Matthew (Written)

Monday, 2 March 2026

So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Matthew 17:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “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 presented him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him” (CG).

In the previous verse, a man came to Jesus begging him to have mercy on his moonstruck son because of his suffering. He often fell into fire and into water. He continues, saying, “And I presented him to Your disciples.”

This would have been the nine apostles and any other disciples who accompanied them who did not go with Jesus and the others up the mountain. It would have been inclusive of Matthew, who is recalling the account to share in his gospel. Understanding this, Matthew continues, “and they could not cure him.”

This would explain why Mark says the scribes were disputing with them. They were unable to cure the man’s son, but obviously had attempted to do so. The scribes probably chimed right in, calling them false teachers. This would have then elicited a response concerning their abilities and those of Jesus.

The entire scene comes alive when considering the accusations of the scribes. But it also shows a failing of the disciples, being unable to tend to the need placed before them. Of this verse, Albert Barnes says –

“And I brought him to thy disciples … – That is, not to the apostles, for they had power over unclean spirits Matthew 10:8, but to others of his followers who attempted to work miracles.”

That analysis belies the entire context of what is presented. It appears that it is exactly because they were there and unable to cure the boy that the account is so remarkable. Their schooling was incomplete, and their faith in the Lord and His provision was lacking.

Life application: The purpose of the miraculous healings during Jesus’ ministry and during the time of the apostles served several purposes. One of them was to establish that He was the Messiah of Israel. He presented the power of God to the people as a witness that God was with Him and He was dwelling among them as prophesied.

A second purpose was that Jesus and His ministry became a sign to the people of their own inability to see, understand, and appreciate the work of the Lord, even when it was directly in front of their eyes and in exacting fulfillment of their own Scriptures.

Therefore, they were without excuse in their unbelief, and God was fully justified in His rejection of them. This is laid out carefully in the law and the prophets. The Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 spells out their history, including God’s rejection of them, quite clearly.

If this is true with His own nation, selected from out of all the people groups of the world, then think about it from the opposite perspective. How pleased God must be when those who had never been told of God’s Messiah hear and believe!

They didn’t have the ancient prophecies. They weren’t expecting a Messiah. They had no national, social, or cultural connection to the God of Israel, and yet they heard the word, believed the proposition set forth in the gospel, and accepted what they had been told by faith.

What God couldn’t get out of His own chosen nation, He gets daily and around the world from open and receptive hearts of people longing for release from the burdens they carry. Nothing is more precious than to know that we have been redeemed by such a wonderful, loving, and caring God.

May we always remember the joy of our salvation, and may we be willing to share that joy with others who so desperately need it as well.

Glorious Lord God, how thankful we are to You for having sent Jesus to save not only those of Israel, but people from around the world. You have exalted us to heaven itself when all we deserved was condemnation and eternal separation from You. Thank You for Your tender mercies, O God. Amen.

Sunday, 1 March 2026

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. Matthew 17:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “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).

“Lord, You compassionated my son, for he moon-strikes and he suffers badly, for frequently he falls into the fire and frequently into the water.” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus and the disciples came down from the mountain, and a man came to Him, kneeling before Him to petition Him. Matthew records his words, saying, “Lord, You compassionated my son.”

Luke’s gospel notes that the man said, “he is my only child.” It is an additional mark of desperation that certainly touched Jesus’ emotions. Having begun his plea, the father continues, saying, “for he moon-strikes.”

It is a new word, seléniazomai, to be moonstruck. It is derived from seléné, brilliancy. That, in turn, is used to describe the moon. That, along with the word haireó, to take for oneself or choose. Together, they give the sense of being moonstruck.

The exact meaning is debated. Some say it refers to epilepsy, others to being a lunatic (which is derived from the Latin lunaticus, referring to the luna, moon), or being demon-possessed. The symptoms are recorded in Mark and Luke –

“Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.” Mark 9:17, 18

“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.” Luke 9:39

The idea of being moonstruck is probably that he had cycles of symptoms that corresponded with the cycles of the moon. Because of his malady, Matthew continues, “and he suffers badly.”

Imagine the distress of the father having a child who was in such a state. It would be a frustration fraught existence with no hope of release. And the situation would be exacerbated with wounds or trauma because, as he says, “for frequently he falls into the fire and frequently into the water.”

Another new word is seen, pollakis, many times, and thus frequently. When an attack would come upon the boy, at any given moment, apparently, he may fall into a bonfire or fireplace, having been captivated by the flames. Or he may fall into a pond or some other body of water, having been captivated by the reflections.

For the father, this would have been a miserable plight and a tedious existence.

Life application: I know a man who has a son who is totally disabled. The son is confined to a wheelchair, cannot speak, but rather makes grunting noises, and his body is always twisted and contorted.

The father is infinitely patient with his son. He constantly speaks to him with soothing words, no matter how difficult the situation. He has to personally attend to him in the bathroom or for any other regular life function. And yet, he bears with the trial as if he were ordering a burger at McDonald’s.

Many times, I have thought, “I could not handle the difficulty that this person so caringly and patiently tends to for even a day.” And yet, he has been tending to his son for over forty years. God gives us what we can handle, and He allows afflictions into our lives for purposes that may be known only to Him.

In having a responsibility like one of these afflicted children, all we can do is throw ourselves at the mercy of God and beg for daily strength. And He is gracious to provide it. In the case of the father in Luke 17, Jesus will do something wonderful for him in the verses ahead.

In our case, He has promised to provide a life ahead without such trials and frustrations. Our faith will not go unrewarded. God is carefully attentive to all things that His children need. Be confident of this, and don’t lose hope when the days seem overwhelming. Lean on the Lord. He will get you through each one.

Lord God, each of us has our own burdens to carry. And You have given us the ability to do so when we put our confidence in You. The strength will come because You are a gracious and caring Father. May we confidently trust this as each day unfolds with its trials and difficulties. Amen.

Saturday, 28 February 2026

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, Matthew 17:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “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 they, having come unto the crowd, he approached Him – man, knee-falling to Him, and saying…” (CG).

In the previous verse, it said that the disciples understood that Jesus was speaking of John the Baptist in His reference to Elijah. Next, it says, “And they, having come unto the crowd.”

Mark’s gospel includes more detail, saying –

“And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. ¹⁶ And He asked the scribes, ‘What are you discussing with them?’” Mark 9:14-16

Luke’s gospel includes the thought that this was the next day after descending the mountain. With Luke’s reckoning, it could mean the next morning. That would square with the general statement by both Matthew and Mark that they descended the mountain and came upon what next transpires, which is, “he approached Him – man, knee-falling to Him, and saying…”

There is a new word, gonupeteó. It is derived from gonu, the knee, and an alternate form of piptó, to fall. Thus, it means he fell to his knees. As for what occurred, some texts finish this verse with the words, “and saying…” Other texts begin the next verse with those words.

Either way, a man has come and fallen before Jesus concerning an issue that has the disciples and the scribes disputing with one another.

Life application: Mark records that there was a dispute going on when Jesus and the others came to them. Though the matter of the dispute is not yet stated, we can learn from this. People dispute matters all the time concerning religion, theology, and doctrine.

Religious disputes require determining if what one believes corresponds with reality. In other words, we can know things about God even without the Bible. This is known as general revelation. When evaluating a religion, we need to see if the source of that religion corresponds with what we can know about God by using logic and reason.

Does the Bible match what general revelation tells us must be true about God? Does the Koran? Are there many gods or only one God? We can rather quickly whittle things down by understanding God’s nature.

Once we have thrown out Islam, Hinduism, etc., we are left with only one possible religious source of what is true about God. That is the Bible. This is God’s special source of revelation, telling us things we could not deduce from general revelation. From the Bible, we can do more whittling, using both general and special revelation.

Does the message of the Bible support Judaism? Does it support Mormonism or the doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses? This is important because if we have a faulty view of God, even though we are using the Bible to pursue Him, we still will not be right with Him.

Once we have tossed out the incorrect theologies, we are left with what is proper. However, there are still doctrinal issues that are debatable within what we might call “biblical Christianity,” meaning the proper path of pursuing God.

Again, where do we go to resolve these issues? The answer is “to the Bible alone.” The people came to Jesus, the Word of God, to settle a dispute. He has now left us with His testimony, the word of God, meaning the Bible. If you are having trouble with conflicting doctrines being placed before you, the Bible will be where you need to go.

Is salvation eternal? Some say yes, and some say no. The Bible will provide the answer. Is there a rapture? What is the timing of the rapture? And so on. These issues may be debatable, but only because one (or both) of the people is incorrectly teaching the doctrine. The Bible will have one correct answer.

The way to determine if a particular teaching is correct is to keep things in their proper context. One or both of those debating eternal salvation may not be applying the proper context. This is the way we end disputes in our minds. Think about God, think about how He has presented Himself, and then meditate on His word. In doing this, we will be on the right path as we pursue our relationship with Him.

Lord God, help us to have the desire and the gumption to read Your word. How easy it is to read books about the Bible. But those books may or may not be in accord with what is right. Rather than wasting so much time on books about the Bible, help us to find a proper balance in pursuing You, with the majority of our time being in Your word. Yes, help us in this, O God. Amen.

Friday, 27 February 2026

Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “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).

“Then the disciples, they comprehended that He spoke to them concerning John the Immerser” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the three disciples that Elijah had come already. And yet, they didn’t know him, and they did to him whatever they wished. He included the thought that they would likewise cause the Son of Man to suffer at their hands. Having said that, it next says, “Then the disciples, they comprehended.”

The word suniémi has already been seen eight times. It is a word that signifies “to put together.” They joined the facts that have been presented to them and have made a conclusion concerning what Jesus is saying, comprehending what they had not yet understood. What they comprehended is “that He spoke to them concerning John the Immerser.”

Jesus never said that the person on the mountain with Him and Moses was John the Baptist. Matthew clearly identifies him twice as Elijah. However, on the way down, their question was about the coming of Elijah according to the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5, 6.

They could not understand how Elijah fit into the scenario if he was supposed to come before the coming of the whopping and fearful day of Yehovah. The voice from heaven told them to listen to Jesus. If Jesus was now the one to listen to, how could Elijah be the messenger to tell Israel to restore the hearts of the people?

John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, not as Elijah himself (John 1:21). Unless one believes that the book of Revelation has been fulfilled, as preterists do, which is a giant error in eschatology, the day of the Lord referenced by Malachi is still future.

Life application: To assume that all prophecy except the return of Christ is fulfilled is to dismiss a literal interpretation of a majority of the Bible, inclusive of both testaments. And this isn’t just in plain, easy-to-understand prophecies and promises, but in typology as well.

It is true that typology can be easily manipulated or misinterpreted, but a proper evaluation of what is being presented leaves no doubt about what is coming. God is not through with Israel, and there is a time when they, as a nation, must (and will) choose to accept that Jesus is their long-rejected Messiah.

How anyone can read and misinterpret Romans 9-11 and think that God is done with Israel would be laughable if it were not so sad. One example from that dissertation says –

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
²⁷ For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:25-27

A simple question to ask concerning Paul’s words is, “Has the fullness of the Gentiles come in?” Obviously not! Another question that follows naturally is, “Does Paul here call the Gentiles either Israel or Jacob?” Obviously not! He calls them “Gentiles,” thus providing a clear and definite distinction between the two.

As Paul refers to turning away ungodliness from Jacob, something Elijah is prophesied to do in Malachi 4, and that is to occur only after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then it is as obvious as the nose on a preterist’s face that there is yet a plan and purpose for Jacob, meaning Israel but stated as Jacob to make sure even the dullest sort can understand he is referring to the wayward nation of Israel.

Are they enemies of the gospel? Yes! (Romans 9:28). Are they still beloved for the sake of the fathers? Yes! (Romans 9:28). Are their gifts and calling irrevocable? Yes! (Romans 9:29). Israel, a people who are currently not God’s people, will be His people again someday. This is what the Bible teaches.

God, despite their disobedience, will again be rich in mercy to them, demonstrating His goodness even to those who have completely walked away from Him, turning their hearts to every “god,” idol, and perversion known. Why? Because He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. Thank God for His merciful kindness to the people of the world.

Lord God, how can we not praise You for who You are and for all You have done for us, even us. Our hearts are wicked, our thoughts are perverse, our actions belie our profession again and again. And yet, because of Your covenanting with us through the blood of Jesus Christ, You remain rich in mercy to us. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 26 February 2026

But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Matthew 17:12

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “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 Elijah, he came already, and they knew him not, but they did in him as much as they desired. And thus the Son of Man, He is about to suffer under them” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus responded to the disciples, noting that Elijah would come first and that he would reconstitute all things. He continues, saying, “And I say to you that Elijah, he came already.”

Because of these words, many scholars who deny a literal fulfillment of the promises to Israel of future restoration conclude that there is one, and only one meaning to what is going on here. Elijah has come, and thus, he is not “coming.” As such, and speaking for this doctrine, Ellicott says –

“The disciples need not look for any other personal appearance. The use of the present and future tenses in Matthew 17:11 point to a deeper truth, which they were to learn afterwards. The Elijah ministry, the work of the preacher of repentance, is not a transient phenomenon belonging to one stage only of the Church’s history, but was to be, throughout the ages, on to the end of all things, the indispensable preparation for the coming of the Lord. Only through it could all things be restored, and the path made ready for the heralds of forgiveness and of peace.”

In other words, this is the only coming of Elijah, and his work continues on today in the lives of “preachers of repentance” for all times. An obvious problem with this is that John died before Jesus completed His work. He was an Old Testament preacher of repentance and to turn to the Messiah. Acts 19:1-5 makes this perfectly clear.

John had no idea about the fullness of Christ’s ministry or what preachers should preach based on His completed work. As for Jesus, He continues, saying, “and they knew him not, but they did in him as much as they desired.”

The first messenger mentioned in Malachi 3:1 is clearly referring to John the Baptist. The second Messenger is a reference to Christ. These are both understood to be the case. John came as a messenger to fulfill what was said about preparing the way before the Lord.

He did his job in this regard, but the nation as a whole rejected his words. Instead of accepting his message, he was imprisoned and beheaded. Jesus uses the general term “they” to describe the actions of all who stood against John’s proclamation. Concerning what was done to John, Jesus continues, saying, “And thus the Son of Man, He is about to suffer under them.”

Jesus explicitly tells the disciples that He will be handed the same type of treatment that John received. The message of both will be rejected by the nation of Israel.

The interpretation of many commentators, Jewish and Christians alike, is that the words of Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5 & 6 speak of the same person and the same event. This is incorrect. John clearly stated that he is not Elijah in John 1:21. Luke declares that John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” in Luke 1:17.

Jesus, stating that Elijah has come, means that John has fulfilled the anticipated role of Elijah for the nation of Israel through his message. However, Jesus’ words in Matthew 17:11, which are in the future tense, tell us that the physical appearance of Elijah is still ahead. The coming of John to fulfill Elijah’s role does not negate Elijah coming again to complete what was rejected by Israel. Rather, it is a main purpose of the second advent of Jesus.

Life application: Ellicott, along with those of similar thinking, uses Jesus’ words of Matthew 11:14 about John being the ‘being about to come’ and says that the future tense is the same as the future tense here. Ellicott calls it “an emphatic repetition.” The problem is that Matthew 11:14 was not in the future tense. It is a present participle.

Jesus’ words about John as “the ‘being about to come’” were a reference to the ongoing expectancy that Elijah was coming. Each year, Jewish tradition taught that he would arrive at a feast, most usually associated with the Passover. For this reason, it was (and still is to this day) a custom for some Jews to leave an empty chair at the seder, hoping that he would come to their home.

The Jews are waiting for Elijah, and he is coming. He may even show up at a house with an empty chair waiting for him, as tradition supposes. But when he comes, his message is going to be one that literally shocks those who hear his words: “You missed the coming of the Messiah.”

So upsetting will this be to the people that he will eventually be killed along with the other witness who comes to testify that Israel is still, more than two millennia later, heading down the wrong path.

They will be in the area of the temple in Jerusalem, telling the people just what the book of Hebrews says. The temple and its sacrificial rites only anticipated Jesus. What they are doing is a refutation of a relationship with God, not a restoration of it. For those who think that what is happening in Israel with the building of a temple and the reinstatement of sacrifices is somehow a good thing, they, too, have misunderstood the import of Christ’s ministry in this regard.

A temple is coming. Just because Scripture proclaims this, it does not mean God condones it. This is a mistake in reasoning that has deluded the church into supporting a rejection of what the temple only anticipated. The book of Hebrews makes this clear. To return to temple worship is to recrucify Christ, not glorify Him.

God cannot be glorified through animal sacrifices when His Son has come and set that entire order of worship aside, once and forever.

Lord God, may we be about the business of getting the word out to Israel and the Jewish people that they need Jesus. There can be no substitute and no end around in coming to You. Help us to ensure all people understand that He, and He alone, is the only way to be reconciled to You. Amen.