The “Love” chapter (1 Cor. 13} and the “Faith” chapter (Heb. 11) are well known and loved, but have you ever read the “Go” chapter? Matthew 8 contains five specific miracles and the mention of many others, showing the Lord’s mastery over the human body, the weather, the sea, and demons. Interspersed throughout the chapter are many instances of this word of action—“Go.”
Go and be a testimony. “And Jesus said unto him, See that you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them” (Matt. 8:4). Let us also go and show to others what our Lord has done for us as a testimony to them.
Go and obey. “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it” (Matt. 8:9). This centurion was accustomed to obeying his superiors and to having his words be obeyed. Has the Lord asked you to do something? Are you dragging your feet or are you obeying Him promptly?
Go and believe. “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto you. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (Matt. 8:13). The Lord marveled about the faith of only one person in the Scriptures and that is of this Gentile Roman soldier. Go on your way trusting the Lord for each need, casting every care upon Him for He does care for you.
Go and serve Christ. “And He touched her hand, and the fever left her:and she arose, and ministered unto them” (Matt. 8:15). There are times that we may be laid aside due to illness and not able to do what we did when we were healthy. If the Lord chooses to heal us, we have the opportunity to serve Him and others with renewed strength. The word “minister” also has the thought of “to wait upon” as a waiter or waitress would do. How can we go today and attend to the needs and desires of the Lord?
Go and avoid. “Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side” (Matt. 8:18). The Lord was not impressed nor drawn by great numbers of people. He was on a mission given to Him by His Father and He was not moved by how His popularity ranked with the public. The Lord rewards those who are faithful to Him, not those who are politically correct or otherwise enmeshed with what our culture promotes.
Go and follow. “Master, I will follow Thee wherever Thou goest” (Matt. 8:19). This bold statement is met with a proclamation of the Lord’s lack of a place to lay His head. A follower of Christ is not promised wealth, position, or power in this world. We are called to come apart and rest awhile when needed, but walking as He walked would keep us actively completing the mission that we are called to do, just as He did.
Go and serve self? “Lord, suffer [allow] me first to go and bury my father” (Matt. 8:21). “Me first.” This is a common statement that is repeated by children and adults alike through our actions and decisions. It has been said many times by young parents that they never realized how selfish they were until they had children of their own who interrupted their sleep and wouldn’t let them do what they wanted to do. We need to replace “me first” with “Jesus first” and learn the words of the song, “Jesus and Others and You; What a wonderful way to spell JOY.” The Lord’s response to this person’s request is, “Follow Me.” To follow Him requires looking at Him, studying Him, and going where He is going,
Go to sleep “Behold there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves:but He was asleep” (Matt. 8:24). The only record we have of the Lord sleeping is on a boat during a storm. He knew the importance of sleep to his body and took advantage of this sailing trip to get some refreshment. The National Sleep Foundation’s website states, “Before Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night; today Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on week nights and 7.5 hours per night on weekends.” A well-rested body is better suited to resist temptation and serve the Lord cheerfully and energetically.
Go with God’s Word “If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And He said unto them, ‘Go’” (Matt. 8:3l,32). The Lord spoke one word and it was instantly obeyed by the demons, just as the wind and waves obeyed the rebuke He gave to them previously. The power in the Word of God is beyond compare! Read it. Memorize it. Speak it.
Go away “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” (Matt. 8:34). If we go out with the gospel, we may be received with open arms, treated with indifference, or told to leave. The Lord didn’t press these people to accept Him. He departed but He left behind a healed man who published in ten cities “how great things Jesus had done for him:and all men did marvel” (Mark 5:20).