Monday, 4 November 2024
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24
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“And the hearing of Him, it went into all Syria. And they brought Him all the sickly, having various diseases and constraining torments, and demon-possessings, and moon-strikings, and paralytics, and He cured them” (CG).
The previous verse noted the ministry of Jesus going throughout the Galilee and that He cured every disease and malady in the people. Because of this, the fame of His ministry became known beyond the Galilee. That is recorded in the next words, which say, “And the hearing of Him, it went into all Syria.”
The meaning of the words is debated because the scope of the region of Syria at that time was not fully known. Albert Barnes says –
“It was, perhaps, the general name for the country lying between the Euphrates on the east, and the Mediterranean on the west; and between Mount Taurus on the north, and Arabia on the south. Through all this region his celebrity was spread by his power of working miracles; and, as might be expected, the sick from every quarter were brought to him, in the hope that he would give relief.”
The point is that what He was doing extended beyond the region of the Galilee. So convinced were the people of His power for healing that it next says, “And they brought Him all the sickly.”
The word translated as “sickly” is an adverb, kakós. It is derived from the adjective kakos meaning bad or evil which is applied in a very wide sense. HELPS Word Studies describes this adverb as “sore-misery related to experiencing grievous harm (affliction).” Thus, it can be a physical or moral condition. Matthew next describes the types of afflictions beginning with “having various diseases.”
The word translated as “various” actually means motley, as in multi-colored. Hence, it speaks of a variety of nosos, or diseases, which is the same word that was just used in the previous verse. Next, Matthew notes, “and constraining torments.”
The word translated as constraining, sunechó, means to hold together and thus to constrain. That is used to describe the “torments” which are from the Greek basanos. HELPS Word Studies says the word was “originally (from oriental origin) a touchstone; a ‘Lydian stone’ used for testing gold because pure gold rubbed on it left a peculiar mark. Then it was used for examination by torture. Sickness was often regarded as ‘torture.’”
The sense of the two words is then an affliction that is so grievous that it binds a person, making him unable to continue a normal life. Next, it says, “and demon-possessings.”
It is a single Greek word, daimonizomai, meaning exactly as translated. These people were possessed by demons and were unable to free themselves from their afflicters. Jesus, however, was able to cure them of this particular malady. Along with them it next says, “and moon-strikings.”
It is a word found only here and in Matthew 17:15, seléniazomai, coming from selḗnē, the moon. It speaks of a person “controlled by the moon” rather than by his normal faculties, hence, a lunatic. Many translations say this signifies epileptics, but that seems unlikely. Because it is associated with the moon, it is more properly defining a crazy person.
Next, Matthew finishes the list with, “and paralytics.” One can see where our English word is derived from when noting the Greek, paralutikos. It is derived from paraluó which signifies enfeebled or weakened, literally “to loose on the side.” It is an apt description for those who are paralyzed or who suffer from palsy. Of all of these afflictions brought to Jesus, the verse ends with, “and He cured them.”
People who were broken in body or mind were restored through His healing hand. Likewise, those whose afflictions were from an external source were cured as well. The power of Jesus to accomplish these things validated His power over the source of such things, meaning the power of sin which was first introduced into humanity by the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
What would have seemed as absolutely hopeless in many of these cases was easily handled by the Lord Jesus because He is the Lord over the creation, having come to restore man to God. The physical afflictions point us to a greater spiritual reality.
Life application: There is no reason to assume that those who were said to be demon-possessed were not actually possessed by demons but were rather just schizophrenic or something. Demons are spoken of as a reality in the Bible. However, there is no instruction given for the casting out of demons provided in Scripture.
As this is so, it can be inferred that it is not a point of doctrine that is to be pursued as a separate category as the Roman Catholic Church and some aberrant denominations proclaim. In other words, it is not a point of doctrine that bears a particular remedy that needs to be addressed. For example, a person who is possessed by a demon doesn’t need a rite of exorcism.
Instead, demon possession is to be handled in the same manner as any other spiritual condition. Those who are so possessed are to be told the gospel. If the person accepts the salvation offered through the gospel, the demon must depart. A person will be under the authority of the master that is appointed over him. In coming to Jesus, his Master, Jesus will now be the Lord over him.
Having said this, Christians can still be afflicted by demons. This is why Paul gives the instructions found in Ephesians 6. The devil and his demons are there. We must use the implements God has given us to stand against them.
As such, remember, believers cannot be possessed by demons, but they can be afflicted by them. Non-believers can certainly be possessed by demons. It seems quite likely that half the politicians in the world must be at this point. People need Jesus to free them from the spiritual afflictions they face. From there, they need to get into the word and know how to stand against these foes in their daily walk.
Heavenly Father, how great it is to know that, through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can be freed from every spiritual affliction. Someday, we will likewise be freed from our body of death and translated into a new existence, free from pains, afflictions, and sorrows. May that day be soon. Amen.