have been instructed from their very childhood, in the nature and duties of true religion, and have attained to clear views of the extent and sanctity of the divine requirements, cannot read it, without feeling as if they were gazing at some great mountain of truth, having its foundation in God's law as revealed to man, and towering upward, until its summit is lost in a blaze of heavenly glory. It is a most wondrous discourse, whether viewed in relation to its external or internal qualities. The simplicity and clearness of the diction, the natural and logical connection of its parts, the pungency, and at the same time the tenderness, with which the claims of God's law are laid down and enforced, the grand climax to which Jesus gradually comes, in asserting that, humble and despised as he then was, the time would be, when as Lord and Judge of the universe, he should say to his enemies, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity," and his sublime conclusion, in respect to the practical obedience, which all should render to his words, constitute an assemblage of wonders, at which the people, who had never heard such sentiments, might well be astonished. At his doctrine, i. e. the truths which he had uttered, as a religious teacher. and injunctions, uttered in tones of deep solemnity, and the puerile sentiments and frivolous teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, to which they had hitherto been accustomed to listen. The people came down from that Mount of Beatitudes, with such new and awakened interest in spiritual religion, that, in many instances at least, they never submitted themselves again to those blind guides. How many were led to forsake all for Christ, under the influence of this sermon, we have no means of knowing. But we doubt not, that numbers were so wrought upon by the convicting, subduing, and quickening influences of God's Spirit, accompanying the word thus spoken by God's Son, that from that time onward, they were travellers in the narrow path which leads to life everlasting. CHAPTER VIII. 1. Alford remarks, that "we have now in this and the following chapter, as it were, a solemn procession of miracles, confirming the authority with which our Lord had spoken." So Olshausen: "After this portraiture of Jesus as a teacher, Matthew proceeds to describe him as a worker of miracles." When (literally and when) he was come down, &c. The numbers of those who descended with him, were swelled by accessions, after they reached the plain. What were multitudes in 5: 1; 7: 28, are now great multitudes or crowds of people, who had assembled from every quarter. 29. He taught them; literally, was teaching, or had been teaching them. As one having power (to teach), i. e. with divine authority. The words seemed to come as from the mouth of God himself. Indeed it was Emmanuel, God-man, who thus addressed them, although they 2-4 THE HEALING OF THE LEPER. Galıthen knew it not. "He spoke as him- lee. Mark 1: 40-45; Luke 5: 12-16. self the source of knowledge, and the authoritative expounder of duty." Kendrick on Olshausen. How striking the contrast between those precepts The healing of the leper is placed by our best harmonists, with the miracles referred to in 4: 23-25. Alford, however, remarks that "the plain assertion Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. of the account in the text, requires that the leper should have met our Lord, on his descent from the mountain, while great multitudes were following him." So also Trench: "As he was descending from the mountain there came a leper," &c. Both these expositors seem to lose sight of the obvious connection of v. 1, with the preceding chapters, and the commencement in v. 2, of a new and independent transaction. A leper. The etymological signification of this word, is scaly, scabby, from the appearance of the skin of one diseased with leprosy. This disease, which was quite common in the East, was so repulsive and difficult of cure, that it was generally regarded as a special infliction of the divine displeasure. There were four kinds of leprosy. In one form of its appearance, it was so severe as to separate the joints and limbs, and mutilate the body in the most awful manner. A second form was the white leprosy; a third, the black; and the fourth, the red leprosy. It began with spots about the nose and eyes, small as the punctures of a needle, which gradually enlarged and spread, until they covered the whole body, producing great physical and mental debility, and causing such dreadful misery, that it might well be called a living death. The disease is hereditary, being transmitted to the third and sometimes to the fourth generation. Dr. Jahn remarks, that it is also communicated by much intercourse with the leprous person, and that to prevent this, Moses made the laws concerning the inspection and separation of those afflicted with the disease. This dreadful and loathsome malady is often employed by the sacred writers, to symbolize the awful disease of sin, its insidious, spreading, and deeply seated nature, and the impossibility of its cure except by the sovereign grace of God; and this may in part have been the reason why Moses made the laws above referred to, in order to show the contaminating influence of sin, of which leprosy was a 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; standing emblem. And worshipped him. Divine homage is not here intended, but reverence to a superior personage, from whom a great favor was about to be asked. See N. on 2: 2. In Mark 1: 40, he is said to have kneeled to Jesus; in Luke 5: 12, to have fallen on his face. There is no essential disagreement in the two accounts. In his distress, he may have preferred his request, at first, with a simple inclination of reverence, and at last, with entire prostration upon the ground. Lord. An honorary title, as Master, teacher, Heb. Rabbi. After our Savior's ascension, it was applied to him in its higher signification, of Supreme Lord and Head of all things, to whom all power was given in heaven and on earth (28: 18). Alford after Stier, makes this an expression of faith, on the part of the leper, in Jesus as the Messiah. This may be true, and yet have been attended with a very imperfect knowledge of our Lord's true nature. It was a long time before the apostles even fully understood this. The faith of this leper and others in a similar condition, was rather a susceptibility of the heart to put itself under the guiding, controlling, renovating influence of Jesus as the Messiah, than any well defined belief in the nature of his kingdom, or the spirituality of his mission. If thou wilt. If such be thy pleasure. Thou canst. Thou hast the ability. When the incurable nature of this disease is taken into consideration, it was no small exhibition of faith in the leper, to avow this belief in Christ's power to heal him. Make me clean. So loathsome and filthy a disease was the leprosy, that persons afflicted with it were regarded as unclean, and its cure was denominated a cleansing. 3. Put forth, i. e. extended. Our Lord generally accompanied his miraculous cures with some external act, in order that there might be a visible connection, between the exertion of his healing power and the effect which followed. It was not necessary to the performance of this, or any other of his be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go b Ch. 9:30; Ma. 5: 43. miracles, that he should be brought in physical contact with the diseased person. It is therefore a wretched and baseless resort of scepticism, to attribute his cures to the manipulations of mesmerism or animal magnetism. In the case of the centurion's servant (vs. 5-13), the miracle of healing was wrought upon him, while lying at home upon his bed, and not having seen our Savior. In touching the leper, he showed his power to suspend the ceremonial law, which forbade the touching of such a person (Levit. 5: 3); as he afterwards healed on the Sabbath, the Lord of which he claimed to be (12: 8), when reproved as a sabbath-breaker by the cavilling and hypocritical Pharisees. I will. How promptly did he respond to the words of faith uttered by the leper. It is well remarked by Alford, that he nobly illustrated his own precept so lately delivered (6: 42), "give to him that asketh thee." Immediately. The cure was instantaneous, and therefore miraculous. There could be no doubt of this. The most malignant form of leprosy (see N. on v. 2), yielded to no skill of the physician. The milder forms, unless taken at their commencement, admitted seldom of any remedy. An instantaneous cure of so dreadful and deep-seated a disease, could be attributed to no human agency. The fact that Jesus, at a single word, could expel from the system so inveterate a malady, and render a man, from being a most disgusting and hideous object, perfectly fair and healthy, was one of the strongest proofs of his power, which could be brought before a Jewish mind. 4. See thou tell no man. This miracle was wrought in comparative private. The design of the secrecy here enjoined, was to obtain from the priest a testimony to the validity of the cure, before he or the other enemies of Christ, VOL. I.-4* thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. c Le. 14: 3, 4; 10 Lu. 5:14. knew how it was effected. A knowledge of this would have so prejudiced the priest, that he probably would have withheld the testimonial of the man's cleanness. The injunction of secrecy was only binding, until after this testimonial had been obtained. It is to be remembered, in this and other instances, where secrecy was enjoined upon the persons cured, that Jesus always wished to avoid all publicity and display for the reasons given in 12: 15-21, that, as Alford remarks, "he might be known as the Messiah, not by wonder-working power, but by the grand result of his work upon earth." Olshausen refers it, from Mark's account, to the desire to prevent popular tumults; but from Matthew, he finds a reason for the prohibition in the person cured, there being seen in him something which required that his attention should be directed within, instead of to his outward cure. thy way, Go "he forthwith sent him away" (literally, put him forth). Mark. Prompt and speedy action is here represented. The miracle would soon be noised abroad, and coming to the priest's ears, the object which Jesus had in view would be defeated. To the priest at Jerusalem. The priest's duty, in such a case, was to carefully examine the man, and if there was evidence of a cure, to superintend the rites pertaining to his cleansing (Levit. 14: 1-32). For a testimony unto them, i. e. for a proof to the people of the miraculous cure of the leper. This confirms the view given of the reason why our Lord enjoined secrecy. It was that the man might obtain the highest legal proof of his cure, by which to convince the people of its reality. Unto them does not refer to the priests (as Olshausen affirms, taking the word priest collectively), but to the people, whom Christ wished to convince of the miraculous cure, and upon whom this law of purification was yet binding. d 5 ¶ And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant d Lu. 7: 1, &c. Alford translates, against them, and refers to Mark 6: 11; Luke 9: 5, but the context is there different. 5-13. THE HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SERVANT. Capernaum. Luke 7: 1-10. lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and 6. My servant; literally, my boy, a common and familiar term, as at the present time, for a favorite servant or slave. This slave, as Calvin remarks, on the parallel passage in Luke, was probably one of rare fidelity and endowments, to thus render his master so extremely solicitous respecting his life. That he was a slave is evident from Luke The great faith which our Lord found It 5. And when Jesus was entered, Olshausen, was entering, but against the tense of the Greek participle. This was soon after the delivery of the Ser-7: 2, where he is thus expressly called. mon on the Mount. There came unto him a centurion. In Luke 7: 3, it is said that the centurion sent unto Jesus the elders of the Jews, beseeching him to come and heal his servant. The same diversity of statement is found in John 4: 1, where Jesus is said to baptize, when he did it by his disciples. It is said (John 19:1) that Pilate scourged Jesus, yet he did it not with his own hands. So James and John (Mark 10: 35) made a request of Jesus, while in Matt. 20: 20, it was their mother who did it for them. In these instances, there is no discrepancy between the Evangelists, since nothing is more common, than to attribute to a man himself what is done through his agency. In respect to the healing of the centurion's servant, Luke (7: 1-10) narrates the circumstances more fully than Matthew. A centurion, as the name imports, was the captain of a hundred men in the Roman army. That this centurion was a worshipper of the true God, is evident from the narration of both Matthew and Luke. Perhaps he was a proselyte of the gate, i. e. one who had forsaken Paganism, but remained uncircumcised, and in this and other respects, was distinguished from one who was called a proselyte of righteousness, and took upon himself the observance of the whole Mosaic ritual, and was received into the privileges of Jewish citizenship. Such proselytes, however, were usually characterized as devout, fearing God, &c. See Acts 2: 5; 10: 2. 7. How promptly does our Lord accede to this request of the centurion, and how gracious are his words. I will come and heal him. The confidence with which he spoke of healing one so near his end, shows that his power to work miracles was not a derived one, but inherent in himself. In an official sense, as Messiah, God-man, his power is represented as a delegated one, but this does not infringe upon the attributes of divinity which are his, and upon which, as an everlasting and immutable foundation, repose the power and glory, which he receives in his mediatorial office from his Father who sent him. 8. The centurion answered and said. It appears from Luke's account (7: 6) that our Lord accompanied the messengers, and that when he was near the e said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me : and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he e Lu. 15: 19, 21. ƒ Ps. 107: 20. house, he was met by other messengers, conveying to him the humble message of the centurion, as here given. I am not worthy. It would be difficult to find elsewhere such a beautiful instance of humility and strong faith in the power of Christ. This Roman centurion, rich, influential, powerful, was so struck with the dignity and moral excellence of our Savior, that regardless of his lowly condition in life, he openly professed his own unworthiness to receive from him even a personal visit. Such also was his confidence in Christ's power to heal whomsoever he would, that he deemed it only necessary for him to speak the word, and it would be done. It is hardly to be wondered, that our Lord marvelled at such humility and faith. 9. Under authority, i. e. subject to the authority of others. The sentiment is: I who am but a subordinate officer, issue my orders to those who are under me, and they are promptly obeyed. Much more then may Christ, the sovereign Lord of all, issue his commands, and cause sickness, disease, and every form of suffering to disappear. It was this belief in our Lord's true character, wrought in his mind by the Spirit of God, which constituted the centurion's faith. To my servant. It is strange that Alford should draw from this the inference, that the centurion had but one slave. The singular is used generically for the whole class, as in James 5:6; 26; 1 Pet. 4: 18, etc. 10. Heard it, i. e. the words of the centurion. He marvelled; literally, was marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That 'many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: 12 But the children of the g Ge. 12:3; Is. 2: 2, 3, & 11: 10; Mal. 1: 11; Lu. 13: 29; Ac. 10:45, & 11:18, & 14: 27; Ro. 15: 9, &c.; Ep. 3: 6. h Ch. 21: 43. amazed at the correct views of the centurion in regard to his mission and character. Not one of the apostles even had yet made such a profession of faith in the Messiah. Them that followed, i. e. his disciples. Not in Israel. Among the chosen people of God, with whom were the prophetic writings, which pointed so clearly to the character and office-work of the Messiah. 11. As the centurion was a Roman, whom the Jews regarded as having no part in the Messianic blessings, Jesus took occasion for the first time, so far as we know, to teach that those blessings were to be enjoyed by the remotest nations, and that from all quarters of the habitable world, there would come those, who with the holy patriaarchs, would enjoy the blissful entertainment of this divinely constituted kingdom. Many refers to the Gentiles, who, as Bloomfield remarks, were such compared with the children of the kingdom, i. e. the Jews, the natural descendants of these holy Patriarchs, whose were the promises, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came. See Rom. 9: 4, 5. From the east and west (Luke 13: 29 adds north and south), i. e. from every quarter, all parts. Shall sit down; literally, shall recline, as at a banquet, the blessings of the Messianic reign being represented by a magnificent feast, at which these converts from heathenism are to recline with the patriarchs and founders of the Jewish nation. |