Smoodock's Blog

In Book Two of his narrative about Jesus’ public life (chapters 8 through 10), Matthew describes how Jesus, who is the Presence of God or God with us (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1, 14), affects the lives of believers. As we read this section of Matthew’s Gospel, we need to keep in mind that the effect of the Covenant of Law brought death (Romans 7:10), but the effect the New Covenant of God’s Presence gives life (Romans 5:21). What happens, when the power of the Presence of God, vis-à-vis the Kingdom of Heaven, touches the lives of broken people? The text points to a number of miracles that Jesus actually performed in the physical realm, because Jesus was the ‘physical’ Presence of God. He was God’s Kingdom in physical form.

Nevertheless, Jesus is no longer ‘physically’ with us, and neither did he promise to be (cp. Matthew 28:20). It is Christ in you (Colossians 1:27) that’s important (cp. Romans 8:10). The Kingdom of God is the Presence of God in the believer (Luke 17:21), it isn’t a place, which we could find on a map, nor will it ever be so. We must not make the same mistake as the Jews of the first century AD made and expect a physical kingdom to reign over men. That is not what Christ came to do, nor will he ever do such a thing.

In this section of his narrative, Matthew presents us with a series of nine miracles,[1] which Jesus did, indeed, do. However, they represent something spiritual, which takes place when we enter the spiritual Kingdom of God, an event that occurs within every believer (Luke 17:21; cp. Colossians 1:27). Each triad of miracles is separated by a short story or two, whereby Jesus explains what it means to be one of his disciples.

Many want to believe that Jesus is the healer of all our physical diseases, because this is what it was prophesied that he’d do (Isaiah 53:4-5; cp. Matthew 8:17). Nevertheless, while I do believe in miraculous healing, I do not believe Matthew intended for his readers to believe Jesus always heals our physical diseases. If that were so, Christians would be able to empty every hospital around the world. It wouldn’t take long for unbelievers to believe, they could be healed, if enough evidence showed Christians actually possessed that authority over their infirmities.

Rather, sickness is used in the word of God to point to sin. Just as disease is contagious, so is sin. Sin and guilt keep the servant of God from his duties before the Lord. Sinful lives keep us from seeing or understanding spiritual truth, but Jesus heals that blindness 100% of the time. These short stories are there for the reader to come to understand that the spiritual miracles: vis-à-vis healing spiritual blindness, spiritual paralysis, spiritual slavery, spiritual death, uncleanness etc. occurs only for the folks, who become Jesus’ disciples. This is key! To experience the power of the Presence of God, the power of the Kingdom of Heaven, one must receive Jesus as his Savior. Those who reject Jesus are judged already and live in spiritual darkness, paralysis, death etc.

Matthew concludes the second book of his narrative about Jesus’ public life by sending out the twelve apostles, and in doings so, he offers a long discourse in which he describes what they should and shouldn’t do, and what they could expect in terms of people’s attitude toward them. His servants will be received by some, and rejected by others. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t be discouraged with rejection. That kind of reaction to the Gospel is inevitable. However, those who receive them in his name will be cured of all their **spiritual** diseases.

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[1] There are actually more than nine but there are nine occasions of miracles.