Thursday, 8 January 2026
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. Matthew 15:30
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“And they came to Him, great crowds, having with them lame, cripples, blind, mutes and others – many, and they strewed them near Jesus’ feet, and He healed them” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus was said to have departed from where the Canaanite woman was, drawing near the Sea of the Galilee and going up a mountain to sit there. Next, Matthew records, “And they came to Him, great crowds.”
Matthew doesn’t record how they found Jesus, but it appears that the words “near the Sea of the Galilee” from the previous verse may mean He stopped in a town. As Mark says that He went through the midst of the Decapolis and healed a deaf and mute man, that may have been the trigger to draw so many to where He now is.
The people would know He was there and decided to follow Him. Regardless, it next says, “having with them lame, cripples, blind, mutes and others – many.”
Of these afflictions, one is new, kullos, crippled. It is from kulió, to roll about. Thus, it is someone maimed in the hands or feet. Some commentaries say that the idea of rolling about means that a hand or foot was actually missing. If so, the word should be translated as limb-lost or something similar.
Whatever the exact intent, the adjective “many” indicates that they just kept coming and coming. The sea of humanity in need of the care of Jesus seemed limitless, even though it was in a small part of a very small country. Matthew continues, saying, “and they strewed them near Jesus’ feet.”
The word rhiptó is used. It was already seen in Matthew 9:36. It signifies to deliberately fling or hurl something. It gives the idea of sudden motion. The word strew, to scatter or spread things untidily, gives the proper sense. There were so many people that those helping them cast them down in any available spot. One cannot help but think of the words of Isaiah –
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows.” Isaiah 53:4
These people, suffering from all types of afflictions, were brought forward and hurled wherever space would allow by people who were frustrated with the tedium of caring for them day after day. Their only hope in their suffering was Jesus. Understanding this, Matthew notes, “and He healed them.”
The scene gives the sense of one person after another. If not, what would be the point of strewing them around? Jesus could have just said, “I heal all of you,” and been done with it. Rather, it appears He carefully evaluated each, probably talked to them with care, and then healed them. The tender care of the Lord for the people reveals the heart of God for those who will come to Him with their needs.
Life application: The sad part of this story is the part that remains unstated at this point. Jesus came to Israel, spent His life restoring people who would otherwise have been permanently afflicted with various maladies, and tended to the people’s spiritual needs as well.
His fame was so great that the gospels record that the people wanted to make Him king (John 6:15). However, when prompted by the leaders, Jesus was rejected, crucified, and maligned as a wrongdoer. That attitude toward Him remains to this day among the vast majority of Jewish people.
How poorly humans tend to pick their leaders and heroes. And how faithless we are to those who tend to us. This includes those of the church in their attitude toward Jesus. We are granted restoration and eternal life through what He did for us, and yet we spend much of our time pursuing the things of this life.
Everything we have and all those we know will fade away with time, but Jesus is with us forever. And yet, we constantly seek what is temporary, forgetting to honor the Lord in the process.
Someday, it won’t be like this. A new type of existence is coming, but we should be anticipating that now, holding fast to the Lord, and doing our utmost to get the word out to others. Let us not be waffling or unfaithful in our faith toward and love of the Lord.
Glorious God, we can be so easily pulled away from a close and personal walk with You. It usually isn’t intentional. Things just come up, and off we go in pursuit of that which doesn’t profit. Help us, Lord, to redirect our hearts and minds to You at all times. Give us wisdom to walk in this temporary world with an eternal view. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.