Matthew 8:17 - Exposition

Matthew only. A summary statement of Christ's relation to diseases. That it might be fulfilled ( ὅπως πληρωθῇ ); Matthew 2:23 , note. Which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses; diseases (Revised Version); Isaiah lilt. 4, from the Hebrew. Took ( ἔλαβεν ) regards the transference, the assumption; bare ( ἐβάστασεν ), the oppressiveness; infirmities , negative; diseases , positive. St. Matthew in this verse calls attention to two points. First, that prophecy had foretold that Christ would heal the sick. For this he might have adduced Isaiah 35:5 , Isaiah 35:6 , and similar passages; but as one verse will serve his double purpose, he prefers it. Secondly, that the method by which Christ did this was specially noteworthy. He did not perform miracles by magic,nor by the power of God exerted as it were externally on his behalf, nor by his own inherent Divine power, but by himself bearing the sicknesses that he removed. He wrought his miracles at his own expense,and that expense the greatest. The thought is far-reaching, and implies both that he bore the ultimate cause of sickness, the sin of the world ( John 1:29 ), and also that each miracle of healing meant for him a fresh realization of what bearing the sin of the world included. In other words, the passage in Isaiah, as interpreted by St. Matthew, refers, not only to the Passion as such, but also to Christ's suffering an earnest and a foretaste of it at each miracle. May not this have been in part the cause of his sigh at one miracle ( Mark 7:34 ), and his deep emotion at another ( John 11:33 )? Observe that this may be the complementary side of his experience recorded in Mark 5:30 (parallel passage: Luke 8:46 ), that "power" went out of him. A miracle of healing, though performed in momentary unconsciousness of what was taking place, still necessitated personal contact with sin, which to Christ's whole nature meant moral effort. The utterance recorded by Origen, "For those that are sick! was sick, and' for those that hunger I suffered hunger, and for those that thirst I suffered thirst" (Bishop Westcott, 'Introd.,' Appendix C Resch, 'Agmpha,' Log. 47), probably expresses the same thought as our verse, though in the language of Matthew 25:35 , Matthew 25:36 . A similar idea seems to underlie the well-known saying of Talm. Bab., 'Sanh.,' 98b, with reference to Messiah, "The Leper of the house of Rabbi is his name; for it is said, 'Surely he hath berne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.'" On this and on Raymund Martini's false reading, "the Sick One," vide Dalman.

Verse 8:18-9:8

2. Incidents grouped round the thought of the external trials endured by Christ in his work.

Yet there was also recognition of him by