Jesus came down from the mountain followed by the crowds.
A man with leprosy got on his knees in front of him and said, “Lord, if you are willing to clean me, please do it.”
Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing. Be clean!” The man was immediately clean of his leprosy.
Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone. Go and show your healed body to the priests and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as evidence to everyone else that you are healed.”
Jesus went into Capernaum and was met by a centurion who begged, “My servant is paralysed and in severe pain.”
Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
The centurion answered, “I’m not worthy enough for you to come to my house. Can’t you just speak the words and heal my servant? Also, I am a man with authority and employee soldiers. I can tell this one to go and he goes, and this one to come and he comes. My servant does whatever I tell him to do.”
Jesus was amazed to hear this and said to those that were nearby, “I’m telling you, I haven’t found anyone in Israel with a stronger belief. Many people from all over the world will come and sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the heavenly kingdom, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness where there will be crying and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus then said to the centurion, “Because you believed, go and find it has been done.” The servant was healed straight away.
Jesus went to Peter’s house and saw Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. He touched her hands and the fever left her. She got up and began serving them.
It was getting late. People brought to him others who were demon possessed. Jesus cast out the spirits with just a word and he healed everyone that was sick. This fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said: “He took away our sicknesses and diseases.”
Jesus realised that there was a big crowd around him so he asked if he could go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
One of the religious teachers came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the son of man doesn’t have anywhere to rest.”
Another disciple said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus answered, “Follow me and leave the dead to bury themselves.”
He went into the boat and the disciples followed him.
An intense storm started. Waves started thrashing the boat. Despite all this, Jesus was asleep.
The disciples came and woke him. “Lord, save us! We are drowning!”
Jesus replied, “Why are you so scared? You hardly have any faith.”
He got up and told the winds and sea to calm down, and they did.
The men were amazed. “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and sea obey him!”
They arrived at the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the region of Gadarenes. They were stopped by two Demon possessed men who came out of the burial caves. They were extremely violent and no one was able to get past them.
They cried out, “What are you going to do to us, Son of God? Have you come to torment us before the time comes?”
Far away from them, there was a herd of pigs.
The demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
Jesus said, “Go.”
The demons went into the pigs. The entire herd of pigs rushed down into the sea and drowned.
The farmers minding the pigs ran to the city and told everyone what had happened, including what had happened to the demons.
Everyone in the city went to go and meet Jesus and they begged him to go away.
Matthew Chapter 8 Summary
In Matthew Chapter 8, Jesus demonstrated his power through a series of miracles and teachings. The story begins with Jesus healing a diseased person, showing his power to clean us from sin. Next, he healed a centurion’s servant simply by speaking, highlighting the power of faith and Jesus’s power over distance. He then healed Peter’s mother-in-law and cast out demons, showing his power over illness and evil. When a sudden storm threatened his disciples, Jesus displayed his control over nature by calming the tempest. He then sent out demons from two violent men, showcasing his supreme power over spiritual darkness. Interestingly, he allowed the demons to enter a herd of pigs, which drowned, causing fear among the local people who asked Jesus to leave.
Matthew Chapter 8 Bible Study Questions and Answers
- Question: How does the healing of the diseased person show Jesus’s attitude towards those rejected by society?
Answer: Jesus’s willingness to touch and heal the diseased person, a socially excluded person, shows his compassion and love for all, regardless of their status or condition. - Question: What can we learn about faith from the centurion’s interaction with Jesus?
Answer: The centurion’s confidence in Jesus’s ability to heal from a distance demonstrates a strong faith. We learn that faith in Jesus’s power, even when we can’t see it directly, can lead to miracles. - Question: What does Jesus’s calming of the storm tell us about dealing with life’s challenges?
Answer: Jesus’s ability to calm the storm reminds us that no matter how turbulent our situation, faith in Him can give us peace. We should turn to Him in challenging times, trusting His control over our lives. - Question: Why did the people of Gadarenes ask Jesus to leave after he sent out the demons?
Answer: The people of Gadarenes asked Jesus to leave due to fear and confusion over his supernatural powers. This serves as a caution for those who prioritise worldly concerns over spiritual freedoms. - Question: What does Jesus’s response to the disciple who wanted to bury his father tell us about the call to being a follower?
Answer: Jesus’s response highlights that following Him might require making hard choices, and that the spiritual call to be a follower should take priority over even important familial obligations.
Matthew Chapter 8 Explained
Matthew Chapter 8 offers great insights into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It opens with a show of His care and power, healing a diseased person and breaking societal conventions in the process. This illustrates Jesus’s message of inclusion and his power to clean us from sin. The story of the centurion highlights the effectiveness of faith and the vastness of Jesus’s power. His ability to heal from a distance breaks physical boundaries, showing the reach of God’s grace and power.
Jesus’s meetings at Peter’s home serve as a testament to His power over sickness and spiritual darkness. His effortless healing and sending out of demons show His divine power. As night comes, his refusal of shelter shows the demands and sacrifices of being a follower, indicating that the spiritual journey may not always be comfortable.
The story of calming the storm highlights Jesus’s power over nature and His peace, a peace that can calm our life’s storms. The subsequent story in Gadarenes shows His supreme power over demons, but also shows the tragedy of those who reject Him out of fear or discomfort.
Matthew Chapter 8 gives important lessons: the power of faith, the call to being a follower, and the complete power of Jesus. It teaches us that faith in Christ can move mountains, that following Him might require sacrifices, and that His power over sin, sickness, nature, and spiritual forces, offers us the ultimate freedom.
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Continue exploring Matthew 8
If you’d like to read Matthew 8 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 8 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 8 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 8 in the Contemporary English Version.
If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
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For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version
If you’d like to explore Matthew in more depth, here are some commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew
Matthew (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)
Not My Life 