, but as people who are interesting in his miracles. Jesus continues to perform these miracles, but does so with a series of three miracles interrupted by an example of discipleship teaching. Jesus did come to cure the sick, its true, but he came for much more than that. He came to call disciples to follow him, trust him, and obey his teaching. The miracles show Jesus heart for the weak and lowly, his discipleship teaching shows Jesus demand for discipleship that is necessary if anyone would truly come and follow him and be healed of their sin.

The Leper

As a leper, this man was cut off from the social and religious life of the community.

What the leper needed was not only a cure, but ritual cleansing which he was unable to get by himself. He needed Jesus to be willing to step down to the unclean in order to make him able to worship God in the temple as he should.

As a leper, he may have assumed that he was beyond being healed, not because he doubted Jesus power, but because he couldn’t be with someone who was clean. Lean Morris says that this is the reason that the leper says “if you are willing”.

Jesus says two words in Greek. “I am willing” and “be clean”. Jesus says this while stretching out his hand to touch the leper.

John Calvin writes,

Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16

He who, by the mere expression of his will, restores health to men, must possess supreme authority.

The Touch. Touching the leper would normally make one ceremonially unclean and even guilty, but Jesus brings cleanness to the man with his touch. He stoops down, just as he stooped down in his incarnation and just as he stoops down to you who are needy and troubled. Jesus is not afraid to make contact with the unclean.

Jesus commands him not to tell anyone, but rather to show himself to the priest and offer the appropriate sacrifice as a testimony to them, likely a testimony of his healing, meaning he could lawfully go back to his family. Also, this would testify Jesus’ power to them, although this cannot be the purpose since he told him to tell no one. We know from other Gospel authors that the man did not keep Christ’s command to not tell anyone and as a result Jesus ministry was hindered by the crowds that thronged him all the more for all the wrong reasons. Jesus is not trying to set up a ministry of healing, but rather heals to show the power and authority of God which he has so that he may be believed upon. People mostly pursued Jesus with earthly motives of healing rather than the heavenly motive of discipleship.

This remains the case today. The prosperity gospel only exists because people want something earthly from Jesus rather than having to follow him in faith.

Are you an unclean person? Do you sense the guilt of your sin and unworthiness before God? Do you see no way out of your sinful condition? Take the example of this leper and reach out to him crying out that if he is willing he will make your clean. When praying for physical healing, we should always say “Lord, if you will” like the leper does, because Jesus doesn’t promise healing to everyone. But when it comes to healing us from sin and its filthy effects on us, we become poor in spirit. To those poor in spirit, there is a promise that Jesus is mercifully ready to fulfill. Take heart, be comforted by this story of Jesus’ willfulness to heal you of your uncleanness so that you may worship the Father without spot or blemish. In him there is compassion for your state. He sees your sin as in illness that he is ready to authoritatively remove from you, both the guilt and the hold that sin has on you. The leper teaches us to come quickly before the throne of Grace that we may receive mercy and find help in time of need.

The Centurion

The next miracle that we come across here is once again someone who would not be able to worship in the Temple, not because of illness but because the man in question here is a Gentile, a Roman Centurion, an officer in charge of one hundred Roman soldiers.

The centurion doesn’t actually ask Jesus to heal the boy, he simply relays the facts. Like the leper who simply and humbly stated that “if you will, you can make me clean” the centurion has no sense of entitlement or even expectation, only he brings the problem to the Lord to see how he will solve it.

When we are praying for things that God hasn’t promised a sure answer for, we should have this same attitude. We should bring it to the Lord, as Peter says in 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Let God know what you are distressed about and let him know that you trust him for the outcome. This is the kind of faith that Jesus praises in our text.

Christ’s immediate response is that he will go and heal the boy, who we know from Luke’s account is a slave. The care that the centurion has for those under him, even a household bond-servant is admirable and speaks to the character of this man. Jesus sees this man’s problem as worth solving, even though he is a Gentile. We are already starting to see Christ’s ministry being for all people, which reflects what Isaiah prophesied about the coming Saviour:

Isaiah 49:6 ESV

he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Jesus not only seeks out those to whom the promises of the OT were given, but all who come to him in faith. Jesus already senses this man’s faith and agrees to heal the boy.

What happens next makes this story stand out.

First he admits his own unworthiness to have Jesus be a guest at his home, he who is a commander of soldiers. The humility of this man is astounding. He may be aware that for Jesus to come into his home would make Jesus unclean since Jews were not to associate with Gentiles in this way. Peter had to be convinced in a vision to visit another centurion in Acts 10. In verse 28 of that text, Peter says “you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation.” Jesus is willing to go beyond this traditional Jewish law since he is the one with authority to declare who is clean and who is unclean, but the centurion is humble enough to refuse what could be a stain on Christ’s reputation.

Second, he shows a strong faith in Jesus authority, which draws off of the authority we saw expressed earlier in the passage which that crowds witnessed in Jesus’ teaching. His faith is shown in his recognition that Jesus does not need to be present in order to perform the miracle, but only say the word. As a commander, the centurion is used to authority being carried out by those under him, as well as being under the authority of higher commanders in the army. When a commander gives an order, he doesn’t need to be present for the order to be carried out. When a centurion speaks to his officers, he speaks with the authority invested in him by the emperor and the thing would be carried out. When Jesus speaks, he speaks with the authority of God the Father so in the same way his words will be carried out. Leon Morris writes,

The Gospel according to Matthew b. The Centurion’s Servant, 8:5–13

This man’s reply shows that he had an unusual understanding that Jesus spoke with the authority of God.

We are told that Jesus marveled, or was amazed. In his humanity, Jesus was limited in his divine knowledge and so we can see that Jesus was genuinely amazed at this display of faith. This is the only time Matthew tells us Jesus is amazed at something. He then tells the crowds that are with him that he has not seen such great faith in all of Israel. Though the faith of the leper was enough for Christ to grant him healing, it doesn’t compare to the faith of this centurion. Why is that? There are perhaps two reasons,

First, while both show humility before Christ, the centurion has to lower himself to a much greater degree. Being a man in authority, he humbles himself greatly before the Lord, whereas the leper was already in a state of humiliation. This takes great faith in Jesus’ authority.

Second, the centurion’s knowledge of Jesus authority. The centurion understood authority and his faith matched his knowledge. Knowledge does not mean we have faith, but it does give us the ability to exercise more faith. The centurion’s experience with authority and knowledge of how authority works highlights his view of Jesus’ authority. Contrast this with the Jews with authority who wouldn’t not believe in Christ, but rather would go on to have him crucified.

This reminds us of the usefulness and danger of knowledge. Being a person who is knowledgeable in the things of God and other things that may give you the ability to know deeper things of God gives us the ability to exercise our faith more fully. But there is danger there as well. To know more is to be held accountable of what you know. Those Jews who knew authority didn’t humble themselves before the ultimate authority of Christ, and for that they will be judged. So I would encourage you: grow in your knowledge, but all the more grow in your faith and in your humility before the Lord.

Jesus than makes a statement about salvation for the Gentiles. Many, he says, will come from the east and west and sit to feast with Abraham in heaven while the children of the Kingdom, that is the Jews, will be thrown into outer darkness, a picture of hell. Paul talks about this, Romans 10:20-21

Romans 10:20–21 ESV

Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

The Jews had not changed, because in our sin we don’t become God-worshipers through the law. It is only through Christ that we can be made righteous and this extends to all, not just to Israel, meaning that many in Israel, those who did not believe, would be outside while those who were “not called” by God’s name, the Gentiles, would receive those promises.

This episode ends with Jesus giving the word, as the centurion had requested, and we learn that the boy was healed that very moment. We begin to see that Christ gives his favour and blessing to those who believe in him, who have true faith. Jesus says “let it be done for you as you have believed.” The response from Christ is equal to the faith of the person. Christ does not hand out spiritual graces and blessings on everyone, but on those who have true faith. Faith is the correct response to Christ’s authority, and his authority is further displayed to those who have faith in him. Christ does not show himself to the atheist until that atheist is humbled enough to begin to trust in the God he thought didn’t exist. Perhaps the reason you may read this text and wish that God would do something for you, ask yourself if your faith has been readily invested according to how much God has been revealed to you. To know God, it is the more you look with faith, the more you’ll see of Christ active in your life.

The Mother-in-Law

The final healing has two phases. First, Jesus heals Peter’s mother in law, who is sick with a fever. Jesus touches her and she rises and begins to serve them, completely healthy. Apparently, this healing became local gossip pretty fast and soon many where brought to him. We are told that he healed the sick, but the main focus here is on those oppressed by demons and spirits. When he healed the possessed, he healed them with a word, just as he healed the centurion’s son.

This introduces for us the emphasis on Jesus authority over demons. This spiritual authority means that even evil spirits have to submit to his words. More of these miracles will occur in the next set of three after Jesus speaks about the cost of following him.

The Point: Jesus is the Bearer of Our Weakness

The point of this episode of healing is found in verse 17. He references Is 53:4

Isaiah 53:4 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

This passage about the suffering servant connects that figure to the Authority of the Messiah. The one who would suffer for sin, who is described throughout the rest of Isaiah 53, is the Messiah and is here for the purpose right now.

So what does it mean that “he took our illnesses and bore our diseases”?

It speaks to the compassion of Christ. Jesus had a compassion on those who came to him in faith. It is wrong for us to think that just because God doesn’t heal you he somehow doesn’t care about our hurt. He cares greatly, and he would take that burden off of you the second it wasn’t doing you any good. Jesus cared for these people and he cares for the hardships in your life. The care of Christ for the people of God and for anyone who comes to him is visible through all these miracles, but here especially.

It speaks to the intent of Christ’s coming. Christ indeed came to show such kindness to us. A greater kindness still would be displayed on the cross to pay for our sins. He came to bear the consequences of sin with the purpose being to heal us of them and present us to God the Father sinless.

It speaks to the need every soul has of Christ. These many came to Christ because they were needy, and they knew it. Jesus came for needy people, weak people, sick people, dying people, sinful people. Do you see the poverty you have in your sin? Here is one who is fullness in your need. Know that you have a need, the need of being healed and forgiven of your sin. But also know that he came to heal you. Take that to heart and lean upon that fact. He wants to care for you. He wants to give to you in your need. He has died to give you every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Don’t be afraid to rest on the fact that Christ wants to help you.

It speaks to the humanity of Christ. Part of why Christ came was to become human, a human who takes on human experience and suffering. He bore our diseases as a man on the cross. Bearing human sin as a human.

It speaks to Jesus taking our sins upon himself, as he considered sin in us a sickness, and takes it upon himself on the cross and experiences the pain and sorrow of our sickness for us. Jesus victory over sickness and disease is ultimately a picture of his victory over the sickness of sin, his ability to heal us from its guilt and power that we may be made pure as he is pure. This is done through Justification before the Father, Sanctification through the Holy Spirit, and finally our glory in heaven with Christ at the final resurrection.

Sanctification is an important part of this salvation. Imagine a doctor who said he healed you of an illness but the symptoms were still there. Would you believe him? So we should not be content with a salvation that does not change our behaviour. A salvation that does not bring in a ceasing of sin through the progress of the Spirit’s work in our lives in no salvation at all. If Jesus has indeed healed you from sin, walk in the freedom that has been won for you in that healing.

Conclusion

As we summarize the three instances of miraculous healing that we have looked at today, the main takeaway we are drawn to is this: Jesus has the authority over all our troubled states, that he is willing to heal us, and that his heart is drawn to those who approach him in faith.

He has authority over our troubled states. We should never be discouraged by the thought that somehow our issues, troubles, or struggles with sin are outside the Saviour’s control. Jesus has authority over what ails you, and this is a great comfort to us. Your fate is not left up to chance, but up to the will of Christ. Part of faith is recognizing that authority, as the centurion did, and bringing the matter to him in faith. Praying for something is to entreat the one who has authority over your situation and bring the need to him.

Beyond this knowledge of his authority, we also see something of Jesus’ will, that is that his will is favourable towards you. He wants to help you. He has compassion on you and desires to make you whole. After all, that is what he is ultimately going to do in the new world, make you whole. That process is active in you now and is enabling you to be ready for the day when he will finish his work and make you all better. What the so-called prosperity gospel fails to see is not that Christ will reward our faith and make us better, but the timing of that event. Christ is cleansing your soul before he cleanses your body. But he means to cleans both and make you a new person fit for paradise. Christ may extend his hand, as he did to the leper, but his answer is always, “I will it”. Whether that is now or in eternity, know that it is your Lord’s heart to heal you, both of your sinful flesh, which is the core disease, and the symptoms, which are the outward sufferings of this life. Pray and push forward, knowing that it is your Lord’s will to heal you.

But always we must approach him in faith in this. Do you believe that Jesus wants to make you better? Do you believe that he is dealing with your sin right now and that you need to be on his side. Do you believe that when a trial has filled its purpose in our Lord’s sovereign plan, that he will absolutely answer your prayer for healing? God told Paul when he asked for the thorn in his flesh to be removed, that his grace was sufficient for that suffering to remain. That means God has graces for your pain for as long as that pain needs to exist. You have here the body of Christ who are ready to bear your suffering with you, pray with you, comfort you, and help you practically. What a grace that is. Let us prepare ourselves to believe that Christ has both the authority and the will to make you the pure, whole person you are being created to be. But there must be faith. You must trust him for that. You must come to the Christ who bore our suffering and came to take away our sin and the pain that our sin creates while we live inn this world. Believe that he took on your sorrows and bore your griefs on the cross, believe that his resurrection life is for you, and live in that belief every day through the process of sanctifying grace. Faith does not stay in sin, but pushes forward to the new man or the new woman that he is making you into. Let us dearly praise from our hearts the one who has both the authority and the desire to make us whole in him.