Bible Study on Matthew 8, verses 5 to 13, I will come and heal him

 

Matthew 8:5 ¶  And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6  And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

 

A centurion was an officer in the Roman Army, the commander of a century, about 80 legionnaires. Centuries were grouped into cohorts under senior centurions.

 

The palsy is a reference to a form of paralysis (we saw in Matthew 4 and will see in Mark 2 instances of this.)

 

The Roman officer declares an important point about God’s sovereignty. God created the universe by a word, His Word, capital W, even, and controls the universe, the one spoken sentence, by His words. It is by Him that all things are held together.

 

Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

Hebrews 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

 

Christ’s authority and power is underscored elsewhere;

 

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power…36  And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

 

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

The centurion’s declaration leads Jesus to make an important point of prophecy for all of us Gentile Christians whose ancestors at this time were worshipping the dead, some of them practicing human sacrifice, worshipping trees, fire, water, and all manner of diverse vanities, living in utter and complete darkness.

 

Jesus declares that such faith is not found in Israel. This becomes one of the statements that open up the gospel and salvation to Gentiles, as in all of the people of the earth, not just the Jews.

 

Genesis 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

 

Genesis 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

 

Genesis 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

 

Psalm 22:27  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

 

Psalm 98:3  He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

 

Isaiah 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

 

Luke 13:29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

 

Acts 11:18  When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

 

Verse 13 has its parallels also. Here are a few examples. 13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

 

John 4:50  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

 

Matthew 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

 

Matthew 15:28  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.