Matthew 8:11

Friday, 7 March 2025

 

And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11

 

“And I say to you that many from east and west, they will arrive, and they will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that He had not found such faith as that of the centurion even in Israel. He continues His statement with, “And I say to you that many from east and west, they will arrive.”

 

The Greek word translated as east has already been seen in Matthew 2. However, the word translated as west, dusmé, is first found here. It is derived from dunó, to sink or set. It is generally associated with the setting of the heavenly bodies as if they are sinking into the sea when they reach the western horizon.

 

A second new word is hékó, to arrive. Most translations say “come,” but this is not necessarily the intent. To come signifies the action of motion. This word signifies the action of arriving, as in being present. It is the termination point of the coming.

 

As such, it isn’t as if people will come from time to time from the east and the west. Rather, they will come from those locations to arrive at a new location, being present at a particular time. There is a sense of finality in this that will exclude those who do not arrive at the set location at that time.

 

Jesus is expressing a large, even uncountable number by saying this. As there really is no east or west, just a direction in which one will continuously travel, it indicates that wherever people are, there will be those included in His words. Understanding that, He continues with, “and they will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.”

 

To recline signifies having a meal. At the time, tables were low and attendees would sit on the floor, reclining on one another or on pillows designed for the purpose. At such tables, meals would be served, and it would be considered, as it is today, a time of fellowship and enjoyment.

 

Noting that it would be with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, is a way of ensuring the people understood that there was a future when the righteous would be raised according to the Messianic promises and that there would be a feast at the gathering where all the righteous would fellowship together in the presence of God.

 

The inclusion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is further given to ensure that it was understood that those gathered were saved believers, meaning deemed righteous before God. It was taken as an axiom by the people that it was so. As such, it would be the fulfillment of the promises to those men as given by the Lord concerning the restoration of all things and the coming of the promised kingdom, which is “in the kingdom of the heavens.”

 

The context of Jesus’ words is that they are stated in connection with the demonstration of faith by the centurion. He was not of Israel, he was not under the law of Moses, and there is not an ounce of evidence to suggest that he had taken up the religion of the people of Israel.

 

It is true that Luke 7 says that he loved the nation and built them a synagogue, but it would be a glaring oversight not to say he was a proselyte or had converted to Judaism if it was so. Any attempt to say he was a proselyte must be forced into the text based on presuppositions.

 

Further, Jesus skips over all of those who were under the law, like David, Daniel, and John the Baptist. Rather, He goes back to those who lived prior to the time of the law. Theirs was a walk of faith in the Lord and His promises. It was not a time of law observance.

 

Thus, the words of Jesus are clear. A time is prophesied when those of faith will be gathered together in the presence of God to dine and fellowship in the place that God has prepared for His people.

 

Life application: Context is king, and the context of Jesus’ words, as spoken to the people in this passage, is that Gentiles will be included in what God has promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And not only is it so, but it will be a number so large, the Bible would describe it as innumerable or with some other superlative. Instead of this, though, He simply points to the two undetermined directions of east and west to make His point.

 

There is a south, and there is a north, but there is actually no set east or west. In this statement by Jesus, there is a complete refutation of the doctrine of the Judaizers who are today’s Hebrew Roots adherents. Jesus’ words identify them as the problem that needs to be resolved. Law and works can do nothing to bring one near to God. Rather, it is by faith alone through grace alone that this is brought about.

 

“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:5-9

 

Lord God, thank You for justification by grace through faith. Thank You that works are excluded. Otherwise, how could we ever know when we had sufficiently worked our way up the ladder and back to You! Rather, Jesus has done it all. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Thank You for our precious Lord Jesus. Amen.