Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960915.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part X. Christ's Messianic Kingdom Postponed
E. God's Encouraging Use Of The MEEK Even During Messiah's Rejection
(Matthew 14:34-36)
  1. Introduction
    1. We like to teach one another that all of us Christians are valuable to God, that all of us are necessary components to the Body of Christ. We quote 1 Corinthians 12:15-25 to show that God has honored the less attractive or seemingly e xcessive, unimportant believers and made them more important parts of the whole so that all members should have the same care of one another.
    2. However, we often need encouragement to the effect that this arrangement is true, for there is plenty of self esteem depression going around these days.
    3. Matthew 14:34-36 in view of Matthew 9:18-22 gives us such an encouragement!
  2. God's Encouraging Use Of The MEEK Even During Messiah's Rejection, Matthew 14:34-36.
    1. Jesus withdrew His offer of Messiah's Kingdom when Israel's leaders claimed He did miracles by Satan's power, Mtt. 12:24-45 and Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 48.
    2. However, though withdrawing that Kingdom, numerous people throughout the region of Galilee near Capernaum sought to touch the hem tassels of His garment to be made whole, Mtt. 14:34-36a. As many as did so were made completely whole, Mtt. 14:36b with Ryr. St. Bi., KJV ftn. to Mtt. 14:14:34 and The Macmillan Bible Atlas, p. 145.
    3. This amazing confidence in Jesus' garment tassels among so many people in the midst of Israel's rejection of Jesus was due to the faith of a very meek woman of very low self esteem back in Matthew 9:18-22:
      1. Before the Kingdom's postponement, a woman in that area with a humiliating problem sought to be healed, but feared to ask Christ's help forthrightly due to her problem, Mtt. 9:20a, 20b:
        1. A woman needing Christ's healing suffered from a hemorrhage, Ryr. St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Mtt. 9:20.
        2. In Old Testament times under the Mosaic Law, such a condition made one ceremonially unclean so that a woman could not only be banned from the temple services, but had ceremonial laws putting pressure on her intimacy with her husband , cf. Lev. 15:19-32; 18:19. It was entirely possible that she was not married, or had been divorced because of her condition.
        3. This crisis had lasted for twelve years, leading to the woman being socially very shy so that she dared not approach Jesus directly.
      2. Thus, she planned to sneak up behind Him and touch the tassels that hung down from the flap of the hem that was slung over His shoulder and flapped down His back. In so doing, she felt she could be healed wit hout drawing the usual painful negative attention to herself, Matthew 9:20 with Mk. 5:27-28!
      3. Though Jesus was en route to save the life of the dying daughter of Jairus, the Capernaum synagogue official, He stopped, taking time to note how someone had been healed by touching the hem tassels of His outer garment, Mtt. 9:22 with Mk. 5:30-34 and Ryr. St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Mk. 5:22.
      4. Well, with Jesus declaring in the crowd's ears that this woman had been healed of her longtime, humiliating hemorrhage by merely touching his hem tassels, word spread like fire that even unclean people rejected by society or the very r eligious could approach Jesus for healing in the same way.
      5. Thus, when Jesus entered the same territory where the meek woman had been healed that was full of throngs of depressed people with low self esteem due to their own maladies, hope for healing by touching Christ's hem as she had experienced ran rampant, Mtt. 14:34, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV ftn.!
      6. Jesus did not seek to correct these needy throngs by stating that they could approach Him directly; He apparently allowed all who touched His hem tassels in faith to b e healed like she had experienced, and that in honor of her faith, Mtt. 14:36b!
Lesson: Jesus publically honored, and thus broadcast the effect of a meek woman's faith so that a whole region of people with equally low self esteem was emboldened to approach Jesus for healing!

Application: This account shows what God can do to honor and use even those with low self esteem if they but TRUST in Christ in their lives! God makes them honorable achievers for the sake of others who have the same afflictions of the heart!