Back to His Own City Matthew 9:1

Matthew continued his gospel with these words concerning Jesus, “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 you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come here to torment us before the time?And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding, So the devils besought him, saying, If you 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. 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 Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts”, and in chapter nine and verse one of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus, “entered into a ship … and came into his own city” where we read:

And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

The verse reads, “And he entered into a ship, and passed over, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and he entered” or “and Jesus stepped” “into a ship” which means “into the boat or sailing vessel”, “and passed over” or “and crossed or sailed across the sea”. Matthew shared how Jesus got back in his boat, left the people of the city of the Gadarenes, and sailed back across the sea.

The verse goes on to say, “... and came into his own city.” Matthew continued with the words, “and came” or “and arose and appeared” “into his own city” which refers to “Jesus' own abode or dwelling place Capernaum which was his headquarters”. Matthew shared how Jesus arrived back in His headquarter city of Capernaum after sailing in the boat again.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we may wonder what were the thoughts of the disciples as they entered back into the “ship”. They previously encountered a tumultuous storm when they were in the boat before, and now their master, Jesus, was rejected by the people in the city of the now delivered demon-possessed men. Jesus was on His mission, and when He was rejected by one group of people, He continued toward others who needed Him. God reaches out through His Holy Spirit to all people, and they have the choice of receiving or rejecting Him and His Son Jesus. Those who “believe and trust” in Jesus shall be saved from their sins and inherit “everlasting life”, and those who do not shall be left to fend for themselves before Almighty God.

Next time Matthew shares how the people in Jesus' city, “brought to him a man sick of the palsy”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.