Matthew - The Great Physician

In today's study from Matthew 9:1-13, we see that the Great Physician has come to heal our sick bodies, sick souls, sick hearts, sick natures, sick minds, and sick spirits.

The Great Physician

vv.1-13 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.  (2)  And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.  (3)  And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.  (4)  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?  (5)  For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?  (6)  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.  (7)  And he arose, and departed to his house.  (8)  But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.  (9)  And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.  (10)  And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.  (11)  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?  (12)  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  (13)  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus said in verse 12, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."  People go to the doctor when they are sick. Therefore, we need to go to Jesus when we are sick. We see sickness throughout the Bible.

1. Sick Bodies (v.2a)

Our bodies get sick with disease. This guy was so sick with the palsy (a muscular disease) that he couldn’t walk. There are many sicknesses listed in the Bible. Palsy (Matt 8:6), Leprosy (Matt 8:2), Fever (Matt 8:14), Bleeding (Matt 9:20), Blindness (Matt 9:27), Withered hand (Matt 12:10), Devil possession (Matt 12:22), blind (Matt. 9:27) and dumb (Matt. 9:32).  Jesus healed them all! 

Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Not All Sickness is Apparent

But not all of our sicknesses are apparent. We not only have sick bodies, but we also have…

2. Sick Souls (v.2b)

“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” 

Our souls are sick with sin. Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

This man and his friends knew that his body was sick. That kind of outward illness is obvious. However, what they could not see was his sickness with sin. We all have them: envy, pride, jealousy, anger, covetousness, lust, bitterness, and so forth.

He Forgives Our Sins

And what does the Great Physician do to our sins? He forgives them as well.

1 Tim 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

Col 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

We not only have sick bodies, and sick souls, but we also have…

3. Sick Hearts (vv.3-4)

Our hearts are sick with evil and wickedness.

Jesus said in Mar 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

It is interesting that the scribes, in their hearts, accused Jesus of blasphemy, because he forgave the man’s sins. After all, that is only something that God can do.

Mk 2:7 “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”

Of course, Jesus is God. The crazy thing is that while they were accusing him of blasphemy, they were the real blasphemers. Mar 3:28-30 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:  29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:  30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

We not only have sick bodies, sick souls, and sick hearts, but we also have…

4. Sick Natures (vv.9-10)

“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.”

We all have a sin nature. Paul told the Corinthians in 1Co 2:14 “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” By nature we are corrupt and seek those things that are corrupt. He also said in, 1Co 15:50 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” And what does the Great Physician do to our natures? He changes them!

2Co 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

We not only have sick bodies, sick souls, sick hearts, and sick natures, but we also have…

5. Sick Minds (v.11)

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”

We do not think straight. The Devil blinds our minds.

2Co 4:4 “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

And what does the Great Physician do to our minds?  He restores them.

2 Tim 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

We must allow the “mind of the master be the master of your mind.

We not only have sick bodies, sick souls, sick hearts, sick natures, and sick minds, but we also have…

6. Sick Spirits (vv.12-13)

“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  (13)  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Our minds are sick because of the influences of the devil in this world. Our spirits were sick because we were lost. Paul said in Eph 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” The Pharisees thought that by doing something (sacrifices) they could change what they were (sinners).  But that’s not possible. You can’t change what you are by changing what you do.

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

So what does the Great Physician do to our spirits? He renews them!

Ps 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Eph 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”

Joh 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Matthew - The Origin of Demons

In today’s study from Matthew 8:28-34, we take a look at demons and discuss their origins.

The Reality of Demons

vv.28-34 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.  (29)  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?  (30)  And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.  (31)  So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.  (32)  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.  (33)  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.  (34)  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.

Here we see demons mentioned for the first time in the New Testament. The same account is found in Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:27. Mark and Luke just deal with one of these men, Matthew deals with both of them (v.28). But they are dealing with the same event.

The Word Demon

The word demon is found more than 75 times in the New Testament. It is usually translated “devil” in the King James. They are also called familiar spirits, unclean spirits, evil spirits, seducing spirits and wicked spirits.

Their Origins

There are a number of theories on their origin. 1. They are spirits of deceased wicked men. However, this cannot be because the Bible says that the unsaved dead are in Hell. Psa 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

2. They are spirits of a pre-Adamic race. This view comes about because of the word translated “replenish” in the KJV in Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” However, the Bible says that Adam was the first man. 1Co 15:45  “And so it is written, "THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

3. The only biblical answer, in my opinion, is that they are fallen angels. These are the same angles that rebelled with Lucifer (Is. 14:12-17; Ez. 28:12-18; Rev. 12:4, 9). Matt 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

Two Types of Demons

The Bible indicates that these fallen angels are either chained or unchained.

1. Chained Demons: Many believe that these chained demons are the ones that are referred to in Gen. 6. Peter said in 2 Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” Jude said in Jude 6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Also, compare Rev. 9:1-2, 11.

2. Unchained Demons: These demons have a certain amount of freedom for the present time. The Psalmist said in Psa 78:49 “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.” Also, Paul told the Ephesians in Eph 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The Man’s New Condition

Moving on, I want us to notice the new condition of the man after the exorcism in Mark. Mark said in Mark 5:15 adds one other  “Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.”

It is a picture of the new birth. 1. He’s sitting. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His every word. 2. He’s clothed. The garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. 3. He’s in his right mind. Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Also, compare 2 Cor 10:3-5. 4. He’s witnessing. We are also told something interesting in Mark 5:18-20. He was telling others what Jesus had done for him! 

Matthew - Requirements of Discipleship

In today's study from Matthew 8:18-27, we see the requirements of discipleship.

No Pattern for Healing

The final thing that I want us to notice is that there is no pattern for getting healed. One asked (v.2), one told (v.6), one said nothing (v.14), and the multitude just came (v.16). He touched two (v.3, 15) but didn’t even see one of them (v.8). In only one of them faith is mentioned (v.10). The healings were immediate, v.3, 13, and 15. He healed them all with no misfires, v. 16. He healed them with his word, v. 8, 16 — didn’t require some magical motion or touch.

Healing Comes the Way God Chooses

The bottom line is that healing comes as God chooses and not us.

1. He may heal us with medicine. 

1 Tim 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

Is. 38:21 “For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.”

2. He may heal us without medicine.

Acts 3:7 “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

3. He may choose to leave you sick. 

2 Tim 4:20 “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.”

2Co 12:7-8 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

4. We will all be healed someday. 

Phil 3:21 “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Requirements of Discipleship

vv.18-27 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.  (20)  And Jesus 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.  (21)  And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  (22)  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.  (23)  And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.  (24)  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.  (25)  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  (26)  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.  (27)  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

In this passage, the Lord shows us what may be required in discipleship.

Separation from Home (vv.19-20)

Jesus had to leave heaven to come down here to save us, and that meant giving up everything.

2 Cor 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

When God called Abraham, he told him to leave home and Abraham wasn’t even sure where he was going.

Heb 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Change in Priorities (vv.21-22)

This would-be disciple wanted to put his priorities ahead of the Lord’s.

Jesus made this change in priorities known in Mark.

Mark 8:34-35 “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (35)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.

It’s been said, “Your cross is where the Lord’s will crosses your will.”

Exposure to Peril (vv.23-24)

These were fishermen and yet this was a storm unlike anything they had experienced. They actually thought they were going to die. For a fisherman to think that he was going to die, it had to be pretty bad. The bottom line is that following Jesus can be dangerous!

2 Cor. 1:8-9 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.  (9)  Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

Paul suffered tremendously at the hands of the very people that he was trying to minister to.

2Co 11:24-27 “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  (25)  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;  (26)  in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  (27)  in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness”

God is in Control

What we have to understand and know is that no matter how bad it gets, God is in total control. As a matter of fact, he rebuked them for forgetting this. Listen guys, if Jesus is in the boat with you, you have no reason to fear and every reason to have faith!

Complete Dependence upon Jesus (v.25)

Notice how they had no choice but to depend on Jesus. They had no more solutions. Peter figured that out when he began to sink.

Mat 14:30 “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

Faith in Fearful Circumstances (v.26)

The Lord allows his disciples to go through fearful circumstances to strengthen their faith.

Rom 1:17  “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Definition of Fear

Fear is the absence of faith.

Definition of Faith

Faith is the absence of fear.

Psa 56:11 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Matthew - Three Healings

In today's study from Matthew 8:1-18, we take a closer look at the healing of a leper, a centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and discuss why our Lord did these healings.

Why Jesus Healed

vv.1-18 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. (2) And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (3) And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (4) And Jesus 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. (5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, (6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. (7) A nd Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. (8) 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. (9) 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. (10) When Jesus 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. (11) 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. (12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (13) And Jesus 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. (14) And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. (15) And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.  (16)  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: (17) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (18) Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

When Jesus finished the given of the Law, he came down and immediately healed three people. He healed a leper, a centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law. And then he went and cast demons out of some who were possessed.

Here are a few things that I want you to notice about this passage.

#1 The healings where a fulfillment of prophecy (v.17). Isa 53:4 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

#2 The healings demonstrated that He could cleanse their sins as well. Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:” We also see this in the healing of the paralytic who was lowered down through the roof in Mark. Mar 2:5 “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

#3 The healings testified to his deity. This is because he accepted their worship (8:2).

A Closer Look

Let’s take a closer look at each healing.

The Leper (vv.2-4)

Leprosy, or Hanson’s Disease as it is known today, was a contagious, mutilating, incurable disease that was normally fatal in biblical times. It wasn’t until the early 1980’s until a cure was invented.

Tell No One

I’ve always wondered why Jesus told folks on occasion to tell no one what He had done for them. I think that it was for two reasons. #1 He knew that if He became famous too quickly, it would lead to a quicker confrontation with the religious leaders and would expedite the cross. We find in the Mark’s account that the leper did not heed the instructions when it says that “he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter(Mark 1:45).

#2 It was to fulfill Scripture.

Mat 12:16-19 And charged them that they should not make him known:  17  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,  18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.  19  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

The Centurion (vv.5-13)

A centurion was a Roman soldier who commanded over 100 men. This soldier had Palsy which is a muscular disease that produces shaking like Parkinson’s disease or muscular fatigue like Bells palsy.

The Mother-In-Law (vv.14-18)

Really the only thing that stands out in this healing to me is the fact that Peter was married. This leads me to question why Catholic Priests are forbidden to marry today while stilling claiming that Peter was the first pope.

The Bible teaches that practically all of the early church leaders were married. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:5, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” Also, two New Testament epistles advise that bishops should be married. Paul told Timothy and Titus in 1Ti 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”, and also in Tit 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”

Old Testament Examples

Also, in the Old Testament, a life without children brought about shame. #1 God promised Abraham the blessing of many descendants (Gen 22:17). #2 When Rachael conceived her first child, she proclaimed, "God has taken away my shame" (Gen 30:23). #3 Jephthah's daughter, the tragic victim of her father's ill-made promise of human sacrifice, asked for two more months of life, in order specifically to mourn her virginity (Judges 11:37). #4 And among the promises the prophet Isaiah made to Israel was that she would no longer remember the dishonor of her widowhood. Isaiah 54:4 says, “Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.”

In spite of all of that the Roman Catholic Church passed the requirement of celibacy into law in 1139 AD at the second Lateran Council. One of their foremost reasons was, and I quote, “The argument has to do with its high spiritual calling, but the rule also avoids the secularization of church property: If the priest has no descendants, no family can claim the property owned by the church.”

Matthew - Two Foundations

In today's study from Matthew 7:24-29, we conclude our look at the Sermon on the Mount as our Lord speaks of two foundations upon which we can choose to build our lives.

Doers and not Hearers Only

vv.24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  (25)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  (26)  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  (27)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

In this closing section of the Sermon on the Mount we see two gates, two ways, two destinations, two groups of people (13-14), two kinds of trees, two kinds of fruit (17-20), to groups at the judgment (21-23), and today, two kinds of builders building on two foundations. Jesus is clearly drawing a line of distinction between those who are on the broad path that leads to death and those who are on the narrow path that leads to life. In this passage, Jesus compares wise men to fools. Wise men hear his words and do them; fools do not.

The point of this passage is the foundation of the house. In the context of preaching on the kingdom of heaven, these verses are directed to the Jews. They are the house of Israel (; 40:38). Israel is referred to as such throughout the Old Testament. Exo 16:31 “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Exo 40:38 “For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”

The point that our Lord is trying to make is that in order for their house to stand, they have to be founded on a rock. Isa 51:1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug.

The application to us as the church is that those of us who have received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior are founded upon the Rock, for Christ is that Rock. 1Co 3:11 “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” No storm or wind can destroy our house because of the foundation we are built upon.

But those who have refused the Lord Jesus Christ don’t have the Rock and they will be destroyed. 1 Pet. 2:7-8 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,"  (8)  and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

Albert Barnes says it this way in regards to the man who chooses to build his house on the wrong foundation, “The house built upon the sand is beat upon by the floods and rains; its foundation gradually is worn away; it falls, and is borne down the stream and is destroyed. So falls the sinner. The floods are wearing away his sandy foundation; and soon one tremendous storm shall beat upon him, and he and his hopes shall fall, for ever fall. Out of Christ; perhaps having “heard” his words from very childhood; perhaps having taught them to others in the Sunday school; perhaps having been the means of laying the foundation on which others shall build for heaven, he has laid for himself no foundation, and soon an eternal tempest shall beat around his naked soul. How great will be that fall! What will be his emotions when sinking forever in the flood, and when he realizes that he is destined forever to live and writhe in the peltings of that ceaseless storm that shall beat when “God shall rain snares, fire, and a horrible tempest” upon the wicked!

Finally, notice that they commented on the Lord’s authority (v.29)”

He Taught with Authority

vv.28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  (29)  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Here we see that the people were surprised by the authority with which our Lord spoke. That’s because there was no doubt in his mind that the words he taught them were the words of God. Joh 7:15-16 “The Jews then were astonished, saying, "How has this man become learned, having never been educated?"  (16)  So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” We need to be people today that are unafraid to speak with authority when it comes to the Scriptures! Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.