(I have long made pretty daily notes on the Bible chapter that I'm currently reading. I'm feeling pushed to share and open discussion over them so I am making them available here. I hope they bless. I always divide my notes into "Crude Overview", "What does this teach me about the LORD?", "Book Notes" (what of the study notes in my Bible I find of particular interest), and "Personal Observations".)
Crude Overview:
The narrative moves from the teaching and preaching of the Sermon on the Mount into healing and other miracles. Jesus heals a leper, a centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, exorcises the demons out of two men, and even calms a raging storm. In the middle He disappoints a scribe and disciple from following Him because of their desire of temporal things.
What does this teach me about the LORD?
It shouldn't be as much of a surprise, but it is amazing to me how Jesus is mentally and emotionally on another plane than we are. I want His heart. I want His eyes. I want His understanding. I want His compassion; His way of viewing the world and all things rightly.
With the leper, Jesus doesn't just heal him and walk away. His concern goes beyond just giving him what he asked for. It extends from physical healing to even his social and relational healing.
With the centurion, here is a Roman, a pagan, an enemy conqueror of the Jewish people; and oppressor and exploiter. Jesus sees beyond that. He sees a man in need and even a man of greater faith than Jesus has seen in all Israel.
With the scribe and the disciple He sees the cost that they haven't considered or may not be willing to pay. Jesus doesn't have the "more the merrier" kind of mentality. He wants wholly committed people. Popularity was never His goal.
When it comes to the storm He sees that God has a plan and purpose, and if they die it is only due to God's will. He is so resting in faith that He can sleep through the storm shaking the boat like an earthquake.
Instead of seeing and fearing the demon possessed/oppressed men in gentile territory as threats, Jesus came to them with compassion.
In each instance Jesus saw through into the True Reality beyond the physical reality concerns.
Book Notes:
"Addressing Jesus as Lord, the Roman centurion reveals a remarkable sensitivity for Jewish traditions."
"'Little faith' is not 'no faith', but 'ineffective', 'defective', or 'deficient' faith."
"The demons recognize that one of Satan's strongholds is being invaded and overpowered."
Personal Observations:
My wife and I noticed two interesting things going on in this chapter. There are intermingled themes of Jesus' authority and the "unclean". At least here, Jesus did not let the things "unclean" stop Him from exercising His authority in healing. Where others would have actively avoided the unclean leper, the pagan and therefore unclean centurion, and the men filled with unclean demonic spirits, Jesus sought their healing and wholeness while "risking" being considered unclean Himself.
The people, their souls, their healing, their salvation, their restoration all mattered more than their designation as "unclean".
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