There is an inconsistency in Matthew’s Gospel when compared to Mark and Luke. It is one of those “contradictions” that sceptics like to use to cast doubt on the validity of the Gospels. To be honest, it is one I’ve struggled to find an explanation, even though it is a minor point.
I’m referring to casting out of the demons in the Decapolis across the sea from Galilee. In Mark and Luke, Jesus cast out the demons know as Legion from one man, but in Matthew it’s two men. This always bothered me and looked for some explanation on why the differences. Was Matthew striving to be more accurate? But that didn’t seem right since Luke has gained a reputation for being very detailed oriented. I even read a Greek Interlinear Bible to see if there was some way it could have been mistranslated, but nothing satisfied.
Then I was reading the passage of Jesus healing the blind man on the Jericho Road on his final trip to Jerusalem. Here again, Matthew tells of two men, while Mark and Luke tell of one man. Mark even mentions his name, Bartimaeus.
This seemed odd to me that twice Matthew said it was two men. When I contemplated it seemed there was one reasonable explanation. Mark and Luke were striving or factual accuracy, while Matthew was using this as a chance to give a theological lesson. Think of the two men in each of these stories as representatives of the two types of people of the world. At least the two types First Century Jews would have seen, the Jews and the Gentiles. If you put this in light of the fact that Matthew was writing to mainly a Jewish audience, then his point could resonate with them. His point could be in the first story that both Jews and Gentiles are under Satan’s control and are in need of having demons cast out from them. Like wise, with the two blind men he is saying that both Jew and Gentile must have their eyes opened to see the light of Jesus.
(The demons are in Matt 8:28, Mark 5:1, and Luke 8:26. The story of the blind are in Matt 20:29, Mark 10:46, and Luke 18:35)
#Demons, #Blind, #Matthew, #Mark, #Luke, #contradiction