Bible Studies for Life By James Riley Strange, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religion, Samford University
Victorious Hope
Matthew 8:5–13
Today’s reading comes soon after the Sermon on the Mount and it falls in a section of six miracles.
In fact the healing of the centurion’s servant is only the second miracle in the Gospel of Matthew, and it should be read in the context of the first (read all the way to 9:8). In the first miracle — the famous cleansing of the leper — Jesus touches him.
In today’s passage Jesus heals from a distance.
Both stories emphasize the role of faith in healing: the leper has faith Jesus can make him clean and the centurion has faith Jesus can make someone else well.
Both stories also demonstrate Jesus’ willingness to heal.
Jesus desires to heal us. (5–7)
Rome did not station troops in Galilee during Jesus’ lifetime so this centurion may have mustered out of the army. This means he is probably living on an estate near Capernaum with a household that includes slaves.
The word rendered “servant” in most translations of verse 6 refers to a kind of slave. A different word appears in verse 9.
Jesus’ response can be read as a question, “Shall I come and cure him?”, perhaps expressing surprise that a Gentile — and one of high rank — would ask a local Jewish preacher and miracle worker to heal his slave.
Faith in Jesus’ authority is necessary for us to have hope. (8–9)
If Jesus does indeed ask this question, then the centurion turns the tables. His response says, “I am the unworthy one.”
The response also treats Jesus as a person of high rank who can expect His commands to be followed. In this case the centurion personifies the illness as a being whom Jesus can order to leave.
Jesus gives us hope when we believe and trust in Him. (10–13)
Jesus is surprised again. This man is probably a pagan which means he worships the Roman gods and maybe the Persian god, Mithras, who was quite popular with soldiers. This man believes Jesus can command the sickness to leave his servant and it will happen. He approaches Jesus with a hope that prompts Him to act.
Jesus’ response to the centurion foretells the mission to the Gentiles that will begin after Jesus’ resurrection (see Matt. 28).
It’s important to remember that in Matthew no one considers Jesus to be a charlatan. Those who oppose Jesus agree He can perform miracles but question the source of His power (12:24–32). This pagan, who ought to be blind to Jesus’ divine power, recognizes it while many of Jesus’ own fellow Galileans will not.
It also is important to remember Jesus does not indicate all Jews are destined for the “outer darkness,” for all of His disciples are Jews.
The Book of Acts also documents how Jews in Jerusalem first responded so strongly to Peter’s preaching and how Paul was Jewish. Jesus’ words do show that sometimes God’s children let their own notions about how God works blind them to the very work of God. We are no more immune from this mistake than the “heirs of the Kingdom,” whom Jesus mentions.
Let us then open our eyes to the places where — through Jesus — God is at work in the world.
And let us take on hope that will prompt us to act on behalf of those who need to be healed by Jesus. We know of course that this need takes many forms.
Share with others: