EXPLORE THE TEXT

Fever and Demon-Possession (Matt. 8:14-17)

Application Point:

We should value people of all stages in life.

14 Jesus went into Peter’s house
and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
15 So he touched her hand, and the fever left her.
Then she got up and began to serve him.
16 When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed.
He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick,
17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.

Say:

The individuals healed in this passage also would be
considered persons of little reputation or held in low regard.

Recap:

Jesus’s care and compassion continued to shatter the norms established by society,
summarize the following content from page 71 of the PSG.

Chapter 8 records
the healings of a Roman centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law.
Matthew’s narrative of these healings illustrates Jesus’s compassion
toward those who might have been considered second-class citizens in Jewish society.
Certainly, the leper was an outcast.
The servant of a Gentile centurion
would be considered to have little value as a person.
The same would be true for his master, the centurion.
Finally, Peter’s mother-in-law belonged to another category
of second-class people in that society-women.”

Examine:

• Why did individuals bring people at night and how Jesus responded to those brought to Him.

(v. 16)

Some scholars suggest people waited until evening because sundown marked the end of the Sabbath.
Of course, the sheer numbers posed no problem for Jesus.
He simply drove out the spirits with a word.

It is also possible that the demonized people were brought at night
because of social stigma.
Family members may have waited until they could come without the harsh stares of their neighbors.

• Discuss the significance of Jesus fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah.

(v. 17)

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Jesus, the Suffering Servant, was not aloof or distant.
He actively experienced human suffering on our behalf, alleviating it for us.

The phrase might be fulfilled indicates
that Jesus’s completion of Scripture was not incidental.
By fulfilling messianic prophecy,
Jesus again proved that He is the Messiah sent from God.

Like Jesus, we should value people in all stages and circumstances of life.
From the womb to the grave, God loves each person and so should we.

Explain:

Matthew was proving Jesus’s role as the Messiah
through both the authority of miraculous healings and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Ask:

• In what ways can we show that we value the most vulnerable members of society?
• How do these verses in Matthew provide a model for us? (PSG, p. 73)