Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 8
Overview:
Multitudes follow
Christ.
(1) He heals a leper.
(2-4) A
Centurion's servant healed.
(5-13) Cure of
Peter's
Wife's
mother.
(14-17) The scribe's zealous proposal.
(18-22) Christ in
a storm.
(23-27) He heals two possessed with devils.
(28-34)
1 This verse refers to the close of the foregoing sermon. Those
to whom
Christ has made himself known, desire to know more of
him.
2-4 In these verses we have an account of
Christ's cleansing a
leper, who came and worshipped him, as one clothed with Divine
power. This cleansing directs us, not only to apply to
Christ,
who has power over bodily diseases, for the cure of them, but it
also teaches us in what manner to apply to him. When we cannot
be sure of
God's will, we may be sure of his
Wisdom and
Mercy.
No guilt is
So great, but there is that in
Christ's
Blood which
atones for it;
No corruption
So strong, but there is that in his
Grace which can subdue it. To be made
Clean we must commend
ourselves to his pity; we cannot demand it as a
Debt, but we
must humbly request it as a favour. Those who
By Faith apply to
Christ for
Mercy and
Grace, may be sure that he is freely
willing to give them the
Mercy and
Grace they thus seek. And
those
Afflictions are blessed that bring us to know
Christ, and
cause us to seek help and
Salvation from him. Let those who are
cleansed from their spiritual
Leprosy, go to
Christ's ministers
and open their case, that they may advise, comfort, and pray for
them.
5-13 This
Centurion was a
Heathen, a Roman soldier. Though he
was a soldier, yet he was a godly
Man.
No Man's
Calling or place
will be an excuse for unbelief and
Sin. See how he states his
servant's case. We should concern ourselves for the souls of our
children and servants, who are spiritually sick, who feel not
spiritual evils, who know not that which is spiritually good;
and we should bring them to
Christ By Faith and prayers. Observe
his self-abasement. Humble souls are made more humble
By
Christ's gracious dealings with them. Observe his great
Faith.
The more diffident we are of ourselves, the stronger will be our
confidence in
Christ. Herein the
Centurion owns him to have
Divine power, and a full command of all the creatures and powers
of nature, as a master over his servants. Such servants we all
should be to
God; we must go and come, according to the
directions of his
Word and the disposals of his
Providence. But
when the
Son of Man comes he finds little
Faith, therefore he
finds little
Fruit. An outward profession may cause us to be
called children of the kingdom; but if we
Rest in that, and have
nothing else to show, we shall be cast out. The servant got a
cure of his disease, and the master got the approval of his
Faith. What was said to him, is said to all, Believe, and ye
shall receive; only believe. See the power of
Christ, and the
power of
Faith. The healing of our souls is at once the effect
and evidence of our interest in the
Blood of
Christ.
14-17 Peter had a
Wife, yet was an
Apostle of
Christ, who
showed that he approved of the married state,
By being thus kind
to
Peter's
Wife's relations. The
Church of
Rome, which forbids
ministers to marry, goes contrary to that
Apostle upon whom they
Rest So much. He had his
Wife's mother with him in his family,
which is an
Example to be kind to our relations. In spiritual
healing, the
Scripture speaks the
Word, the
Spirit gives the
touch, touches the
Heart, touches the
Hand. Those who recover
from fevers, commonly are weak and feeble some time after; but
to show that this cure was above the power of nature, the
Woman
was at once
So Well as to go about the business of the
House.
The miracles which
Jesus did being noised abroad, many thronged
to him. He healed all that were sick, though the patient was
ever
So mean, and the case ever
So bad. Many are the diseases
and calamities to which we are liable in the body; and there is
more, in those words of the
Gospel, that
Jesus Christ bore our
sicknesses and carried our sorrows, to support and comfort us
under them, than in all the writings of the philosophers. Let us
not grudge labour, trouble, or expense in doing good to others.
18-22 One of the
Scribes was too hasty in promising; he
proffers himself to be a close follower of
Christ. He seems to
be very resolute. Many resolutions for religion are produced
By
sudden conviction, and taken up without due consideration; these
come to nothing. When this scribe offered to follow
Christ, one
would think he should have been encouraged; one scribe might do
more credit and service than twelve fishermen; but
Christ saw
his
Heart, and answered to its thoughts, and therein teaches all
how to come to
Christ. His resolve seems to have been from a
worldly, covetous principle; but
Christ had not a place to lay
his head
On, and if he follows him, he must not expect to fare
better than he fared. We have reason to think this scribe went
away. Another was too slow. Delay in doing is as bad
On the one
Hand, as hastiness in resolving is
On the other. He asked leave
to attend his
Father to his
Grave, and then he would be at
Christ's service. This seemed reasonable, yet it was not right.
He had not true zeal for the work. Burying the dead, especially
a dead
Father, is a good work, but it is not thy work at this
time. If
Christ requires our service,
Affection even for the
nearest and dearest relatives, and for things otherwise our
duty, must give way. An unwilling mind never wants an excuse.
Jesus said to him, Follow me; and,
No doubt, power went with
this
Word to him as to others; he did follow
Christ, and cleaved
to him. The scribe said, I will follow thee; to this
Man Christ
said, Follow me; comparing them together, it shows that we are
brought to
Christ By the force of his
Call to us, Ro 9:16.
23-27 It is a comfort to those who go down to
The Sea in
Ships,
and are often in perils there, to reflect that they have a
Saviour to trust in and pray to, who knows what it is to be
On
the water, and to be in storms there. Those who are passing with
Christ over the ocean of this world, must expect storms. His
human nature, like to ours in every thing but
Sin, was wearied,
and he slept at this time to try the
Faith of his disciples.
They, in their fear, came to their Master. Thus is it in a soul;
when lusts and temptations are
Swelling and raging, and
God is,
as it were, asleep to it, this brings it to the brink of
despair. Then it cries for a
Word from his mouth,
Lord Jesus,
keep not silence to me, or I am undone. Many that have true
Faith, are weak in it.
Christ's disciples are apt to be
disquieted with fears in a stormy
Day; to
Torment themselves
that things are bad with them, and with dismal thoughts that
they will be worse. Great storms of doubt and fear in the soul,
under the power of the
Spirit of
Bondage, sometimes
End in a
wonderful calm, created and spoken
By the
Spirit of
Adoption.
They were astonished. They never saw a storm
So turned at once
into a perfect calm. He that can do this, can do any thing,
which encourages confidence and comfort in him, in the most
stormy
Day, within or without, Isa 26:4.
28-34 The devils have nothing to do with
Christ as a
Saviour;
they neither have, nor
Hope for any benefit from him. Oh the
depth of this
Mystery of Divine
Love; that fallen
Man has
So
much to do with
Christ, when fallen angels have nothing to do
with him! Heb 2:16. Surely here was
Torment, to be forced to
own the excellence that is in
Christ, and yet they had
No part
in him. The devils desire not to have any thing to do with
Christ as a Ruler. See whose language those speak, who will have
nothing to do with the
Gospel of
Christ. But it is not true that
the devils have nothing to do with
Christ as a
Judge; for they
have, and they know it, and thus it is with all the children of
men.
Satan and his instruments can go
No further than he
permits; they must quit possession when he commands. They cannot
break his hedge of protection about his people; they cannot
enter even a
Swine without his leave. They had leave.
God often,
for
Wise and holy ends, permits the efforts of
Satan's rage.
Thus the
Devil hurries people to
Sin; hurries them to what they
have resolved against, which they know will be shame and grief
to them: miserable is the condition of those who are led
Captive
By him at his will. There are a great many who prefer their
Swine before the
Saviour, and
So come short of
Christ and
Salvation By him. They desire
Christ to depart out of their
hearts, and will not suffer his
Word to have place in them,
because he and his
Word would destroy their brutish lusts, those
Swine which they give themselves up to feed. And justly will
Christ forsake all that are weary of him; and say hereafter,
Depart, ye cursed, to those who now say to the Almighty, Depart
from us.