THE HOLIESTCommentaries on St. Matthew
Tablet Twelve
Chapter 8
"When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him."
"And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." (Matthew 8:1-2)
<1>After he finished his teachings, people forgot all about what he taught and started again asking for miracles and favors.<2>Also the miracles he did directed the attention of the people away from the teachings to these miracles. That is why the Prophets who came after Christ did not manifest these kinds of miracles but emphasized more the meaning of their teachings.
"And Esa put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matthew 8:3)
<3>Christ knew that the only way to make people in that era and level of consciousness believe in him was by healing them and performing miracles. <4>But for the people of this time and of the era to come, the teachings of the Prophets should become more important than the Prophets themselves, or their miracles. <5>Each man has to learn to heal himself.
"And Esa saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." (Matthew 8:4)
<6>Here it is completely shown that it was not important for Christ that he healed the man. Instead, he desired to see that the people would follow the Laws and glorify the Father. He did great actions but took no pride for them, <7>because it is He who did these through him.
"And when Esa was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,"
"And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented."
"And Esa saith unto him, I will come and heal him." (Matthew 8:5-7)
<8>This person was asking for a favor for someone else, a servant. He was not asking for himself or even for a close member of his family. Therefore, without hesitation, Christ volunteered to go to his house and heal his servant.
"The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (Matthew 8:8)
<9>The centurion even humbled himself to Christ and with no arrogance accepted him as a Realized Soul and greater than himself. <10>Also Christ was using The Word (The Divine Sacred Name) to heal.
"For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." (Matthew 8:9)
<11>The centurion had authority, and people could satisfy their lower natures through him. Therefore, others obeyed him and followed his orders.
"When Esa heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."
"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."
"But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12)
<12>When Esa saw that this man had such a great faith in him that he believed his servant would be healed if Christ only uttered The Word, and humbled himself even though he was in a higher position of earthly authority, Christ marvelled at how great a man he was and how high a consciousness he had reached.
<13>That is why Christ said that although this man is not of the people who call themselves the Chosen Ones, he and others like him will reach Pure Consciousness. But those who have created a great false ego by believing they are the Chosen Ones, because of this false ego, will "be cast out into outer darkness [ignorance]."
"And Esa said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour." (Matthew 8:13)
<14>All will be done to you according to your faith. The slightest doubt will put you millions of miles away from God.
"And when Esa was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever."
"And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them." (Matthew 8:14-15)
<15>Christ was merciful toward his disciples, their families who believed in him, and those who were associated with him.
"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:" (Matthew 8:16)
<16>He continued to heal people so that their faith might increase through these miracles. But he wanted them to understand his teachings and become as the Father in heaven (Pure Consciousness) (Matthew 5:48). However they were not ready yet to understand it.
<17>The term "devils" is used to refer to forces which crudify the consciousness by affecting the spirit (ethereal body, chakras). Or in other words, "devils" refers to the power of the tama guna over the Soul. Also it is related to the karmic reaction (sins) from past lifetimes. <18>Some of these situations also were created so that (
) would be glorified.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17)
<19>That is what a Satguru does. He takes the karma of his disciples. He forgives a person's previous sins. The person becomes sinless and if he creates devotion for his teacher and God, he will be guided to the truth.
"Now when Esa saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side."
"And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."
"And Esa saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matthew 8:18-20)
<20>A person who was not ready but had the desire to follow him came to Christ. But he discouraged this man and told him that it is a very hard path. It requires detachment from all earthly bondage and giving up everything before one can even begin to follow Christ.
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."
"But Esa said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." (Matthew 8:21-22)
<21>Only those who are spiritually dead become attached to the body of a physically dead person, because they think they are their bodies. Those who know they never die and that the Soul is immortal do not see anything dead. So only the dead bury the dead.
<22>Also it means not to be attached to anything that hinders the person in his goal of be(com)ing Divine. One way to reach this goal is to follow a true spiritual teacher, Christ, "follow me." Also it means, not to be concerned with the present happenings too much, but always keep the ultimate goal or vision in mind!
"And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him."
"And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep." (Matthew 8:23-24)
<23>These verses can be viewed as a symbol of the confusion of his disciples. Because Christ left them alone for awhile, "he was asleep," the doubt and many thoughts (mind) came to them, "a great tempest." They felt that they were lost, "the ship was covered with the waves."
"And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish." (Matthew 8:25)
<24>The disciples went to him as their refuge to be saved from this turbulent sea.
"And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm." (Matthew 8:26)
<25>Christ said that this fear and tribulation was happening to them because of their little faith. If they had faith, the doubt would not dare to enter into their consciousnesses. So his spirit of truth arose and calmed his disciples by guiding them to the understanding, and then a great peace came to them.
"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" (Matthew 8:27)
<26>They marvelled at how he could calm their turbulent minds, and realized that without a Savior it is not possible to overcome this restlessness and feel the peace of mind.
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way."
"And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Esa, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:28-29)
<27>Those forces which are used to punish a person with bad karmas (sins) from previous lives are to remain in the person until a due time. But Christ with his power to forgive sins (bad karmas or samskaras) could take these away from the person before the time is due, "torment us before the time."
"And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding."
"So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine."
"And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters." (Matthew 8:30-32)
<28>There are torments which animals cannot withstand but men can endure and continue to live.
"And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils."
"And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Esa: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." (Matthew 8:33-34)
<29>The people could not understand and became very afraid of him. So instead of seeing his light and trying to realize him as an Avatar, they wished him to leave them alone in their ignorance and depart from them.