3rd Sunday after Epiphany: Matthew 8:1-13

Jan 27, 2013; 3^rd Sunday after the Epiphany: Texts: Psalm 110:1-4; 2 Kings 5:1-15a; Romans 1:8-17; Matthew 8:1-13; Title: The Authority and Will for Faith;  Rev. Tim Beck

                       

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

How do we approach this text? We can interpret it through the eyes of our needs, desires and values or through the eyes of Christ, of the Epiphany, of God revealed. What difference will that make? If we begin with us (which is never a good idea if we want to know God) we will hear about unbelief. For example, Jesus said many in Israel did not believe, although they followed Him around like a celebrity. Is that because if we start with our desires, we expect God to conform to our wishes, the most notable examples in the gospels being the Pharisees and Sadducees?  Behold the bumper stickers of today that advertise designer gods, and those who want a God that fits the times (which is to be godless). But, if we return to the Revealed God we will hear from Him, and if we hear with faith we will receive what the Living God desires for us. Starting from God’s eternal, pure perspective is a good thing.

          In our passage recorded by Matthew, despite the majority in unbelief, faith is what jumps out. We encounter two believers, two extraordinary yet ordinary believers. They began with God, as is every good beginning, as it was in the beginning… and those who believed received a greater epiphany of the Lord. Our text: When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before ( reverenced) him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make (have power to) me clean.”

          Jesus came down from the mountain after teaching. He teaches a lot, to multitudes that follow him. Israel knows about Jesus, although this leper wasn’t in the crowds. He was excluded from their company due to leprosy, yet he heard about Jesus. He came to Jesus, reverenced him, and called him Lord. He then said expectantly “If you will, you have the power to make me clean.” That’s faith! He believes Jesus’ authority and submits to His purpose. The leper says Jesus has power to heal, if he wills, if it is His will. This leper believes it is God’s will to heal, so he asks Jesus to do His will. His simple confession is profound. “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

          Notice he calls Jesus “Lord.” In the parlance of the day that is a form of the Divine Name. The name YHWH is too holy to speak, so folks say “LORD.” It is true that the word can also mean “master” or “sir.” The question is, when people call upon Jesus what do they have in mind? Some Bible versions make up your mind by printing the word “master” or “sir” almost every time Jesus is called upon, rather than print the literal word “Lord.”        Why do you think they do that?  Some Bible editors can’t believe folks in that day thought Jesus is true God. Why the bias? Those editors start not with Jesus, but with their theories about the evolution of religion. The idea that Jesus was LORD must have developed gradually, they say. But what are the facts presented by the eyewitness reports? Do crowds pursue Jesus into the desert because He’s a “sir?” When Jesus fed thousands, walked on water, did what God alone does, who did they think He was?

          Some said he’s Elijah or John the Baptist returned, or a prophet. Some, the Pharisees, when Jesus did what only God can do, when He forgave sin, accused him of blasphemy.  At least they understood who he claimed to be. But despite the evidence, many refused to believe who Jesus is, who he said he is. As for the leper, I think he means “Lord” as in the divine name, that Jesus is God-with-us. Why? Besides the bowing down, he says Jesus has the power, if only He wills to heal. He does not push away what he heard from Jesus, including the Scriptures that spoke of Him. He needed to begin with God too much.

          Lepers needed God’s help indeed, for leprosy was a living picture, or should I say dying picture of uncleanness that ends in death.  Lepers were declared unholy, and were therefore isolated, cut off from family and friends, cut off from the temple, unable to offer sacrifices and worship with Israel. Whoever touched a leper “absorbed” his uncleanness, his defilement. Yet this leper says “Lord, if you so desire, you have the power to cleanse me.”  This leper starts with God. Do you have that kind of faith? Tell me, is the Lord able? Does He will to cleanse you, to restore and keep you as His? Is the Lord full of compassion toward sinners?  Behold this man’s faith. And faith receives the will of God. And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

          Jesus touched, and not a quick tap and back away fast, so not to absorb the leper’s filth. The word for touched is often translated “cling” or “adhere to.”  What is the Lord-Jesus absorbing from this unclean man? Will He carry it with Him to the cross? That deepens our picture of God, doesn’t it? This is an epiphany faith sees. The Lord Jesus carries and buries our uncleanness. Note something else: when Jesus says “I will” the word is a present continuous     verb. Jesus says “this is what I desire to do and continue to do. This is what God wants and He does not change. “I the Lord will cleanse the unclean.”  What does this epiphany do for faith, for your faith?  Jesus has power and wills to heal. He touches the leper. He restores a sinner to wholeness. Tell me, what did you receive in Holy Baptism? Do the promises given you that day continue?  There you were joined to Jesus’ death so that you receive the fullness of His life. You entered the ark that carries you through the flood to safe haven. And when you receive the very body and blood of the crucified, risen, ascended Saviour in the Holy Supper what is your Lord’s will for you?  He continues to bless you. The Lord Jesus has authority to act and He wills it, in unity with the Father’s will. This is an epiphany faith sees.

          Our text: And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof (marturia) to them.” This too is a lesson; that others may believe because of another’s witness, when faith becomes a witness.  Go to the priest, do the required offerings and be restored to God’s people as a witness to who healed you. Jesus desires all to believe in Him, including the priests administering holy things. But there’s an expression in our text I neglected to mention. Offer the gift… a gift to whom? Does the priest need two birds, some scarlet thread, a cedar board, some hyssop, three lambs, some flour and oil?       God’s representative he may eat of it, but it’s not a gift for him. Is it for God? It is commanded by God, but what does He need of such things? The leper offers it, but is it God’s gift for the leper that he may be restored, sanctified, and be publicly restored in worship. Further, the gift is a proof, literally, a martyring, a witnessing to the priests. It declares that the Lord Jesus is able and wills to restore the one cut off from Israel; to restore him whose ailment is an icon of sin. It is an epiphany faith receives.

          Meanwhile… When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, saying “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”  This is a Gentile, and for a Jew to enter the company of Gentiles is to be defiled, so said the desire of man, the traditions of the Pharisees. Jesus ignores that starting point, for he seems intent on absorbing all our guilt.  Jesus says most definitely, he will come to the Gentile’s home, and a Roman centurion’s at that, an oppressor of Israel. Jesus has authority to heal and a will to restore a fallen creation, an unclean creation, a dying creation. He promises to heal the man’s servant. That’s Jesus’ answer to this Gentile who deeply cares for his suffering servant. Jesus takes on that suffering too, as the Father’s suffering servant.

          Why did the centurion come to Jesus? He’s heard of Him too. But more then that, this foreign soldier does not start with Caesar or any human authority. He says Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed; for I too am a man under authority with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” “Lord,” says the centurion. The soldier’s explanation tells us he means more than “sir.”  The centurion recognizes Jesus’ authority. He is LORD, the Son of God.   Compare the faith of the leper and the centurion to most of Israel, to the Pharisees and Sadducees who never told Jesus they were unworthy of him. That’s a clue saying unbelief starts with us, our failing to start with the revealed God. If we started with God, how could we think ourselves worthy? For example, why didn’t the High Priest remove his sacred garments and beg Jesus to put them on and take his proper place? But the centurion who understands authority calls Jesus the Divine Name, because he believes. And faith receives the will of God. Every repentant sinner who confesses unworthiness shall see the righteousness of God, for we who believe are authoritatively declared forgiven by Jesus.         

          When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Although Jesus came to find the lost sheep of Israel here is this Gentile who believes.  But the children of Abraham refuse to admit that Jesus fulfills the covenant. He is the gift that restores lepers. He fulfills the office of the High Priest and He is the Passover lamb. So Jesus points to this Gentile and said to Israel, to those who followed him down the mountain and into the streets, those he taught. He said to those who had the witness of the prophets from Abel to Malachi, he asked who believes like this Roman soldier?  What is Israel’s problem? It is not knowledge, but how they approach it. They start with their desires, reasoning and will. In short, they prefer the blindness, rebellion, and wrong inclination in our very nature.

          Most of Israel begins with “their” desires, wants, needs, ideas, concepts, aspirations; and would much rather justify ourselves than be justified by God. How much is that like us? If that’s where we remain, we won’t receive the justification of God, for His beginning for us is first a fear of Him, a repentance confessing unworthiness, and ending with faith in grace. That’s Him for us, and where you are now, isn’t it? You are Gentiles who admit unworthiness, and believe the Lord Jesus wills to restore sinners. Jesus calls Israel to repentance, warning them, “Truly many Gentiles will feast, seated with the Patriarchs. But you, given the promises of God set in a living history of God’s good will and authority, will be seated in hell.” There’s but one reason for that terrible warning. Jesus warns the unbelieving to repent and be cleansed. He desires to save all sinners.

          Here are four points for us. The first, if you want to find God as Father, begin with Jesus, and not with your desires. He bids us confess our sins daily, turning to Him who pardons and restores. Second, despite being outcasts from Israel two men who believed received the revealing of the Christ.  No matter how far we seem from the kingdom of God, faith will receive the blessings of the Redeemer. The third lesson, do not be afraid to ask great things of God, according to His will.  And to the centurion Jesus said “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.           The command “Go” tells the centurion He is under Jesus’ authority now. “You, under my authority, I the Lord say go in peace!”  The Lord Jesus’ authoritative command is a promise that we who believe will receive the good will of the Father. The fourth point: those who remain in the Lord Jesus have fellowship with God.

          How important is this epiphany; that Jesus, the Son of the Living God, has all authority, and His will is to redeem, restore, heal and cleanse unto eternity? We, who begin and continue in Him, under His authority, will feast in paradise with Him. This is the Lord Jesus’ will for you.  His will is clearly expressed in this text, and in what He now gives us under bread and wine. Bring all your needs to Him, for He is willing and able. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this O Lord unto us all.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord (Amen).