NIV, Faithlife Study Bible | Page 173

MattheW 5:2 | 1537 im me di ate ly they left the boat and their fa ther and fol lowed him .
Jesus Heals the Sick
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Jesus went through out Gal i lee , teach ing in their syn a gogues , pro claim ing the good news of the king dom , and heal ing ev ery dis ease and sick ness among the peo ple . 24 News about him spread all over Syr ia , and peo ple brought to him all who were ill with var i ous dis eas es , those suf fer ing se vere pain , the de mon-pos sessed , those hav ing sei zures , and the par a lyzed ; and he healed them . 25 Large crowds from Gal i lee , the De cap o lis , a Je ru sa lem , Judea and the re gion across the Jor dan fol lowed him .
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

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Now when Jesus saw the crowds , he went up on a moun tain side and sat down . His dis ci ples came to him , 2 and he be gan to teach them .
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25 That is , the Ten Cities cords an early interaction of Peter and Andrew , noting that Andrew was one of John the Baptist ’ s disciples ( Jn 1:35 ) and that he originally brought Peter to meet Jesus . a net A small , circular net that a single person could handle . See the infographic “ First-Century Galilean Fishing Boat ” on p . 1560 . 4:23 synagogues Usually refers to a building where a local community assembled . The synagogue was not a distinctively religious institution , as nonreligious activities also took place there . Synagogues provided Jews who lived far from the temple in Jerusalem a place to pray , teach and — ​most importantly — ​read Scripture . Rabbis could lecture there , interpreting the Scriptures , explaining the law and offering instructions . See the infographic “ The Synagogue at Capernaum ” on p . 1656 ; see the infographic “ Ancient Home Synagogue ” on p . 1971 . 4:24 those suffering severe pain People during this time did not distinguish between physical diseases and the ill effects of unclean , evil spirits . Matthew makes no statement about these maladies in this verse beyond observing that Jesus cured them all , regardless of their cause . Syria A Roman province located north and east of Israel and Galilee . Syria was a large and influential region , and Matthew mentions it to show how far and how fast Jesus ’ reputation had spread .
4:25 The list of places in this verse represent the major areas inhabited by Jews , showing the extent of Jesus ’ influence .
4:25 Large crowds Might describe as many as a few thousand people . Decapolis This Greek name means “ ten cities ” and refers to a federation of Hellenized ( highly Greek-influenced ) cities and towns located east of the Sea of Galilee . It may have comprised more than ten cities .
5:1 – 12 Matthew 5 – 7 contains Jesus ’ Sermon on the Mount , which describes how members of the kingdom of heaven should live . Jesus ’ statements in vv . 3 – 12 are known as the Beatitudes . This is the first of five primary speeches by Jesus and sets the tone for the rest of Matthew ’ s Gospel . See the event line “ Jesus ’ Early Life and Ministry ” on p . 1530 .
5:1 he went up on a mountainside Jesus ’ giving new instruction on a mountain reflects Ex 19 – 24 . His comparisons with various points of the law ( Mt 5:21,27,31,33,38,43 ) allude to Moses . Mountains provide the setting for significant teachings and events in Matthew ( e . g ., 17:1 ; 24:3 ; 26:30 ; 28:16 ). sat down In Jesus ’ day , the most important person or persons in a group would sit while the rest stood . Rabbis sat while giving instruction . His disciples came to him The language of this verse reflects Moses ’ reception of the law at Mount Sinai . Moses went up Mount Sinai into the cloud ; the disciples — ​like the Israelites in the desert — ​may have thought that they should wait below while he spoke with God . Matthew presents Jesus as the new Moses , but so much greater than Moses that
Jesus casts out demons and sends them into a herd of pigs .
Jesus commissions a missionary in the region of the Gerasenes .
Jesus heals a man who is demon-possessed and mute .
Jesus tells his disciples to pray for more workers .
Jesus raises the daughter of a synagogue ruler .
The people in the region of the Gerasenes ask Jesus to leave . A synagogue ruler asks Jesus to help his daughter .
Jesus heals two blind men .
The people of Nazareth refuse to believe . Jesus sends out the apostles .