Matthew chapter 8

Matthew 8:1-17 gives the fulfillment of another Messianic prophesey. Isaiah 53:4 that Jesus "took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." While Jesus healed many people in this passage two special cases are mentioned.

Firstly a man with leprosy. The interaction between Jesus and this man shows us more than Jesus' power over illness. The leperous man came to Jesus with humility, he "knelt before Him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." He does not ask to be declared clean, as the priests could do, (this link is to a short post at Godward Thoughts and well worth a look at) but to be made clean. "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean..." can both refer to physical and spiritual healing with Jesus. This man not only recognised Jesus power and authority to heal, but also adressed Jesus with the proper heart. "Lord, if you are willing..." This is in accordance with how Jesus tells us to pray "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10)

Next is a Centurion, an officer in the Roman army, a man who would order those under him to "Jump!" and they would immediately reply "Into which mud Sir?". Yet he too came with Humility and an understanding of Jesus authority. "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed...When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." Why is this Centurion's faith so astonishing? Because of who he was, a Gentile. One without the heritage of being one of God's chosen people as pat of the nation of Israel. He did not know the scriptures but still knew the power of Jesus. The Gentile mission was at most peripheral to Jesus' earthly ministry: he did not actively seek out Gentiles for ministry, and both occasions on which he heals Gentiles he does so from a distance (Matthew 8:13; 15:28). The Gentile mission became central to the early church, however, and early Christians naturally looked to accounts of Jesus' life for examples of ministry to the Gentiles. The significance of the passage is clarified by some basic information about Roman centurions and what they represented to Jewish people in the first century. In this period soldiers in the Roman legions served twenty years. Unlike nobles, who could become tribunes or higher officials immediately, most centurions rose to their position from within the ranks and became members of the equestrian (knight) class when they retired. Roman soldiers participated in pagan religious oaths to the divine emperor.

Verses 18-22 have Jesus commenting on the sacrifice needed to follow Him. Jesus' priority over social obligations includes even those family obligations one's society and religion declare to be ultimate. Let the dead bury their own dead may refer to the "spiritually dead". Jesus' demand may prove less harsh in some respects than it sounds to us at first. The 'disciple' is probably not asking permission to attend his father's funeral later that day; his father likely either was not yet dead or had been buried once already.
When a father died, mourners would gather immediately and a funeral procession would take his body to the tomb, leaving no time for a bereaved son to be talking with rabbis. For a week afterward the family would remain mourning at home and not go out in public. But current Semitic idioms show that "I must first bury my father" can function as a request to wait until one's father dies-perhaps for years-so that one may fulfill the ultimate filial obligation before leaving home.
A custom practiced only in the period immediately surrounding the time of Jesus may illumine this passage more directly, however. In Jesus' day the eldest son would return to the tomb a year after the father's death to "rebury" his father by neatly arranging his now bare bones in a container and sliding it into a slot in the wall. If the father of the man in Matthew's account has died, this young man cannot be referring to his father's initial burial and so must be asking for as much as a year's delay for a secondary burial.
At the same time, Jesus' demand also proves harsher than it sounds to us at first. The offense lies not in the immediacy of the demand but in the priority the demand takes over family obligations. Many Jewish people considered honoring parents the supreme commandment and burial of one's parents one of the most important implications of that commandment, regardless of the circumstances. In most current interpretations of biblical law, only the honor due to God took precedence over the honor shown to parents. Jesus does insist on honoring parents, yet he demands a greater affection toward himself. Jesus scandalously claims the supreme position of attention in his followers' lives. If we devote ourselves to anyone or anything more than to him, our claim to be his followers becomes hollow, no matter how many "disciples" around us live the same way.

Next comes the famous story of Jesus calming the storm. The deciples had seen Jesus miraculously healing crowds of people, but still did not comprehend the awesome power He possesed. They were "amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Then we have the exorcism of two men possessed. Gadara and Gerasa were both part of the Decapolis, a primarily Gentile area with a large Jewish population. The demon posessed men ran to Jesus, and the demons protested, "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?". Jesus' presence also reduced them to seeking permission just to enter some pigs. Yet in contrast to demons, many people remain unaware of Jesus as Lord and Judge.

The demons here, probably believed they were free to torment people until the final day of judgment and expecting eternal torment in the day of judgment. However, they recognize that Jesus is their judge and that He has shown up before the appointed time. God's ultimate judgement is yet to come, but this did not and does not prevent Him from demonstrating His power through miraculous signs and wonders, or even defeating any unlucky demon which comes into contact with Him.

Pancake Day

Today is Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, the last day of culinary indulgence before Ash Wednesday and the begining of Lent.
Not being a Catholic, or having ever attended a Catholic school, I am not very familiar with the practice of fasting for the fourty days of Lent. (Apart from the horribly boring movie Chocolat which starred Johnny Depp)
As far as I understand this is a time for Catholics to prepare for Easter and the rememberance of Jesus' sacrifice for sin on the cross. I believe, for Catholics, this is a time of prayer and fasting aimed at focusing on and appriciating the sacrifice Jesus made at calvary.
If there are any people who are more familiar with Lent than my limited understanding and know about its origins, traditions, focus...etc could you please elaborate a little for me.
This post is purely an opportunity for me to learn about a Christian / Catholic religous holiday I am unfamiliar with. Could responders please refrain from criticising Lent as I am neither endorsing or rejecting its observation.

Although I am not Catholic and as such am not observing a fast during Lent, I decided to support this special Catholic time by going out to breakfast this morning and eating pancakes.

The following links were added Monday March 6th 2006
For more information visit:
1. Santilland: Lent
2. The Way of the Cross
3. The Sorrowful Mysteries

Matthew chapter 7 (sermon on the mount # 3)

Matthew 7 continues Jesus' warning to hypocrites.
Verses 1-6 talk about judging others. Jesus is very stern here by saying "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This verse is often taken out of context and is used as an argument for Christians to simply 'not judge' other people. This is not what Jesus is referring to here. What I believe He is saying is that in spite of our responcibility to live in a way which is righteous, in a way which He has just described, we are not to view ourselves as Holy. It is only His righteousness which can atone our sin, and as such we should only jusdge others with His Spirit, not with a 'code of practice' or 'law'. Since we are imperfect by these standards it is hypocritical for us to expect anyone else to stand up to them either. "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." This verse is drawing attention to the fact that often it is easy to excuse our own faults and find fault which are 'worse', and need attention in someone else. Rather we should leave the judging about righteousness to Him and worry only about our own sins. This is not an excuse however, to ignore Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." as we should encourage and be accountable to each other.

Asking, Seeking, Knocking...
Verses 7 & 8 are the famous "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." This verse is often heard being preached on the street corner, or in churches as evidence that a sinner can 'chose' Jesus, if a sinner asks, seeks or knocks, Jesus will then answer, be found, or open Himself to them. While I do not want to get into the Arminian vs Calvinist debate here, for the sake of context however, I believe this verse is often misused. Jesus is NOT talking about salvation here but rather gifts from God, spiritual gifts or blessings. The very next paragraph expands the asking, seeking, and knocking theme with "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" If a believer asks, seeks or knocks for a gift or blessing from God it will be granted. Yet again though we are to seek the gift / blessing for His glory, not our own.

Jesus then nicely sums up the Mosaic law for His listeners with the simple yet powerful statement, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." How we treat others reveals our character, thus it also reveals our eternal destiny. At least since a sermon of John Wesley in 1750 this has been called the "Golden Rule", over a millennium earlier, a Christian Roman emperor allegedly engraved the saying on his wall in gold. This rule was a widespread principle of ancient ethics. The positive form , as stated here by Jesus, of the rule appears as early as Homer and recurs in Herodotus, Isocrates and Seneca. The negative form "And what you hate, do not do to anyone" appears in writings by Tobit, Philo and elsewhere. The principle also appears in cultures totally isolated from the ancient Mediterranean; it appears in Confucian teaching from sixth-century B.C. China. That others would discover this same principle should not surprise us, because one of the most natural foundations for ethics is for a person to value others as oneself.

Jesus then uses the analogy of a wide and narrow gate to emphasise the difficulty of living a Christian life. Following Christ is the hard, narrow, less used way while the easy, wide and heavily travelled way leads to destruction.

We are now compelled to judge by Jesus, even though we were warned against it earlier. Jesus gives us the measure by which we can judge others and the measure by which He judges us. A tree is judged by its fruit. Not by good works, not by knowledge of Him but by bearing good fruit alone are we to judge and be judged. Not even performing miracles and crying out to Jesus as Lord is enough, but what is the 'fruit' mentioned? Galations 5: 22-23 tells us that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." These of themselves are nice qualities which anyone may have, but if you replace each comma with "of Christ" we get a better view of what the fruit of His Spirit is. "The fruit of the Spirit is [the] love [of Christ, the] joy [of Christ, the] peace [of Christ, the] patience [of Christ, the] kindness [of Christ, the] goodness [of Christ, the] faithfulness [of Christ, the] gentleness [of Christ] and [the] self-control [of Christ]." The result is a set of virtues impossible to emulate without His Spirit dwelling within us.

Jesus ends His sermon with a fairly easy to understand parable, and one which I love.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Only a life built on Him will truly survive, and an eternity without Him will crumble.

Matthew finishes this chapter with the reaction of those listening to Jesus. They were amazed at His teachings and His authority. A fitting reaction to this most perfect of sermons.

Matthew chapter 6 (Sermon on the mount # 2)

Matthew 6: 1 is the theme for this chapter, and portion of the Sermon on the mount.
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Here Jesus is questioning the motives behind a Christian's "acts of righteousness". He is not telling us to neglect these things but rather to make sure we are doing them God and to glorify Him, and not simply to gain thanks, rewards, or approval from other people or to feel selfrighteous.

1. Hypocrites Beware: v. Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess. The word derives from the late Latin hypocrisis and Greek hupokrisis both meaning play-acting or pretence. A classic example of a hypocritical act is to denounce another for carrying out some action whilst carrying out the same action oneself. In the three examples of Giving to the poor, Prayer, and Fasting the Hypocracy Jesus is warning His listeners of, is doing 'Christian' things not for the Glory of God, but for our own glory.
2. Rewards from God: Jesus says that God will reward what is done in secret. So the righteous things we do, while they should be hidden from others (in the sense of not seeking rewards for them) will not go unnoticed by God. However God will ignore the righteous things we do, IF they are done for the purpose of recognition and reward. It should also be noted that only doing righteous things so God will bless us is also a wrong motive. He will reward us if we do things which bring Him glory, and for the purpose of bringing Him glory.
3. Hidden does not really mean Hidden: Public righteousness, even when carried out in the knowledge that such acts will draw attention, is not wrong so long as we seek to be seen for God's glory rather than our own. Jesus here (I believe) is not saying we should only do His work in secret, but is illustrating how easy it is to justify our own desire to impress others as "being a light." We should do everything for God, and be concerned more with God's evaluation than with that of others. Many people practice religion without paying attention to God, and this warns us to search our motives.

Jesus then talks about storing up treasures in Heaven vs worrying about the wealth of the world. Jesus warns His listeners not to make material wealth our primary focus. "For where [our] treasure is, there [our] heart[s] will be also." Our focus should be on serving His kingdom and our eternal life with Him rather than how we can the most out of this life of the flesh. Jesus does not expect us all to be paupers but here He does tell us to be different from the accepted worldly and 'pagan' people around us. We are to seek Him and His plan for us, not the things of this world like money, fashion, fine foods, realestate investments, cars, boats, fine art collections, etc... Jesus says "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Notice that it does not say "all things" but rather "all these things". So what are the 'these things' He mentions? Food, Drink and Clothing. Not, wealth or status symbols but the bear essentials for sustaining life, not the comforts of an extravagant life. Jesus promises that if we first seek Him, He will provide the things essential for us to live. He may bless us with other material things, but they are not promised here, only the essentials.

Matthew chapter 5 (Sermon on the mount # 1)

Matthew chapter 5 gives us the beginning of the 'Sermon on the mount'.

Several featurs about the setting of Jesus' sermon are important to take note of before geting into what is actually said by Jesus here.

In continuation of Matthew's portrail of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, from verses 1 & 2 we see that...

1. The "mountain" settings in Matthew are usually significant. Matthew is probably drawing attention to the similarity to Moses' revelation on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:3). However while Moses was a prophet or messenger of God, here the message is being delivered to the people by God made flesh, Jesus, without a 'middle man'.
2. The method of Jesus' teaching here is also appropriate. That Jesus sat to teach fits expected patterns of Rabbinical instruction. Thus Jesus takes the role of the scribes, but Matthew also indicates that Jesus is greater than the scribes.
3. Jesus' sermon is specifically addressed to the disciples, but Jesus also invites those who are not disciples to live according to the values of God's kingdom. The crowds following Jesus function as at least potential disciples; disciples in the Gospel provide models for later believers. Matthew explicitly indicates that Jesus taught his disciples, but also that the crowds were present, implying that Jesus wanted both to hear, and that His words hold importance for both believers (for instruction) and non-believers (for salvation) alike.

The Beatitudes: Matthew 5: 3-12

Jesus employs a fairly typical Jewish literary technique to express His points here. A beatitude, which runs like this: "It will go well with (blessed is) the one who . . . for that one shall receive . . ." In this context Jesus' beatitudes show what kingdom-ready people should be like (how to be salty or shine his light) as well as kingdom promises.

Jesus promises the kingdom not to those who try to force God's hand in their time but to those who patiently and humbly wait for it; the meek, the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peacemakers. This is in stark contrast to how many Jews at the time expected their saving Messiah to have military of political power. Of course Jesus' does not merely challenge the notion of violent revolution, but Peacemakers not only live at peace but bring harmony among others. Jesus offers comfort to those who mourn, both those who show sincere remorece for their sin, and the sin of others; and those who are broken and carry the burden of grief. The people of His kingdom are the humble, not the arrogant. The pure in heart refers to those who recognize that God alone is their hope, we should hunger and thirst for Jesus as only he can sustain our spiritual lives as only good food and clean water can sustain our physical.

Jesus promises His kingdom to the powerless, the oppressed, the persecuted, who trust in God rather than the world of men. This promise provides us both hope to work for justice and grace to endure the hard path of love.

Salt and Light: Matthew 5: 13-16

With the Beatitudes, Jesus described the appropriate lifestyle of a Chistian. Jesus now explains that a person climing to be a Christian but who does not live this lifestyle is worth about as much as tasteless salt or invisible light - nothing.

Jesus refers here to more than good deeds; he refers to a good character. Jesus does not intend for Christians to do good works publicly for their own honor, he desires us to do those good works publicly for God's honor. This distinction encourages us to guard the motives of our hearts and consider the effects our public activities and pronouncements have on the spread of the gospel and the honoring of God among all groups of people.

The Fulfillment of the Law: Matthew 5: 17-20

Here Jesus essentially says, "Look, if you thought the law was tough, wait till you see this. If you really want to be my disciples, give me your hearts without reservation".
This passage seems to suggest that an uncommitted Christian is not a Christian at all. Like other Jewish teachers, Jesus demanded whole obedience to the Scriptures; where Jesus differs though is that He is not satisfied with the performance of scribes and Pharisees, saying that simply abiding by the Mosaic Law does not earn salvation, our righteousness must even surpass that! Humanly impossible, but His righteousness and grace is sufficent to save even the worst of sinners.

Murder, Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, An Eye for an Eye, and Loving our Enemies: Matthew 5: 21-48

Here Jesus takes care to outline that the righteousness needed for salvation is not just keeping to laws, but even having the correct attitudes. Even someone who is "...angry with [their] brother will be subject to judgment... anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." Jesus says that getting angry or calling someone a fool, in the eyes of God, is as bad as committing murder. Jesus here is not suggesting that we can earn our salvation through good works or right attitudes, but rather pointing out to the Jews (who thought that keeping the law of moses was sufficent for salvation) that it is impossible to be deserving of admission into Heaven. If we were to earn our salvation we would need to "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew chapter 4

There are three main interpretations of Matthew 4:1-11 and the temptation of Jesus in the wildernes.

1. Jesus' testing recalls that of Israel in the wilderness; whatever God commanded his children, Israel in the wilderness, much more he would require of his Son the Messiah. While Israel failed time and time again; Jesus, the Messiah, God's only begotten Son, did not. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." reflects the Exodus image of God guiding Israel in the wilderness. We should also note that in responce to the temptations, Jesus quotes three texts from Deuteronomy 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (Deut 8:3), 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' (Deut 6:16) and 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' (Deut 6:13) all of them commandments that Israel failed to obey but that Jesus is determined to obey.
2. Jesus provides a model for tested believers; Like John the Baptist, Jesus had to exit the confines of society for his supernatural encounter. The wilderness was not a pleasant place: some even believed the wilderness inhabited by demons. Jesus' victory over the temptation provides a model for believers, and the passage tells us about the true character of Jesus' mission. Jewish teachers or Rabbis instructed by example as well as by word. So this as well as other accounts of Jesus life teaches us, no less than his direct commandments do. For instance, if John had been a model of sacrificial obedience for living in the wilderness and surviving by eating locusts and wild honey, Jesus who fasts in the wilderness is even more so. This passage shows that the most troublesome temptatyions come when we are in a weakened state. It is not when we are strong in our faith and on a 'spirituall high' that we are tempted by Satan but rather when we are tired, weak, discouraged already and an easy target. The tempting I am referring to here is not the every day not to sin temptation but rather the temptation to turn away from God and walk in the darkness as opposed to the light. How does Jesus overcome this type of temptation? He does not use His own will (although he could have as He is God), He does not run from it, He does not even try to rationally and logically argue it away. What Jesus does to overcome temptations of the Devil is stand firm on the Scripture, He uses the power of the Word of God to overcome the Devil. Christians are destined for testing (Matthew 6:13; 26:41), but Jesus our forerunner has gone before us and shown us how to overcome.
3. The narrative affirms a correct understanding of Jesus' Messiahship, he came to show us the way to God, to rely solely on the strength of God in times of need, to unashamedly serve God and God's plan for His life, and be obedient ultimately to death, setting His people free from sin. This is in contrast to how the Jewish people envisioned their saving Messiah as either a political or militaristic power, as one who might liberate the Jews with force.

It is my belief that all three are valid interpretations of this passage and none of the three are without significance for a complete understanding.

The three things Jesus was tempted about are also significant.

1. Worldly expectations - The devil tempted Jesus by saying "If [or since] you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Here, the devil does not deny the Sonship of Christ but rather invites Jesus to act according to worldly expectations for that role, in essence "You have the power, use it". This is a warning not to let the world define the context of our calling. For instance, some who ought to be pulpit ministers may only be ministering as public school teachers or social workers, and some in other professions should be training to become preachers or teachers of God's Word. This is not to put more importance onto any field of study or work or even ministry, but we should be careful to be where God wants us or else we will risk being less efective witnesses of His kingdom.
2. The Promises of God - Then Satan tempted Jesus through scripture. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." This is a very tricky area! This temptation of Jesus shows us that we should not 'put the Lord your God to the test'. This is not to say that we should avoid the many blessings God has promised in His word, but we should definantly not DEMAND them. God has a plan for each of us and that plan may include great blessings and prosperity, however it may also include pain, the loss of friends or family, sickness, or persecution of any kind. One major problem (particularly with prosperity teachings) comes from trying to turn God into a formula and saying things like 'If I do X, God will then bless me with Y.' as this leads to a form of legalism. The blessings of God are just that Blessings, not rewards. God is also faithful, if He makes a promise He does not need a mere mortal to remind Him of it. It is helpful to find encouragement from the word of God, and allow Him to speak to us through it. We should not however, take any given promise from the bible, out of its context, and believe it will apply absolutely to our lives (eg. the prayer of Jabez). Our one aim as christians should be to serve God joyfully, with everything we have, for the purpose of seeing Him glorified. Not so He will give us a particular blessing.
3. Personal Gain - Jesus' third temptation is for riches, power and authority. Satan said "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus does not respond by saying "No you can't, these things belong to my Father" These things were within the capabilities of Satan. Satan can appear as an angel of light and offer us many things of this world; money, sex, power, fame, anything and everything that is desired by the flesh Satan can provide. We should be very wary of this kind of temptation as well. However as long as we keep Jesus, the giver of life, as our focus and not the gifts of this world, we can stand firm in Him. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6: 20-21)

Matthew 4: 12-17 tells the reader that John has been arrested and thrown into prison. This is another forshadowing of Jesus' own suffering, but also triggers the beginning of Jesus' ministry, as John has completed his mission of preparing the way. Jesus then moves to Capernaum to fulfill another Messianic prophesey from Isaiah 9: 1-2 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." As well as fulfilling this prophesey, Jesus' move to Capernaum could have been for two other reasons; to gain access to a larger population and a more vibrant trade route so His message could be spread more swiftly, and to emphasise that His comming was for the Gentiles as well as Jews. At this stage His message is the same as John's "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Matthew 4: 18-22 is where Jesus calls His first diciples. Jesus' call to leave profession and family was radical, the sort of demand that only the most radical teacher would make. Early Jewish and Greek tradition normally assumed that disciples are responsible for acquiring their own teachers of the law. Teachers sometimes even rejected prospective disciples, and considered the disciple's responsibility so weighty that it would be dishonorable for the teacher to seek out the disciple. Jesus' seeking out disciples himself may thus represent a serious breach of custom, "coming down to their level" socially. This is an image of Jesus' whole purpose, God lowered Himself to the level of humanity, in order that we might know Him and be able to come into His presence and worship Him.

It is encouraging to note that Jesus did not call professionally trained rabbis to be his disciples. He called ordinary working men, and encouraged them that the skills they already had were useful in His kingdom. God called shepherds like Moses and David to shepherd his people Israel, Jesus called fishermen, (Simon / Peter and his brother Andrew, James son and his brother Andrew) to be gatherers of men.

In Matthew 4: 23-25 we see Jesus' first miracles. Jesus began His ninistry within the established places of learning by "teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom." Teaching generally involves ethical or apologetic instruction, while preaching is generally aimed at bringing about conversion. Jesus however, not only proclaimed and explained the kingdom; he demonstrated God's authority by healing the sick and expelling demons That he healed " every disease and sickness among the people" means every kind of sickness rather than every sick person. Crowds heard of Jesus and His power and came to Him where they heard His message and were healed.

Jesus' example here directs us to a well-rounded ministry that not only preaches the gospel through evangelism, but also demonstrates the gospel through ministries of compassion, justice and Spirit-empowered healing. Jesus did not preach the Gospel on its own, but He lived it as well.