Session 7
Matthew 8:1-4,14-17; 9:1-8
Memory Verse: Matthew 8:3
Everyone wants to enjoy their quality of life.
We prepare and work hard to find meaningful jobs,
build decent homes, and provide for our families.
We want the health and strength to make the most of our lives.
Unfortunately, some believe any life that lacks a certain level
of quality holds less value than others.
This low view of human life leads them to discount God’s image
within each person.
The Bible makes it clear that God created life-all of it.
Even after humanity’s fall in Eden, God still values the lives
of His highest creation.
Old Testament law and New Testament teaching emphasize God’s
love for every person, without restriction or exception.
Whether it’s an unborn child and an unwed mother,
someone suffering mental or physical affliction,
or a victim of poverty or crime, no situation takes us
beyond God’s love.
You might think it would be quite unnecessary to ask the question,
“Does God care for everyone?”
Yes, absolutely, would be most people’s answer.
God cares for and values every person
regardless of age, nationality, ethnicity, or social status.
Since that is so, a corollary question must be asked:
“Should followers of Jesus care about and value every person?”
If the answer is yes, then what should that look like? (PSG, p. 67)
Jesus revealed His love and concern for all people
Summarize this information from page 68 of the PSG
“Matthew’s Gospel is organized around two major activities of Jesus-
teaching and healing.
An example of that organization is found in Matthew 4:23-9:35. .[This passage] first gives to us a body of teaching called
the Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29).
Next, comes the healing ministry of Jesus, beginning in 8:1.”
The miracles in chapter 8 illustrate Jesus’s authority over illness,
creation, demons, and even sin.
ultimately, the miracles revealed Jesus’s heart for people.
This session supports the sanctity of all human life.
Matthew understood this because he saw Jesus value life at every turn.
His Gospel also challenges us to imitate Jesus’s attitude.
It might be an unborn child,
someone with a mental or physical illness,
one marginalized by cultural stereotypes,
or an elderly man or woman who needs a friend.
Whatever the specifics,
we are called to love them as Jesus demonstrated His love
in passages like Matthew 8.