Daily Devotional For Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Good day! Let's pick up in Matthew where we left off yesterday. After healing Peter’s mother-in-law from her illness, word began to spread and as a result, we read this in Matthew 8:16-17, “That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. (17) This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases’” (NLT). We know that this happened after the Sabbath (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) had ended (Mark 1:21 and Luke 4:31). So, almost as soon as sunset Saturday hit, so did the crowds seeking healing and exorcisms.
It says that people “brought” their sick to Jesus. The Greek New Testament word is [προσφέρω, prosphero]. It literally means “to carry a burden or to carry by moving.” They did not have Paramedics or ambulances back then like we do today, so literally people were carrying the sick to Peter’s home. The verb translated as “brought” is in the imperfect tense, which means people were continually being carried to this home. So, there was this steady flow or stream of sick or demon-possessed being brought to this home so Jesus could heal them.
It says that with a “word” Jesus cast out all the demons, thus proving His deity and authority over these demons. The fact that Jesus just gave the “word” and instantly, immediately, the demons left those they possessed shows the divine power Jesus had. As just a mortal man or an angel, Jesus would not have had such authority and power over demons. And to prove this more, Matthew quotes from Isaiah 53:4. The quote not only identifies Jesus’ Messiahship and work with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, but it proves Jesus’ power, authority and His character as an all-loving, all-merciful and all- caring Savior. Therefore, Jesus is able to meet not only our physical needs, but our psychological, emotional and spiritual needs.
So far in Matthew 8, we have seen Jesus heal a leper, Roman soldier’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law. This had to be shocking and let me tell you why. All 3 groups were considered “outsiders” by the Jews – lepers, Gentiles (Romans) and women. In those days, women were seen and considered to be second-class citizens. Even when they attended their local synagogues for worship, they were kept separate from the men. They had to sit at the back and behind screens not to be seen. This did allow them to hear the Rabbi’s teachings though they could not see him.
I think Matthew, who was Jewish and a Roman Tax collector, includes these 3 stories to prove that Jesus as the Messiah had come to fulfill Psalm 147:2, “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel” (NASB). All 3 were considered outcasts – to gather “the outcasts of Israel” (a leper and a woman), and of the world (a Roman slave), and women to the true Israel.”
By touching a woman, as Jesus did with Peter’s mother-in-law’s hand, He would have been considered unclean. Along the same lines, one of the Eighteen Benedictions prayed each day by any devout Jewish man was, “Lord, I thank Thee that I was not born a slave, a Gentile, or a woman.” So you see what Jesus was doing here? This is awesome! The first 3 recorded miracles by Jesus in Matthew involve 3 types of outcasts. Oh no, Jesus is letting outsiders in when others would have kept them out.
When Jesus died on the cross, we are told that the veil in the Temple was ripped from top to bottom Matthew 27:50-51. This was impossible to do by hand. The veil was 60 feet tall, 35 feet wide and 6 inches thick. It took some unbelievable force to rip this from top to bottom. This was by God’s hand to show that no longer did anyone need a priest to come to Him. We could and can go directly to Him. Inside the Temple, was the Holy of Holies, which only the High Priest could enter, then the Holy Place, where only priests could enter, then the Court of the Men, which only Jewish men would enter, the Court of the Women, which only Jewish women could enter, then the Court of the Gentiles, where converted Gentiles to Judaism could enter, and finally, the outer wall of the Temple complex.
With these three miracles the walls to the Court of the Women are broken down, then beyond that the walls of the Court of the Gentiles are broken down, and then beyond that, the walls of the temple itself are leveled, so that even the lepers of this world can wander in freely. Behold, with Jesus, as the gate (John 10:9), the gates to the kingdom of heaven are open to all who believe, to all who will call Him Lord and get up and serve Him. What this affirms are the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (NLT).
Assignment: Do you ever look at certain people in church as “second-class” or unwanted? Why do you think some people in the church treat others as “outsiders?” Could you be like Jesus to the people in your church that others treat as “outsiders”? Could you help them feel part of the family? Since Jesus’ death tore the veil in the Temple, will you be a “veil tearer?”
Scripture To Meditate On: Hebrews 10:19-22, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. (20) By His death Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain (veil) into the Most Holy Place. (21) And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, (22) let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please help me to reach out to those who feel they are “outcast” in Your church. Please forgive me when I seem to favor certain believers and church members over others. By your death on the cross, that veil has been ripped wide open to all who come to You. Thank You for reaching out in Your time to those who were outcasts inviting them in to You. Thank You that we are all one in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly