Smoodock's Blog

In our study of the Gospel of Matthew, we’ve come to the event, when Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to visit Gennesaret, which is where he healed the man who called himself Legion (Matthew 8:28-34; cp. Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30). We need to keep in mind that Matthew’s Gospel narrative isn’t written according to chronology, but according to themes, chosen to prove Jesus is the Messiah. In Matthew 14 the Gospel writer was very chronological in his narration of Jesus’ works. It was the Passover season, about the time of Herod’s execution of John the Baptizer, and when he heard of the works of Jesus (through his Apostles, whom he sent out on a mission) Herod reasoned that Jesus was empowered by the spirit of John, whom he had killed, and he wanted to see Jesus. Moreover, his desire to see Jesus, probably had political motivations, because Herod feared the people who believed John was a prophet, and he may have thought that Jesus was stirring up the people against him.

This is the context of Jesus leaving the multitudes in Capernaum to go to a deserted place near Bethsaida, just outside Herod’s realm of authority. It was here that Jesus performed a miracle and fed over 5000 men, not including their women and children. The people wanted to make Jesus king, but, when he realized what was happening, Jesus sent his Apostles away in a boat to cross over the sea, while he sent the people away. Nevertheless, he simply left the people in the deserted place, while he ascended the mountain and spent several hours in prayer. Meanwhile, the Apostles were having a terrible time trying to get across the Sea of Galilee in the storm that suddenly arose. In the morning, while it was yet dark, Jesus went out to them, walking on the water, and long-story-short, the storm ceased, as Jesus entered the boat.

At this point, Matthew’s strict chronology ends, because, according to John’s narrative, the people hadn’t noticed that Jesus or the Apostles had left the deserted place near Bethsaida (John 6:24). Therefore, they took to the sea found Jesus in Capernaum (John 6:24-25). Yet, Matthew takes us to Gennesaret next (Matthew 14:34), which is located on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is to the north. Gennesaret was part of the Decapolis, which were ten cities, most of which were located to the east of the Jordan and north of Judea. They were Hellenized cities that gained some independence from the Jewish state during the Roman occupation of Palestine. In other words, they were gentile cities that didn’t want to be influenced by the Jews. So, in feeding the 5000, Jesus had just offered the Jews one of the signs that proved he was the Messiah. However, the whole event ended in unbelief, so that the whole multitude of “Jesus-seekers” left him and followed him no more (John 6:66).

With the above in mind, Matthew takes us at this point to a community of gentiles, who, when they first met Jesus, feared him and asked him to leave their country (Mark 5:17; Luke 8:37). However, as Jesus was leaving that place, the man, whom Jesus healed and put in his right mind (Luke 8:35), asked to go with him, but Jesus told him to stay and tell these folks what God had done for him. Therefore, he returned and published what Jesus did throughout the whole community (Luke 8:38-39).

When Jesus returned to that land, and the people heard he was there, they alerted everyone around them, and they brought all the folks who were diseased among them to Jesus (Matthew 14:34-35). When they did, they asked Jesus if he would allow them to touch the hem of his garment, vis-à-vis the tassels. Jesus permitted them and as many as did so were healed and made perfectly whole (Matthew 14:36).

This is a simple narration of an event that Matthew places in contrast with the Jews rejection of Jesus as their Messiah (cp. John 6:66). What happened was, they permitted questions to rob them of faith in Jesus, but these gentiles, who had at one time asked Jesus to leave them, when they were told what kind of man he was, they welcomed him on his return, On the one hand, understanding Jesus’ compassion, which was understood through his miracles, cast out their fears. On the other hand, the Jews, who benefited from Jesus’ compassion most, permitted questions (ignorance of some things) to get in the way of receiving him as their Lord and Messiah.          [EB1]