Matthew 8:18-34: Jesus' Authority over His Followers, Nature and Demons

Introduction

At the beginning of Matthew chapter 8, Jesus was heading back to his base in Capernaum at Simon Peter’s house after having preached his most famous sermon. The sermon showed Jesus’ authority over the law. Jesus properly understood the Old Testament and was not afraid to apply it. And his trip back to Simon Peter’s house gave three examples of his authority over sickness. Jesus heals the leper, the centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother in law. In fact, he heals and cleanses and saves many different people that evening from many different afflictions. And Jesus taking on our diseases and sicknesses is part and parcel of him taking the consequences of our sin on himself as he heads to the cross. But with the evening crowds gathering around him, Jesus decides to move. Verse 18:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. (NIV)

The only reason given for the move is the crowds. But what exactly is it about the crowds that means that Jesus’ wants to get his disciples away. Does Jesus want to get away from them because he and his disciples are tired? Or is it because Jesus doesn’t want his disciples to get wrong ideas from the crowds? Is Jesus afraid that the crowds will fill his disciples’ heads with wrong ideas and expectations about the Christ and his Kingdom? Or is it because Jesus is concerned that the crowds aren’t there for the right reason, like hearing the message of the kingdom, but only for the healings and miracles? Or does Jesus want to go away to the other side to teach the people there, seeing that he has been long enough in Capernaum to attract crowds of people?

All these are possible. Perhaps there is an element of truth in each of these thoughts. Although it may most likely be that the crowds have forced Jesus to move away. We certainly get that impression from Mark’s Gospel.[1] And it fits with the fact that Christ believes he has 'no where to lay his head'. The crowd makes it impossible for him to stay in Capernaum. So Jesus prepares to leave his base at Capernaum and cross the Sea of Galilee. He cannot have a settled ministry in one place. The demands of the crowds make it impossible for Jesus to instruct his disciples and preach the Kingdom. He has ‘nowhere to lay his head’. Jesus can no longer call Capernaum home.

Jesus' Authority Over His Disciples (verses 18 to 22)

People More Important than Palaces For The Homeless Son of Man (verses 18 to 20)

Homelessness continues to be a problem in Australia.[2] There are many causes of homelessness. Losing your job, financial problems, unemployment, relationship breakdown, domestic violence, trauma, sickness or disease, mental illness, coming out of hospital or prison, having a baby, drug dependence, family breakdown. According to statistics, 105,000 of our fellow Australians are homeless every single day. Young people are homeless. One quarter of homeless people are under 18. 2000 people over 75 are homeless every night. And only 6% of homeless people are living on the street. Often people are couch-surfing between friends and family or homeless shelters. Buying or renting a house is unaffordable to many. So we have homelessness and a problem of housing affordability.

During this phase of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus was for substantial periods homeless. Uprooting himself from family and friends, Jesus was an itinerate preacher for much of this time, walking from town to town with his followers in tow, criss-crossing ancient Israel on foot, so that he might show compassion to Israel’s lost sheep. Jesus, when he came to the earth to save his people from their sins, he lived in no king’s palace, nor did he have a comfortable place to lay his head.

And so when a teacher of the law says ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go’, Jesus’ reply tells us how much he gave up when He left his Father’s glory to become human. Matthew chapter 8 verse 20:

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." (NIV)

Jesus’ life had all the restlessness and unsettledness and hardship of a soldier. Even the foxes and birds have somewhere to call home, but not the Son of Man.

This is the first time in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus uses the self-title, Son of Man. The title ‘Son of Man’ at first glance looks like a humble title. It emphasizes Jesus’ humanity. And that is the way Ezekiel uses the title. However, we find a kick in the tail in the title ‘Son of Man’ when we read Daniel 7:13-14. There, the Son of Man is again a human figure. But this time, the Son of Man who comes in the clouds to God, the Ancient of Days. And the Son of Man is given by God authority, glory and sovereign power; All peoples, nations and men of every language worship him. The Son of Man is worshipped by men. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, And his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

So in the title ‘Son of Man’, we see the paradox that we find in Jesus himself. He comes humbly, as a human, as one of us, indeed, with nothing his hands, with nowhere to lay his head, no mighty palace, no raised fortress on mountain top. Yet, the title also reminds us that Jesus Christ is God with us, who must be worshipped for who He is.

And so Jesus warned this enthusiastic teacher of the law. This religious enthusiast boldy promises undying discipleship. Jesus points out, ‘You know not what you say’. And so Jesus points out the cost of following him. 'For you to go where I go, you will have to live as I live. And I don’t live the life of a soft-hand academic or well-fed scholar.'

At the Moore College graduation recently in town, Chris Anstiss and I wore academic gowns, as we were directed. There we were, in all our best dress and finery, with our gold and silver edged hoods. Yet ironically, we sang this hymn together to show how different Jesus was, 'My Lord, you wore no royal crown; you did not wield the powers of state, nor did you need a scholar's gown or priestly robe, to make you great'.[3]

Jesus had no palace, no library, no study, no temple. He didn’t have a camp stretcher, let alone a four poster bed. Instead, he endured homelessness to be with the people he came to serve. People were more important to Jesus than his comfort. And so he endured the rigours and discomfort of this fallen world to save us. Even though Jesus deserves to be given the best of every palace, temple, library, or lecture hall on the face of the earth.

Now, I do not believe that this passage is telling you or I that we should be homeless. But this passage is reminding us of the costs of following Christ. And sometimes and for some of us, the cost of following Christ for us might be to go without home comforts. Those on mission service often experience this. Sometimes we must give up things to follow Christ. Yes, he promises to meet our needs. Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be given to you as well. This Teacher of the Law would be provided for, just as Peter, Andrew, James and John were. But it has to be Christ’s way, not his.

Jesus More Important Than Your Father’s Funeral (verses 21-22)

Now, in our Parish we have two graveyards. While they are closed and we no longer sell new plots to the public, we keep having to burying or interring people’s mortal remains. One of the purposes of the Anglican funeral service is to deal reverently with the mortal body. And if someone refused to give their mother or father a decent burial, we would rightly not just question that person’s Christianity, but their humanity. Paul says that the one who doesn’t look after his relatives and especially his immediate family, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Some of our church members have nursed elderly relatives. They have comforted and consoled their parents or inlaws in their old age. And so you see how reasonable is the request of an unnamed disciple. Verse 21:

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." (NIV)

A reasonable request, we would think. It may well have meant, ‘Jesus, I have a sick father, who will die any die now. I would go with you across the lake. But I have responsibilities at home. Let me nurse him. He will be dead soon, and I will give him a fitting burial. Then I will come with you.’

This is reasonable, of course. Man Monis, for all his evil, at least got a burial.[4] How much more should a son do this for his father? So it is surprising that Jesus answers his disciple so harshly in verse 22:

But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (NIV)

Imagine I got a phone call from a grieving family about a funeral. 'Sorry, can’t help. My Lord Jesus said, "let the dead bury their own dead". You are on your own, I’ve got more important things to do.'

You would be horrified if your minister did that, wouldn’t you? The Bishop would rightly be getting a complaint, and rightly so. You will also be glad to know that Matthew chapter 8 verse 22 does not appear in our Prayer Book Funeral service.

Why does Jesus speak like this?

We are not told, we must infer. And I think that it must be the urgency of the situation. It must have to do with the desperate situation in which Jesus found himself.

In the Old Testament, when God promised disaster for the people’s disobedience, God also predicted that the normal and customary burial practices would not be observed, because of the desperateness of the situation (compare Jeremiah 16:1-8; Deuteronomy 24:17). And that this would be a symbol of God’s judgment having come on the people of Israel.

Think of it another way. In the heat of battle, you can understand that a soldier would bring back his wounded comrade, but leave the dead. No one would blame the Search and Rescue Worker in the midst of a rapid response to the disaster, leaving the dead to look for the living. We can do nothing for the dead except bury them, but where there is life, there is hope, and saving that life must get the priority over proper dignified burials for the dead.

And it must be that, here, Jesus is operating on the same principle. Jesus is saying to this would be disciple, ‘Others can do this work, those who don’t care about the Kingdom, those who are dead to my words and my kingdom. Let the dead bury their own dead. But you, you’ve found me, you’ve heard me, now follow me. You are not an undertaker, you are a life saver, a rescue worker. Come now. The urgency of the moment requires you come across the lake now, and leave your family responsibilities. Leave the dead, and come with me, let’s together do what we can to save the living.'

And friends, though we apply it differently, the same principle is true of us. In our work in the parish, we should always give the best time to preaching the kingdom, to scripture teaching in our schools, to preaching at the funerals which serves and saves the living. I won’t give my time to conducting a study of our graveyards or tending our graves, though these things should be done. Others can do that, and have done it, and should do it, and I will give them my heartfelt thanks. I don’t call them ‘the dead’. I don't say they are not Christians for doing it and caring for such things. I say that are good, but they are not the most important, and certainly not for me. As a Christian in our culture and our time, it is right to bury your parents and tend to their graves. The urgency that we experience is not the same as the call of the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ that those two men experienced as Jesus stepped into the boat. But the Christian who tends to the burial of their kin and the care of their graves will also understand that our first priority must be the living and making Christ and his eternal life known.

Jesus’ Authority Over The Seismic Sea (verses 23 to 27)

As Jesus steps in the boat, he is drawing a line in the sand for these two men, the teacher of the law and the disciple. Will they choose to stay with the crowd, or come with the Christ? In the end, we don’t know whether they dropped everything and followed Jesus, because Matthew doesn’t say. But if they did, they learnt that true discipleship involves following Jesus wherever he calls them. Matthew records, chapter 8 verse 23:

Then he [Jesus] got into the boat and his disciples followed him. (NIV)

True disciples must be able to leave the crowd and follow their Lord, no matter where he leads them. Even if the Lord leads them into a boat destined for night time tempest, as he does here, the disciple must follow Christ. And their decision to follow Jesus will be rewarded with more insight about who Jesus is, as we shall see. In fact, the disciples’ ideas about who Jesus is will be shaken to the core in that boat. And they will also learn a little bit more about themselves, too.

About 30 years ago, Archeologists working around the shore of the Sea of Galilee found the hull of one of these fishing boats. They dated the boat to be from around Jesus’ time, between 120BC and 40AD. [5] It allowed for four rowers and a covered deck, was 26 and a half feet, or about 9 meters, long, and could fit 15 adults.

And as we know, fisherman practice their trade at night, when the fish are biting. So the disciples, a number of whom were experienced fishermen, were quite used to going out at night on the lake.

For Jesus Christ, it had been a long day. As well as ascending the slopes of a mountain and preaching the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had walked to and from Capernaum, and had healed people along the way, and in some marvellous way picking up and carrying our sicknesses and healing our diseases. So it is not surprising that Jesus was tired out. And we read that Jesus falls asleep in the boat, such a deep sleep that a furious storm cannot disturb it.

Now, the Sea of Galilee is actually what we’d call a large lake. But apparently, even now there are furious squalls on the lakes. Winds whip up fierce waves on the lake. And Matthew describes the storm as a great big earthquake in the middle of the sea (seismo.j me,gaj evge,neto evn th/| qala,ssh|). Indeed, the waves sweep over the boat, and the disciples, many of whom were experienced fishermen, were genuinely frightened.

This frightening storm was sudden, and unexpected. They wouldn’t have gone out on the sea if it looked like there had been a fierce storm. More to the point, they would never have gone out on the lake if Jesus had not ordered them to. Following Jesus and obeying Jesus sometimes can lead his disciples into additional danger. There is no guarantee that in following Jesus that you will not face storms or tempests, simply because you are following Jesus’ commands. In fact, maybe because you follow Jesus’ commands, you might well face increased troubles, storms, tempests and earthquakes, and with them, revelations about yourself, and Christ, as a result.

In their panic, the disciples rouse Jesus with the words, ‘Lord, save us, we are perishing’. ‘Look Jesus, you commanded us into the boat. Now, suddenly there’s an earthquake in the middle of the sea. And you are asleep at the wheel!’

Jesus Christ may be asleep. But Jesus Christ, the eternal Word incarnate, is still in control. Jesus is still at the helm of this ship in this situation. Jesus slept, as was fitting his true humanity. But even in his sleep, he upheld everything by his powerful word, as befitted his deity. Even as a baby in a cradle, Jesus upheld the world. And while he slept as a man tired out from a day of teaching the people and carrying their afflictions, as God He is fully in control.

As Athanasius said: ‘The Word was not circumscribed by the body while present in it, for while in the body the universe still benefited from his working and providence’, and ‘while he was present in a human body, [The Word] quickened [that is, made alive] both it and the universe as well, being in every process of nature’ (Athanasius, On the Incarnation).

The great seismic event gave Jesus the opportunity to show his Authority over creation. And it gave the disciples the opportunity to watch the master of the sea in action. Jesus first rebukes his disciples. Verse 26:

You of little faith, why are you so afraid?

Literally, ‘Why are you cowards, O little-faithed ones?’ The first rebuke was for Jesus’ rationale creation, his image bearers. And then, in verse 26b, Jesus gets up and rebukes some other aspects of his creation, the inanimate creation, the winds and the waves. And the result is complete calm. What does this show us? It shows us Jesus’ mastery over nature. In Christ, we see man as he should be, with creation his feet. But there is more we should see.

In Psalm 107, Yahweh is the stiller of the storms. The psalm speaks of merchants who go out in the sea. And a storm comes, sent by the Lord, and we read, Psalm 107, verses 23 to 31:

²³ Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. ²⁴ They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. ²⁵ For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. ²⁶ They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. ²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. ²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. ²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. (NIV)

And there, in the boat, with Peter and Andrew and James and John, is the LORD, Yahweh, God become Human, the one who, Psalm 107 verse 29, stills the storm to a whisper, who hushes the waves of the sea.

Verse 27 tells us the disciples’ reaction.

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" (NIV)

If they had known Psalm 107, the disciples would have had an answer about what kind of man Jesus is. Jesus is the God-man. Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, just like the Scriptures said, who is to be worshipped, as the Magi did.

Jesus’ Authority over the Demons for the Gentiles’ sake (verses 28-34)

After stilling the storm, Jesus and his disciples' boat arrives on the western side of the sea of Galilee. This was the Gentile side, called the country of the Gadarenes. That’s why there is a large herd of pigs there. And we also find two demon-possessed men there.

We shouldn’t be surprised that there are demon-possessed people in the Gentile areas. In both the Old and New Testaments, demonic activity and demon possession is associated with idolatry and false worship. So the terrible situation that we observe in the NT is that demon possession has entered Jewish areas. That is, idolatry and demon worship and its consequences has infiltrated the people of God.

Now, those of you who have travelled to Asia know what sort of fear demons and the spirits hold over people there. There is the great fear in Buddhist cultures of the spirits, and the necessity of giving offerings to them, and pacifying the spirits. In muslim countries, there is the fear of the jinn. And in the Gadarenes, we see demonic activity, this time in two men.

Matthew mentions two men, while Mark and Luke mention only one. But that is typical of Matthew, who mentions pairs three times, when Mark and Luke only mention one. Matthew has two donkeys and two blind men as well. There is no contradiction, just that Matthew mentions what Mark and Luke omit.

We read that the two demoniacs are so fierce that no one could pass that way. Will it be the same for Jesus? Will the demons have power and authority over Christ?

What we observe is that there is no competition at all. The demons in the men don’t even offer a fight. Verse 29:

"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

These demons recognize their great enemy, the Son of God. And they recognize their final punishment, torture. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. With dread, these demons know their final end will be torture, when they are cast into the lake of fire forever.

It seems that these demons long for embodiment of some sort. They have taken over these two poor men’s bodies. And if they must be cast out, they beg Jesus for permission to enter the herd of pigs. Note, it is Jesus who is in control. Just as he was in control in the back of the boat, and just like he commands the wind and the waves, so he also commands the demons. Christ’s word is all powerful in the natural world as well as the supernatural world. It just seems that it is in the human world that obedience is possible, and that is only for now. Humans as image bearers, fallen though we are, are tolerated in our disobedience in a way that the demons and nature is not. But that is only for a short time. But Christ is supreme over the demons. Christ has authority over Satan and the demons.

And friends, it is true of us also, that the one in us is greater than the one who is in the world. If anyone has Christ as Lord and Saviour, that person has the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit in them is greater than any demon. I do not believe that anyone with faith in Jesus Christ can be possessed by a demon. We who have faith in Christ are possessed by Christ, and possessed by the Holy Spirit. And those possessed by Christ and the Holy Spirit are protected from demonic and satanic possession.

What happens to the pigs shows us how much the two demonized men suffered. The demons kill a whole herd of pigs by drowning them in the sea. The sea was thought by the ancients to be the portal to the underworld. So the demons were returning via the sea to their proper domain, the underworld.

Two human beings, image bearers, were saved from a fate worse than death that day. But do you think the Gentile townspeople were glad? Verses 33 to 34:

33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (NIV)

These Gentile townspeople had the Son of God, God with us, visit them. More than that, he had saved two of their own, their brothers. And what did Christ receive?

Thank you, Jesus, for restoring to us these two men. And come with us, for we have more afflicted people. And we have the sick as well. Maybe you can heal them. Stay with us, eat with us, teach us a better way.

That's not what verse 34 says is it? No welcome into the town. Not even a request to help others who were afflicted. They begged him to leave their neighbourhood.

Why? We can only guess. Probably they were afraid of the power of the Son of Man who could overpower the demoniacs with a word. Perhaps they were also afraid of the cost that Jesus brings. He had cost them a herd of pigs, whose carcasses now polluted the Sea of Galilee. And maybe they didn’t want this new comer, Jesus, to disrupt the status quo. Better the devil you know. Perhaps they got quite used to the demoniacs, and could navigate their way around them. But this Jesus, maybe he will be too powerful. We can’t just take another path to get around him. And the cost of him bringing salvation is too great. It might cost us our idols, our false gods. Go away Jesus. Leave us with our comfortable security blanket gods that don’t ruin our economy, that we can walk around when we need to,

Let’s not be like that with Jesus Christ. Let us invite him into our lives no matter what the cost to our idols and false gods.

Conclusion

So what we see in today’s passage is that Jesus Christ has authority. He was shown to have authority over God's Law on the Mountain. He was shown to have authority over sickness on the way back to Capernaum. And today he was shown to have the authority to call people to follow him. Jesus had authority to call his followers into homelessness and away from family responsibilities. But not only is this the case, but He is God with us, who silences the wind and stills the waves. He is God over every power and authority, who saves from demons and delivers us from evil. We owe Jesus Christ our thanks and worship for all this.

Let’s pray.

[1] Mark 1:44-45: ‘See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.’ 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (NIV)

[2] http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/index.php/42-news/87-mythbusting-our-homeless

[3] ‘My Lord You Wore No Royal Crown’. Words: Christopher Idle (1938-) © by Jubilate Hymns, Ltd. (admin. by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188). Hope Publishing Company, www.hopepublishing.com

[4] http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/martin-place-siege-gunman-man-horan-monis-buried-in-undisclosed-location-in-nsw/story-fni0cx12-1227191950482

[5] James Edwards, Mark: Pillar, 148.