(Here is a helping hand and I hope these few suggestions for Matthew 8- 9  Digging for Spiritual Gems will be helpful.  Jehovah can always do a better job, so always make full use of the provision of the faithful slave on www.jw.org. All credit to Jehovah on all valid suggestions).

Mt 8:8-10:  What can we learn from Jesus’ conversation with the army officer? (Wt 02 8/15 pg 13 par 16) Jesus knew that the soldier had faults. An army officer of those days would likely have a past littered with many acts of violence, bloodshed, and false worship. Yet, Jesus focused on something good—the man’s outstanding faith. Same is true of the evildoer who was hanging on the torture stake next to him. Jesus knew well that taking a negative, critical view of others would only serve to discourage them. No doubt his efforts to find the good in others encouraged many to do even better.

Mt 9:16-17  What point was Jesus making with these two illustrations? (jy 70 par)  Jesus is helping the disciples of John the Baptist to appreciate that no one should expect Jesus’ followers to conform to the old practices of Judaism, such as ritual fasting. He did not come to patch up and prolong an old, worn-out way of worship, a whole system of worship that was ready to be discarded. The worship that Jesus is encouraging is not one that conforms to the Judaism of the day with its traditions of men. No, he is not trying to put a new patch on an old garment or new wine into a stiff, old wineskin.

What does this week’s Bible reading teach me about Jehovah?

Mt 8:3, 16:  Jehovah wants to cure all disease, for he is the one who taught Jesus [John 8:28.]  Also we know that Jehovah has promise that in the near future he will, for we were told at Isa 33:24 ”And no resident will say: I am sick”.  Re 22:2-2, 21:4 and De 7:15. 

Mt 8:5-6:  Jehovah is also not partial and set the example for his son Jesus to follow. We are told at Acts 10:34 “that God is not partial.” That is why Jehovah does not want to destroy any but desires all to attain to repentance,” as shown at 2Pe 3:9.  

Mt 8:16-17:  Jehovah prophesy that our infirmities were to be borne by the Messiah, at Isa 53:4, which was fulfilled by the miraculous cures by Jesus. The greater fulfillment of Isa 53:4 will occur when Jesus carries away sin completely. We can trust Jehovah to fulfill all his promise for the future of mankind.

Mt 8:24-27:  Jehovah demonstrated his great power that he has, through his beloved Son Jesus. We are told at Acts 2:22  “…Jesus the Naz·a·reneʹ was a man publicly shown :to you by God through powerful works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, …” Jehovah is show another reason we will find security in his Kingdom.

Mt 9:7-8:   Jehovah has display his great power in men like Moses, Jesus his Son and other for the purpose of mankind to put faith in him and to give glory to Jehovah. Also to strengthen his faithful one faith and trust in him that he can fulfill his promises.

Mt 9:13:   Jehovah also wants to show mercy as Jesus was quoting how Jehovah feels about sacrifice. Jehovah read the hearts of men and will show that mercy to those who are doing his will with their whole heart. We are told what Jehovah wants from his servants at Mic 6:8 and Ho 6:6.

Mt 9:17:  Jehovah does not want to be worship with false teaching so Jehovah God used Jesus to institute a new system of worship. We are at John 4:24 “God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.” So Jehovah has one way to worship him and that is with truth not ma-made teaching.

What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?

Mt 8:2-3:   Jesus was empathetic and compassionate to the plights of other. We see this in his words to the leper, ”I want to. Be made clean.” Example for us when we deal with our brothers and sisters and those we preach too show empathy.  

Mt 8:3:   Leper were treat very cruel and heartless for Jewish religious leaders add rules like no one was to come within 6 ft or 150ft on a windy of a leper. This led to rabbi hiding and throwing stones at them. Yet Jesus was deeply moved by the leper’s and did the unthinkable and touched the man. What love Jesus had for justice and mankind.  

Mt 8:5-8:   Jesus did not discriminate against people because of their race or nationality or the sins committed. Army officer of those days would likely have a past littered with many acts of violence, bloodshed, and false worship. Yet, Jesus focused on something good, the man’s outstanding faith and example for us to imitate in the preaching work.

Mt 8:10-11:   Lack of faith can make one lose out of the Kingdom God. The natural Jews lack such faith in Jehovah appointed king and so Jesus is relating how Gentiles will be welcomed to recline at the heavenly table, as it were, “in the kingdom of the heavens.”

Mt 8:13, 16:   Some teach you must have faith in order to be heal, yet here the Bible does not say the servant had faith in Jesus and yet he was healed. Jesus cures all, regardless of the amount of their faith.

Mt 8:20:  Jesus the Founder of Christianity set example of putting Jehovah’s Kingdom first and doing his will. Jesus can deal sympathetically with the afflicted and needy, for he knows what it means to be poor. Also he telling us that we will experience hardship if we become Jesus’ follower.  So we can ask ourselves, am I willing to follow Jesus?

Mt 8:24-27:  Jesus demonstrated the power that was given to him to control the sea and the weather. This should be reassuring to us to know that our King has power over the natural elements and that when his full attention is directed toward our earth during his Kingdom rule, all will dwell in security from terrifying natural calamities!

Mt 8:34:  Jesus does a great work in getting rid of the demons and yet fear fell over the city that “they urged him to depart from their region.” May we never let fear of men or to preach, to lead us from stop listening to Jehovah and doing his will.

Mt 9:2:  Jesus mentions sins in connection with sickness and that forgiveness of sins is related to the gaining of health. So once Jesus sacrificed is apply to mankind we can be sure that good health will be restore to all in Jehovah’s Kingdom.

Mt 9:3-4:  Certain scribes and the Pharisees were looking for fault even in Jesus the Son of God because of the wicked things in their hearts. May we never look down on Jehovah children for we all have sin and are all imperfect and all made mistakes. Rather do what Jehovah and Jesus did, they look for good and help us.

Mt 9:9-13:   Jesus loved those who were despised by others and was willing to show mercy to those.  Jesus’ exercise of mercy toward sinners is not a condoning of their sins but knew that they could change.

Mt 9:17:  Jesus mentioned these process as an example that the truth of Christianity was too powerful and energetic to be retained by the old system of Judaism or any false teaching of mankind. The truth is what should guide our life and not man thinking.

Mt 9:20-23:  Those who judge must learn mercy in judging as Jesus did here. Jesus looked beyond the letter of the Law. He saw the spirit behind it and the need for mercy and compassion. Jesus set a good example for Christian men, particularly overseers in their dealing with the sheep.

Mt 9:24:  They laugh at Jesus scornfully because they did not know the truth, yet this did not stop Jesus from doing his Father will. We are not greater than Jesus and we have been warned the same could happen to Jesus followers at 2Pe 3:3, 4 and John 17, so let us follow Jesus example an keep doing Jehovah will.

Mt 9:24:  Those who die are sleeping as Jesus show with this little girl. The Bible teaches that death are sleeping and waiting for the day that the resurrection of the death to come and so they are unconscious until that time. (John 11:11; Acts 7:59, 60; Ec 9:5; Ps 146:4, 115:17; Isa 38:18; John 5:28, 29)

Mt 9:32-34:  Haters of Jehovah faithful servants will be persecuted by false accusations. Jesus was accused of curing a person by the leader of the demons. Likewise today we see that Jehovah witnesses in 33 countries are ban because of lies and because they want to do Jehovah will.

Mt 9:35-38:  Love for Jehovah and for Jehovah’s “sheep moved Jesus to preach the good news. Since Jesus is the head of the congregation we to should be move for our love of Jehovah and his sheep to preach the word to other.

Mt 9:37-38:  We should act in harmony with our pray to the Master [Jehovah God] to “send out workers into his harvest,” by zealously engaging in the disciple-making work.