February 19, 2001

Get more information about Bible Study for Texas here.

March 25 Lesson

Jesus' touch brings hope to society's hopeless ___Matthew 9:18-35 ___18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. ___20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." ___22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. ___23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region. ___27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Having mercy on us, Son of David!" ___28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and the asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" ___"Yes, Lord," they replied. ___29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you;" 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. ___32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

___By Don Searles
___My childhood years were not blessed by a Christian home. At seven years of age, I knew my family was not welcome at the neighborhood church. That's just the way it was.
___One night there was a knock at the door. "My name's Marney," the young man said to my mother. "I'm the new preacher at the Baptist church down the street. I want you in my church."
___What a difference it made to my family to be wanted!
___Who am I? Why am I here? If there are gods, what are they like? What do they expect of me? These questions are as old as mankind. Jesus brought the answers.
___You are God's child. You are here to enjoy the work he has given to you. You do not have to look for God. God comes seeking you.
___Look at Jesus. He is what God is like. He is what God expects of you!
___Jesus chose not to be known as a miracle worker, though he worked many miracles. Gospel writers refer to many healings, without describing them. When a wondrous healing is described, it is usually more than miracle. It is evidence of God's supernatural power and teaches something about his immeasurable love.
___More than miracle
___The Gospel of Matthew is an excellent example of what I mean. In Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is a rabbi, teaching his followers about the kingdom of heaven.
___Good teachers always do more than tell--they show their students how.
___As Jesus is a teacher in Matthew 5-7, he seems to be a healer in Matthew 8-9. Many physical healings are included in these chapters. Look carefully. Jesus also is teaching through those healings. He is showing what faith can accomplish, and he is showing how God's people should relate to other people. Our physical well-being is but a part of God's concern.
___The healings in this part of Matthew and in our text are more than physical. They express acceptance and reconciliation of people with God and with each other. They indicate a dimension of kinship in the kingdom of heaven that had not been expressed in Jewish religion.
___A leper was an outcast in culture and religion. The touch of Jesus in Matthew 8:3 showed acceptance as well as cleansing.
___The centurion was a pagan enemy. The word of Jesus (Matthew 8:10) commended his faith even as it introduced healing to his servant.
___God's kingdom is inclusive. Barriers to entering that kingdom are erected by men, not God. All kinds of people were invited into God's fellowship by the Lord Jesus, people who were not acceptable according to the interpretations of the scribes.
___Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 5-7 and demonstrated it in Matthew 8-9, before sending his followers out to proclaim it in Matthew 10.
___United in need
___What a contrast! The man is grieving. The man is humble. Yet he approaches the teaching Jesus with confidence. The man is a "ruler." When a man of his status knelt before Jesus, it made a strong statement.
___Jesus associated with the rich and powerful as well as the weak and oppressed. He ate in the homes of Pharisees. He was comfortable discussing Scripture with scribes. Jesus championed the weak because they had no defender, but that does not mean he rejected the strong. Do not think that Jesus associated only with publicans and sinners. No one is excluded from God's kingdom except those who choose to exclude themselves.
___This man was recognized as a good man, a religious man, a leader. Apparently he is the Jairus of Mark 5 and Luke 8, head of a synagogue. He was probably a Pharisee, honored for wisdom, morality and faith.
___Jairus clearly announced his need and how he believed Jesus could help. He was a leader and accustomed to response.
___In contrast, look at the woman. Her ailment meant she was unclean (Leviticus 15:25). Anyone who touched her became ceremonially unclean and was disqualified for religious service.
___Her condition made her an outcast. She took great risk being in public. Imagine a woman in her situation daring to touch a rabbi.
___The woman was accustomed to rejection. Perhaps she had been taught that she was paying for her sins, that God was giving her what she deserved. Her faith was greater than her confidence. She avoided being seen and approached Jesus stealthily.
___Two people approached Jesus. Opposites in gender and in status. United in need.
___A girl and a woman
___The reluctance of the woman to approach Jesus rings another bell. All females had little status in Jewish culture and religion.
___A far greater healing is happening here. Jesus' words were a healing shower of grace.
___Did anyone glance at the ruler when Jesus told this woman: "Take heart--be confident"? Were the disciples surprised Jesus interrupted his response to the ruler to address the woman? Did anybody see a connection between a teaching about new wineskins (Matthew 9:17) and Jesus' words of commendation for the faith of an outcast woman?
___Back to the ruler's daughter: Neither Hebrew nor pagan culture placed much value upon female offspring. Did this father unthinkingly go along with everyone else, until his precious daughter was ill?
___His old wineskin faith did not offer much hope. His old wineskin faith told of men being taken directly into heaven (Enoch and Elijah). It spoke of two boys and a man being restored to life (1 Kings 17:22, 2 Kings 4:32-37, 13:21).
___It offered no such stories and no such hope for females.
___An adult woman and a child. One an outcast because of her condition. The other, beloved daughter of a good and powerful man, past healing and already dead. Both without hope because according to culture and practice, females were not important.
___There was healing that day. Healing that shouts that faith of a male ruler and faith of a female outcast have equal value in the eyes of God. Healing for a woman and a girl, and healing for a gender.
___There are no limits to restoring love in the kingdom of heaven.
___Who can see
___There is another contrast in the sequence of our text.
___Arriving at the ruler's house, Jesus encountered professional mourners. In place to experience a miracle, they laughed at the possibility of restored life. They had to be put out of the house.
___As Jesus left that place, two blind men followed. Unlike the ruler, they made no specific request. They just wanted mercy, whatever that might mean.
___There was nothing secretive about their approach to Jesus. They followed Jesus and ended up going into the house.
___The emphasis was upon their faith. "Do you believe ... it will be done to you according to your faith."
___Two who couldn't see did, because of their faith. Once again, some who should have seen did not, for they chose unbelief.
___Neither either or
___Evangelism. Ministry. Equipping the saints. These are Texas priorities emphasized in this lesson.
___Have you noticed how often these same priorities occur in other lessons?
___Which of these is Jesus' priority in Matthew 5-9, the Sermon on the Mount and the actions of Jesus immediately after the sermon?
___Jesus evangelized. He brought people into God's kingdom who had never been included before.
___He ministered. Jesus healed people in body, mind and spirit.
___He equipped. Jesus trained his followers for a new concept of inclusiveness and equality.
___Writers may separate these actions. Jesus never did. Jesus went about preaching, teaching and healing.
___It's your choice
___In the first lesson of this series, I said that, among other things, Matthew wrote about choice. Near the beginning of this week's lesson, I stressed that Matthew 8-9 shows Jesus demonstrating the inclusiveness of God's kingdom. Matthew 8-9 also is an account of choice and consequence in response to Jesus.
___God chooses us all for salvation and his kingdom. We choose to accept his invitation, or we choose to reject it. It's a matter of choice.
___Matthew himself had been a traitor and an outcast. His story is part of our larger text. Matthew 9:9-13 recalls the glorious day when Matthew himself made a choice.
___In my class, I feel it important to look at the end of Matthew 9. Specifically at 9:32-38.
___As the blind men went away, another outcast was brought to Jesus to be healed. The crowds, not ready to make their own choice, were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever been done in Israel"--not in God's kingdom as we have known it!
___Unable to deny their eyes, some Pharisees were still cynical. When the kingdom comes, and God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven, some are healed. Many are amazed. But others, unwilling to choose to follow Jesus, try to discredit his work.
___That's the way it was in those days. That's the way it is now.
___Chapter 9 ends with Jesus on the move, doing what God does. Jesus teaches in the Synagogue. He proclaims God's kingdom. He brings healing for every imaginable illness.
___Jesus is motivated by compassion.
___Finally, Jesus looks at his followers. "You see the need. You know the opportunity. You're beginning to understand the scope of God's kingdom. How about your compassion? It's your choice! It's your move now!"

For thought and discussion
___ Have you ever been some place where you felt you were not accepted? How did you feel? Are there people who would feel unwanted in your church? Who are they? What can your class do to address the problem?
___ Many outreach programs focus on a target group. Such a focus can make our efforts more productive. Might this lead to unintentional exclusion of some people? Many mission efforts are directed at the "down and out." Do you know of programs seeking the "up and out"? Who in your community has the greatest need for Jesus?
___ Twice in our text (verses 26 and 31), report of Jesus' ministry spread "through all that region." Since Jesus insisted that no one tell (verse 30), how do you think it happened? What effect might this have had on his later ministry?
___ Matthew's primary audience is said to have been Jewish Christians. How would they have responded to the story of the woman and the girl? How would you answer the comment, "Jewish men will be turned away"?
___ Modern Christians are said to "know more than they do." Apply this phrase to occasions when we have limited our faith. Apply it to the times it has been used as an excuse for failing to do what is needed.

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!