Matthew 15:29-31 – Object lessons of Who Jesus is

Jesus had been healing, delivering, restoring wherever He went. We are told in verse 29 that He now departed from Galilee and went up to the mountain and was sitting there. Matthew seems to place much emphasis on mountains as venues where the Lord did something.  We see several times he brought up events that happened on the mountain. In Matthew 5, we have the sermon given on the mountain. In Matthew 14:23. We are told He went up to the mountain and was praying alone. Now again in this passage we discover Him on the mountain and was sitting there. And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them lame, crippled, blind, mute and many others. Each was laid at Jesus’ feet and He healed them all. We will see another mountain scene again in Matthew 17 where Jesus would be transfigured. And it was on that mount of transfiguration that He spoke to Moses and Elijah. This mountain motif would eventually culminate in the last instruction that Jesus would give to His disciples. Yes, it was on the mountain that the Great Commission, to go into the world and preach the Gospel, was given (Matthew 28:16).

 

What’s the significance of mountain? For Jews, mountain would remind them of Mount Zion where the eschatological event of scattered Israel would be gathered. Here the messianic feast would also take place and healing experienced. In these three verses, we are given an object lesson that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Isaiah 35:5-6 tell us that…the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.  According to Isaiah, God had promised that His people, the Israelites, would be brought back home from the exile. Now this is happening, and it’s indicative that the long awaited moment had now arrived. And in Jesus, this prophecy was being fulfilled. He is truly Israel’s Messiah.

 

Knowing the Old Testament does help us to connect the dots. These three verses serve as object lessons to Christ Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. We all struggle to know the message of the Old Testament books, but study them we must. As difficult as they may seem, knowing them will help us to understand the mission of Christ clearer. And as we see Him more clearly, it will spur us on and be engaged in the mission that He had inaugurated at His first coming. So before we get busy with His work, let’s take time to seek and connect with Him first!