Matthew 10:8 Meaning of Heal the Sick Raise the Dead

Matthew 10:8
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Explanation and Commentary of Matthew 10:8

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, not only did he have amazing power to demonstrate the kingdom of God, or as Matthew sensitively names it for is Jewish audiences, the kingdom of heaven, he even had the ability to empower others to do the same. In this case, the twelve were empowered and sent to proclaim the kingdom, which was at hand. This must have felt like a wonderful privilege to the newly appointed twelve.

When Jesus began his ministry, he read from the scroll of Isaiah, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk 4:18-19). This he demonstrated by his works. But his goal from the beginning was to die for his Church and leave us to continue the ministry of the kingdom. It is unlikely that his disciples have been quite so empowered as the twelve, then the seventy-two (Lk 10:1-23), and even later as the disciples at Pentecost, but it is also true that any of these signs and wonders meant to accompany the message of the kingdom of God, and the cross of Christ, can be present today. Church history is filled right up to the present with accounts of God’s power on display through Spirit-filled Christians.

God decides in every ministry environment what will be the nature of the signs of his presence. No true fruit is ever born without the presence of his Spirit. Any regeneration of sinners is as much a miracle as those the disciples performed. But it is also true that we are called on to have faith, and we are promised by Jesus, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn 14:12).

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Matthew 10:8

#1 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
These were the very works that Jesus did to demonstrate the coming of the kingdom of heaven. They are a deposit on heaven itself, and the New Heavens and New Earth where we will dwell with him for eternity. There is no place for sickness, death, or evil when we are at home with God.

#2 “Freely you have received;”
God’s blessing on us, especially our salvation, is a free gift. His Holy Spirit is a free gift. Our spiritual gifts are also free. The nature of grace is that it is undeserved.

#3 “freely give.”
We are called to be like God, in his image, a giver of gifts. Whether it is material wealth or spiritual wealth, God desires to give to the world through us, the stewards of his grace, goodness, and all his good gifts, starting with the Gospel.

Expert Overview of Matthew Ch. 1-13

Biblical Translations of Matthew 10:8

NIV
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

NLT
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”

ESV
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.”

KJV
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

NKJV
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”