So I rode my bicycle for a year in 2010 from Canada to Columbia. And as part of that journey, I discovered that basically a billion people in the world didn't have access to clean drinking water. So I began this journey and did some higher level education and then on a series of trips with my friends in the last six years. That's all led us to this spot now we've become very interested in small scale decentralized desalinization projects. It's really the future of water. Welcome everyone.
I'm so happy to be with us for today's beach talk. I want to help you understand every word of God that's in the word of God. That's why I do these beach talks. God has so many amazing things that he wants to say to you and I every day. So that's our objective here is that we will hear from him clearly for our lives. Now my objective is simple. It's to help us make disciples who make disciples who plant churches that plant churches.
We want to multiply a grassroots effort for discipleship and church planting. Now Matthew 8 verses 1 and 2 says that when he had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold a leper came and worshiped him saying, Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean. Now when he had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. Now the miracles of Jesus attracted much attention, but so did his teaching ministry.
Matthew demonstrated this by the mention of the great multitudes that followed him after he came down telling us about the Beatitudes. Now when we compare the events of this chapter with the record of Mark or Luke, we'll find a different order or chronology. D.A. Carson says that Matthew arranged his material here according to topics and themes, not according to chronology. So we remember an important foundational verse in Matthew's gospel.
Now Jesus went about all of Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching the kingdom of God and healing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. Matthew 4.23. Now Matthew went on to tell us about the teaching ministry of Jesus. Now he tells us more about the healing ministry of Jesus and how his works confirmed everything that he had taught in his Sermon on the Mount. So now a leper came and worshiped him.
In ancient world, leprosy was a terribly destructive disease and still is in some parts of the world. Now an ancient leper had no hope of improvement. So this leper came to Jesus with a great sense of need and desperation. Now leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in a part of the body like the hand or feet.
And the muscles sort of wasted away, the tendons contracted until the hands were like claws and there were cuts in the hands, became progressively loss of the fingers and the toes. And in the end, the whole hand and foot might just drop off. Now the duration of that kind of leprosy was from 20 to 30 years. It was a terribly progressive death in which a person lived. This is what William Barclay described it as. Now according to Jewish law and customs, one had to keep six feet from a leper.
Does that sound familiar in 2020? If the wind was blowing toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet away. The only thing more defiling the contact with the leper was contact with the dead body back in that time. Now for these reasons, the condition of leprosy is a model of sin and its effects. It's contagious, it's debilitating and it corrupts its victim and makes them essentially dead while alive.
And it followed that almost universally, society and religious people scorn lepers, rabbis scorn lepers and saw them as people under judgment from the hand of God. Now in Jesus' time, rabbis sometimes boasted about how badly they treated lepers. One bragged that they refused to buy even an egg on a street where they saw a leper. Another boasted that he threw rocks at lepers upon seeing them. Not very nice.
Nevertheless, the leper came to Jesus by himself and despite many discouragements, he knew how terrible his problem was. He knew that other people gave up on him, having a hopeless condition. He had no one that would even take him to Jesus. He had no previous example of Jesus' healing a leper to give him any type of hope. He had no promise that Jesus would heal him. He had no invitation from Jesus or the disciples. He had great faith.
He must have felt ashamed and alone in the crowd of people that were trying to hear Jesus' teachings. Now the leper came and worshiped him despite his desperate condition. This man not only begged Jesus, he also worshiped at his feet. Now how did a leper worship Jesus? Well he worshiped Jesus by coming to him, by honoring him as the one who could meet his otherwise impossible need. He worshiped Jesus with this posture, probably bowing or kneeling before Jesus.
He worshiped Jesus with the word Lord, honoring him as Master and God. He worshiped Jesus with humility, not by demanding but leaving the request up to the will of Jesus. He worshiped Jesus with the respect of the power of Jesus saying that all that was necessary was for Jesus to want it and he would receive his healing. Now he worshiped Jesus with the confidence that Jesus could make him more healthy, Jesus could make him clean.
He said, Lord if you're willing, now the leper had no doubt whatsoever about the ability of Jesus to heal. His only question was if Jesus was willing to heal. He believed in the power of Jesus. When a Syrian commander named Naaman was afflicted with leprosy, he came to Jehoram in the Old Testament, the king of Israel, because he heard there was a prophet in Israel whom God used to do miraculous things.
Now when Naaman came to Jehoram, Jehoram knew that he had no power to help him and said, Am I God to kill and to make alive? This man sends a man to heal me of leprosy. In 2 Kings 5, leprosy was so hopeless in the ancient world that healing a leper was compared to raising the dead. Yet this leper knew that all Jesus needed was to be willing. Yet this leper was sure that Jesus was willing to use his power for the leper's benefit.
Now F.A. Bruce said that more men easily believe in miraculous power than in miraculous love. He said, Lord, if you're willing, you can make me clean. This leper sought more than healing. He wanted cleansing not only from the leprosy, but also from all its terrible effects on his life and on his soul. In addition, this is the first place in the gospel where Jesus is called Lord.
That title was particularly meaningful in light of the fact that the word Lord was used to translate the Hebrew word Yahweh. And Matthew wrote this gospel to those who would be familiar with the Jewish context of that word. Now in verse 3, Jesus put out his hand and touched him saying, I am willing, be cleansed. Now immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Jesus put out his hand and touched him. This was a bold and compassionate touch from Jesus.
The idea is that the leper kept his distance from Jesus, but he put out his hand and he touched him. In what was against the ceremonial law to touch a leper, he made the touch all the more meaningful to the afflicted man. Of course, as soon as Jesus touched him, he was no longer a leper. He was healed. Now touched him. Jesus did not have to touch the leper in order to heal him. He could have healed him with a word or, in Jesus' case, even a thought.
Yet he healed the leper with a touch because that is what the leper needed. A touch. Jesus often varied the manner of healing and usually he chose a manner that would be meaningful to the recipient. Mark 1, 41 says that when Jesus looked, he was moved with compassion. It had been a long time since this leper had seen a face of compassion.
Now I am willing, Jesus' assurance that I am willing simply answered the man's question and gives us a starting point for the times we wonder if Jesus was willing to heal. We should assume Jesus is willing to heal unless he shows us differently. Now how can we know if Jesus is willing to heal us by assuming that he's willing, but listening to him if he should tell us that that's not what he wants? This is what happened with the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, verses 7 through 10.
It seems that Paul assumed that Jesus would heal his thorn in the flesh until word came to him that Jesus wouldn't. Now immediately his leprosy was cleansed. The former leper's life was changed forever. He was not only healed, but as he requested he was cleansed. Jesus had recently said, ask and it will be given unto you in Matthew 7, 7. This was certainly true for the now formally cleansed leper. This is the first individual healing described in Matthew.
Previously we were told of Jesus' healing ministry in the general sense in Matthew 4, but here in a specific sense. Now verse 4, Jesus said to him, see that you go and tell no one, but go on your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them. Now see that you tell no one. Jesus often commanded people to be quiet about their healing or some miraculous work that he had done for them.
Now he did this because he wanted to keep down the excitement of the crowds until the proper time for his formal revelation to Israel, which was an exact date as prophesied in Daniel 9. Now in addition, Jesus' miracles were not primarily calculated to make him famous or a celebrity, though they certainly did give testimony to his ministry.
More so Jesus healed to meet the needs of specific individuals and to demonstrate the evident power of the Messiah in the setting of love and care for the personal needs of humble people. Therefore, Jesus was cautious about how the multitude saw him and why they followed him. Mark tells us that the leopard did not obey Jesus, instead he went out and began to proclaim it freely, Mark 1, 40 and 45.
But show yourself to the priest, Jesus commanded the man to give a testimony to the priest and what a testimony it was. The Mosaic law prescribed specific sacrifices to be conducted upon the healing of a leopard, and when the man reported it to the priest, they no doubt had to perform ceremonies that were rarely if ever done, according to Leviticus 14. Now going to the priest would also bring the former leopard back into society.
Jesus wanted the healing of the man's disease to have as much benefit as possible. Now verses 5 and 6, but when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him pleading with him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home, paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. Now when Jesus entered Capernaum, Matthew 4, 13 tells us this is where Jesus lived, he came and dwelt in Capernaum. Now a centurion came to him, the centurion was obviously a Gentile because the centurion was an officer in the Roman army.
Now most every Jew under Roman occupation felt a reason to hate this centurion, yet he came to the Jewish teacher for help. He came not for a selfish reason, but on behalf of a servant. Now whenever the New Testament mentions a centurion, now there are at least seven times, it presents them as honorable and good men. Now this centurion had an unusual attitude towards a slave under Roman law.
A master had the right to kill a slave and it was expected that he would do so if the slave became ill or injured to the point where he could no longer work. Pleading with him, this shows that the centurion did not make a casual request. Jesus describes him as pleading with Jesus on behalf of his servant.
Now verses seven through nine, Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him, the centurion answered and said, Lord I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed. For I'm also a man who's under authority having soldiers under me and I say to this one go and he goes into another come and he comes into my servant do this and he does it.
I will come and heal him. Jesus did not hesitate to go to the centurion's house and we half wish the centurion would have allowed him. It was completely against Jewish custom for a Jew to enter a gentile's house, yet it was not against God's law. So the centurion sensed this when he said, Lord I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof.
Now most Jews believe that a gentile home was not worthy of them and the centurion supposed that a great rabbi and teacher like Jesus would consider his home unworthy. The centurion also showed great sensitivity to Jesus in that he wanted to spare Jesus the awkward challenge of whether or not to enter a gentile's house as well as the time and trouble of travel.
He didn't know Jesus well enough to know that he would not feel awkward in the least, but his consideration of Jesus in this situation was impressive. In his concern for both his servant and for Jesus, the centurion was an others centered person. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed. The centurion fully understood Jesus's healing power was not some sort of magic trick and required the magician's presence.
Instead, he knew Jesus had true authority and could command things to be done and completed outside of his immediate presence. The centurion showed great faith in Jesus's word. He understood that Jesus could heal with his word just as easily as with his touch. Now he says, for I am a man who's also under authority having soldiers under me. The centurion also knew about the military chain of command and how the orders of one in authority were unquestioningly obeyed.
He saw that Jesus had at least that much authority. Now, verses 10 through 13, but when Jesus heard it, he marveled and he said to those who followed, assuredly, I say to you, I've not found such great faith, not even in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Then Jesus said to the centurion, go your way and as you have believed, so let it be done to you. And his servant was healed that same hour. Wow. When Jesus heard it, he marveled. Now, the man's understanding of Jesus' spiritual authority made Jesus marvel. His simple confidence in the ability of Jesus' mere word to heal showed a faith that was free of any superstitious reliance on external things.
This was truly great faith. He said, as surely I say to you, I've not found anyone in Israel with this kind of faith. Jesus considered the faith of this Gentile centurion a living symbol of Jewish oppression and thought it greater than any faith he had seen among the people of Israel. As a political entity, there was no Israel. There was only a covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Yet Jesus still called them Israel. Now, many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham. The fact that such faith was present in a Gentile caused Jesus to announce that there would be Gentiles in the kingdom of heaven. They would even sit down to dinner with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now, this was a radical idea to many of the Jewish people of Jesus' day. They assumed that this great Messianic banquet would have no Gentiles and that it would be all Jews.
Now, Jesus corrected both mistaken ideas. These few words of Jesus tell us a little something of what heaven is like. It's a place of rest. We will sit down in heaven. It's a place of good company to sit with. We enjoy the friendship of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in heaven. It's a place with many people. Jesus said many will come into heaven. It is a place with people from all over the world. From the east and the west, they will come into my kingdom. They will come into heaven.
Now, it is a certain place, Jesus said, many will come and when Jesus says it will happen, it will happen. We can trust his word. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness as well. Jesus reminded his Jewish listeners that just as the Gentiles' racial identity was no automatic barrier to the kingdom, their racial identity was no guarantee of the kingdom of God. Though Jews were sons of the kingdom, they might end up in hell.
The definite articles of weeping and gnashing emphasize the horror of the scene, the weeping and the gnashing. Weeping suggests suffering and gnashing of teeth with despair, da carcin. We see that Jesus was unafraid to speak of hell and in fact did so more than any other subject in the Bible. Charles Spurgeon said there are some ministers who never mention anything about hell. Verse 14 to 15, now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick with the fever.
So she touched her hand and the fever left her and she arose and served him. He saw his mother lying sick. This clearly establishes the fact that Peter was married. Now, a lot of church history teaches that Jesus, that you have to be celibate and that you can't be married in order to be a pastor or to be a priest. Peter was certainly married. He touched her hand and the fever left her. Jesus healed this woman with a gentle touch of his hand. His sickness was much less severe than the leper,
yet Jesus still cared for her. Jesus cares for smaller problems also. The miracle here was not in the cure of an incurable disease, but in the way of the cure by a touch of God's hand. Now, she arose and served him. Peter's mother-in-law showed a fitting response for those who've been touched by Jesus' power. She immediately began to serve. Serving Jesus is a wonderful evidence of being restored to spiritual health.
Now, this wraps up our time together today looking at the first part of Matthew 8. I always like to wrap up my beach talks at the time to pray, a time to get a fresh start from God. Maybe you need to get a fresh start with God today. Maybe you need to stop doing some of the things you've been doing in your life. We can always ask for God's help when we need to repent or when we're struggling.
Let's pray together. Just say, God, would you help me to have a fresh start, to change my life, to follow you in a sincere way. In Jesus' name, amen. And as always, have a beautiful day. Thank you for your time. We would love to partner with you. Water is a global problem. It's going to take as many partners as we can to help solve this problem. We'd love for you to partner with us. You can go to our website at www.oceanwater.com. That's O-C-N-W-T-R dot com. We'd love that. Thanks.