Warm up question in pairs: Has there been a time in your life when felt as desperate as the man with leprosy braved the crowd and knelt before Jesus asking to be made clean? This could have been any situation, not just illness.
Matthew 8:1-4 Questions
- What had Jesus been doing on the mountain? Teaching Sermon on Mount and more. The people were amazed at his authority in teaching. Keep that in mind for this text.
- What are your thoughts about the fact that the first person Jesus encountered was a leper? Discuss.
- What can we learn about this leper from his actions? He refused to let the disease of leprosy determine who he was. He was a man who just happen to have leprosy. The man showed boldness because lepers were supposed to avoid crowds. He showed humility in kneeling before Jesus. He also did not demand for Jesus to heal him, but said, “If you are willing…” What other observations can anyone make?
- Do people today get labeled because they have a certain disease, disability, etc.? Unfortunately, they do. That is just one aspect of their life. We must guard against labeling people with a serious problem of addiction they have. That is part of the sanctity of life.
- Lepers could not be touched. Imagine the emotional starvation lepers endured as no other humans could touch them. Why did Jesus touch him? Touch Is powerful. Notice other examples when Jesus healed. As the Son of God, Jesus must have known he wouldn’t catch the disease.
- Why do we see so few people healed today? Is Jesus not willing as he said he was willing here? This is an opinion question. We can all speculate, but I don’t think anyone can say for sure.
- Why did Jesus not want him to tell anyone of his healing? Healing was not the main reason Jesus came. If word got out, he would have spent all his time healing.
- Why did Jesus tell him to go see the priest? That was what Leviticus 13-15 commanded for any leper who had been made clean. Following these guidelines, his testimony could be validated.
- Who are the outcasts and marginalized in our society we should reach out to? Ask for various opinions. In WWII, it was the Jews, gypsies and the disabled. In building a pure race, it was these Hitler wanted to destroy.
Mark 8:14-17 Questions
- Why did Jesus use the gift of touch again as he did with the leper? It is powerful.
- What was the first thing she did after the fever left her? She got up and served Jesus.
- What light does Mark 9:25 shed on any connection between demons and sickness?
- To understand the context of Isaiah 53:4 which is quoted by Matthew, it is important to read 53:1-5. A. did the healing and driving out of spirits a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah? Most certainly. B. Is the phrase “and by his stripes we are healed” often used to refer to refer to physical healing? Yes. Is that phrase referring to spiritual or physical healing? Most commentators believe it is the healing of the soul, but there seems to be some relationship between the soul and the body.
Matthew 9:1-8 Questions
- From the other gospel writers, we know that the man’s friends let him down through the roof. What can we learn from these friends who went to such great lengths to get their friend to Jesus? What lengths are we willing to go to get our friends to Jesus? Discuss.
- Why did Jesus forgive the man’s sins before he healed his body? In 9:6 Jesus said so that others would know that he had authority on earth to forgive sins.
- Why were the Jewish leaders so upset? They did not believe that Jesus had authority and he was therefore blaspheming.
- What was the crowd’s response? Awestruck and gave glory to God.
- What has Jesus given us authority to do? In Matthew 28:19-20, he gave us authority to tell others about him. If that is the case, why are we so timid in talking to family and friends about Jesus? We often forget that Jesus has given us authority, and we don’t feel we have authority in ourselves to do so. What other reasons can you think of?