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Matthew 8

34 verses

TL;DR

Jesus performs miracles of healing and displays authority, revealing faith and divine power through acts on the sick, possessed, and in a storm.

Summary

The chapter begins with Jesus descending from a mountain to heal a leper, who is commanded to show his testimony to a priest. He then heals a centurion’s servant from afar, praising the centurion’s great faith. Jesus also heals Peter’s mother‑in‑law of fever and casts out many demons at twilight. A scribe expresses devotion, while a disciple urges Jesus to postpone, prompting Jesus to remind that the Son of Man has no home. Jesus calms a great storm, astonishing his disciples, and then confronts possessed men in the country of the Gergesenes. He commands the demons to enter a herd of swine, which then rush to the sea and drown. The people of Gergesenes, after witnessing the miracles, beg Jesus to leave.

Outline
  1. Healing miracles of the sick and possessed
  2. Jesus’ authority and disciples’ faith
  3. Demons and the herd of swine
Themes
Faith and divine authorityHealing and compassionThe power over nature and evil
Keywords
JesusHealingFaithDemonsPigsStormCalmAuthorityMiracleSickness
People
JesusLeperCenturionServantScribePeterPeter’s mother‑in‑lawTwo possessed menFather (unnamed)Followers of Jesus
Places
CapernaumPeter’s houseGergesenesSeaCity
Things
LeprosyFaithHealingPigsDemonsStormCalmWord of GodPriest’s testimonyGift of Moses
Key Verses
  • Matthew 8:2-3: Illustrates Jesus’ power to heal and the command to keep silence, showing reverence for divine testimony.
  • Matthew 8:8-10: Highlights the centurion’s faith surpassing all in Israel, demonstrating the accessibility of faith.
  • Matthew 8:25-27: Demonstrates Jesus’ supreme authority over nature, calming a tempest, and the disciples' fear.
  • Matthew 8:30-32: Shows Jesus’ dominion over demons and the paradox of destruction of the swine, emphasizing divine priorities.
Questions
  • What does the command to the leper to keep quiet reveal about the nature of testimony?
  • How does the centurion’s faith compare with the faith of those in Israel?
  • What is the significance of Jesus’ response to the disciples’ fear during the storm?
  • Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of swine?
  • How does the encounter in Gergesenes illustrate the spread of the gospel?
  • What can we learn about discipleship from the disciple who wanted to bury his father first?
Sentiment

mixed
Contains both positive miraculous healing and negative elements of suffering, demons, and destruction.