Matthew 8: Largely about Authority – healings & a miracle

• v.1-4 Jesus heals a man with Leprosy
• v.5-13 The Faith of the Centurion
• v.14-17 Jesus heals many
• v.18-22 The Cost of following Jesus
• v.23-27 Jesus calms the Storm
• v.28-34 Jesus restores two Demon-Possessed Men

[Preliminary Note: Moving on from pure narrative (chapters 2-4) and pure teaching (chapters 5-7), this chapter is undoubtedly about Jesus’ authority and although it is activity-focused, each activity reveals (teaches) something about Jesus’ authority that separated him out from any other person in history.]

v.1-4 Jesus heals a man with Leprosy

v.1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.

v.2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

v.3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

v.4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

[Note: Jesus shows immense compassion as well as power, touching this outcast. The leper makes a statement of faith, so Jesus actually touched him and declared him clean – and he was, after which Jesus instructs him to perform the requirements of the Law for such a situation. NB. The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.]

v.5-13 The Faith of the Centurion

v.5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

v.6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

v.7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

v.8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

v.9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

[Note: Back in Capernaum a centurion asks for help. His servant [presumably after an accident?] is paralyzed and in pain, so Jesus asks shall he come but [perhaps surprisingly] the man replies, you don’t need to do that, just speak the word. He clearly knows what authority is about and he knows Jesus has it.]

v.10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

v.11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

v.12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

v.13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

[Note: The centurion understood the authority Jesus had, that just needed a word spoken. Jesus was amazed at his faith-understanding. and adds that many Gentiles will come to faith but tragically many Jews won’t. Jesus declares the man healed – and he was.]

v.14-17 Jesus heals many

v.14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

v.15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

v.16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.

v.17  This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

[Note: wherever Jesus saw a need he used his authority to heal and deliver. Going to Peter’s home, they find Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. so Jesus simply touched her, and the fever went. That evening when many came, he delivered and healed many, exactly as Isaiah had prophesied – Isa 53:4 (see Septuagint)]

v.18-22 The Cost of following Jesus

v.18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.

v.19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

v.20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

v.21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

v.22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

[Note: The cost of being a literal follower of Jesus meant not knowing where you might end up (without a bed even) and required you to focus on the calling, leaving domestic matter to others. So, a teacher of the Law professes faith, but Jesus warns him they have nowhere to sleep. Another follower asked to bury his father first, but Jesus simply said come with me and leave the family to do that.]

v.23-27 Jesus calms the Storm

v.23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.

v.24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

v.25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

v.26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

v.27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

[Note: Jesus’ authority extended beyond healing and deliverance to be able to control nature when necessary. Thus, when they get in a boat to cross over the lake, a harsh storm picks up, and so the disciples wake Jesus who is sleeping, but he chides them for lack of faith and then stills the storm, which amazes them.]

v.28-34 Jesus restores two Demon-Possessed Men

v.28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

v.29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

v.30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.

v.31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

v.32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.

v.33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

v.34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

[Note:  Jesus’ authority was not intimidated by great demonic strength and violence. We see this demonstrated when, on the other side of the lake, they are met by two violent demoniacs who scream at Jesus. Now there was a large herd of pigs nearby and so the demons asked to possess the pigs. Jesus says yes, and the pigs rushed into the lake and drowned. Those with the pigs fled and the people from the town came and begged him to leave.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: