The healing in Gospel according Matthew
Topic：The healing in
Gospel according Matt
Date：2014-05-30
It’s the report
writing in all English for my first time. And I really need to practice more
and try to prepare for the advanced learning and writing in the future.
About “Leprosy”.
It is a kind of diseases and the principle symptom is on cutaneous. Leprosy was
endemic in various parts of the ancient orient, and is a abhorrence by the
Hebrews seen as defile and unclean, and should be banished from society. Matt
11:5 ( and 10:8) uses “λεπροὶ “,
an plural noun, the single noun is “λεπρός ” used in Matt 26:6, to describe part of the work done by the
Christ. The term occurs 9 times only.
Lepros occurs in the LXX
in Lev. 13:45, 14:2f, 22:4 and Num. 5:2, it means more than the clinical
leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and sometimes refers to skin eruption in different
levels. So the term lepros is
flexible in interpretation.
Another term “λέπρα” occurs 4 times in Matt 8:3, Mk 1:42 and Lk 5:12, translated in “full
of leprosy” in Luke. In the parable of rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus is “full
of sores” with the same word “leucodermia”.
According to
Lev. 13, we can get some ideas toward leprosy, ”
צָרַעַת”, including the checking process, the cultic
unclean, isolation from the society, he/herself needs to announces the unclean
in public space preventing to affect other “clean” persons and the way to prove
his/her health. Due to some reasons, people who are diagnosed leprosy will be
seen as the same with mildew on clothes. (I guess that related to some ancient religion
cults or goddess.) They are all called unclean.
But there is
only one case discovered serious chronic disorder (leprosy) in Egypt recently,
but the term should be considered to a serious disease, not a common eruptive.[1]
But lepros in the NT is used of human skin
diseases, following the OT tradition. The OT often attributes the appearance of
leprosy to God’s punishment for sinful behavior. P document once attributes the
condition to God’s hand (Lev 14:34). And on the skin diseases as punishment
(Deut 28:27, 35). It must be noted that the OT may explain “צָרַעַת” as arising from sin,
having the disease itself with its concomitant impurity is not a sin.
Particularly in P, having this type of impurity is not a sinful state; only mishandling
it is.
Due to the fear
of the natural aversion toward skin diseases, what is considered impure is
largely that which is irregular or out of place. Against the norm of whole,
healthy skin, skin diseases are abnormal, it is connected with death,
especially in Bible( Num 12:12, Job 18:13) and later Jewish tradition looked it
as living death. Social-anthropological
and structuralist approaches are particularly helpful in explaining systems of
purity rules, pertain to what leaves and enters the body reflect the society’s
larger concern for what happens at its social borders. The rules to face
leprosy reflect this concern about the integrity the surfaces of bodies, houses
(their walls), and fabrics. Correct control of these superficial impurities
images the society’s concern to control its social boundaries.[2]
Healing is
perceived as the work of YAHWEH and his divinely empowered agents. In the
Hellenistic period, these agents include physicians, although for the most part
the biblical writers are hostile toward medicine, or they simply ignore it as
having a potential for healing. How sickness is viewed, and therefore how
healing is accomplished, are variously understood in the biblical writings. It
is evident that changes in these perceptions correspond with changes in the
cultural setting of the various biblical writers.[3]
About “Heal”,
the idea of bring about recovery from bodily or mental sickness is expressed
most frequently by “θεραπεύω”(Matt 4:23)
(therapy), and sometimes by “ἰάομαι ”(Matt
13:15). The former originally carried the idea of attendance upon superiors, or
of cultic service. But the idea is rare in NT, due to the direction of the
service is changed to focus on bodily healing such as “ὑγιής ”(Matt 12:13). In Pastoral Epistles, it connects with sound and
teaching.[4]
Only in Luke
4:23 in the proverb “Physician, heal yourself” and in 8:43, the woman with the
issue of blood “could not be healed by anyone”, denote healing by ordinary
medical means. In the rest of the scripts it relates to miraculous healing
wrought by Jesus and his disciples. In Gospel, the work presents by Jesus is
through teaching and working/miracles, ex: Matt 4:23, 9:35, and healing plays a
essential role in Christ’s miraculous work, but we need to consider deeply with
the context. In Matt, the teaching (ch. 5-7) and miracles working (ch. 8-9)
enclosed between the two almost identical verses Matt 4:23 and 9:35, and this
emphasizes Christ’s twofold office of teaching and healing.
Healing is faith’s
reward. Healing does not initiate faith but assumes it (cf. MK 6:5). It is not
that faith is the power which affects the miracle; it is rather preparedness
for the miracle. Christ healed men not only of bodily infirmities but also of
demon possession (Matt 8:16), it reveals his messianic claims. And the
disciples are given the healing power (Matt 10:1, 8). But the healing stories
are not to prove the messiahship of Jesus but are the victories in the conflict
with forces which struggle for mastery over this cosmos. The healing power is
strong, but we should notice what has been changed among the context.
Healing means
service, who are richer or more powerful in abilities and resource bending
themselves to serve others who are poorer and weaker, to help them strong and
wealthy. Notice that: not the low level ones pushed to be servant to serve the
master or the boss.
Miraculous
healing are also reported of high-placed personages. The concept of healing is
much border and deeper in Greek religion. the gods are doctors and saviours
both in a cosmic and universal sense and also in an inward sense.[5]
“ὑγιής“ presents
the meaning of well-being is the result of a healing miracle wrought by Jesus
(Matt 15:31, 12:13). Faith occasions the saving act and so the healing. MK 5:25
presents faith was not always free from magical elements, but the word of Jesus.
Good health is not the result of medical treatment but indicates a more
profound healing, and it is a sign that the age of salvation has dawned.
There is a
consideration that God gives or restores health to the faithful and sends
sickness to the erring and disobedient. For Israel there is a direct link
between sickness and ritual impurity, as is spelled out in great detail with
respect to leprosy (Lev.13-14). That healing has taken place is to be confirmed
by the priest (Lev 13:16, 18:37, 14:3), and atoning sacrifices are to be
offered with aim of attaining a cure of the disease (Lev 14:19-21, 29).
Sickness is seen
as evidence of demonic powers in the ancient ages. 2th b.c.e. as the Wisdom of Sirach
is the book of Tobit, in which
sickness is seen as the result of work of demons in human life. The book od
Jubilees combines features of both Sirach and Enoch, in that cures for human
ailments are to be found among medicinal herbs, as sell as through the direct
action of the angelic powers in their cosmic struggle with the demons.
In the
description of Solomon in Ant 8:44-46, Josephus portrays a archetypal wise man
as possessing complete knowledge of the natural world, not merely for
identification of all the birds and trees and animals, but also for the
philosophical principles which underlie their existence. This sounds like Stoic
natural law, but Josephus then goes on to claim that Solomon was granted by God
knowledge of the means for safeguarding human from the power of the demons, so
that the healing benefits might come to them. He composed the incantations for
the relief of illnesses and passed on exorcistic formulas so that demons might
be permanently expelled. Josephus attests that he has seen firsthand the
efficacy of these exorcistic formulas attributed to Solomon, which had been
invoked by one of his fellow Jews during the reign of the emperor Vespasian.
Direct evidence
of the attribution of human ailments to demonic powers is available in the Dead
Sea Scrolls, such as Gensis Apocryphon
(1QapGen 20:12-29). Abraham lays his hand on the Egyptian monarch, the plague
is expelled in the form of the demon that has been causing it. The word used
here is ”g ˁ r”, and it is also used in NT as “rebuke”(Matt 8:18). Sickness is
linked with subjection to demonic powers, and conversely, healing is achieved
through exorcism of the hostile force. God is the ultimate source of healing in
these documents (eg, Prayer of Nabonidus, 4QPrNab, and Daniel 4 and Dan5:7),
but the therapeutic power is administered through the medium of exorcism of the
demonic agents.
Touch, ἅπτω. In Homer the act has basically the meaning to fasten to, then to
take hold of, kindle. In the classical writers of the 5th, it is
used also for sexual relationship with women, and also means to seize, attack,
concern oneself with and finally to understand. Aristophanes tells ironically
how the god of healing, Asclepius, healed miraculously by a touch.[6]
In OT, the touching of persons and things that have been made particularly
sacred, e.g. the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:3), Mt. Sinai
(Exod. 19:12), or in contrast the things through which one became cultically
unclean. And sometimes refers to sexual intimacy(Gen. 20:6); sometimes refers
to kill and attack (2 Sam. 5:8). A famous touch by the angel which lamed Jacob’s
thigh (Gen. 32:25). God himself touches men either to change their heart (!
Sam. 10:26) or to afflict them with illness (2 Ki. 15:5) or distress (Job
19:21).
In the NT, the
most frequent use of haptomai (30
times in all) is in the Synoptic reports of Jesus’ acts of healing. “Power came
forth from him”(Lk 6:19), the sick “pressed upon him to touch him” (Mk 3:10) or
his garment (Matt 9:20), or even it’s fringe (Matt 14:36). Those who in faith
touched even his clothes become well and were made whole (passed through to
salvation, Matt 14:36), for whether they knew it or not they had touched the
form of glory and life. “Your faith has made you well”(Mk 5:34) should be
remembered that a woman’s menstrual flow was regarded as a source of
uncleanness (Lev. 15:19-24), which precluded sexual intercourse (Lev. 15:19,
24; 18:19). A discharge of longer duration caused things which the woman
touched to be unclean (Lev. 15:25-30). Hence, the woman was not only physically
ill but debarred from normal human relationships. Her desire to touch the
garment of Jesus may have been motivated by the thought that to touch his
person under these circumstances was out of the question, the power inherent in
touching the Lord in Faith. As to others who touch Jesus but without believing
him, did not get the healing or experiment the power.
In Gospel, Jesus
is considered as God’s healing agent, including (1)cure, deliver from illness,
(2) wait upon, care for, heal, (3)make whole, restore. In the healing stories,
the response of faith is essential in order for the healing to occur, whether
that faith is resident in the victim or in some person or persons who are
hoping for a cure of a friends of the paralytic who have lowered him through
the roof that leads Jesus to pronounce forgiveness of the man’s sins and to
enable him to walk(Mk 2:4-12). In the Q tradition, it is the faith of the
centurion that brings about the restoration to health of his child (or servant)
as is apparent from Jesus’ contrast of this Roman officer’s faith with the lack
of it in Israel (Matt8:7-8). Matthew has linked the rebuke of the disciples by
Jesus for their lacking even minimal faith, “as a grain of mustard seed”, with
their failure to be able to heal the epileptic boy (Matt 17:14-20).
In some
description, Jesus is depicted as giving priority to the restoration of human
health over the observance of even so central and venerable a law of Israel as
the avoidance of work on the Sabbath. In addition, a share in the healing
benefits of Jesus is extended to those outside the boundaries of the covenant
people. This factor is explicit in the healing of the daughter of the
Syro-Phoenician woman (Matt 15:29-31). The source of Jesus’ power to heal is
God, as is made explicit in Luke 5:17. In the Q version of the controversy
about the source of Jesus’ power to perform exorcisms, he asserts that it is by
the Spirit, or “the finger of God” that he expels demons (Matt 12:28), just as Israel
had been delivered from slavery in Egypt by God’s finger (Exod 8:19).
Why the healing
stories sometimes with media, such as medical or magical technique? Especially
with laying on of hands and the application of spittle or mud made from it to
the affected part. In Mark 8:22-26 Jesus’ restoring the sight of a blind man by
laying on his hand. Similarly, Jairus’s request to Jesus is to come lay his
hands on the ailing daughter (Matt 15:23-31), but there is no suggestion that
the source of healing resides in the technique of touching. In other
description, Jesus is asked to lay on hands on the sick (Matt 15:29-31), or he
does so on his own initiative (Lk 13:13). This action is linked with the
authority transmitted from God through Jesus is implied in the gospel accounts
of the transfer of divine blessing to children through Jesus’ laying on of
hands (Matt 19:13-15). The transmission of authority is the central factor in
the laying on of hands is clearly the case in other NT writings, especially in
Acts (Acts 6:6, 8:17-19).
In a famous book
name The Earthsea Cycle,[7]
the writer is Ursula K.Le Guin, the name of a person or any creature is a the
top secret. Any one knows the name of the person or the creature, he can ask
and call him to do something for him. The wizard learns to use the magic by
calling the names of the wind, water, and creatures. Names have special meanings
and should be kept carefully. In the faith and thought of virtually every
nation the name is inextricably bound up with the person, whether of a man, a
god, or a demon. Anyone who knows the name of a being can exert power over it. In
magic the potential energy which resides in the name can be translated into
effective power if the name is mentioned or used in an oath.[8]
The Qumran
writings follow exactly the same paths as the OT, as far as the use of the name
of God is concerned. Names figure largely in the War Scroll (1QM 2:6, 3:4,13,
and etc.) and the Hymns (1QH 1:30, 2:30, and etc.). According to Josephus (War
2, 8, 7), the Essenes had to swear, amongst other things, to keep the names of
the angels secret.
In NT onoma occurs 228 times, 34 times in
Gospel. Jesus proves himself to be the Good Shepherd by calling his sheep by
name and knowing them personally (Jn 10:3). In giving his disciples new names,
he draws them in a special way into his service (Matt 10:2), such as the name
of Peter→Rock. And Jesus, he alone, reveals the
name of God as the name of the Father to men (Jn 17:6, Matt 11:27, 28:18).
Nature, physis, is a word from the Greek world
of ideas. It became a key concept among the Pre-Socratic philosophers in
considering the nature of the world, and similarly the Sophists in the question
of the foundation and basis of law. It denotes source, commencement, origin,
descent and also the lineage of adults or of children. The sexes, the sex
organs and characteristics can also be designated by physis. The famous quotation from Aristot. accords with this: Man
is, by virtue of his natural make-up, “a political creature” (Aristot., Pol. 1253a 3). physis is also the efficacious generative
power, also stands for the regular order of nature.[9]
Just as the
cultic determination of unclean and clean in the OT is seen as the absolute
will of God as revealed in the Torah, so in NT times the concept of unclean and
clean is regarded as the absolute binding inheritance from early Judaism. The
question of unclean and clean in the NT is principally a question of the
authority of the Mosaic law. However, since the authority of the Mosaic law is
a matter of debate in the NT, the laws of ritual cleanness are also a point of
controversy. The question of unclean and clean, however, must not in every case
be seen in light of the debate concerning the Mosaic law. In Matt 15:11, Jesus’
proclamation is against the rabbinic discussion of the time, Matthew emphasizes
that which makes the hands and foods unclean is not in every case that which
makes the person unclean. It remains on the level of halakah as embodied in the question of Matthew 15:2. With this
Matthew leaves Leviticus 11 unscathed, true to his intention to leave the
authority of the Torah intact wherever possible.
The OT language
of purification (Lev 13) emerges in Matthew 8:1-4 as it does in 10:8, 11:5. Jesus
himself most likely already drew on Lev 13, however, this manner of
conceptualizing does relativizes Jesus’ saying in Mark 7:15. Jesus disregarded
the laws of impurity from contact with the dead, nor is it to be concluded from
Matthew 9:20-22 that Jesus ignored the OT conception of impurity from sexual
contact. However, the rejection of these purity laws would comport well with
Jesus’ comparatively revolutionary religious intent.[10]
Lo-Sheng senator
and hospital (樂生療養院) is a particular area caring those
people who are diagnose leprosy (Hansen). It is built in 1929 during the
Japanese governing period, but still works today. Those people are isolated
outside the main area of New Taipei City, on a hill. There is a PCT church which
the members are all the people sent there, but people are “not healed”.
In 1994, the
city government planned to build MRT system and commanded those people who have
lived there more than 50 years to move out. The mayor of that time said: We
prepare another place for you to live, why don’t you move there? If you still
stay here, you stop the MRT system out of no justice. We (means the mayor and
most of the citizens) care about your human rights, but you treat us like shit!
The mayor treats them still in a “people should be isolated”, and considers
that he has done enough to respect their human rights. Unluckily, the PCT
church kept silent and no responses. Finally, most of the members thought that
the mayor is right, and they moved to the place that the government appointed
them to live, still be isolated. A few months ago, a lawsuit was adjudged that
the government is guilty due to the not well plan and the dishonest and
cheating behaviors done to those who live there and the citizens. In fact, they
don’t need to move out, because the location they live is not a suitable place
to engineer project at all. And the church seems lost the role of healing,
because the church didn’t help the members to face the discrimination nor fight
for their right against the political or social environment. In physical therapy,
the medicines and health mechanisms play the role, but in the mind and inner
spirit, it is still sick. Jesus heals by teaching, so does the church heal the
world by teaching the audience, tot only the people who are suffering the
physical disease and the social control, but also the mayor and the citizens. A
demonic spirit dwells in people’s heart, discrimination, but rarely be noticed.[11]
It is a pity that the church missed that.
Healing means
three dimensions: physical, mental/mind/spirit and relationship with others.
Jesus’ healing in Matthew seems in all of these, physical disease was healed by
touching or touched, mind and spirit was healed by announcing “your faith saved
you”, and the audience and social relationship was healed by happening in
public places among those who isolated the poor person, even through the Mosaic
rules to prove that because the people and the leaders of the communities only acknowledged
about that. We have to think the boundaries built and rebuilt in these stories:
Jesus went across these boundaries, going into the unclean and impure crowd,
laying hands on them, willing to become unclean and impure, and then walked
back bringing these isolated persons back, too. And the healing was done in the
community, too. If people consider Jesus is a prophet, then he really would do
a confusing action. It seems against the law, and the prophet should be asked
to follow the rule and he should be the paradigm to show how to obey. The
golden rule is revealed by that: love God and love your neighbor, these two
commands include all. This is showed the most important of all in obeying the
commands from God, Jesus leads us to do and follow.
As it goes to
the “nature” considerations, the leprosy is linked to unknown with the irregular
appearance, and it is seems against the creation from God and linked with other
gods. Social control is established and constructed through these ideas, and it
should be reflected all the time. Jesus said the born blind will reveal the
glory of God, the imperfect even sinful one is now the medium of glory transmitted.
Jesus breaks the link between sickness and sin/punishment from God and turns it
to the other way linking with duty of people and glorious works from God.
HIV/AIDS was
considered modern leprosy from the wrath from God, and the name is now a stigma
full with judgments and discriminations; and so were homosexual and non-heterosexual
orientation considered against the regulation and creation from God. The
disease is linked with LGBT persons out of unknown and anger. Those minority people
were isolated from church and society, but it gets better in society now. I
think Jesus will do different comparing with the churches: bring them back in
the boundaries with salvation and glory.
How can that
happen? Rev. Henri Nouwen points out that Jesus is wounded by doing these
strange actions, even though he was crucified on the cross, but he still heals
others, and we are alike. The salvation appears here in the midst of the wound.[12]
The cross was a sinful sign, but now glorious, honorable and powerful, and so
were those stigmas, labels and name called out of discrimination. If we bump
into the difficulties in the midst of actual touching those isolated ones, it
may be the comforter for us, because we have seen the dawn in the dark.
[1] R. K. Harrison, “Leprosy” in The
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. By Brown Colin
(Michigan: Regency, 1986.)
[2] David P. Wright, Richard N. Jones, “Leprosy” in Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD), ed. by Freedman
David Noel (New York: Doubleday, 1992)
[3] Howard Clark Kee, “Medicine and healing” in Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD).
[4] F. Graber, D. Muller, “Heal” in The
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology.
[5] Oepke, “ἰάομαι” in Theological Dictionary of
the New Testament (TDNT), ed. by Kittel, Gerhard, Friedrich, Gerhard,
Bromiley, Geoffrey William (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964)
[6] R. Grob, “Touch”, in The New International
Dictionary of New Testament Theology.
[7] WIKI, ”Earthsea”, web resource, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthsea,
2014//05/30
[8] F. F. Bruce, “Name” in The New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology.
[9] G. Harder, “Nature”, in The New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology.
[10] Hans Hubner, “Unclean and clean” in Anchor Bible Dictionary(ABD).
[11] A resent reporter about Lo-Sheng, Losheng activists, police clash, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/05/10/2003590013,
2014/05/31
[12] Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Wounded
Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1994)
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