Sharper Iron — All Righteousness Fulfilled: Let the Dead Bury the Drowning Pigs

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Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, and Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in La Grange, TX, join host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 8:18-34.

Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him on His own terms. Although this does not bring the promise of all creaturely comforts in this life, only Jesus can make and keep the promise to raise His disciples from spiritual and physical death. With this promise, Jesus leads His disciples across the Sea of Galilee. He sleeps in the boat, both as a man who needs rest and as the true Son of God who trusts His Father perfectly. The disciples faith falters as they fear death and the storm, yet their prayer is true and right. Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves with His powerful Word, showing Himself to be the one true God. As Jesus exits the boat on the other side, He enters into enemy territory. Yet even here as He is confronted by two demon-possessed men, Jesus shows Himself to be the Lord over every evil. The unclean demons are cast into unclean pigs, who drown in the sea. Though Jesus’ Word fills the townspeople with fear, His disciples then and now rejoice to hear and believe the victory over evil He has won.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Matthew 8:18-34

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,[a] two demon-possessed[b] men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Footnotes:

Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes

Matthew 8:28 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons