HEALING AT PETER'S HOUSE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Matthew 8:14-17

Matthew writes around themes and did not record Jesus' miracles in strict chronological order. In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew presented the teaching of the Messiah King concerning His Kingdom (Matt. 5-7). In chapter 8 His miraculous acts are the focus. There are ten miracles in this section which demonstrate His authority over disease and nature. The third instance of healing was at Peter’s house. Peter’s house is traditionally located about 100 yards from the synagogue at Capernaum. This city was the headquarters of Jesus ministry in Galilee. There was more than one healing on this occasion, Matthew treats it as one event. We see a process in the travel of Jesus in chapter 8. He came off the mountain (healing the Leper), then entering the city (where He meet the Centurion), now he comes to his destination—the house of Peter.

“Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s home, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left here. And she arose and served them: (8:14-15). This event is stated in the simplest terms and in a matter of fact manner. We see three elements to the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law:

·         The High Fever. It was normal for extended families to live under one roof in those days. Peter was married (cf. 1 Cor. 9:5) and his mother-in-law lived with the family. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. What caused the fever we are not told. In Jesus’ day they saw fever as the disease, not a symptom of disease or infection. There were three kinds of fever common in Israel at the time: (1) Malta fever, which was long term, and caused weakness, anemia, and often led to death. (2) an intermittent fever, which was like typhoid fever, and (3) malaria, which was common in the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee area. The word lying is the Greek word beblhmenhn, it is a passive perfect participle and means “having been thrown down.” This was no mild everyday fever, for the word indicates the severity of the fever.

·         The Healing. Jesus touched her, which was forbidden in rabbinic tradition. Upon His touch the fever went away instantly. This shows the instantaneous effectiveness of the healing power of Jesus.

·         The Helping. The instant cure led to instant service. It also indicates instantaneous restoration. Fever usually leaves one weak, but no indication of such here. The touch of Jesus gives strength. Constable notes: “This miracle shows Jesus' power to heal people fully, instantaneously, and completely. It also previews His compassion since the object of His grace was a woman. The Pharisees considered lepers, Gentiles, and women as outcasts, but Jesus showed mercy to them all.” [Thomas Constable, NOTES ON MATTHEW, 123.]

The word evidently got out that Jesus was healing in the area. By evening a number of people came to be touched by the healing hands of Jesus. We read, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses’” (8:16-17). This breaks down into two sections:

·         The possessed (8:16). As word got out, people brought those possessed with demons and sickness. Demon possession had its hayday during the time of Christ and will have again during the end times. Interestingly Demon possession seems to cause physical infirmities: dumbness (Matt. 9:32-33), blindness (Matt. 12:22), sickness (Luke 13:13-16), and lunacy (Matt 17:15), to name a few. The location is still Peter’s house, but probably not inside the house. If the ruins that are identified as Peters house are correct, then we know two things: First, Peter’s home had an outside courtyard, actually two of them. It was not unusual in Jesus’ day for homes to have outside living areas. Second, outside the front of Peter’s home was a public area large enough where a crowd could gather. [J.F. Stranges, H. Shanks, “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?” BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY REVIEW, 1982, 26-37.] The text does not indicate exactly where the healings took place.

The action of Jesus was immediate. He casted out spirits and healed all who were sick. This was done by the power of His word. The Greek word is the same as in verse 8 and used by the centurion—“with a command.” The word all (pantas) is inclusive. There was no sickness that Jesus could not heal, nor did not heal. The action notes the compassion and grace of the kingdom.

·         The prophecy (8:17). “That” or in order that is a preposition of purpose. Matthew sees the purpose of these healings as a direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He uses this quote as a summary of the triplet miracles. He sees these events as a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4 and quotes it (sort of): “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness” (8:17 cf. Isaiah 53:4). Morris notes that if Matthew is either quoting the LXX in its more paraphrased or free translation, or he may be quoting an independent translation from the Hebrew. In other words it is not a direct quote, either from the official Hebrew Masoretic version, or the Greek Septuagint (LXX) version of the Old Testament. This is the second of three that Matthew uses from Isaiah the prophet (cf. 1:22, 12:17-21). Isaiah 53 predicts the events surrounding the coming of the Servant of the Lord. Matthew associates the Isaiah text and its servant motif with the healing ministry of Jesus.

Since this passage is used by many claiming divine healing on the basis that Christ bore our sicknesses the same as sins. They believer there is physical healing in the atonement. Baker gives six answers why this is not proof of healing in the atonement. [C.F. Baker, UNDERSTANDING THE GOSPELS, 64].
(1) Matthew makes clear that Christ fulfilled this prophecy two years before His death and His making atonement. Thus, healing is not in the atonement.
(2) The verbs for bearing sin and bearing sickness are not the same. Anaphero is the Greek word used of bearing sin (1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:8; Isa. 53:12 [LXX]). The Greek word for bearing sickness is bastazo (Matt 3:11; Gal. 6:2; Rom. 15:1; Isa 53:4). Christ bore sickness in a separate way than our sin.
(3)  If salvation and healing are in the atonement, then healing and salvation are to be equated and if one loses his health, then one could lose his salvation. 
(4)  Paul experienced infirmities (the same word as Matt. 8:17) in which he gloried (2 Cor. 11:20; 12:9-10). Was Paul unsaved because his infirmities were not cured? Was Paul out of the will of God? Did He glory in being out of the will of God? Of course not.
(5) Such of view as healing in the Atonement denies Romans 8:23. Our final salvation includes a redeemed body, but not in this age. Turner calls these healings by Jesus as “tokens” of the ultimate eschatological results of redemption. [David Turner, MATTHEW, 235]. To this we may add that they were tokens of the coming Messianic Kingdom.
(6) It should be noted that God promised the nation of Israel health (Deut. 28:1-14).  To Israel He revealed Himself as “Jehovah-Ropheca,” the Lord who heals thee (Ex. 15:26). This is the reason Jesus’ earthly ministry to Israel involved physical healing. It was part of his compassion and sympathy as the Messiah-servant.

Peter’s house was a house of compassion because Jesus was present.