Matthew 8
- Who wrote it
- Traditionally Matthew
- Who it was for
- Jewish followers of Jesus
- What was happening
- Healings around the Sea of Galilee
What’s happening
Coming down from the mountain, Jesus touches and heals a man with a skin disease, and tells him to show himself to the priest as Moses commanded. In Capernaum a Roman centurion asks him to heal his paralyzed servant, and says Jesus need only say the word, since he too knows how authority works. Jesus is amazed: he hasn't found faith like this in Israel, and many will come from east and west to the feast of the kingdom. He heals Peter's mother-in-law of a fever, and that evening heals many more, which Matthew links to Isaiah: "He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases." Two would-be followers hear what following costs. Crossing the lake, a violent storm hits while Jesus sleeps; the disciples wake him, and he calms the wind and waves. On the other side, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men possessed by demons come out of the tombs. Jesus sends the demons into a herd of pigs, which rush into the lake, and the townspeople ask him to leave.
Why the setting matters
Under the purity laws, a skin disease made a person unclean and forced them to live apart, and touching them made you unclean too, so Jesus' touch broke a barrier. A centurion commanded about a hundred soldiers and was a Gentile; observant Jews avoided entering Gentile homes, which may be why he says "just say the word." Sudden storms still sweep down onto the Sea of Galilee from the surrounding hills. Gadara was a Gentile town of the Decapolis, where pigs, unclean for Jews, were herded, and tombs were unclean places.
Who’s in this chapter
A man with a skin disease
Kneels and says, "If you're willing, you can make me clean."
The centurion
A Gentile officer whose trust amazes Jesus.
Peter's mother-in-law
Healed of a fever, she gets up and serves him.
The disciples
Afraid in the storm: "What kind of man is this?"
Two men from the tombs
Two men living among the tombs, freed from the demons.
Talk it through
- Jesus could have healed the man with a word. Why might he choose to touch him?
- The centurion understands authority from army life. What does he see in Jesus that others miss?
- The two would-be followers get hard answers (8:20, 8:22). What were they being asked to give up?
- After the storm the disciples ask, "What kind of man is this?" How would you answer from what you've read so far?
Read Matthew 8
World English Bible
1When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
3Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
5When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, 6and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”
7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. 11I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, 12but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.
14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and served him. 16When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick; 17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.” 18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.
19A scribe came, and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
21Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
23When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. 24Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. 25They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”
26He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
28When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. 29Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. 31The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”
32He said to them, “Go!”
They came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water. 33Those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. 34Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources