Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 8 Mean?

After completing his report on Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Matthew turns to demonstrating Jesus’ authority over disease, demons, and even the weather. Instead of telling the story of Jesus’ ministry in strict chronological order, Matthew groups Jesus’ miracles into a series of stories, beginning with this chapter. This emphasis on miracles runs through chapter 11, where the focus will turn to Jesus’ teachings and parables.

First, Jesus is approached by a man afflicted with some kind of skin disease. The Greek terms used here are the source of the modern term leprosy, though they originally referred to a wide range of conditions. Such persons were not only stricken with a disease, they were shunned from public life and ceremonially unclean. Boldly and with great faith and humility, the man kneels before Jesus and says that He can make Him clean if He wants to. Jesus touches the man, even though the law says that touching a leper makes a person unclean. In this case, though, the leper is immediately healed. Jesus commands him to go to the priest to be declared clean, without telling anyone what had happened (Matthew 8:1–4).

Next, in Jesus’ adopted hometown of Capernaum, Jesus is approached by messengers from a Roman centurion (Luke 7:1–10). Centurions were military officers commanding as many as several hundred men. The officer’s servant is paralyzed, suffering greatly, and on the verge of death. Jesus agrees to come to the centurion’s home to heal the man, but the Roman officer says he is unworthy to have Jesus in his home. Instead, he points out that Jesus only needs to say the word to heal his servant (Matthew 8:5–8).

The centurion compares Jesus’ authority over the natural world of human biology to that of his own authority as a Roman officer. He is both under authority and holds authority over his soldiers. He speaks a word and it is immediately carried out. He knows Jesus can do the same. Jesus marvels at the man’s great faith, even though he is a Gentile, saying that He has not found anything like it in Israel. Jesus teaches the crowd that many Gentiles will be in the kingdom of heaven, along with Abraham and the patriarchs. Not every Israelite will be there, however. The key measure is not ethnicity or culture, but faith in Him (Galatians 3:28–29). Jesus speaks the word, and the man’s servant is immediately healed (Matthew 8:9–13).

Next, Jesus goes to Peter’s house and heals Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. He spends the evening healing many people of sickness and casting out demons. Matthew connects this to a statement found in Isaiah 53:4, part of a longer Old Testament description of the Messiah’s earthly ministry (Matthew 8:14–17).

At some point in time, Jesus prepares to cross the Sea of Galilee. Two men approach claiming interest in following Christ. The first, a scribe, says He is willing to follow Jesus. Christ responds by telling him that this will not bring the scribe fame, fortune, wealth, or power—the implication seems to be that this man was looking for prestige, not truth (Matthew 8:18–20).

The other man refers to burying his father before following Jesus. Most likely, he meant that he would wait until his father had died; or, that he would observe the customary one-year wait to re-bury a loved one’s bones. Again, Jesus answers in a way that challenges the man’s assumptions. In this case, the man wants to delay following Christ until a more convenient time. Jesus quips that the man should not wait, rather that he should “leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21–22).

Then Jesus gets into a boat with His disciples to escape the crowds, get some rest, and sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus is sleeping, a sudden and violent storm springs up. Waves pour water into the boat. This is not a minor storm, given that the experienced fishermen among the disciples are in fear for their lives. They wake Jesus up and cry out to Him to save them. He asks why they have so little faith and immediately stops the storm dead with a command to the wind and the waves. The disciples are astonished and wonder what kind of man they are following (Matthew 8:23–27).

When the boat reaches the other side of the lake, Jesus is confronted by two demon-possessed men. This account is also depicted in Mark 5:1–20. The demons recognize Him as the Son of God. He casts them into a huge herd of pigs (Mark 5:13), who immediately rush into the sea and drown. The people of the region are afraid and ask Jesus to leave.

Chapter Context
Matthew 8 follows the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). He turns to telling a series of dramatic stories to show Jesus’ power and authority over every kind of disease, over demons, and even over the weather. Jesus also gives brief teachings about the hard road of following Him on earth. He calms a violent storm with a single command and casts demons from two violently possessed men. Matthew will focus mostly on miracles until shifting focus to Jesus’ teachings and parables in chapter 11.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

Over the previous three chapters, Matthew presented Jesus’ teaching of what we now call the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). Jesus had walked up to an elevated spot, likely north of the Sea of Galilee near the town of Capernaum. He sat down, surrounded by His disciples, followers, and a crowd of listeners. His teaching in that sermon astounded the crowds—Jesus not only gave deeper meaning to the Word of God (Matthew 5:17), He corrected the hypocrisy of Israel’s religious leaders (Matthew 5:20). And He did so with authority, rather than deferring to the views of other people (Matthew 7:28–29).

Now the sermon is complete, and Jesus comes down from the mountain. The large crowds that have been following Him from town to town grow even larger. They have been impressed by His teaching, as well as drawn from many miles in every direction to see His supernatural healings and casting out of demons.

Matthew 8—9 will describe several instances when Jesus healed the sick and freed the demon-possessed. These records are not necessarily given in chronological order. It was common in ancient writing to collect information by topic, and not necessarily grouping events according to time. Matthew chooses to group Jesus’ miracles mostly into one section of his book. The reason for including these events is to show Christ’s power over both the “natural” and “supernatural” worlds. These are all evidence that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

Verse 2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Jesus’ reputation as a worker of miracles and healer had spread far and wide (Matthew 8:1). Many people without any other hope came to Him for help, including the man with leprosy in this verse. The Greek words used in these passages are lepra and lepros, which are references to scales of the skin. By the time of the New Testament, these words translated into English as “leprosy / leper” were used of a collection of skin diseases. The worst of these, actual leprosy, is an extremely slow-growing infection which causes the skin to become lumpy and turn gray or white. Eventually, it can lead to open sores, disfigurement and deformities of the nerves and mucous membranes.

The Lord gave Moses very specific instructions about keeping those infected with leprosy from spreading the disease to others (Leviticus 13), including keeping all lepers isolated from the community:

“The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45).

This is another example of Scripture demonstrating God’s knowledge and understanding, even when it’s not spelled out for us. This is in the same way a clinic poster describing proper handwashing demonstrates understanding of disease, though it doesn’t explain every detail of how germs work. Modern science understands that leprosy—or Hansen’s Disease—is not especially contagious. When it is contracted, it’s most likely due to breathing infected particles coughed or sneezed out by someone with symptoms. A person covering their upper lip is, in effect, blocking the main form of transmission. The reason for isolating those with leprosy is not due to severe contagion, but to severe consequence: in the ancient world, there was no cure and anyone who contracted the disease would have it for life.

For Jewish people, leprosy carried a terrible social stigma. Beyond the health and isolation aspects, it was superstitiously thought to be a disease inflicted by God as a punishment for sin.

The man who approached Jesus wanted to be both medically and ceremonially clean. To be “clean” is the request he expresses—the man never refers to His disease by name. He wanted to be welcomed back into the regular community of Israel, in addition to being healed of his disease. He expressed both great boldness and great faith, along with genuine humility in making his appeal to Jesus. He was bold to risk coming so near, but he was also convinced that Jesus could heal him. Still, he did not demand to be healed. He simply acknowledged that Jesus could heal him if He wanted to. In that way, the leper provides a model of how to approach God with our requests for healing, as well.

Verse 3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

A man with leprosy has approached Jesus (Matthew 8:2). He is close to violating the requirements of the Old Testament Law that he keep his distance from uninfected people and cry out “Unclean!” to warn people to stay away from him (Leviticus 13:45). He has declared his faith that Jesus has the power to “make [him] clean,” if Jesus so chooses. As someone afflicted with a skin disease, this man was ceremonially unclean and unable to participate in many of Israel’s religious rites (Leviticus 13:45).

This was no small request. Though the law of Moses uses terms often translated into English as “leprosy,” those words apply to a wide range of skin conditions. The same is true of the Greek words lepra and lepros. The Law provided a system for declaring a person clean after recovering from such a condition (Leviticus 14). In the case of some diseases, such as the disease modern people call “leprosy,” this was naturally impossible. Leprosy—or Hansen’s Disease—is a contagious disease of the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes. The two cases of healing reported in the Old Testament both involved supernatural intervention from God to call attention to His power and glory (Numbers 12:10–15; 2 Kings 5:9–14). This man’s healing will serve the same purpose.

Jesus reaches out and touches the man. He didn’t need to touch the leprous man in order to heal him. In the following verses, Matthew will report of a time when Jesus healed a paralyzed man without even seeing him. Jesus chooses to touch this man with leprosy, an act that technically violated the law of Moses (Leviticus 5:3) and would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean Himself, within the context of Jewish law. It would also have been deeply shocking to anyone watching.

Jesus did not become unclean, however: the man’s condition instantly vanished after being touched by Jesus. In healing this man of this disease, Jesus showed that He carried the power of God. This is the same power that both afflicted and healed Miriam after Israel left Egypt (Numbers 12:10–15). Christ showed that He was even more powerful than Elisha, who prescribed multiple washings in the Jordan River in order to heal Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5:9–14). Jesus accomplished the same with a word and a touch.

Verse 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.”

Jesus has just healed a man of leprosy, though that’s not a term either of them used. Matthew has referred to the man using Greek terms such as lepra and lepros (Matthew 8:2–3), which can suggest a wide range of skin conditions. The worst of these, Hansen’s Disease, is what modern culture commonly calls leprosy. However, the man’s declaration was that Jesus had the power to “make [him] clean.” Christ did exactly that, with a touch.

For the man, the ceremonial state of uncleanness caused by his condition was, apparently, the worst part of his disease. He would have been separated not only from the worship of God in the temple, but also from the daily lives of the people, including friends and family.

Once the man is healed, Jesus commands him not to tell anyone about it. Matthew will report on several moments in Jesus’ ministry when He commands people not to talk about His power or reveal that He is the Messiah (Matthew 9:30; 12:16; 16:20; 17:9). Some commentators call this the “messianic secret.” It may be that Jesus did not want to draw too much attention to His role as the Messiah too early in His ministry. There are moments in His ministry where people respond to His power with a desire for revolution against Rome (John 6:15). This is what many Israelites hoped and assumed Messiah would do.

However, Christ’s mission was not to overthrow Rome. His mission was to die for the sins of humanity. Asking people not to publicize His power may have been aimed at keeping that mission on track. Part of that might have meant keeping the size of the crowds following Him from getting out of hand (Matthew 8:1). Mark’s recounting of this same incident tells us the man completely ignored Jesus’ command not to tell anyone. Instead, he “began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter” (Mark 1:45).

Jesus gave the healed man one more command. He told him to go show himself to the priest and offer the gift of a sacrifice commanded by Moses. That sacrifice included “two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop” (Leviticus 14:4–8). Once the priest inspected the man and received the sacrifice, the man would be declared officially and ceremonial clean and allowed to return to the community.

It’s possible Jesus includes the words “for a proof to them” because He wanted to give the priests evidence of His power in the healing of this former leper. Prior to this moment, only Miriam (Numbers 12:14–15) and the gentile Naaman (2 Kings 5:14) had ever been healed of such a condition. This was evidence Israel’s religious leaders would ignore or discount when later accusing Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Christ.

Context Summary
Matthew 8:1–4 describes Jesus’ encounter with a man afflicted with leprosy. In great faith and humility, the man kneels before Jesus and declares that Jesus can make him clean if He wants to. Jesus touches the man, and the man immediately healed. Jesus commands the man not to tell anyone about what has happened. Instead, he is to go to the priest to present the offerings commanded by Moses for healed lepers who want to be officially declared clean again.

Verse 5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,

Matthew is describing a collection of incidents in which Jesus displayed His access to the power of God. In the previous verses, he told of a time Jesus healed a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1–4). Now he will describe a remarkable interaction between Jesus and a Roman soldier.

Jesus, still in Galilee, in northern Israel, returns to His adopted hometown of Capernaum on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. He is approached by a Roman centurion. A centurion was an officer in charge of groups ranging from one hundred to several hundred soldiers; this was a powerful position in the Roman army. The Romans, of course, were occupying Israel as a conquered nation. Rome did not station soldiers in every town, necessarily, but Capernaum’s location gave it some importance in the region.

It is significant, then, that such a powerful person would come to Jesus with a request for help. In Luke’s report on this exchange (Luke 7:1–10), the centurion does not come to see Jesus himself. Instead, he sends respected Jewish elders on his behalf. Matthew often shortens his accounts, and he leaves out the fact that the centurion spoke to Jesus through others.

Those Jewish elders, in Luke’s report, describe this centurion as “worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue” (Luke 7:4–5). The centurion’s respect for the Jewish people, their customs, and for Jesus will become apparent in the following verses.

Verse 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”

Jesus has returned to his adopted hometown of Capernaum and has been approached by a Roman centurion, a military officer in charge of as many as several hundred soldiers. This is a man who understands command, authority, and power. His message, delivered by Jewish elders who respected him (Luke 7:1–10), is simple. He has a servant in his home who is paralyzed and suffering. Luke’s report reveals that this was a new condition, and the servant was near death.

The centurion calls Jesus “Lord,” meaning either that he recognized Jesus as the Messiah or indicating a respectful “sir.” In either case, he is absolutely convinced that Jesus could heal his servant. Even more impressive is his recognition that Jesus’ power to command the body to heal is just as potent as the centurion’s power to command his own men (Matthew 8:8–9). It is this faith that Jesus will find so remarkable, especially coming from one who is not an Israelite.

Verse 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

A Roman centurion has approached Jesus with a message that one of his servants is paralyzed and suffering. He is near death. We know from Luke’s report on this incident (Luke 7:1–10) that the centurion had great respect for the Jewish people and their customs. He had clearly heard about Jesus and all the remarkable healings He had done in the region.

Jesus does not hesitate. He says He will come and heal the servant. Some translations take the Greek phrasing here as a question where Jesus asks if He should come and heal the servant. Luke tells us that Jesus set out in the direction of the centurion’s house.

Once again, Jesus seems willing to break from Jewish cultural conventions. Jewish people in that era had extended commands not to participate in certain activities with Gentiles. That even included not ever entering a Gentile person’s home. Jesus seems unconcerned with following this standard. Out of respect for Jesus, and in personal humility, it seems the Roman centurion had no intention of asking such a thing of Christ (Matthew 8:8).

Verse 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.

Jesus has agreed to a request from a Roman centurion to heal his servant who is paralyzed, suffering, and near death (Matthew 8:5–7). From Luke’s report on this same event (Luke 7:1–10), we know that Jesus set out for the centurion’s home.

Now the centurion objects to this. He declares that he is unworthy to have Jesus in his house. He calls Jesus “Lord,” and it is possible that the centurion recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. He definitely understands Jesus to be a powerful and important person. It may also be that the centurion is being respectful to the Jewish customs, which do not normally allow a Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile.

Clearly, this military officer understands that Jesus’ power to heal is not limited in any way by distance. He says that one word from Jesus will be enough to heal his servant. He will go on to explain that he sees in Jesus the same authority over life and health as he, himself, has over the soldiers at his command (Matthew 8:9). Jesus will remark (Matthew 8:10) that He has not seen this level of faith in His power and authority among any of the Jewish people He has interacted with.

Verse 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.”

Jesus was ready and willing to enter the Roman centurion’s house to heal the man’s servant (Matthew 8:5–7). The centurion, though, objected to this. He said he was not worthy to have Jesus in his home (Matthew 8:8). He respected the Jewish people (Luke 7:5) and likely understood that their custom prohibited them from entering the house of a Gentile (non-Jew). As this verse shows, though, the centurion also understood Jesus to be a man of great power and connection to God.

The centurion has said that Jesus can heal his servant merely by speaking a word. Now he explains why. He understands the principle of authority, which powered the Roman army. He himself was under the authority of his superiors, and he had authority over all the soldiers under him. He could accomplish anything with the words “come,” “go,” “do this.” His soldiers would immediately carry out his will without any need for the centurion to be present with them. This is a man who respects and instinctively recognizes authority.

In short, the centurion recognized Jesus’ authority over the natural world. He saw that Jesus’ healings were not like the attempted supernatural works of the pagans of his day. They would offer sacrifices and perform rituals and sometimes work themselves into a frenzy attempting to convince their gods to do their bidding. They saw their gods as having the authority, and they attempted to win their favor. Jesus, though, simply spoke and it was done. He was the one with the authority.

As Jesus will show in the following verses, this was the conclusion the Jewish people should have reached when seeing His miracles. This was the faith in Him they should have shown.

Verse 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

What an amazing statement: Jesus marveled. God is certainly never surprised, but Jesus was both fully God and fully man. He shared the human capacity to be amazed—to be emotionally impacted by what He saw and heard. In this case, Jesus is amazed by the rock-solid faith of the Roman centurion. The centurion had just expressed his understanding that Jesus had absolute authority over the natural world. He could simply speak a command and it would be carried out over any distance, including the command for a paralyzed man to be healed (Matthew 8:5–9).

Did this centurion understand that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah long promised to Israel? We are not told so, but it is possible. He clearly put together the truth of Jesus’ God-like authority based on what he had seen and heard of Jesus’ miraculous healings. He had a need, and he believed Jesus could meet it. At the very least, the man was sincerely following what he saw to the logical conclusion.

Jesus turns to His followers, who were overwhelmingly Jewish, and says something that may have felt like a dagger in their hearts: that this Gentile was exhibiting more faith than anyone Jesus had interacted with in the nation of Israel. Christ will use this moment to show that the kingdom of heaven will include many people His followers may not expect; the kingdom will also exclude some of those they assume will be there.

Verse 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,

A Gentile Roman officer has just demonstrated great faith in Jesus’ authority over the natural world. The centurion stated simply that he knew that distance was no obstacle to Jesus’ ability to heal a person. He could do so with a word. Jesus has expressed His amazement at the man’s faith, saying that he has not found that level of faith among the Israelites (Matthew 8:5–10).

Now Jesus adds what was likely a shocking statement to the overwhelmingly Jewish crowd of followers. He says that many people will come from both the east and the west to recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Reclining around a low table to share a meal was the custom of Jesus’ day. Jesus points forward to a time in eternity when all present will eat together in heaven, likely at what we now call the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

More specifically, Jesus is describing who will be present in the kingdom of heaven. Israel’s great patriarchs will be there, but so will Gentiles from lands in every direction from Israel. In other words, the kingdom of heaven will not be populated by Israelites alone (Galatians 3:7–9). This should not have been surprising to Jesus’ listeners because of God’s promise to bless the families of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

The essential thing to notice is that Jesus is connecting who will be in the kingdom of heaven to the Gentile centurion’s faith in Him and His authority. Faith in Christ will be the deciding factor about who enters the kingdom of heaven, not nationality (Galatians 3:28–29). In the following verse, Jesus may well surprise His crowd by describing who will not be present at such a meal.

Verse 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.”

This completes a sentence begun in the previous verse (Matthew 8:11). Responding to the Roman officer’s faith in Him, Jesus has said that many Gentiles will share a table in the kingdom of heaven with Israel’s patriarchs. Now He adds that the “sons of the kingdom” will not be there, cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The phrase “sons of the kingdom” was a Jewish term for the nation of Israel. Jesus is teaching that simply being born into the nation of Israel will not guarantee someone a place in heaven, as was commonly thought among the Jewish people (Galatians 3:7–9). Instead, Jesus is emphasizing that faith in Him—faith like that of the Roman centurion—will be the deciding factor about who is allowed into the kingdom (Galatians 3:28–29).

Jesus is not saying all Jewish people will be excluded from heaven. After all, the patriarchs will be there. Many Jewish people will come to put their faith in Jesus. His point is simply that citizenship in Israel will not provide anyone a place at the table.

Jesus goes even further. Those not allowed into the kingdom of heaven will be thrown out into a place of darkness and misery. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” is language Jesus uses regularly to describe the suffering in hell (Matthew 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).

Verse 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.

Jesus has completed His statements about the amazing faith of the Roman centurion and the future inclusion of Gentiles in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:10–12). Now Jesus does as the centurion has asked (Matthew 8:5–9). He heals the man’s servant without ever going into his house.

Jesus tells the man that it will be done for him as he has believed. Jesus is not telling the centurion that his faith is the power ultimately responsible for the work of healing. He is telling him that what he believed Jesus could do has been done. In other words, Jesus could have healed the servant whether the centurion believed it or not, but his faith in Jesus has proved true. The servant was instantly healed.

For many in that time, this may have been one of the most impressive of Jesus’ miracles. To heal a person without being there feels like something only God could do. The fact that Jesus did so provided more evidence that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.

Context Summary
Matthew 8:5–13 describes Jesus’ response to the request of a Roman centurion in Capernaum. The Gentile officer has a servant who is paralyzed and suffering greatly. The centurion says that Jesus does not even need to come to his home, but that He can heal the man with a word. As a man with authority, this soldier recognizes Christ’s right to command, even with respect to healing. Jesus applauds this faith, and notes that many Gentiles will be in the kingdom of heaven, along with the Jewish patriarchs. Not all Israelites will be included, however. Jesus tells the Roman officer his servant has been healed.

Verse 14 And when Jesus entered Peter ‘s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

Peter and his brother Andrew were two of the twelve core disciples of Jesus. They were from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and had worked as fishermen for a living until Jesus called them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18–20). They moved to Capernaum at some point; Jesus lived there, too. Peter was married, and his wife’s mother lived with them. It was considered honorable for adult children to care for their aging parents.

Jesus came to Peter’s house one day to find Peter’s mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever. In that time, fever was considered a disease and not just a symptom. This incident is also described in Mark 1:29–31 and Luke 4:38–39. Matthew does not always report these moments in chronological order. Instead, he groups similar moments together to fit a specific topic. In this case, he is collecting stories about Jesus’ miraculous power. These are meant to support the idea that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah.

Verse 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Jesus has just entered Peter’s house in Capernaum, where they found Peter’s mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever (Matthew 8:14). Apparently without hesitating, or even being asked, Jesus immediately touched her hand and healed her. Once again, Jesus breaks with Jewish convention. His actions contradict social norms of that era.

First, He touches a woman, something many of Israel’s religious leaders refused to ever do for any reason to avoid even the appearance of inappropriateness. Second, touching someone who was sick or had a fever was thought to make the person who did the touching unclean. Jesus, though, did not become ceremonially unclean; the woman stopped being sick the moment he touched her. The same thing happened in the case of the man with leprosy (Matthew 8:3).

In all these cases where Jesus seems unconcerned about Jewish convention, He never breaks the actual Law of Moses. He remains sinless (Hebrews 4:15). Instead, He shows that human traditions later added to the Law as customs were not, in fact, binding. Whatever the intention, those customs and traditions often created an unnecessary burden for the Jewish people (Matthew 23:4).

Peter’s mother-in-law was instantly healed. Instead of needing time to recover from her fever, as would be natural, she immediately got up and started to fulfill her role as a hostess in the household, serving Jesus and the others. Her ability to do so is evidence that the healing was supernatural.

Verse 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.

Jesus has just healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever (Matthew 8:14–15). Next, Peter opened his house for the evening to others in need of healing or who were oppressed by demons. Jesus served them all, casting out demons with a single word and healing everyone who asked from whatever sickness they had.

Demon possession—or oppression—seems to have been more common during this time in the history of the world. That speaks to Satan’s cleverness and strategy. In that culture, the existence of demons was not debated. There was no reason for the Devil to be especially subtle or hidden. So, demonic work of afflicting human beings was on display in many communities for all to see. In many modern cultures, as belief in demons wanes, it seems to have become more advantageous for Satan to be hidden and secretive.

This verse also shows that not all sickness came from demon oppression. Those were two separate categories.

The fact that Jesus was able to cast away demons with a single word was impressive and demonstrated His authority over the supernatural world. Others during this time provided exorcism services, with various degrees of success. Some tried to make use of what were thought to be magical incantations. Some tried to pit demons against other demons in order to get rid of them. Jesus simply ordered them to leave. They recognized His authority, and they left (Matthew 8:8–9).

Verse 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The previous verse describes an evening of healing and casting out demons at Peter’s house in Capernaum (Matthew 8:16). Jesus welcomed all who needed help in either of these ways and took care of their issue in a moment.

Now Matthew points to this evening, along with all the other healing Jesus did during His ministry on earth, as the fulfilment of a specific prophecy found in Isaiah 53:4. Matthew quotes that verse in this way, “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Matthew’s primary audience for this gospel is the nation of Israel. Points such as this are meant to tell Jewish people, in particular, that Jesus truly is the Messiah. Other portions of Isaiah chapter 53 describe the suffering Messiah would experience as part of His ministry (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; Mark 10:33).

In His eager willingness to heal all in Israel who were sick and to cast out their demons, Jesus demonstrated the compassionate nature of God and showed that He came to serve Israel, even as her King.

Verse 18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

The scene Matthew describes here may be unrelated to the previous scenario. There, Jesus was healing the sick and casting out demons in the home of Peter in the town of Capernaum, on the north side of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:14–17). It might also be the same moment, but Scripture does not specify. Matthew’s intent in this part of his gospel is to collect miraculous proofs that Jesus is the Promised One.

A common theme in Jesus’ early ministry is seeking to control the reaction of the people. Christ has not come to start a revolution, so when the people become overly excited, He seems to pull away (John 6:15). He also tells many people to keep aspects of His ministry quiet (Matthew 8:4), to varying degrees of success.

Whether it’s a continuation of the previous scene, or something new, Matthew tells of a moment in which Jesus recognizes the crowds around Him are growing large. He apparently wants to put some space between Himself and the crush of people. He orders His disciples to get in a boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Before they go, though, Jesus will talk with a couple of people who would like to continue to follow Him (Matthew 8:19).

Verse 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus and His disciples are preparing to get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, which is the size of a large lake (Matthew 8:18). As they’re leaving, a scribe approaches Jesus and promises to follow Him wherever He goes.

In that era, a “scribe” was an expert in handling written documents, often also a teacher of the law of Moses. These scholars were frequently given local authority to decide how the law should be followed. For better or worse, scribes are often associated with the Pharisees, a frequent target of Jesus’ teachings about hypocrisy (Matthew 5:20). It is interesting, then, that a scribe would refer to Jesus as “Teacher” and be so eager to follow Jesus as He traveled in His ministry.

Jesus, in the following verse, does not offer an encouraging response. His remark suggests that this scribe is looking for something other than truth (Matthew 8:20).

Verse 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.”

Christ and His disciples are preparing to get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, which was the size of a large lake. Jesus directed this after seeing the size of the crowds gathering (Matthew 8:18). Before they can leave, Jesus is approached by two onlookers. The first, mentioned in the previous verse, is a scribe (Matthew 8:19). Scribes were associated with the Pharisees and responsible for teaching and regulating the law. As a group, they were often in conflict with Jesus. This scribe, however, declared to Jesus that he would follow Him wherever He went.

Now Jesus responds, but not with direct encouragement or discouragement. Instead, He presents a truth about Himself using nature as an illustration. Even wild animals can claim a home, somewhere, but Jesus’ ministry means He has no such home. This response suggests Christ knew the ultimate motivation of this man’s statement (John 2:24–25). Jesus was warning the man about just one of the many difficulties that would come with following Him. It would be a permanent road trip.

The implied statement Jesus makes here is something like “this is not going to make you rich and famous, nor is it going to be easy.” Would the scribe really follow Jesus everywhere once he saw how tough that journey could be? The lack of response or further information about this man suggests that he would not and did not.

Jesus refers to Himself as a the “Son of Man.” The name suggests that Jesus is the greatest of all human sons. It likely comes from the prophecy in Daniel 7:13 about the Christ:

“Behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Verse 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Two would-be disciples approach Jesus as His hand-picked group of twelve disciples prepare to get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. The first one, a scribe, promises to follow Jesus everywhere. Jesus seems to warn the man that the road will be hard, since He is basically homeless. That, apparently, is not what this man expected, and he does not seem to pursue Jesus any further (Matthew 8:18–19).

Now another person approaches Jesus. Not everyone described in Matthew as a disciple or follower of Jesus is necessarily one of His chosen twelve. The terms have a literal meaning that’s not exactly the same as those terms as used in the context of the modern church. Some who followed Jesus from place to place and believed His teaching may have been referred to as disciples, as well. Since Jesus has just made a remark about the hardship of His ministry life, it’s unclear whether this person is one of the Twelve or someone new.

This man seems to think that Jesus expects Him to follow Him immediately. The man responds to this call with an answer of “yes, but…” He asks the Lord to allow him to go and first bury his father, implying that he will follow Jesus after that. Commentators suggest this man’s father may not have yet died. Or it’s possible that he had died, and the man was talking about the Jewish custom of reburying a loved one’s bones a year after passing. In other words, this disciple may have been requesting to delay his role as a follower of Jesus for a year or longer. This was to fulfill what custom and tradition expected from sons, especially firstborn sons.

Jesus will not agree to this request. Cultural expectations are not meant to override God’s will for a person’s life.

Verse 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus’ words, here and in other parts of the New Testament, can sound harsh to modern ears. That’s at least partly due to the misconception that Jesus was soft, passive, and weak. This comment likely seemed harsh to those hearing Him for the first time, as well. A man described as a disciple has requested that Jesus allow him to go and bury his father before following Jesus (Matthew 8:21).

Jesus now commands the man to follow Him, apparently meaning immediately. He tells the man to “leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Two things are important to understand. First, the man most likely wasn’t asking to simply go to his father’s funeral and come back a few days later. It’s possible his father was not yet even dead. Commentators also suggest the man may have been planning to follow a custom of the day to re-bury a loved one’s bones a year after their death. This was thought to be the responsibility of a son, especially a firstborn son. It fell under the traditional obligations associated with honoring one’s father and mother. The man may have been asking Jesus for up to a year’s delay before returning to follow Him—no matter what, his real statement is “I will come when I’ve done some other things first.”

The second thing to understand is that Jesus absolutely asks those who would follow Him to place a greater commitment on their love and loyalty to Him than to anyone else, including parents, spouses, and children (Matthew 10:37–38).

Jesus tells the man to let the spiritually dead bury those who are physically dead. In other words, only those who follow Christ are on the road to true life (Matthew 7:13–14). No human relationship or other obligation can provide a good enough reason to leave that road behind.

As with His response to the scribe (Matthew 8:19–20), Jesus’ remark is meant to challenge assumptions—forcing someone to confront their own sincerity. If this man is not willing to “follow” Jesus until it’s socially convenient, he’s not really willing to follow, at all.

Context Summary
Matthew 8:14–22 summarizes several events. Jesus cures Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. He then spends the evening healing many other people from diseases and casting out demons with a word, fulfilling another of Isaiah’s prophecies (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus next talks to two of His followers. One promises to follow Jesus everywhere. Jesus says this will be difficult because He has no home. The other wants to come back and follow Jesus after burying his father. Jesus tells him to follow now and quips that it’s better to “leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Verse 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

Recently, Jesus responded to the growing crowds around Him (Matthew 8:18). He instructed His disciples to go with Him, by boat, to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which was the size of a large lake. Now Jesus climbs into the boat and they climb in after Him, beginning to set out on the water. This was probably another instance where Jesus chose to take some time away from the spotlight (Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12). Since we find Him fast asleep in the following verses, He was likely quite tired.

A 2,000-year-old fishing boat was found in this region in 1986. That boat was about 26 feet long, or about 8 meters, and could hold 15 men. It may have included a single, simple sail. This boat may have been similar to the boat used in this passage.

This body of water is relatively shallow, and the hills around it are steep. This lends itself to extreme changes in wind and weather. Calm seas can become choppy and dangerous quickly, which is what apparently happens during this trip (Matthew 8:24).

Verse 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.

Jesus and His hand-picked disciples are on a boat on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:18). Jesus is sleeping soundly when a sudden storm comes up. These types of intense squalls are common on this body of water, which sits 600 feet below sea level and is surrounded by steep hills. Violent winds and choppy waves can quickly threaten an unprepared watercraft.

Matthew was likely there that day and describes the boat being swamped by the waves. Boats are “swamped” when water begins to pour over the sides. Larger sailing ships have covered decks that can shed this water—small open boats do not. If the waves crash water into the boat faster than the men can scoop it out, the craft will sink.

That Jesus was able to sleep through all of this is fascinating on its own. The fact that He was sleeping also contributed to the disciple’s panic. They may have wondered if Jesus even knew what was happening. Some of them were experienced fisherman who had spent many years on that lake. All of them were apparently worried about being killed in the storm.

Verse 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”

A boat carrying Jesus and His disciples is beginning to “swamp”—to take on water—amid a sudden and violent storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23–24). At least a few of the disciples were experienced fishermen who had encountered storms before. And yet, in this situation, they are alarmed at the waves pouring into the boat. This is not simply an instance of irrational fear; there is real danger that the boat will sink, and the passengers will drown. Finally, the disciples wake Jesus up and cry out to Him, fearing for their lives.

In Mark’s telling of the story (Mark 4:35–41), the disciples wake Jesus with an accusation, “Do you care that we’re dying?” It is likely that different disciples said different things. What’s universal is that they were sure the end was near, and they did not understand how Jesus could sleep through it. They wanted Him to wake up and save them before it was too late.

Verse 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.

Jesus was apparently quite tired. He saw gathering crowds on one side of the Sea of Galilee and commanded His disciples to take a boat with Him to the other side. He soon fell asleep in the boat, which was struck by a sudden and violent storm (Matthew 8:23–24). Even the experienced boatmen among the disciples are afraid they will drown, and they wake Jesus with pleas for Him to rescue them (Matthew 8:25).

When Jesus wakes up, His first response is not to immediately save them. Instead, He asks them why they are afraid, and chides their lack of faith. His meaning seems to be that the disciples should be more assured of His ability to save than they are afraid. His primary concern for those who would follow Him is that they trust Him.

Then Jesus stands up and rebukes the wind and sea. He tells it to stop, and an immediate calm falls over the lake. The storm vanishes. Jesus has previously demonstrated His authority over the natural world of human biology and disease (Matthew 8:1–4), as well as the supernatural world of demons (Matthew 8:16). Now He shows that He is master of all of nature, including the weather.

Verse 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Through the entire length of Jesus’ earthly ministry, His disciples were continually amazed to learn more about Him. Learning that He could immediately calm a storm by telling it to stop causes them to marvel and ask, “What kind of man is this?” They were shocked to learn that even the wind and waves of nature obeyed His voice.

Mark’s report of this same event (Mark 4:35–41) makes it clear that this marveling at Jesus was less about wonder and more about fear. As the disciples realized that this man in their boat could command the sea and the sky, they may have been afraid to be near so much power.

The fact that they asked this question shows that the disciples did not yet understand Jesus to be the Son of God with all of God’s authority at His command. They may have believed Him to be the Messiah in the sense that He had real power and was destined to be king over Israel, but they had not yet grasped who He truly was.

They were about to see yet another demonstration of His authority over demons. Once again, Jesus’ power and the cost of following Him would inspire others to fear.

Context Summary
Matthew 8:23–27 demonstrates Jesus’ authority over nature. Out on the Sea of Galilee in a boat, Jesus is sleeping soundly. A sudden and violent storm springs up, pouring water into the boat from the waves. The disciples fear for their lives and wake Jesus to ask Him to save them. He asks them why their faith is so small and then immediately calms the storm with a rebuke to the wind and waves. The disciples marvel and wonder what sort of man Jesus is if even the wind and sea obey Him.

Verse 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.

Jesus and His disciples have traveled by boat from one side of the Sea of Galilee, probably near Capernaum, to the other side. Specifically, they have arrived in the country of the Gadarenes. Gadara and Gerasa (Mark 5:1) were Gentile cities in the region of the Decapolis, southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sailed with His disciples across the lake to get away from the crowds (Matthew 8:18).

Leaving the boat, Jesus has come ashore to an area marked by ancient tombs, perhaps in a hillside. Two demon-possessed men come out of the tombs and approach Him. Matthew describes them as so fierce nobody could pass by. Mark (Mark 5:1–20) and Luke (Luke 8:26–39), in their telling of this story, mention only one of the men and describe him as having demon-enabled supernatural strength so that he could not be bound without breaking free. He was said to be naked and living among the tombs away from all other people. Graveyards were understood to be unclean places by the Israelites.

Demon possession was understood to be a fact of life in and around Israel and in much of the ancient world. Nobody questioned the existence of demons. They had seen too many people afflicted, often violently, when occupied by demons. Demons were known to alter personalities and behaviors, as well as causing those oppressed to behave in self-destructive and violent ways. The lesser occurrences of demon possession today is likely a deliberate strategy by the Devil: disbelief in the spiritual world is a more potent weapon today than it would have been in Jesus’ era.

Verse 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?”

Jesus and His disciples have sailed across the Sea of Galilee, landing on a southeastern shore (Matthew 8:18). They have come to a Gentile region where Jesus has been approached by two demon-possessed men coming out of some tombs (Matthew 8:28). Now it becomes clear the demons have recognized Jesus.

The questions asked of Jesus by the demons reveal to us several things. First, the demons call Jesus the Son of God. Demons are fallen angels, those who joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Jesus, as God’s eternal Son, would have known these beings since they were first created as angels. They would have known Him as the one with power and authority over all things. Their questions confirm Jesus’ identity as being God’s Son.

Second, the demons recognize that Jesus will ultimately have the responsibility of bringing judgment on them in the form of torment. They understand Him to be the judge and the enforcer of the judgment. They know they will be found guilty and tormented.

Third, the demons know that the time has not yet come for their final judgment. They, too, do not seem to understand the purpose of Jesus’ mission on earth in this moment. They might not know there will be a first and second coming to earth by the Son of God.

Verse 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.

Two demon-possessed men have approached Jesus in a Gentile region southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The demons in the men have called out to Jesus as the Son of God and have asked if He has come to torment them (Matthew 8:28–29). Mark and Luke, in their telling of this story, add the detail that Jesus asked the demons for their name. Their answer is “legion” because at least one of the men was possessed by many demons at once (Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30).

Now this simple verse foreshadows what is about to happen. A large herd of pigs was feeding in the distance. This confirms once more that Jesus and the disciples were not in Jewish territory. Since the Israelites understood pigs to be unclean, they had no reason to keep herds of them.

Modern people who read the phrase “a herd pf pigs” probably imagine something much smaller than what this scene suggests. Mark’s telling of the story puts the number at about 2,000 pigs (Mark 5:13).

Verse 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

Jesus has been confronted by two demon-possessed men. The demons know Jesus is the Son of God and that He will order them out of the men. They know, also, that they will have no choice but to obey whatever command He gives to them (Matthew 8:28–30). The “herd” of pigs nearby is not a small cluster, but several thousand animals (Mark 5:13).

Now the demons appear to accept their impending fate. Luke tells us that they didn’t want to be sent into the abyss (Luke 8:31), while Mark says they did not want to be sent out of the country (Mark 5:10). The abyss was understood to be a place where demons were kept until the time of God’s judgment (Revelation 9:1–2). Rather than face those options, the demons beg to be sent into the pigs, instead. Scripture does not specify how this would be ultimately any different, given how the animals respond (Matthew 8:32). Still this is their plea.

Verse 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.

Jesus is casting demons out of two possessed men (Matthew 8:28–29). From Mark’s and Luke’s telling of this story, we know that at least one of the men is possessed by a great number of demons. The demons have recognized Jesus as the Son of God and have asked if He is there to torment them. They have begged Him to send them into a herd of pigs visible in the distance on a hillside, rather than sending them to the abyss (Matthew 8:30–31). We know from Mark that this herd consisted of about 2,000 pigs (Mark 5:13).

Now Jesus agrees to their request with a one-word command: “Go.” What happens next is dramatic and violent. The demons travel from the two men into the herd of pigs, causing a stampede straight down a steep hill and into the Sea of Galilee. All the pigs drown.

Despite human obsessions with angels and demons, Scripture gives few details about these beings. This verse reveals one of the few firmly known facts about demons: they can possess animals. The Bible doesn’t specify whether the demons intended to drown the pigs, or if this was an unexpected result of getting what they requested from Jesus. Of course, it was no surprise to Him. It is also not known what became of the demons after the pigs drowned. Jewish tradition said demons could be killed, but the Bible teaches they are eternal beings. In that case, the demons either remained in the pigs at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee, were freed to roam, or were bound to somewhere else, after all.

We also cannot answer, biblically, why Jesus granted the request to enter pigs when He knew what would happen next. This would have incurred a great cost to their Gentile owners. That is likely part of the reason the people ask Him to leave their region in the following verses.

Verse 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

Herdsmen responsible for the care and feeding of 2,000 pigs (Mark 5:13) have just witnessed the animals lose their minds and rush into the sea to drown themselves. They are also aware that the two demon-possessed men who lived in the tombs outside of town have been freed from their demons by a stranger. They may have understood that the stranger sent the demons from the men into the pigs (Matthew 8:28–32).

The herdsmen do exactly what one would expect an employee to do when a disaster strikes a business: they rush into town to tell what they have seen. Part of this would include explaining to the pig’s owners what has happened to their profits, as well as telling about the strange man who seemed to have caused it all. Whether or not Jesus’ reputation was established in this region, or not, His role in this incident would certainly have caused a stir.

Verse 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

A group of Gentiles who have been tending to pigs came running into town with quite a story to tell. A stranger arrived on shore in a boat with several other men. The stranger got out and the two demon-possessed men who lived in the tombs came out and talked to him. Then the stranger apparently sent the demons from the men into the 2,000 pigs they had been tending. The pigs went crazy and immediately rushed into the sea and were drowned (Mark 5:13; Matthew 8:28–31).

It’s no wonder the whole town came out to meet Jesus and hear about what had happened. We know from Mark and Luke that when they got there, they found at least one of the formerly demon-possessed men “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and [the townspeople] were afraid” (Luke 8:35).

Instead of being awed by Jesus’ power and drawn to Him, the Gentiles were afraid. They were intimidated by power that could free men who’d suffered for so long under the violent oppression of demons. The disciples may have understood that fear. Mark reported that when Jesus calmed a deadly storm with a single command earlier in the day, they too had been “filled with great fear” (Mark 4:41). They were likely angry, as well, seeing so many valuable animals lost—but when faced by miraculous power, it’s reasonable to think fear would override thoughts of revenge.

The difference between the disciples and the Gentiles from that region is that the disciples didn’t leave Jesus. They learned to trust Him more. The Gentiles, afraid or not, ask Him to leave. Not only were they afraid of Him and His power, His action had cost someone 2,000 head of pigs. That was a lot of money.

Mark tells us that at least one of the men wanted to go with Jesus and the disciples in the boat as they were leaving. Jesus said no. He told the man to “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” The man did exactly that (Mark 5:19–20).

Context Summary
Matthew 8:28–34 describes what happens when Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a mostly Gentile region. He is immediately confronted by two demon-possessed men who live in tombs. The demons recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and ask if He has come to torment them. They beg Jesus to cast them into a huge herd of pigs visible in the distance. He does so and the pigs immediately run straight into the sea and drown. The men are freed from the demons, but the people of the region ask Jesus to leave.

Chapter Summary
Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus’ authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man’s amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.