NOTES for Mat 8:14-22
14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. |
15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. |
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: |
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. |
18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. |
19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. |
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. |
21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. |
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. |
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It is hardly accidental that Matthew emphasizes that the sick were brought to Christ when evening had come. This can indicate that people were afraid to come in daylight. But it can also testify that all this was taking place on the Sabbath and that people came immediately after the end of the Sabbath rest, without losing a minute.
Let us note that Peter's healed mother-in-law immediately began to serve, and in this way she not only returned to the household concerns familiar to her, but also began to serve Christ in the way familiar to her. We do not meet any further mention of her anywhere, and nowhere is it said that Christ sent her to any special ministry. But one can serve Christ in any place, amid ordinary occupations.
Yet those who want to be near Him He confronts with the reality of difficulties. Jesus warns the scribe who promises to follow Christ wherever He goes about the hardships and about the fact that one should not count on comfort. That answer is understandable. But His answer to another disciple, who wants to bury his father, causes perplexity. Here too, thanks to commentators who know ancient customs, we can understand that the disciple's father is alive, which means the disciple intends to sit at home for years instead of following Christ.
Yet it is impossible to avoid forever the choice of whether to follow Christ or not.
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