CRITICAL NOTES
Matthew 14:34. The land of Gennesaret.—A plain two miles and a half in length and about one mile in breadth. Josephus speaks of its beauty (Wars, III. x. 8), and Dr. Robinson says, “Its fertility, indeed, can hardly be exceeded.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Matthew 14:34-36
Jesus on land.—From the fact that this land of Gennesaret is only mentioned here and in Mark 6:53-56, and from the parallel fact that the men who lived there do not seem to have recognised Christ at the first (Matthew 14:35), it has been thought by some that it lay outside the usual “beat” of the Saviour. If so, that may be why He chooses it now; being still anxious, it may be, not to come very much under the notice of Herod (see Matthew 14:1; Matthew 14:12). But even if so, we find that when He does come to this place He is the same here as elsewhere. Indeed, in some things, we here find unusual evidence of His usual mercy and power; as, for example, in the need dealt with, in the first place; the means employed, in the second; and the effect achieved in the third.
I. The need dealt with.—Many things seemed to draw unusual attention to this. The unusual fertility and abundance of the neighbourhood, of which the commentaries tell us so much, from Josephus and others, would do so, to begin. Where every corner and all the growth of that garden-like land seemed to be ministering to the abundance of its inhabitants, it was the more striking and the more pathetic to find many of them in need; and in that kind of need, also, which, lying within a man, no outward wealth can supply. What signifies it to a “sick” man that he has the choicest of foods within reach? The largest possible supply of them leaves his necessity where it was; if it does not even go further and make its utter helplessness so much the more grievous. Further, the unusual efforts made by the “men of that place” to bring their sick within reach of the Saviour, tell much the same tale. Once they discovered who their Visitor was, they allowed no rest to any who could help in bringing any sick ones to His feet. No part of “that region” was left unvisited by them. None that were known to be sick were allowed to remain where they were. A lively proof, indeed, of the depth of the sympathy felt for their case. A sympathy shown all the more, in the last instance, by the language employed when brought near. “They besought Him” for His help (Matthew 14:36). “They” did so—“they” all did so—alike the sick and the whole. The sick by their looks, if by nothing beyond. The whole by the extreme earnestness, by the tearfulness, of their words. “Do not let these, our utterly needy ones, be without help.”
II. The simplicity of the means.—So far as the patients and their friends were concerned, nothing more was required, in the first instance, than that they should be brought somehow into the presence of Jesus. Only let Him know, of them—only let Him notice them—nothing more was required. No external inducement. No evidence of worthiness. No appeal to vainglory. No offer of fee. All that was sought for was to move His compassion. All that was needed was to elicit His power. Nor was anything more required, in the second instance, than to be brought into contact with that. Any action of faith that sufficed to do that, sufficed to do all. Not merely the blessed person of the Saviour Himself—not merely any part of any of the garments by which that person was clothed—but even that “hem of His garment” which, as it were, was little more than an appendage thereto, if touched only in that spirit, sufficed to do all. So far as the sick themselves were concerned, all who “touched” the “border of His garment” did all that was needed. That touch of faith comprised the very outside of all that was asked at their hands.
III. The perfection of the result.—Two things especially are said here to impress this upon us. The first has to do with the universality of the result. There were no exceptional cases amongst the “many” cases brought for relief. No cases “discharged” only, as being less “amenable” than the rest. Doubtless, among so “many,” there were some of exceptional nature and depth. Some that would be brought, it is possible, with much less hope than the rest. Some who would say probably, and say so, moreover, not without some excuse for it, from their side of the matter, He can do nothing for me. Even such cases, however—from His side of the matter—were just the same as the rest. He did for the worst there as He did for the best. The second special feature has to do with the thoroughness of these cures. They were not partial cures only, or half cures, or unfinished recoveries, or mere mitigations of evil; or of mere relief only, and not of removal; or of anything in short, at all less, in my way, of utterly banishing the whole sickness in hand. “As many as touched were made perfectly whole” (διεσώθησαν), were thoroughly saved (Matthew 14:36). This was true of them all. They went away from the Saviour—all of them did—wholly delivered from whatever evil they had brought to His feet.
We may apply the truths thus brought before us with great comfort and force, to the greater needs of our souls. He who thus did so much and so freely for the bodies of men has Himself drawn our attention to the deeper importance of their souls (see Matthew 10:28). We cannot doubt, therefore, but that He will be at least as willing to help us in this respect too. We may even argue, and that most legitimately, seeing that it was His infinite compassion only that moved Him to give such perfect relief to these touching cases of bodily suffering, that He will be even more willing, if that be possible, to give help to the soul. The deeper the necessity, the stronger the claim to such a nature as His. Nor can we doubt, on the other hand, His being in this case also, as able to help. He “who was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” has obtained thereby a sufficiency of redemptive power for the very utmost of our needs (2 Corinthians 5:21; see also Hebrews 7:25). And that, such a power also, as can be secured by us by the simple exercise of faith, provided only and of course that it be faith, and not a mere substitute only for that simplest and yet most precious of gifts.
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Matthew 14:34-36. Miracles by wholesale.—
I. The forwardness and faith of the men of that place.—These were more noble than the Gergesenes, their neighbours, who were borderers upon the same lake. Those besought Christ to depart from them—they had no occasion for Him; these besought Him to help them, they had need of Him. Christ reckons it the greatest honour we can do Him to make use of Him. Here we are told:—
1. How the men of that place were brought to Christ.—They “had knowledge of Him.” If Christ were better known He would not be neglected as He is. The discerning of the day of our opportunities is a good step towards the improvement of it.
2. How they brought others to Christ.—By giving notice to their neighbours of Christ’s being come into those parts, (Matthew 14:35). There is in Christ enough for all, so there is nothing got by monopolising. Neighbourhood is an advantage of doing good which must be improved.
3. What their business was with Christ.—They “brought unto Him all that were diseased.”
4. How they made their application to Him (Matthew 14:36).—
(1) With great importunity.
(2) With great humility.
(3) With great assurance of the all-sufficiency of His power.
II. The fruit and success of their application to Christ.—
1. Christ’s cures are perfect cures.
2. There is abundance of healing virtue in Christ for all that apply to Him, be they never so many.
3. The healing virtue there is in Christ is put forth for the benefit of those that by a true and lively faith touch Him.—Matthew Henry.
Matthew 14:36. The great Healer.—“As many as touched,” etc. Our Lord’s miracles of healing had a twofold import; they were credentials of His Divine authority and also representations of the higher work He had come to do for the world. Physical disease is a type of moral disorder, and as Jesus dealt effectually with the one, so can He with the other.
I. Man’s moral condition may be represented as one of disease.—A state of disease is an abnormal state. This disease a very terrible one.
1. It is asold and as extensive as the race.
2. It affects the entire man.
(1) To this evil are to be referred the infirmities and deformities, the pains and sicknesses, that afflict the body and eventually bring it down to the grave. The physical evils from which many suffer are the direct fruit of their own wrong-doing. Infants suffer by reason of the solidarity of the race. Moral evil the root from which all physical evils spring.
(2) And the immaterial part of man is affected by this terrible malady as well—his intellectual and spiritual nature, his mind and his soul. The understanding is impaired and darkened (Ephesians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 2:14). The judgment is deranged. The will perverse and obstinate. The affections turned from God, their true Object (Romans 8:7). The conscience so affected that a man may act conscientiously and yet do wrong (John 16:2; Acts 26:9). A loadstone near the needle may turn a ship out of its course. The memory has much greater affinity for what is evil than for what is good. And the imagination is ever deluding the soul. In addition to all this, man is insensible to his true condition. Sin “affects the very organ by which itself can be detected.”
3. It is a most virulent and contaminating disease.—Like physical disorders, it has its stages. The worst man living might become worse still. Every sinner gives out an influence which is calculated to call forth into evil deed the latent evil slumbering in the natures of those around him. It is useless for a man to say “I will keep my bad habits to myself; they shall affect no one else.” There is a force in a man’s evil example that must affect others, and that is calculated to draw out the depravity of their hearts in the same direction and make them like himself (Ecclesiastes 9:18; 1 Corinthians 15:33).
4. Left to run its course it must in every case terminate fatally.—Man insensible to his condition. But if fully alive to his state would be powerless to help himself. “Without strength.” Nor is there any tendency to reaction or convalescence (Jeremiah 13:23; James 1:15).
II. There is a fulness of healing virtue in Jesus Christ.—He is the only physician who can deal effectually with man’s case. The world’s specifics for the regeneration of society are good as far as they go, but not radical enough. E.g. Education, socialism, etc. But Jesus Christ is equal to the task of removing this disease in its most malignant forms (see Titus 2:14; Philippians 3:20-21, etc.).
III. The healing virtue which dwells in Jesus Christ is available for every sincere and earnest applicant.—The diseased ones spoken of in the text were “brought” to Jesus by others, but they themselves “touched” Him. This implies:—
1. That they were distressed about this diseased condition and anxious to be cured.—Though the great moral malady renders its subjects insensible to their true state, a gracious, Divine influence is exerted upon their minds for the purpose of discovering to them their depravity and sin, and of leading them to the great Healer. If not healed, the fault is your own. You have received light, but have not improved it—have not thought on your ways—“This is the condemnation, that light” etc.
“The deaf may hear the Saviour’s voice,
The fettered tongue its silence break;
But the deaf heart, the dumb by choice,
The laggard soul that will not wake,
The guilt that scorns to be forgiven,
These baffle e’en the spells of heaven.”
2. That they had faith, more or less strong, in Christ’s ability and willingness to heal them.—So we must not only cast away all expectation of being healed by any other, but must cherish the assurance that Christ is both able and willing to make us whole. Not that we must remain from Him until the assurance becomes strong. The all-important matter is to get to Christ and, I say, it is a sense of His ability and willingness to heal and save as well as a sense of need that brings the sinner to Him.
3. They were healed by a most simple method.—A “touch” opened the communication between the springs of healing virtue that dwelt in Christ and their poor diseased selves. They could not boast of what they had done. All the glory of this work of healing was Christ’s. So in salvation (Romans 4:16). Believe! Live by faith, and a complete cure shall be wrought in thee!—H. M. Booth.