From the Least to the Greatest - Matthew 8-10

 Matthew 8:1-2 (ESV)

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

From the Least to the Greatest

Jesus came to the earth to bring men to God.  The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah to tell us His Divine mission:

Hebrews 8:10-11 (ESV)

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor

and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

for they shall all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest.

He states, “... from the least of them to greatest.”   In Matthew’s narrative we see Jesus, after preaching the powerful message we call the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus comes down from the mountain and the “crowds” followed Him.  But, notice the type of people He attracted to His ministry of the new covenant:

Matthew 8:2(ESV)

2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Matthew 8:5 (ESV)

The Faith of a Centurion

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,

Matthew 8:16 (ESV)

16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

Matthew 8:19 (ESV)

19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

In just a few verses we read that a leaper, a centurion, the oppressed by demons and a scribe, all seek Him out.  This is the “least to the greatest.”   Jesus attracts many and saves some.  In regard to the “who” God attracts through His Son, Paul states:

1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

God loves to use the weak of the world to accomplish His task.  But, Paul is not saying that God ONLY uses the weak.  Paul was not weak, himself.  He was brilliant.   God opened up many doors for Christianity to flourish by saving those in high places.   When a leaper comes to Christ, He heals him.  When a Centurion comes to Christ, He saves him.   God saves the least to the greatest, as he pleases.