Matthew 8

Matthew 8 presents a series of miraculous events and teachings by Jesus. This chapter demonstrates His authority over disease, nature, demonic forces, and even social and ceremonial boundaries. Through His healings and interactions, Jesus reveals His compassion and divine power, emphasizing faith and obedience.

Matthew 8:1-4 (NKJV)
1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.
2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus demonstrates both His compassion and authority over ceremonial law by healing a leper who approached Him with faith, asking, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." By touching the man, Jesus defies social norms, as leprosy made a person ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law (Leviticus 13-14). However, Jesus' touch does not make Him unclean; instead, He shows that His power to heal is greater than the law’s requirements. His command for the leper to go to the priest is significant because under the Mosaic law, the priest had to verify the healing before the person could be restored to the community (Leviticus 14). Jesus’ instruction to offer a gift as commanded by Moses also respects Jewish law, serving as a testimony to the priesthood and others of God’s miraculous work through Him

Matthew 8:5-13 (NKJV)
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

A Roman centurion seeks Jesus’ help for his servant, who is paralyzed and suffering. The centurion shows remarkable faith, believing that Jesus can heal with just a word, without needing to be physically present. Jesus is amazed at his faith, noting that He has not found such faith in Israel. He affirms that many Gentiles, like the centurion, will enter the Kingdom, while some Israelites will be excluded. Jesus heals the servant at that moment, demonstrating His authority over sickness and His power to heal from a distance. This passage highlights the importance of faith, the authority of Jesus, and the inclusive nature of God’s kingdom, extending beyond Israel to the Gentiles.

Matthew 8:14-17 (NKJV)
14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.
15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a simple touch, and her immediate recovery and willingness to serve highlight the completeness of His healing. This passage connects to Isaiah’s prophecy, showing that Jesus fulfills the role of the suffering servant who bears humanity’s physical and spiritual ailments, demonstrating His role as both healer and redeemer.

Matthew 8:18-22 (NKJV)
18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus highlights the cost of discipleship by challenging two would-be followers. When a scribe promises to follow Him, Jesus responds that He, “the Son of Man,” has no stable home or guaranteed comfort, unlike animals with secure places to rest. This statement underscores that following Jesus may involve hardship and sacrifice, without the comforts of ordinary life. When another disciple asks to bury his father first, Jesus replies, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” This phrase suggests that those who are spiritually "dead" or focused on earthly concerns can handle family duties, while true disciples must prioritize the kingdom of God above all, including family obligations. Jesus thus emphasizes that discipleship requires undivided loyalty and readiness to place God’s call above all else, even traditional family responsibilities.

Matthew 8:23-27 (NKJV)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

This miracle demonstrates Jesus’ authority over nature, affirming His divine identity. The disciples’ fear contrasts with Jesus’ calmness, and His question about their faith challenges them to trust Him even in life-threatening situations. His command over the elements leaves the disciples in awe, realizing He is no ordinary teacher but one with divine power.

Matthew 8:28-34 (NKJV)
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.
33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Jesus encounters two demon-possessed men, and the demons plead with Him to send them into a nearby herd of swine instead of the abyss. The abyss is understood as a place of confinement or torment where demons fear being trapped (as implied in Luke 8:31). Preferring to avoid this fate, they ask to enter the swine, potentially seeking a temporary host to maintain their destructive influence in the physical world. Jesus permits this, and upon entering the animals, the demons drive the swine into the sea, causing their death. This dramatic act likely served as a distraction, drawing attention to the economic loss rather than the miraculous healing. The locals, unsettled by the event, then ask Jesus to leave. This passage emphasizes Jesus’ power over demonic forces and the importance of prioritizing spiritual transformation over material concerns.