Daily Devotions
Matthew
The Purpose of Recording the Miracles of Jesus
Text: Matthew 8 : 5 - 13
The incident of the leper prostrating himself before Jesus to plead for healing must have struck many! Deep impressions must have been made on many hearts that day. Could Matthew have meant more than merely leaving a record of the healing of a leper? After all, Jesus had healed many (Cf.Matthew 4:24). If so, what did he wish to impress upon his readers? Could the following have been the purpose of Matthew when he recorded the miracles of Jesus?
1. Regard of Jesus
Perhaps too many had taken Jesus for granted. Perhaps too few had the proper regard of the Master. The leper’s regard for Jesus was unique! He prostrated himself before Jesus and even called him “Lord”.
2. Recognition of Jesus
The leper appeared to have recognized Jesus for who He really was! He was more than just a great Teacher. He was to be greeted and honoured as Lord! Certainly, His healing power must cause a sense of reverence to fill the heart!
3. Reality check for all
How were observers impacted? Did they check their own hearts as to how they should respond to Jesus? Surely, there must be a reality check for all who witnessed this and other such miracles!
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A ROMAN CENTURION
Matthew chose another significant incident to help him establish the purposes and goals he had in the writing of his gospel. As amazing as the miracle of healing the leper, was the healing of the servant of a Roman centurion.
“Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum,
A centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home
paralysed, dreadfully tormented.’ ”
Matthew 8:5-6
The presence of the Romans was at best tolerated by Israel! Few Jews had any relationship or regard for the soldiers of Rome. The feeling was mutual. Most Romans did not have a high regard for the Jews. They were “troublemakers” and seemed to understand and comply only when the might of Rome was applied forcefully. There was no love lost between the Romans and the Jews!
However, there was something different about this Roman centurion who came to see Jesus. Let us pay careful attention to the text.
“Pleading with Him”
This was different indeed! Who had ever seen or heard of a Roman soldier pleading for anything? Many of the soldiers abused their authority. They took whatever they wanted. Who could stand against the might of Rome?
The word “pleading” may also be translated as “beseeching” or even “begging”. A Roman centurion, a commander of a hundred soldiers, “pleading” with Jesus? What could that mean?
“Lord…”
The same word was used once again and applied to Jesus! This word “lord” (kurie) was not a common word that people used in normal conversation. The emperor of Rome would have to be addressed as “kurie” (Lord). The Roman centurion must have the highest regard for Jesus to have called Him “Lord”.
“My servant is lying at home paralysed, dreadfully tormented”
The word “servant” was used to translate the word “boy” (“pais” in the Greek text). Luke’s Gospel recorded this incident too. In his text, he stated clearly that this “pais” or “boy” of the Roman centurion was indeed a “servant” (more accurately, a “slave”).
“And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die”
Luke 7:2
A careful study of both texts (Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10) would give us a better appreciation of the Roman centurion! That would help us understand why he had such a sense of concern for his slave. That was almost unheard of. Who really cared about slaves? They were usually regarded only as chattel. Slaves were “expendable”!
Luke noted that a group of elders from among the Jews came to Jesus to plead on behalf of the Roman centurion.
“And when they came to Jesus, they begged
Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom
He should do this was deserving, ‘for he loves
our nation, and has built us a synagogue.’ ”
Luke 7:4-5
THE OFFER OF JESUS
The humility of the centurion must be noted. He did not approach Jesus as a ranking Roman officer might! He pleaded with Jesus. (Interestingly, both Matthew and Luke used the same word (“parakaleo” in the Greek text) to describe how the centurion spoke to Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel the word was translated as “begging”. In Matthew’s Gospel the word was translated as “pleading”).
Jesus graciously offered to come to the quarters of the centurion to attend to his servant boy. Humility was met by graciousness. Thus Jesus replied.
“I will come and heal him.”
Matthew 8:7