Jesus Cleanses a Leper
8:1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper1 came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus2 stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
The Faith of a Centurion
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant,3 ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel4 have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Jesus Heals Many
14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
The Cost of Following Jesus
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.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
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?”
Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,5 two demon-possessed6 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.
Footnotes
[1] 8:2
Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[2] 8:3Greek he
[3] 8:9Or bondservant
[4] 8:10Some manuscripts not even in Israel
[5] 8:28Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes
[6] 8:28Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons (ESV)
Author: Disciples Church
Judging Others
7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The Golden Rule
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Footnotes
[1] 7:13
Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy (ESV)
Categories
Saturday Study
Saturday Study
Matthew 2-6 (7.20.19)
Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
First and foremost, we need to see Jesus in the passage! I want us to see how important and central Jesus is in this passage. You might say, “But Jesus doesn’t refer to Himself here.” But He does. He says that you and I are like a lamp that is to shine our light unto the world. Realize, a lamp can only hold light. Jesus Christ Himself is the light of the world, and you only shine light when you are lit by Him!
Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” He is saying, “I am true hope and direction.” Nothing else can do this in our lives like Jesus. He is the light. In a dark room, the chair cannot show you the light, but the light can show you the chair.
The light of Christ is the ultimate reality. Jesus is the only one making all things new by changing the way we see everything.
Jesus also said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” When you and I were dead in utter spiritual darkness because of our sin, the light of Christ became life to us! Jesus is life. He is the life everyone is desperate for.
The good news is this: “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us (or transferred us) into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
Praise God that for those who trust in Him alone, Jesus took on our deepest darkness and forgave us all our sins.
I was talking with a friend recently who was really feeling the utter despair of stumbling around in the darkness, and the best counsel I could tell him was, “Stop trying to navigate the darkness by your own power. Run to Him who is the light. Let Him illuminate you by His mighty power.”
For those who are saved by Jesus, we are possessors of the light. The question often asked is, “Why doesn’t God just remove us from the darkness all together?” The answer is God has called us to be the lamp stand for the Light of Christ so that those He still intends to save will be brought in. He has called us to be a city on a hill, to shine the light of Christ bright into the darkness because we have family whom God is still preparing to enter His gates.
We must embrace the privilege it is to be called and empowered to shine bright–to cast preserving salt on this decaying society for God’s glory and others’ eternal good.
As Jesus gave His speech on the mount that day, He was talking about what life in the Kingdom looks like. In this passage, Jesus is showing us what happens when you and I testify of Christ to those in our path–when we live out our call to be salt and light.
Two realities that should play out:
- Salt and light expose decay and darkness.
There is a reason why those who are not believers in Christ often pull away in our presence: Because we are so very different then they are. In Christ, you are full of light, which is the very opposite of darkness. This is not because you are better than them; it is because Jesus has taken a hold of your life. Now, the problem is in a world where our sin causes us to want to be accepted by everyone, we can value man’s acceptance more than our responsibility to let Christ shine through us, which will mean we are different.
Understand this: You can’t be bright in your testimony for Christ and at the same time blend into people’s lives who live in the darkness. The reality is you can love them and be around them, but you should stand out like a sore thumb. Understand, this is not a bad thing; this is God’s design. This is how He brings hope—brings life!
What we have to realize is we don’t act or talk or live differently because we are better than them. That is religion. That is self-righteousness, and by it no one is saved.
We act and live differently by the grace of God, which is Christ in and through us. We are only who we are because of Jesus. Our testimony is to make much of Jesus!
You have to constantly remind yourself of this when interacting with non-believers who live in darkness. You have to constantly say, “On my own, I am no different. I am only different because of Christ. It is His light that shines in and through me. It is Jesus that these people need to see to have life.”
- If you are salt and light, then you bring joy to people.
Salt is not just a preservative; it is a seasoning. It is a flavor enhancer. I love salt. My wife says I love it too much. But the truth is salt makes most food more enjoyable.
There is a dual effect when Christians live evangelistic lives. The first is the beauty that you show through your good deeds. The light you shine into dark places can and does cause push-back, which often equals very real persecution, making it hard and uncomfortable for those in the world to be around you.
The second effect is there is a joy that comes from a child of God—a light-bearer! This often means you are the one that makes that circle better. You are the joy of a particular group. You are the stability of the neighborhood. You are the glue in your family. You are the go-to person for help in your workplace.
A true child of God who is salty is always looking to help improve the situation you find yourself in, to make it taste better, and to allow others to see and taste and experience the joy of Christ who is at work in and through you.
Matthew 5:14 “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Rural communities, like the one Jesus speaks about here, know how blinding darkness can be. Yet the glow of a city in the distance can give those living in the pitch-black of night a sense of direction and bearing.
In 2013, I took my new Road Glide to a Christian brother’s shop in Las Vegas. On my ride home, I was going through Mojave Desert at 11:00 p.m. I did not realize how secluded I felt until, all of the sudden, I came over a ridge and saw something that gave me a sudden feeling of longing: the lights of civilization. Before me was miles of red blinking lights. I was overwhelmed with a joy and an anticipation. This is the same feeling God gives to those to whom He is giving new birth in Christ. All of the sudden, they see through the darkness and the light of the city on a hill comes into view.
One of the ways people notice the light we hold is by seeing our good deeds! “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16).
The word, “good” here is Kalos, which means “beautiful.” The question is when people see your deeds, do they see the beauty of Christ; do they say, “Amazing”?
There is a feast we have come to know in life with God–a satisfaction in Him and a joy that compares to nothing else. If His selfless love is at work in us, we will not hoard this feast for ourselves, but will long to share it and expose others to it.
Jesus is pleading with us in this passage: “Do not put your light under a basket, but let it shine before men.” “Let your light shine before men” means we have to get out there!
Finally, pay attention to Christ’s words at the end of this verse: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).
God’s glory—worship of God—is the ultimate reason why we are called to be salt and light.
Is there a higher call we can be given? May those we come into contact with, one day, worship our Father in heaven.
Missions exists because worship doesn’t. So we must go into all the earth and shine bright the light of Jesus.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Joshua Kirstine
Disciples Church
Giving to the Needy
6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.1
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,2
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,3
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.4
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust5 destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.6
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?7 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Footnotes
[1] 6:9
Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence
[2] 6:10Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done
[3] 6:11Or our bread for tomorrow
[4] 6:13Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen
[5] 6:19Or worm; also verse 20
[6] 6:24Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions
[7] 6:27Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters (ESV)
The Sermon on the Mount
5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons1 of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that2 they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother3 will be liable to judgment; whoever insults4 his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell5 of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.6
Lust
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.7
Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,8 let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,9 what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Footnotes
[1] 5:9
Greek huioi; see Preface
[2] 5:16Or house. 16 Let your light so shine before others that
[3] 5:22Some manuscripts insert without cause
[4] 5:22Greek says Raca to (a term of abuse)
[5] 5:22Greek Gehenna; also verses 29, 30
[6] 5:26Greek kodrantes, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)
[7] 5:37Or the evil one
[8] 5:40Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
[9] 5:47Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters (ESV)