Latest / Reformed Thinking / The King’s Word and Works: Teaching, Heralding, and Healing (Matthew 4:23–25)

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The King’s Word and Works: Teaching, Heralding, and Healing (Matthew 4:23–25) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome back to Reformed Thinking.
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Today we're really going to dig into a section of Matthew's
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Gospel that, well, it's incredibly clever structurally
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and just packed theologically. We're focusing on Matthew
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chapter 4, verse 23, and how it functions.
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Is this crucial programmatic summary kind of the key really,
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that unlocks the whole central part of the Gospel, running from
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chapter 5 all the way through to Chapter 9, verse 35?
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Yeah, it's easy to sort of read Matthew and think, OK, chapters
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5 to 7, that's the Sermon on the Mount, that's all teaching.
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And then chapters 8 and 90, those are the miracles.
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That's all action. But if you separate them like
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that, you actually miss Matthew's careful design.
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He really doesn't want you to read them in isolation.
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Right. So that opening statement in
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4.23 isn't just, you know, moving the story along, It's
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this incredibly concise summary. It's like Matthew's telling you,
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the reader right up front, how this King Jesus plans to
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operate, how he'll show his authority and bring in his
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reign. And our goal today really is to
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get a handle on why Matthew so intentionally weaves together
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Christ's teaching, what we're calling the Word and his
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miracles, what we'll call the deed.
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Getting this connection is, well, it's essential because it
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defines Jesus not just as, say, a great ethical teacher or maybe
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just a miracle worker. No, it shows him as the
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authoritative king, the one who speaks with this unmatched
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right, this prerogative, and who acts with just incredible
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compassion. We need both, don't we?
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We need the light from His teaching and we need the mercy
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shown in His touch to really grasp who He is as.
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King OK, so the material we're looking at today really focuses
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on a few key things. There's this specific threefold
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pattern of ministry of Jesus consistently uses.
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Then there's the structural frame, like a literary hinge
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holding the narrative block together.
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We'll also look at the crowds, who they were, where they came
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from, which is surprisingly diverse.
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And maybe most critically for understanding Matthew's point,
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we need to look at the order he chooses.
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He puts the doctrine, the teaching before the big displays
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of divine power. And that order, well, it tells
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us something about where our focus should be.
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As follows all. Right, let's start by unpacking
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that core definition of Jesus's regular public work laid out
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right there in Matthew 4.23. Our sources really stressed that
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this verse isn't describing like a one off event, it's summing up
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the steady continuous rhythm of Jesus ministry day-to-day.
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That's exactly right. When Matthew describes what
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Jesus was doing across Galilee, he uses 3 present participles in
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the Greek text. And grammatically, that usage
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points to ongoing customary action.
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This wasn't just something Jesus did now and then, and this was
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his ministry pattern. This was the constant beat of
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his work. OK, So what are those 3 verbs?
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What defines that pattern? Well, first there's teaching.
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That's Didasken in Greek. This points to his systematic
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instruction often happening in places like the synagogue's,
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where he'd open up the scriptures and explain them.
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OK, teaching. What's next?
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2nd is heralding the Greek is Karishian.
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Now this is different from teaching.
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This is about authoritative public proclamation.
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Think of a royal announcement. Got it.
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Instruction, then proclamation and the third.
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The third is healing therapeutian.
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This covers his actions of mercy, restoring people from,
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well, every kind of sickness and affliction they were suffering
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under. So teaching, proclaiming, and
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restoring all happening together constantly.
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But why does Matthew put so much structural emphasis on this
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specific trio? Ah.
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Because Matthew is being a very careful writer here, a real
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architect, and the genius structurally is that this exact
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triad teaching, heralding, healing doesn't just show up
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once in 4.23. It comes back word for word in
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Charter 9 verse 35. It says Jesus went throughout
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all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and
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proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every
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disease and every affliction. Wow.
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OK, so that repetition, that book ending, that's clearly
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deliberate. It creates this frame, doesn't
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it? For everything that happens
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between Chapter 4 and Chapter 9? Like a literary hinge telling
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you how to read this whole central block.
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Exactly. Think of it like Matthew's
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giving you the blueprint for this section.
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He's saying look, these next 5 chapters I'm going to show you
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what this triad teaching, heralding, healing actually
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looks like when Jesus does it. This frame gives you the context
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you need to interpret what follows.
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And that frame seems to signal a really clear division within
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chapters 5 through 9. It sort of forces us to see two
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connected movements. Precisely.
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The first big movement is what we can call the King's words.
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That's chapters 5-6 and seven, the Sermon on the Mount.
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And notice the word comes first in the frame, teaching and
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heralding. So Matthew presents the King's
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primary activity as instruction. Here you get the doctrine, the
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royal law, the ethical shape of the Kingdom.
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OK, the king speaks 1st and then right after that massive block
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of teaching, we shift gears right into the second movement.
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Yes, the King's deeds. That's chapters 8:00 and 9:00.
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This shows the King in action. He demonstrates his authority
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and his compassion through this carefully selected sequence of
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10 miracles, and this part really showcases the healing
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element from that initial triad. So the flow is intentional.
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Word then deed. Chapters 5 to 7 are dense,
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demanding teaching. Chapters 8 to 9 are fast-paced,
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dramatic displays of power and mercy.
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Right. And the crucial insight, the
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reason Matthew structures it this way isn't just to report
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events chronologically. It's about how these two parts
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illuminate each other. The structure shows that the
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words interpret the works and the works authenticate the
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words. Matthew won't let you pull these
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two aspects of Jesus ministry apart.
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Ah. I see.
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So the words like those really tough demands in the sermon,
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they might seem idealistic, maybe even impossible if you
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didn't have the deeds right after showing his divine
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authority. Exactly.
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And conversely, the deeds, the healings, the miracles, they
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could be mistaken for just, you know, impressive magic tricks or
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spectacle if they weren't tied directly to the kingly teaching
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that explains their purpose and the identity of the one doing
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them. So chapters 5 through 7 give the
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theological meaning to the power he wields in chapters 8:00 and
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9:00, and then chapters 8 and 9 prove that the person who spoke
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the sermon actually has the divine right, the authority to
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make those kinds of demands. It's a confirmation of his rule.
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The instruction, the standard for his people, comes first, and
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then it's validated by the demonstration of his sovereign
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power. That order really directs our
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attention, doesn't it? It tells his subjects.
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Listen to the King's voice first and foremost.
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OK, let's drill down on that detail.
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Teaching the doskin is listed first.
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It comes before the heralding, before the healing.
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Now, from our perspective, you know, emphasizing Reformed
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theology in the high view of Scripture, what does putting
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teaching first tell us about Christ's priorities in his
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ministry? Well, it clearly signals the
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primacy of doctrine. Doctrine comes first because the
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king chooses to gather his people, his subjects, and shape
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them through instruction. It reminds us of that
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foundational principle. Faith comes by hearing.
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Before people can respond properly, whether in obedience
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or even just in awe, they need to understand.
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They need to grasp the nature of this Kingdom he's talking about
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and the kind of righteousness it requires.
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And where did this teaching usually happen?
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You mentioned synagogues earlier.
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Yes, he often taught in the synagogues.
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Those were the established places for reading and
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explaining the Old Testament scriptures.
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But right away. He stood out.
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He wasn't just another teacher repeating traditions like the
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scribes often did, you know, citing Rabbi so and so.
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No, Jesus opened the word with something completely different,
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unmatched authority. The crowds didn't just hear
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information, they sensed A fundamental difference in the
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source of the authority. Matthew highlights this later,
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doesn't he, when he says they were astonished at his teaching.
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Yeah, that's in Chapter 7. It feels like they recognized he
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wasn't just quoting authorities, he was the authority.
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That's a good way to put it here.
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And Matthew deliberately structures the Sermon on the
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Mount, chapters 5 to 7 to under score this claim to divine
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authority. Even the setting.
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Teaching on a mountain immediately makes you think of
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Moses receiving the law at Sinai, doesn't it?
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It absolutely does. It signals this is a new Sinai
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moment, but obviously with someone much greater than Moses.
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Precisely. This king speaks with a divine
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prerogative that both fulfills and in a sense transcends the
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Old Covenant law. The whole sermon is punctuated
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by that repeated, frankly stunning phrase.
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You have heard that it was said to those of old, but I say to
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you. That phrase.
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But I say to you, it's just staggering when you stop and
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think about it. He's not just tweaking the law
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or offering a new interpretation.
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He's speaking as the king, the ultimate lawgiver, laying down
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the standard with his own voice. It's a claim to divine identity,
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isn't it? Sovereignty over the very law he
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came to fulfill. It is.
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He doesn't just explain the law, he intensifies it, pushing it to
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its deepest spiritual intent. He dresses the root, not just
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the action, not just murder, but the anger that leads to it.
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Not just adultery, but the lustful thought.
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This shows that the Sermon on the Mount is truly the King's
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law for his people. It defines the character, the
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inner righteousness required for life in God's dawning reign.
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You could call it the Royal Charter of the Son of David.
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So the sermon isn't just like a list of nice ethical suggestions
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for being a good person. It's covenant instruction.
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It describes life under the active rule of Christ Himself.
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Yes, covenant instruction. It makes it clear that the
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righteousness demanded of Kingdom citizens has to go
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deeper than the external rule, keeping righteousness of the
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religious leaders of the day. The King's teaching is the
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living standard for his people, shaping them from the inside
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out. OK, let's shift to the second
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verb in that triad, heralding Karishen.
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How is that different from teaching to Dashen?
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They both seem to involve speaking.
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They're related for sure, but they have distinct functions.
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Teaching to Dashen is more about the systematic explanation, the
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how and what of living righteously in the Kingdom.
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Heralding Parishen is about the public authoritative
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announcement, more like The Who and when of the Kingdom's
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arrival. The word Keratian is
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specifically linked to the idea of a royal announcement made by
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an official herald. Like a town crier announcing the
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King's decree or arrival. Exactly that kind of official
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public declaration. It's spoken with the delegated
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authority of the king himself. The Herald's job is to bring the
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immediate news concerning the rain.
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And what was the content of that heralded message?
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It was the declaration that God's saving rule, his bathilia
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or Kingdom had arrived. It was drawing near.
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And the person and the work of Jesus the Messiah.
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Remember, Matthew already summarized Jesus's initial
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proclamation back in 4.17. Repent, for the Kingdom of
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heaven is at hand. The heralding is the public
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announcement that this long promised reign of God is no
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longer just future hope. It's breaking into the present.
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The King is here, His rule is active, and it demands a
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response, repentance and submission.
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So by putting both teaching the detailed instruction and
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heralding the royal announcement before the deeds, Matthew makes
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sure we understand the doctrine first.
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It's authoritative covenant law from the Son of David himself.
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It grounds all those ethical demands of the sermon in who
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Jesus actually is. Right.
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If you try to take away the royal announcement, the teaching
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just becomes abstract ethics. Maybe even a list of impossible
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ideals. But Matthew's structure forces
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you to hear the sermon. Not as good advice, but as law
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proclaimed by the true sovereign, the one who has the
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right to command. OK, now we get to the works, the
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deed part of the equation, the third verb, healing eruptium.
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If the Word is about doctrine and royal proclamation, what do
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the healing Acts functionally show us about Christ's kingship?
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Well, the deeds, the healings especially, function like
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enacted sermons. They're visible, tangible signs
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of the Kingdom. They publicly display the
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reality of that royal reign that Jesus just announced through his
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preaching. The word declared the rain.
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The deeds confirm it's actually here and operating the healing
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show Christ's sovereign rule over the effects of the fall,
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over sickness, corruption, even over demonic powers.
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It's the king exercising his right to reverse the curse.
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You mentioned earlier that Matthew uses that double every
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in 4.23 to stress how complete his healing was.
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Yes, that phrase pasan nosan Kai, pasan Malakian.
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Every disease and every affliction.
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It's a rhetorical way to emphasize comprehensiveness, and
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it reveals something beautiful. This is power joined to pity,
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supreme authority coupled with a deep compassion.
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Jesus meets the entire range of human suffering.
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Chronic illness, debilitating weakness, sudden agonizing pain.
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It doesn't matter. The King isn't limited.
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His power and mercy are sufficient for the whole
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spectrum of human misery. And this brings us to that
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specific list of sufferers Matthew gives in verse 24.
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It's not just a general statement.
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He names distinct categories. Why is that detailed list that
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taxonomy so significant? Matthew's being very precise
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here, and it matters. He's showing that Jesus
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addresses different kinds of ruin that resulted from the fall
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the list includes. First, the demonized diamond is
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ominous. Right.
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This represents the reality of moral spiritual tyranny, direct
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hostile spiritual oppression and bondage.
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It's not just sickness, it's spiritual warfare.
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OK, second, the seizure suffers. Selenani is ominous.
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This is sometimes translated lunatics, possibly referring to
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epilepsy or severe mental and neurological disorders.
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That seems likely. This category covers afflictions
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affecting the mind and nerves, things that cause dramatic
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physical or behavioral issues. But notice Matthew carefully
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distinguishes this from direct demonization.
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That is an interesting distinction.
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And 3rd. 3rd The paralytics. Paralyticus.
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Conditions that rob people of movement, of strength in their
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limbs, leaving them helpless. So he could have just said he
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healed everyone. But by listing these three
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types, spiritual oppression, mental nervous system issues and
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physical paralysis, what's the theological point?
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Matthew's driving home. He's making a really crucial
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pastoral point, actually. It guards against two potential
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errors. First, Matthew refuses to lump
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every problem under a spiritual cause.
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This protects against superstition or wrongly blaming
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someone's faith for a physical ailment.
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But second, and just as critical, he refuses to reduce
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spiritual bondage to mere Physiology or psychology.
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This guards against a kind of modern reductionism that denies
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the reality of the demonic. Jesus addresses the whole
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person, the spiritual conflict, the broken body, the disordered
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mind, and the key take away. For every single one of these
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distinct categories, Matthew's summary is simple.
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And he healed them. No condition, no matter its
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source or severity, proves resistant to his command.
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His authority is absolute across the board.
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That distinction has huge implications for how the Church
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should approach suffering today, doesn't it?
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Recognizing the different facets of human brokenness.
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It absolutely does. We need wisdom to see that some
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situations call for prayer for deliverance from spiritual
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attack. Others need competent medical
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care for the body or mind. So others need therapy or rest.
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The King's power ultimately covers restoration in all these
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areas, even if his chosen means vary.
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In Matthew, describing these healings, the lame walking, the
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sick restored, that connects directly back to Old Testament
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prophecies about the Messiah, right?
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Oh definitely. This list of healings aligns
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perfectly with Isianic expectations.
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These aren't just random acts of kindness.
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They are enacted prophecies. They serve as Jesus's
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credentials, showing he is the awaited Messiah.
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They signal the promised age has begun.
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Remember Isaiah 35? Then the eyes of the lion shall
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be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
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Then shall the lame man leap like a deer.
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Jesus is doing the very things the prophet said the Messiah
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would do. He's providing tangible proof
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that he is who he claims to be. Exactly.
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And Matthew takes it even deeper.
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In chapter 8 verse 17, he explicitly interprets this
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healing ministry through the lens of the Suffering Servant.
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Quoting Isaiah 53.4, Matthew says Jesus healed people so that
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the prophecy might be fulfilled. He took our infirmities and bore
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our diseases. Now that's a fascinating
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connection. How does healing someone's
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temporary sickness in Galilee relate to bearing their
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diseases, which we usually associate with the cross?
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It shows the profound depth of the King's compassion and the
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substitutionary nature of his work.
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Even in these early acts, Matthew is suggesting that when
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Jesus relieved these burdens, casting out demons, restoring
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strength, taking away pain, he was already in a sense entering
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into the reality of human suffering.
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He was demonstrating the principle of substitutionary
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burden bearing. Every healing was a pointer
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towards the ultimate healing needed, forgiveness of sin and
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reconciliation with God accomplished on the cross.
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The physical cures were powerful previews, foretaste of the
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complete restoration he came to achieve by bearing our ultimate
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disease, sin itself. So the deeds don't just show
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kingly power, but kingly compassion and substitutionary
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identification with our plight. They confirm he has both the
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authority and the heart to deal with every kind of misery.
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Yes. They have the public, merciful
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validation of the royal word, he proclaimed.
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The one who lays down the strict demands of the sermon is the
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same one who has the divine power and willingness to lift
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the burdens of this fallen world.
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So Matthew very deliberately holds the word chapters 5 to 7
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and the deed chapters 8 to 9 tightly together using that 4.23
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and 9.35 frame. Why is keeping this pairing
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intact so critical for us today? What kind of mistakes does the
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structure help us avoid? Well, that intentional framing,
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that unity, it guards against two very common and frankly
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dangerous errors that crop up again and again in Christian
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life and in the church. Matthew's structure is
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pastorally protected. OK, what's the first danger?
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The first is what you might call spedicle hunting.
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This is the mistake of falling Jesus mainly for the signs and
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wonders, the miracles, the immediate benefits.
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You know, seeking the marvels without actually heeding his
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teaching or submitting your life to the King's commands.
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Right. People are drawn by a need,
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maybe for healing or help, and they want the kingdom's
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benefits, but maybe not the responsibilities that come with
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being a citizen of that Kingdom. Precisely.
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They might be happy to follow Jesus all over Galilee as long
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as he's doing amazing things, but they might balk the radical
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demands of his doctrine, things like loving enemies or the need
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for internal purity, not just outward conformity.
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Matthew anticipates this. Think about the flow He
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describes the massive crowds drawn by the healings in 4.2425
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and then immediately in 5.12 he shows Jesus sitting down and
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delivering the hard demands of discipleship to those who would
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truly follow. The structure itself is a kind
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of challenge, isn't it? It forces the reader to shift
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focus from what Jesus does for your immediate needs to what He
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requires of your heart and life. Absolutely amazement at the
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miracles is appropriate, but it's not enough.
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It has to lead to submission to his instruction.
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Matthew guides us away from being mere passive spectators
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wowed by the show, towards becoming active learners who
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take the King's authoritative voice seriously.
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OK, that's the first error. Seeking signs without
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submission. What's the second error this
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word deed framing prevents? The second error is the opposite
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danger moralism or just seeing Jesus as a good ethical teacher.
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This is where someone might admire Jesus teachings, maybe
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praise the Sermon on the Bound as wonderful ethics calling him
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a great religious figure, but they ignore or downplay the
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divine power and the unique identity that authenticated his
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person and his mission. Sort of treating the someone on
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the mount like a nice set of ideals detached from who Jesus
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actually is and maybe dismissing the miracle stories as just, you
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know, myths or exaggerations from a pre scientific age.
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Yes, exactly. Reducing Jesus to just a moral
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guide. But Matthew insists the person
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making those radical ethical demands, the one saying, but I
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say to you, is the very same sovereign Lord who acts with
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comprehensive divine power. Matthew refuses to let you
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separate the King's command from the King's power.
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So the word isn't just good advice, it's the command of the
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Sovereign Lord, and his deeds prove he has the authority and
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the power to back it up. The unity is essential, and this
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integration of teaching and power also connects to how
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Christ normally works in His church today, which aligns with
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the Reformed understanding of the means of grace.
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Right, because we don't typically expect Jesus to walk
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around around performing the same kind of instantaneous
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public healings today. So how does this word indeed
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unity apply now? Well, the primacy of teaching
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the Word coming first corresponds to the ordinary
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means of grace that Christ uses to gather and nourish His Church
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throughout history. The public reading and preaching
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of Scripture, the right administration of the
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sacraments, baptism in the Lord's Supper and prayer.
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These are his established channels for building His
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Kingdom. Now the miracles recorded in
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Matthew. The deeds.
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They function as public seals or attestations.
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During that foundational period, they authenticated the messenger
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Jesus and his message. They confirmed his unique
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identity and authority. They aren't meant to be the
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everyday credential of the church now, but the theological
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truth. They revealed that Christ is
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sovereign over all creation and all misery.
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That remains absolutely true and gives us confidence.
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So even if we don't chase the specific signs from Matthew 8:00
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and 9:00, we trust the king who performed them, and we rely on
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the word he gave us administer through the means he ordained.
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That's the balance, and the mutual necessity remains
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crucial. Think about it.
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Compassion without the King's news, without the contigoration,
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the gospel proclamation, Well, it might provide temporary help,
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but it lacks eternal weight, which has become social work.
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But conversely, proclamation without tangible compassion,
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without the spirit of therapune, of caring for real needs, can
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easily sound hollow, cold, or hypocritical.
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Matthew holds word and deed together so that we receive both
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the truth of his teaching and the tangible reality of his
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mercy. A full picture of the king
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requires both. OK, so Jesus starts his ministry
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up in Galilee. Matthew already pointed out this
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fulfills Isaiah 9, the land of darkness seeing a great light,
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but doesn't stay local for long, does it?
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The crowds start pouring in from all over the place.
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Let's look at just how wide the reach was even early on, as
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described in Matthew 4.2425. Yeah, the scope explodes almost
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immediately. It tells you right away this
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isn't just some small regional movement.
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Matthew notes that Jesus's fame spread through all Syria.
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Now, Syria was a huge Roman province to the north of
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Galilee, and it had a really diverse population.
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Jews, Greeks, Romans, Arameans, you name it.
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So the fact that his fame reached all Syria signals that
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the impact of his work is already crossing the usual
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ethnic and geographical lines even before he gives the Great
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Commission. And then Matthew lists the
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specific regions where people were coming from to see Jesus.
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It feels like he's deliberately piling up regions to emphasize
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just how widespread this attraction was.
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He really is. The list is strategically chosen
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to cover the map. Basically, you've got.
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Home base Galilee makes sense. Then the Decapolis.
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Now this was a league of about 10 self governing Greek
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influence cities, mostly east of the Sea of Galilee.
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And the key thing here is our sources highlight is that this
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represents strongly Gentile influence territory.
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The king isn't just sticking to Jewish areas, his light is
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already reaching out towards the nations.
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OK, Galilee, the Decapolis than the religious and political
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core. Right, Jerusalem and Judea.
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This is the Jewish heartland, home of the Temple, the center
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of religious life and the area under direct Roman
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administration. So people coming down from the
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north Galilee, Syria and up from the South, Judea.
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And the last one mentioned. The land beyond the Jordan,
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which refers to the areas east of the Jordan River, often
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called Peria and other sources another mixed region.
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So by listing all these places, Jewish heartland, Hellenized
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gentile areas, the northern base, the southern center, the
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eastern territories, Matthew paints this picture of a massive
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convergence. People are streaming in from
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everywhere, a remarkably diverse multitude drawn by this one man.
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And this geographical sweep starting up in Galilee of the
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nations, it clearly points to something much bigger, doesn't
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it? Oh, it's deeply theological.
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First, as you said, the setting in Galilee fulfills Isaiah 9.1
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to 2. Light dawning in the darkness,
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but second this diverse crowd, especially with people coming
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from the Decapolis, It foreshadows the ultimate scope
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of the Kingdom. It anticipates the Abrahamic
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promise, doesn't it? That through Abraham's seed, all
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the families of the earth would be blessed.
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Exactly. It sets the stage for later
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encounters in Matthew, like the Roman centurion's amazing faith
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in chapter 8 or Jesus dealing with the demoniacs in the
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Gentile region of the Gadarenes. Matthew is showing us right from
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the start that the magnetic pull of the King's word indeed has a
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fundamentally universal trajectory.
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And you mentioned earlier that all motif connecting this
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beginning section to the very end of the gospel.
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Yes, it's a beautiful inclusio structural echo here in chapter
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4, the king heals every disease, every affliction, 4.23, showing
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his comprehensive power and compassion.
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Then at the very end of chapter 28, verses 18 to 20, the
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resurrected Christ declares He has been given all authority.
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He commissions His disciples to make disciples of all nations,
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and He promises to be with them all the days.
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That repetition of all links, the beginning of His earthly
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ministry, His total confidence over suffering to the ultimate
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scope of His reign and mission. His authority is total.
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His mission is global. His presence is constant.
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Which means when we read the Sermon on the Mount, we
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shouldn't read it as just some local rules for 1st century
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Galileans. It's the royal law of the Son of
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David. Whose rain is meant for the
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whole world. The ethics are universal because
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the King's authority is universal.
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That's precisely the implication the geographical breath
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foreshadows the global Commission.
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OK, Matthew paints this picture in 4.25.
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Huge crowds converging from all these different regions, drawn
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by the teaching, the heralding, the healing.
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It's dramatic. But then the narrative takes a
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sharp, deliberate turn. Chapter 5, verse one.
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Jesus sees the crowds, goes up on the mountain, and sits down
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and teaches disciples. What's the significance of that
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shift, moving from the spectacle of the masses to focused
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instruction for learners? That structural move is
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incredibly important. It functions like a sift.
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The crowds, understandably, are drawn by immediate needs, by
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curiosity, by the sheer wonder of it all.
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They are, in a large part, spectators, but Jesus and
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Matthew, guiding the reader, immediately shifts the focus.
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He moves away from the broad appeal of the miracles towards
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the specific demands placed on those who would actually follow
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him. It guides us away from being
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merely fascinated onlookers toward becoming active learners
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who submit to the King's voice. So the wonders might attract the
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initial attention, but it's the word, the teaching, that defines
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and retains the true disciple. That's the critical distinction
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Matthew is making. Jesus goes up the mountain,
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another echo of Sinai, emphasizing authority, and he
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directs his teaching specifically to the disciples,
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those who had already made some commitment to follow.
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The sermon that follows immediately presses the
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question, OK, the miracles are are amazing, but who's going to
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stick around when the excitement fades and only the yoke of the
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King's teaching remains? Who is willing to actually live
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this way? It shows the King is much more
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concerned with the quality of allegiance than just the size of
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the crowd, doesn't it? Absolutely huge crowds might
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look impressive, but they don't necessarily mean genuine Kingdom
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growth if those people aren't willing to actually submit to
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the King's instruction. Matthew is pastorally very
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realistic about crowds. They can be amazed, curious,
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even desperate for help, but still remain fundamentally
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unchanged and uncommitted to obedience.
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And what then, is the mark of genuine allegiance according to
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Matthew here? Well, the sermon itself
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concludes by defining it clearly in Chapter 7, verses 24 to 27.
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True allegiance is marked by hearing and doing the King's
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words. The wise person builds their
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life on the rock of Christ teaching, not on the shifting
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sands of mere emotional response or chasing signs.
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That's the difference between superficial curiosity and real
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discipleship. This has some pretty direct
27:26
implications for us today, maybe even a warning about how we
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sometimes measure ministry success.
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It certainly does. It cautions against prioritizing
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ministry metrics that are based only on hype, big numbers or
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emotional experiences. The king himself established his
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rule primarily through instruction.
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So faithfulness to teaching the whole council of God and seeing
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genuine growth and holiness and obedience in people's lives,
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that's what carries lasting weight.
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The king gathers his true subjects through his word, not
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primarily through spectacle. Moving from the healings in the
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fields to the teaching on the mountain is a move from wonder
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to the hard work of righteousness.
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Let's circle back one last time to that careful distinction
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Matthew made back in 4.24 between the demonize the seizure
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sufferers and the paralytics. What are the practical
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implications for pastoral care today?
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Well, that careful categorization is really helpful
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pastorally. It demands prudence and
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discernment, guarding against overly simplistic diagnosis or
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solutions for suffering. It warns US against, you know,
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automatically assuming every physical or mental struggle is
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direct demonic attack, or conversely, denying spiritual
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reality altogether. Meaning we need both faith and
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wisdom. Exactly.
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We need wisdom to discern the nature of the struggle.
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The church is called to pray earnestly for the sick.
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Absolutely, as James 5 tells us, we should expect God to act.
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But we are also called to use the good gifts of God found in
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sound medicine, therapy, counsel, and practical care
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where they're appropriate. The King's power is ultimate,
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and he can and intervene directly and miraculously, but
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we also submit to his wisdom when he chooses to sustain us
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through weakness, perhaps like he did with Paul's thorn in the
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flesh, rather than removing it immediately.
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His timing and methods are his own, but his sufficiency,
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demonstrated in Matthew 4, covers every category of human
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misery. We trust Him whether he heals
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now or sustains us until the final restoration.
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So the picture Matthew paints right at the start of Jesus's
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public ministry is one of perfect balance, unwavering
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commitment to the authority and truth of the Word, combined with
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deep, active, tangible compassion for people suffering
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in every way, spiritually, mentally, physically.
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And that compassion flows from who he is.
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Matthew later explicitly connects Jesus's actions to his
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heart, saying he saw the crowds and had compassion on them
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because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
29:45
shepherd. So this whole section, Matthew
29:47
4.2325, really serves as a call to follow Jesus, moving from
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initial wonder to committed obedience, from being part of
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the crowd to becoming a disciple, recognizing the King
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who both commands righteousness and cares deeply for the broken.
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Hashtag tag Tag outro. Well, really digging into this
30:05
programmatic snapshot in Matthew 4 has been incredibly helpful.
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See how Matthew uses verses 23 through 25 almost like a compass
30:11
for reading the next 5 chapters. It forces you, the reader, to
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see Jesus as both the authoritative law giver, the
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Word has primacy and the compassionate Lord.
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The deed confirms His identity and His message.
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And keeping that integration is vital, isn't it?
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It stops us from splitting doctrine from mercy or
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separating His authority from His compassion.
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We have to take the King's whole council, understanding His high
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standards and His sovereign sufficient care for us in our
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brokenness, right? And maybe a final thought to
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leave with you is looking forward, connecting this
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foundational work of Jesus in Galilee to the end goal, the
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consummation of his Kingdom. Those healings he performed,
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reversing paralysis, bringing peace to troubled minds, casting
30:47
out demons they would describe as the first rays of the world
30:50
to come. They were clear signs that God's
30:52
future reign was breaking into the present.
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So if Christ's Word and his power already addressed the full
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range of human brokenness, spiritual darkness, mental
31:00
anguish, physical decay right there in the villages of
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Galilee, just imagine what the King's final restoration will
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look like when he returns, when he wipes away every tear and
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makes all things new. What aspect of human suffering
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maybe 1 Matthew specifically catalog?
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Are you most eagerly anticipating seeing Christ
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reverse completely when His reign is fully and finally
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realized? That guarantee is powerful,
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isn't it? That the same King who commanded
31:23
righteousness is the one who ultimately cures all affliction?
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It gives tremendous hope for that final day.
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Thank you for joining us for this deep look into Matthew's
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Gospel. We look forward to sitting down
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with you again for our next dive into Scripture here on Reformed
31:38
Thinking.