Matthew Chapter Eight Study

 

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus  stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

 

In this passage we see the importance of faith. If you believe and you ask in accordance with God's will then God will answer your prayers or in this case requests. The leper believed that Jesus could heal him and asked the Savior if He would make him clean according to His will. Jesus said "I will." The leper was cleansed and Jesus instructed him to tell no one but to show himself to the priest and make sacrifice for being healed according to the law.

 

The Faith of a Centurion

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to 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 this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel  have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

 

The centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant who was desperately ill and in great pain. Jesus indicated that He was prepared to come immediately and to heal the man's servant. However, the centurion told Jesus not to come but that he trusted the Lord to merely say the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus was astonished at his faith and marvelled that no one in Israel had such faith.

 

He told how many would come to see Abraham, Issac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven while many sons of the kingdom would be thrown into the outer darkness. Indicating the Pharisees and rulers of Israel who rejected that Jesus was the Messiah. He then told the centurion to go and that his servant would be healed as he had asked and believed.

 

Jesus Heals Many

14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

 

 

With a touch on her hand Jesus heals Peter's mother and she rose well enough to take care of Him. Many demon possessed were brought to Him and He cast the demons out with only a word. Such was His power over them as the Son of God. The sick were brought to Him also and Jesus healed them all. Thus the prophecy from Isaiah 53 verse 4 was fulfilled that the Messiah would take their illnesses and bare their diseases. That all would know that Jesus was the promised seed and our redeemer.

 

The Cost of Following Jesus

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up 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 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

 

Jesus explains the cost of becoming His follower to the scribe and one of the disciples. To follow God means to be prepared to rough it. There won't be many creature comforts. The life of Jesus is at times not too different from the life of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon when God cast him out of his kingdom. Jesus may not have had to eat grass but he often slept outside and under the trees. He was often awake at night praying and communing with His Father in Heaven.

 

However, as He explained to the disciple the work that was being done by Messiah was more important than even attending a family funeral. If he was to follow Jesus then his commitment needed to be complete and the priority of being with the Messiah was of the first order. He needed to give up his old life entirely and dedicate himself to the service of God.

 

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

 

A great storm arose and Christ Jesus slept unworried by the commotion among the disciples and the tossing of the waves and the fact that boat was beginning to founder. When the disciples woke Him, He was angry at their lack of faith and that they hadn't handled the situation themselves. He arose and commanded the winds and the sea to be calm and it was calm. The disciples were amazed that Jesus had such power over nature.

 

Part of Jesus annoyance here is that the disciples simply panicked. They never even thought to pray about the situation. Instead they ran for their master to save them fearing for their lives. This was a powerful lesson to them about how to handle themselves in trying situations. An example of how to behave in a situation like this would be where the apostle Paul was with the boat caught for days in a storm in the Mediterranean. He prayed to God about the situation and duly received an answer "None would perish so  long as all stayed with the ship." On the boat on Lake Galilee, Jesus needed the disciples to learn that God will always be with them in any trial. They need only pray and trust Him. So it is for all Christians in our time.

 

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

 

When they make landfall on the other side of the lake. They are confronted by two demon possessed men. Recognising Jesus as the Son of God and that he had authority over them they asked Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs nearby. The pigs panicked, ran into the lake and drowned. The herdsmen rushed to the nearby city and told all that had happened to the pigs and the demon possessed men. The people of the city then came out to meet Jesus and asked him to leave their region.

 

Matthew Chapter Eight demonstrates  the power that Jesus has over illness, natural forces, and in the demonic realm. The event with the storm on Lake Galilee shows the important part the faith plays in the Christian walk. Jesus gives teaching about the cost of becoming one of His disciples that undoubtedly has given and will continue to give pause to many who would consider taking up their cross and following Him.