Is It Worth It? (Matthew 8:18-9:8)
June 14, 2020
How do we deal with situations that are outside of our control? Lately, there have been several events outside of our control: pandemic, rioting, deaths, sicknesses, pain, the suffering of those we love, and financial hits. If that's not enough, we have hurricane season to look forward to. But now is a great time to evaluate ourselves and see how we tend to respond to these events. We can learn a lot about ourselves at times like these. What have you learned, or what are you learning? Maybe we don't know what we are learning yet because the trial is not over.
We come to a section of scripture in the book of Matthew that speaks to us about our responses to these difficult situations. A month ago, we saw that Jesus could take away all our diseases. He healed a leper, a centurion's servant, and Peter's mother-in-law. Even today, he can heal us if we have faith and if he is willing. There are some instances where suffering brings God more glory than healing, as Paul said about his thorn in the flesh, "My power is made perfect in weakness" (12 Cor 12:9). I think that bears repeating. But now we transition into the next group of three miracles.
Discipleship
Matthew 8:18--22 (ESV) --- 18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
First, look at what Jesus does. He has just spoken the sermon on the mount, healed many sicknesses, and accumulated a vast crowd. Now is the time to start amassing an army to take over the world, but he commands his disciples to prepare a boat for them to go over to the other side of the sea. Jesus is not looking for an opportunity to find fame and fortune. He is looking to escape from that.
On his way to the boat, a scribe approaches him. Scribes are very smart. They know the law, and this guy would be a valuable asset. Not only that, but he also seems wholly devoted to Jesus' cause. He says, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus tells him that he is homeless and will not find a resting place. The scribe might have offered to follow Jesus expecting to make some sacrifices for the cause, but Jesus tells him that the sacrifice will be more than he is anticipating.
Then, a second man approaches him. But notice that this man is torn between following Jesus and fulfilling what his family wants him to do. Jesus is utterly unsympathetic over this. He tells him to "leave the dead to bury their own dead." If the choice is between Jesus and the family, Jesus has to win every time.
Matthew likes to bring up this discussion of discipleship repeatedly. These two men are trying to decide if it's worth it to follow Jesus. Maybe someone here is wondering if it's worth it. Jesus doesn't make the decision easier. He does not tell us it will be comfortable or that we can hold on to the things we love most. We have to love him more than anything. That might mean giving up the comforts of life. That might mean leaving the family that you love to follow the path that Jesus has called you to. But Matthew immediately follows this problematic news, with three reasons why it is absolutely worth it.
Power Over Nature (8:23-27)
Matthew 8:23--27 (ESV) --- 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
As he gets into the boat, a storm arises that terrifies his disciples. Many of his disciples are fishermen. So if they are afraid, we know that this is not a small storm. But notice where Jesus is. He is asleep. He must have been tired. I imagine he is getting soaked, but he doesn't wake up. So his disciples wake him up to ask him to save them. Jesus responds incredibly. He asks them why they are afraid. Apparently, a storm wiping out the boat is not something they should be fearful of. This is a severe event that is entirely outside of their control, and they are freaking out. But Jesus expects them to stop being concerned about it. Why? His rebuke is startling. He says, "O you of little faith." "Then," it says, "He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." Their fear was completely unwarranted because Jesus was with them. But they had no idea what Jesus could do. Controlling the weather like this is something only Joshua and Elijah had ever done, and they did that through prayer. This man seemed to command the weather himself. At this, they marveled.
Power Over Demonic Forces (8:28-34)
Matthew 8:28--34 (ESV) --- 28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
When they come to the other side, two demon-possessed men met them. These guys were terrifying and fierce as they come out of the tomb. No one has been able to go through that area for fear of these guys, but they come submissive, and the demons are begging Jesus not to torment them for their evil. So Jesus sends them into pigs, as they request. Then, the pigs go off a mountain to drown in the sea. When people hear about what happened, they come out to beg Jesus to leave.
All of this is odd to me. It is strange primarily because I do not understand how demon possession works and affects people. But why would Jesus go to this region to help these men? Are these Jews living in a Gentile dominant area around Galilee? Are the people upset about the pigs, or are they just scared of the one who has power over these demons? Do they think that Jesus is the prince of demons?
There are a lot of questions left unanswered. But as we compare this story to the first, we again see men being scared of something outside of their control and Jesus showing his power over it. He has control where men have none, over the supernatural world we do not understand.
Power Over Sins (9:1-8)
Matthew 9:1--8 (ESV) --- 1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”---he then said to the paralytic---“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
The final text we will look at shows Jesus returning to Capernaum, where men approach him carrying their paralytic friend. This seems like it belongs in the previous text until Jesus speaks to the man saying, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." Scribes hear Jesus say this, and they become critical of him. No one can forgive sins except God, so this man must be blaspheming. Of course, they don't say anything out loud. They think these thoughts, and he hears them. Jesus' response explains why he said that. He has the authority to forgive sins and to heal a person with paralysis. Who the Son sets free is free, indeed. That paralytic, who was brought on a bed by friends to Jesus, unable to move his body, was able to take up his bed and walk home.
How much control do we have over God forgiving our sins? What is your biggest fear in this life? If we know how sinful we are, our most significant concern should be punishment for our sins. This man receives the best news of his life. It was not that he would walk again, but that God forgives him of his sin.
Notice that the crowds respond to this statement. They are afraid, but their fear is more awe, resulting in God's name being glorified. They believe that Jesus has authority to forgive sins.
What Do We Learn
We have no idea whether those men who approached Jesus ended up following him, but now we know whether it's worth it to follow Jesus. Jesus is a man who has control of everything outside of our control, and he uses that power for good. He is worth living homeless and losing family over. His power is something to be afraid of, but also something to embrace with faith.
One phrase is intentionally used twice by Matthew in this section. First, notice verse 20 again.
Matthew 8:20 (ESV) --- 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Notice that he refers to himself as Son of Man. This title is one of the most popular titles Jesus has for himself. It is interesting because of its Old Testament relevance. In Ezekiel, the prophet is repeatedly called "son of man" by God and by the angels. This was a reference to his humanity. He is a man, weak and mortal, created out of the dirt. Jesus is this "son of man" who has nowhere to lay his head. He is a man of suffering. But look at what is said about the Son of Man in Daniel.
Daniel 7:13--14 (ESV) --- 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Notice that one like the Son of Man was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him." Jesus is the one God is giving the everlasting kingdom and power to. Matthew shows him having control over everything God has control over.
Application
What should we do when facing situations that are outside of our control? Should we go down swinging, doing everything we can to control the uncontrollable? Should we throw up our hands and claim that all hope is lost? Should we be afraid and cry out for God to save us?
Does this text help us? When situations pop up that we have no control over, it's natural for us to be afraid. We may fear getting sick and dying, losing someone we love, or losing the relative peace and prosperity we have experienced in this country for the last 20 years. All of these things are out of our control. We are afraid and doubting that things could ever improve. But as we study this text, we are reminded that we don't need to be frightened. When we compare this text to the previous section (8:1-17), we see a startling difference. Men and women are showing great faith and trust in those verses. Now the disciples think they will die on the boat, the Gadarenes reject Jesus becasue they were afraid of his power, and the scribes were worried that Jesus was offering forgiveness he had no right to offer. Fear shows a lack of faith. We don't have to be scared. We have to trust God and rely on him from the beginning.
We are so accustomed to having control. Many disciples were fishermen. They knew how to go out to sea safely. The Gadarenes had found a way to deal with the two demon-possessed men. The scribes knew what could be forgiven and what could not. They were comfortable with what they knew and afraid of what they did not know. Jesus shows them all that that they never really had control, and that is okay.
If you are here suffering from anxiety over the things out of your control, I want you to know that I can sympathize with you. I feel that anxiety, but the truth is we never had control to begin with. We were lying to ourselves. Every smooth day in our past was due to God's blessing on us, not our own abilities. However, Jesus reassures us that he is in control and he cares for us. We need to let go of our ability to be safe. We have much less control than we think we do. Instead of relying on ourselves and our abilities, we need to focus our attention on the one in control. He will protect us from the powers of darkness, forgive us of our sins, and take care of us until it is our time to leave this earth. If God is for us, who can stand against us?
Conclusion
So, you wonder if Jesus is worth following? The answer is, "Absolutely, YES!" But remember that following Jesus is not about staying comfortable and enjoying great family relationships, though those things are possible. It's about loving him more than our comfort or our family. It's about trusting and being committed to him when everything is falling apart. He has authority over whatever we are going through. He can take it away. He can heal and forgive. He wants to revive more than our bodies. He wants to heal our hearts, our minds, and our souls. Will we submit to his authority?