Matthew 8-9,   Mark 2
October 15, 2014


I hadn't realized how early in Christ's ministry the Centurion had come.   This is before he goes to Peter's house to heal his mother in law.   The 12 disciples aren't assembled yet.  Word of Christ's ministry can't have traveled very far.  There isn't any internet or television to spread the word, so it would still be local.    And yet this Centurion has the insight into who Christ is to be able to say "I don't deserve to have you come under my roof".   No wonder Jesus was amazed.     Jesus goes on to say here that there will be Jews who don't make it into heaven, while many foreigners will.
I grieve that there will be some from the chosen race that don't make it, but I also celebrate the fact that we who are not Jewish are also invited.

Here in Matthew we are told that there are two demon possessed men.  In Luke only one is mentioned.   That doesn't mean the text is wrong, perhaps Luke only saw fit to mention the most provocative person in the story.  In either case, whether it was one or two; the point of the story is the same...demons must listen to Jesus, as He is more powerful than they.   Demons care only to destroy and harm, where Christ has come to rescue and preserve.

Just before this we see Jesus calming the waves.  That's recorded for us so that we know that the one whom we serve has all power and authority.   There isn't any circumstance in which God isn't able to speak and change it.    Skipping over a few verses, in Chapter 9 we see that even death is subjected to him.  From the beginning of his ministry Jesus was proving to the people that He had (and still has) authority over all things, even death itself.

By the way, a day or so ago we read where the Pharisees were asking for a sign, and Jesus said no sign would be given to them except that He would raise the temple in three days.    Jesus says HE would raise himself from the dead...further proof that He and The Father are truly one, in some way that is beyond our ability to understand.

Before we leave this passage, we should touch on the "old wine and new wineskins" quote.   That's because we are so often misquoting it, and getting the passage out of context.      In this passage Jesus is talking about the need for the actions of the people to match the time.   Grieve when it's time to grieve, and celebrate when it's time to celebrate.     Don't celebrate when you should be grieving, and don't grieve when you should be celebrating.   It doesn't have anything to do with a new teaching that cannot be contained by a previous generation, because they have become too old and inflexible to contain it.      We are always talking about the "new wine" and thanking God for "new wineskins" which we take as young people who are more receptive to our ideas....and then we miss the verse in Luke 5:39 that says "no one after drinking the old wine wants the new, for he says 'the old is better'".

So, when someone says they believe that Jesus is saying that he is the "new wine" remember that it's that same Jesus who says "the old is better".   So, that interpretation can't be completely accurate.

Be blessed,



PR