Who Will Follow Jesus?

Matthew 8:18-34

Jesus, because of the crowds, decides to get into the boat and cross the Sea of Galilee. Mark tells us other boats were loading up to follow. It is at this time two of Jesus disciples approach Him to declare their intentions of following Him. They just will not be able to join him at that moment. So, they explain why they are going to be delayed. These men are disciples. Yet not disciples like Peter, James and John whom Jesus have called to joined Him full-time and appoint to be apostles.

Would-be Disciples, 8:18-22

■ The Scribe Required Comforts of Life

The first one to approach Jesus is a scribe. Scribes were well-educated. Along with the Pharisees, most scribes rejected Jesus. Many of them were admonished by Jesus along with the Pharisees.

This is the first time someone of the upper class expresses a desire to be a disciple of Jesus. And this is the first time Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” when answering the scribe. This is a messianic title found in Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus’ answer informs the scribe that true discipleship of such a transient preacher as Himself would not involve the creature comforts, he was thinking about. Jesus did not have even the creature (foxes and birds) comforts. He never owned a home, just the clothes on his back. The scribe was not up for that kind of a teacher or discipleship. True discipleship involves total commitment (Luke 14:26).

■ The Son Required Convenience of Timing

The son seems to make a reasonable request to bury his father. Was Jesus being unreasonably insensitive? In the hot climate of Palestine, they buried their dead the on the day of death. If the disciple’s father had passed, he would have not even been talking with Jesus by the seashore. Jewish tradition required a mourning period of thirty days. Perhaps, the expression “let the dead bury the dead” was equivalent to “I want to wait until I receive my inheritance which is coming soon.” Others claim Jesus was in effect saying to him, “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.” Still one more possibility is the second burial. In the first burial one is placed in a tomb. After a year of mourning and the decomposition of the body, the bones were collected and places into an ossuary or bone box. This second funeral service ends the year-long mourning period. In this case Jesus is saying the dead is already with the dead. It is most likely the financial consideration of this would-be disciple. So Jesus is telling him that his commitment to discipleship is now not when it is convenient. A true disciple must follow Christ on Jesus term and not his own terms.

Amazed Disciples, 8:23-27

The storm was shaking. “Storm” is from the Greek seismos from which we derive “seismograph.” “The waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling” (Mark 4:37, ESV). The Sea of Galilee is only eight miles across and can be crossed in a couple of hours. Due to the fact that it is 680 feet below sea level and hills to the west and Mount Hermon towering in the north over nine thousand feet sudden violent storms are created as the winds sweep down the sloops to the warm sea.

The disciples had experienced fisherman on board, but they panicked. They even accused Jesus of not caring. He was asleep on a pillow in the stern (Mark 4:38).

What was amazing was not the storm, but that Jesus was asleep during the storm. Jesus was fully human, so He was very exhausted. He was fully divine, so He trusted God.

Jesus rebukes them for their “little faith.” This is in contrast to how he marveled earlier at the Centurions great faith. They should have had faith based on God’s care for man as explained in Psalms89:8-9; 107:23-30. As long as the Son of Man was in the boat, the Father of the Son of God was not going to let anything happen. As in the song we sing: “No water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean, and earth and skies.”

When Jesus calmed the storm, the waves and the wind did not subside gradually as normal, but instantly. This left the disciples in extreme amazement. The Son of Man can even control nature.

Demon Legion, 8:28-34

Jesus’ journey takes Him and His disciples to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee “to the country of the Gadarenes.” There he meets a man possessed by many demons called “Legion”. The healing of the Gadarene demoniac is also recorded in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39. Matthew’s account speaks of two demon possessed men. They were strong and mean and naked and lived among the tombs. No one could approach where they were. Jesus led His disciples from a storm-tossed sea to a demon haunted cemetery.

Jesus acknowledged the presence of demons, and they acknowledged him: When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many” (Mark 5:6-9).

Now, the demons who had unmercifully tormented this man beg Jesus to show them mercy: “Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country . . . all the demons begged Him, saying, ‘Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.’ And at once Jesus gave them permission” (Mark 5:10-13).

The demons had permission to leave the man, but they entered a herd of swine which ran down into the sea and drowned about two-thousand of them. Those tending the swine ran to town to tell others what had happened and “the whole city came out to meet Jesus” (8:34). The people were now so afraid of Jesus, they asked Him to depart. The man who was healed was asked to tell others of the great things done for him.

Much can be learned from this miracle. This event tells us that Jesus not only had power over the storms but over the powers of the unseen world. Second, “even the demons believe and tremble!” (Jas. 2:19). However, Legion’s faith could not save them. Legion begged Jesus not to torment him “before the time” and not to “command them to go out into the abyss” (Luke 8:28, 31; Matt. 8:29). Many today do not believe in Hell, but Legion did and was afraid.

Notice how the man who was freed from the demons reacted to Christ. He expressed gratitude and faith. Although his countrymen reacted with fear and rejection of Jesus, he wanted to stay with Christ. Jesus was able to use this man who was not clothed and in his right mind to spread the good news (Mark 5:19; Luke 8:39).

– Daniel R. Vess