Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 9 March 2025

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, He said to the centurion, ‘And you, withdraw! As you believed, it became to you.’ And his servant, he was cured in that hour” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the sons of the kingdom would be cast into outer darkness, where there will be lamentation and the gnash of the teeth. Having completed that thought, He now returns His words to the faithful centurion. As it next says, “And Jesus, He said to the centurion, ‘And you, withdraw!’”

He had asked for healing for his servant. However, he felt unworthy to have Jesus even come to his house, so he asked Him to speak the word knowing his servant would be healed. Therefore, Jesus now instructs him to withdraw. Because of his great faith, Jesus next says, “As you believed, it became to you.”

Jesus places the response to the healing on the faith of the centurion. This is not unique in the gospels. Another example which takes the opposite turn is found in Luke 9 –

“Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. ³⁸ Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, ‘Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. ⁴⁰ So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’
⁴¹ Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ ⁴² And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.” Luke 9:37-42

Jesus’ words imply that the faith of the people was lacking, causing the healing to not take place. This is just the opposite of the centurion. He had faith that Jesus could perform and the response is spoken based on that. Understanding this, Matthew next records, “And his servant, he was cured in that hour.”

By the spoken word alone, just as the centurion had anticipated, the servant was restored. Thus, there is a validation in the narrative that Jesus has the authority over the very state of another human without even being in physical contact with him. And more, He was able to direct the healing to a particular person in the house, identifying him apart from anyone else.

Further, He was able to identify the exact cause of the affliction, isolate it, and cure it, all without ever having seen the person. These and certainly many other details provide us with the knowledge that Jesus’ spoken authority displays omniscience concerning the matter at hand. It also displays an omnipotent ability concerning it as well.

How else can it be explained that He could identify a place, a person, the exact cause of the affliction, the perfectly delivered remedy to it, and so forth? Jesus’ ability is perfectly in accord with the power of God because He is fully God. This is the lesson that we see in this account.

Life application: It needs to be remembered that the healings done by Jesus and the apostles served a particular purpose. They identified the power of God in Christ, validating His ministry and His authority, even after His departure. They helped establish the church until the word of God was completed and available to the church.

It should not be thought that miraculous healings do not occur today. We are told to pray. The very fact that we are demonstrates that the avenue for what we pray for is still open. However, the healing is to be in accord with the will of God.

If God responded favorably to every prayer for healing, there would be no need for faith. It would be an expectation. If that was the case, the purpose of salvation by grace through faith would no longer be valid. Further, it would make healing subject to our prayers. The entire thought is convoluted and inappropriate.

When God determines He will heal to provide a demonstration of His power, it is done so that we still have to have faith that it is so. Therefore, it is both presumptuous and sinful to claim healing in Jesus’ name. To do so usurps God’s authority and His right to withhold healing. Further, when the healing doesn’t come, people’s faith is harmed by that fact.

Be responsible in your thinking in regard to such things. God can heal. We must have faith that it is so. This is because the Bible says it is possible. But it is not a blanket approval for those in the church for it to come about.

Lord God, we thank You that because we live by faith, we are dependent on You from moment to moment. If we had sight at this time, our attitudes toward You would be vastly different than they are now. You have established the church in a manner that causes us to continue to live by faith. Thank You for the wisdom behind this. Someday, however, our faith will be sight. May that day be soon. Amen.

Saturday, 8 March 2025

But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:12

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And the sons of the kingdom, they will be ejected into the darkness, the outer. There, it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted to those who followed Him that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens. He next contrasts that with the fate of the people of Israel, beginning with, “And the sons of the kingdom, they will be ejected.”

In these words, Jesus is specifically speaking of Israel the people. They are the sons of the kingdom, and they are the people under the Law of Moses. And so, a contrast is made between justification by faith, such as Abraham, and life under law, which epitomizes Israel. It is apparent when thought through that Israel looked at that law as a means to an end. It is not, except as it is fulfilled in Jesus.

Because of their lack of faith in Jesus when He came, He next says concerning them that their ejection will be, “into the darkness, the outer.”

Jesus uses the word exóteros, outer, it is a comparative of exó, without or outside. This word is only found three times in Matthew. Each instance is used in the same general thought, that of being ejected into outer darkness. In being so ejected, Jesus next says of them, “There, it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.”

The word translated as lamentation has already been seen in Matthew 2:18. However, the word translated as gnash, brugmos, is new. Because it is a noun, translating it as “gnashing” is incorrect. It is derived from the verb bruchó, to gnash. Being a noun, it signifies the state, not the act.

The meaning of His words could not be clearer. The woes that will come upon Israel for their rejection of Jesus will be a self-inflicted wound. While an innumerable number of Gentiles from all around the world will be invited to the good thing God is doing in Christ Jesus because of faith in Him, the people of Israel will receive eternal punishment in a darkened, tormenting place because they failed to properly check the manual.

Life application: The Bible is a book that gives instruction on how to be right with God. It is often misunderstood because so much of it deals with the period under the Law of Moses. But taking it as a whole, it is clear that God is using the law as a tool of instruction for man. Its purpose is to lead him to the grace of God in Christ.

Israel missed this and went into extended punishment for their disobedience. Israel continues to miss this point today. This is so much the case that they blame God for the mess that they got themselves into. Would the Holocaust have come upon them if they were right with God? The answer is clearly, No.

And yet, a glaring example of their attitude concerning the event has recently arisen. A man named Menachem Rosensaft wrote a book called Burning Psalms. It is a collection of 150 psalms which are set in opposition to the biblical Book of Psalms. The biblical book extols God, revealing his loving, protective hand against evil and evildoers.

On the other hand, Mr. Rosensaft’s psalms indict God for failing to act during their terrible ordeal known as the Holocaust. He blames God, shoving devotion and praise of Him right back in His face as if they deserved better treatment. But the Bible told them, in advance, all of the woes that would come upon them for what they did in rejecting His mercies through Christ.

Despite this, God has kept Israel, and He has promised to restore them to Himself as a nation. The Book of Joshua shows how this will happen in typology. Someday, they will be brought into the New Covenant, being baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

Until that day, many more woes lie ahead for them. We are watching the typology and prophecies of the Bible being fulfilled before our eyes. While we can pity Israel for the woes that have come upon them, we should also understand that nothing that has occurred was apart from God telling them it would happen. Today’s verse is one of many that reveals this truth.

Lord God, we know that You are just in all Your ways. Help us never to impute wrongdoing to You through our words or attitudes as they are expressed in Your presence. You have offered us life and restoration. May we accept it, understanding that when we turn from You, our judgment and punishment, no matter how severe, is justified. Help us to understand this truth. Amen.

Friday, 7 March 2025

And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And I say to you that many from east and west, they will arrive, and they will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that He had not found such faith as that of the centurion even in Israel. He continues His statement with, “And I say to you that many from east and west, they will arrive.”

The Greek word translated as east has already been seen in Matthew 2. However, the word translated as west, dusmé, is first found here. It is derived from dunó, to sink or set. It is generally associated with the setting of the heavenly bodies as if they are sinking into the sea when they reach the western horizon.

A second new word is hékó, to arrive. Most translations say “come,” but this is not necessarily the intent. To come signifies the action of motion. This word signifies the action of arriving, as in being present. It is the termination point of the coming.

As such, it isn’t as if people will come from time to time from the east and the west. Rather, they will come from those locations to arrive at a new location, being present at a particular time. There is a sense of finality in this that will exclude those who do not arrive at the set location at that time.

Jesus is expressing a large, even uncountable number by saying this. As there really is no east or west, just a direction in which one will continuously travel, it indicates that wherever people are, there will be those included in His words. Understanding that, He continues with, “and they will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.”

To recline signifies having a meal. At the time, tables were low and attendees would sit on the floor, reclining on one another or on pillows designed for the purpose. At such tables, meals would be served, and it would be considered, as it is today, a time of fellowship and enjoyment.

Noting that it would be with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, is a way of ensuring the people understood that there was a future when the righteous would be raised according to the Messianic promises and that there would be a feast at the gathering where all the righteous would fellowship together in the presence of God.

The inclusion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is further given to ensure that it was understood that those gathered were saved believers, meaning deemed righteous before God. It was taken as an axiom by the people that it was so. As such, it would be the fulfillment of the promises to those men as given by the Lord concerning the restoration of all things and the coming of the promised kingdom, which is “in the kingdom of the heavens.”

The context of Jesus’ words is that they are stated in connection with the demonstration of faith by the centurion. He was not of Israel, he was not under the law of Moses, and there is not an ounce of evidence to suggest that he had taken up the religion of the people of Israel.

It is true that Luke 7 says that he loved the nation and built them a synagogue, but it would be a glaring oversight not to say he was a proselyte or had converted to Judaism if it was so. Any attempt to say he was a proselyte must be forced into the text based on presuppositions.

Further, Jesus skips over all of those who were under the law, like David, Daniel, and John the Baptist. Rather, He goes back to those who lived prior to the time of the law. Theirs was a walk of faith in the Lord and His promises. It was not a time of law observance.

Thus, the words of Jesus are clear. A time is prophesied when those of faith will be gathered together in the presence of God to dine and fellowship in the place that God has prepared for His people.

Life application: Context is king, and the context of Jesus’ words, as spoken to the people in this passage, is that Gentiles will be included in what God has promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And not only is it so, but it will be a number so large, the Bible would describe it as innumerable or with some other superlative. Instead of this, though, He simply points to the two undetermined directions of east and west to make His point.

There is a south, and there is a north, but there is actually no set east or west. In this statement by Jesus, there is a complete refutation of the doctrine of the Judaizers who are today’s Hebrew Roots adherents. Jesus’ words identify them as the problem that needs to be resolved. Law and works can do nothing to bring one near to God. Rather, it is by faith alone through grace alone that this is brought about.

“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:5-9

Lord God, thank You for justification by grace through faith. Thank You that works are excluded. Otherwise, how could we ever know when we had sufficiently worked our way up the ladder and back to You! Rather, Jesus has done it all. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Thank You for our precious Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 6 March 2025

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! Matthew 8:10

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, having heard, He wondered, and He said to those following, ‘Amen! I say to you, not in Israel I have found faith so vast as this’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the centurion explained to Jesus that he was a man under authority who directed those under him with merely a word. Now, the response from Jesus is given, beginning with, “And Jesus, having heard, He wondered.”

The Greek word thaumazó, to wonder or marvel, is used. The word wonder can mean either a sense of confused questioning, as in, “I wonder if he really meant it.” Or it can mean a state of almost shocked awe, as in marveling. The latter is used here. Jesus is stunned that someone had such deep insight into His abilities.

This centurion was able to rightly deduce merely by what he heard about Jesus what He was capable of. He could simply speak a word and what He proclaimed would come about. Everyone else had come to Him for healing. This man knew that wasn’t necessary.

Jesus could remain at whatever distance He was at and accomplish the healing. Because of this man’s discernment concerning this, and the level of trust it actually took to come to that point, it next says, “and He said to those following, ‘Amen!’”

The word amen is defined by HELPS Word Studies saying, “an ‘emphasis marker,’ introduces a statement of pivotal importance – i.e. that is essential in interpreting the over-all passage.”

As such, Jesus is calling attention to what He is about to say. If any lesson is to be learned from His interactions with this centurion, it is to be found in the following words, which are, “I say to you, not in Israel I have found faith so vast as this.”

Jesus introduces the word tosoutos. Again, HELPS Word Studies provides the meaning, “(from tosos, ‘so much’ and the demonstrative pronoun, hoútos, ‘this, that’) – properly, so much in this (that) case.”

Jesus has walked among the people of Israel for all of His earthly life. And yet, in all of His interactions with these people, chosen by God to usher in the Messiah, He found that the faith of a Gentile who had heard of the power of the God of Israel to work through His people was vaster than that of any of the covenant people. It is an astonishing statement that explains His wondering after the words of the centurion.

If faith is what pleases God, a tenant that is borne out in the rest of Scripture, then this man’s faith was exceptional indeed and his standing with God was in the sweet spot.

Life application: By faith, the centurion understood the nature of Jesus’ ability and power. It was something that extended beyond His humanity. Even if he didn’t know that Jesus is the God/Man, he knew that God’s hand was upon Him and what He spoke would come about according to the will of God.

Where are we going to put our faith? Some people walk up to stone or wood shaped by man and pray to it as if it has the ability to respond. Some will put their trust in the movement of the stars or the lines in a person’s palm to discern facts about the world around us or about the fate of a person.

Others believe that cards drawn out at random can tell us the future and what actions we should take in order to be prosperous, avoid troubles, or who to marry.

Some people have faith that in being martyred while killing others, they will receive eternal life. As you consider the religions and supposed divine expressions you come across, consider how they all have similar characteristics. Each requires the person to do something in order for their future to come about as is hoped.

However, the Bible teaches otherwise. It tells us that it is by faith alone, through the grace of God alone, that reconciliation with God and true life are attained. Those times when law is given seem to contradict this, but the Bible explains why the laws are given and how they are to teach us to come to Jesus in faith to be right with God. They were merely tools of instruction to show us that our works actually put up a barrier between God and man.

Have faith! Be pleasing to God by trusting that He is the all-powerful, all-capable, and sole source of everything that is necessary to return us safely back into His care –

“The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27

Heavenly Father, thank You that we are saved by grace through faith. You have graciously extended Yourself to us, having done all that is necessary to reconcile us to You. By faith in that, we are brought near again. Thank You for this wonderful reconciliation. Praises to You, O God. Amen.

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:9

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“For I also, I am a man under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say to this, ‘You go,’ and he goes. And to another, ‘You come,’ and he comes. And to my slave, ‘You do this,’ and he does.” (CG).

In the previous verse, the centurion showed great humility before Jesus. He noted he was unworthy that the Lord would come under his roof, and rather implored Him to just speak a word and his servant would be healed. Next, he explains how he knew Jesus could do that, beginning with, “For I also, I am a man under authority.”

The KJV inexplicably leaves out the word kai, translated as “also.” It is found in all manuscripts. The centurion is placing himself in the same situation as Jesus. They are both men and they both have powers subject to them. Leaving out the word also destroys the comparison and sets the centurion apart from Jesus, distancing the entire discourse he is about to make from Jesus.

As for his words, the meaning is not that he is under someone else’s authority but that he is a man who possesses authority over others. Being a centurion, both were true, but his words refer to those under him. He led a contingent of one hundred men bearing arms. But he would also have servants under him as well.

Understanding this, he explains what his authority entailed, saying, “having under me soldiers.”

A soldier in the Roman army was led by those appointed over him and he was to comply without asking why. His superiors were given the absolute right to make decisions for him and he simply responded with obedience and compliance. He had no right to disobey unless his superior was in violation of Roman law.

This is how militaries are normally run. There is to be adherence to lawful orders without question or complaint. When this structure breaks down, the effectiveness of the unit and the army will be compromised. Therefore, the centurion continues with, “And I say to this, ‘You go,’ and he goes. And to another, ‘You come,’ and he comes.”

This is the life of an underling in the military. The word that is spoken is to be considered an order. In a word as just mentioned by the centurion, there is no occasion to say, “Why do I have to do that?” or “I will be there in twenty minutes because I am having dinner now.” Rather, immediate and absolute compliance is expected.

The reason for this is that when the time for engagement of an enemy comes, the soldier must be so thoroughly conditioned to obedience that he will not hesitate. Even in the face of death, his responsibility is to the one appointed above him. And this is because the one appointed above him went through the same process of growing through obedience that he is now going through.

Eventually, each higher level was to give the same obedience to those above them until the decision was left at the feet of the emperor, the final and supreme decider who represented the Roman Empire. Understanding this, the centurion continues with, “And to my slave, ‘You do this,’ and he does.”

Here is a new word, doulos, a slave or a bondservant. The word can be literal or figurative and the state can be voluntary or involuntary. This is different from the pais, servant, of verse 8:6. That generally signifies a child under training which emphasizes the ongoing development that is needed to attain the height of his destiny.

The doulos may very well be born as a slave, live as a slave, and die as a slave. He may have no destiny to attain. Rather, he was normally considered property and would often even be a part of the next generation’s inheritance.

Like the soldier, such a person had no right to question why. He had nothing on which he could base a complaint, and if he were to attempt to escape, he would be subject to intense discipline or even death. As such, their life was one of obedience without question.

Understanding the nature of these two categories, the reason he is saying these words to Jesus becomes evident. This centurion understood that Jesus held authority. His word was a command and its compliance to His word was absolute. If Jesus spoke a word of healing, it would come about as surely as the centurion’s soldier or slave would comply with his own directive word.

Life application: This Gentile had heard the word about Jesus, had understood that what he was told was a sign of authority, and had then equated this authority to his own. The miracles that had been told him made him understand that what he had heard meant that what Jesus could do signified power within the spoken word itself.

Therefore, he perceived Jesus was unlike any doctor or physician who had to wield his intelligence, physical stamina, skill with a knife, etc. Rather, the only effort required to accomplish His word was to utter it.

In other words, the centurion was demonstrating faith in Jesus’ power without even having seen it with his own eyes. He knew what he heard was true and he accepted that it was so.

Now, with the word about Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, death in fulfillment of it, and resurrection from the state of death, we have the chance to likewise participate, by faith, in what Jesus is doing. He is building a church in the presence of His Father. All God asks us to do is believe. Through faith, we are counted righteous before God.

This is the message of the Bible. God sent His Son on a mission. Jesus accomplished that mission, and now He offers us the chance to join Him in what He is doing. The way to participate is to believe that it is so. Believe and receive. Eternal life awaits!

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Ephesians 2:5-11

Heavenly Father, You have made our reconciliation with You as simple as it gets. You just ask for faith that we accept the word, believing that You have done everything necessary to restore us to You through Christ our Lord. We believe and we receive! Thank You, O God, for Jesus. Amen.