8 1Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2Then a man sick with leprosya came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, "Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want."3Jesus touched the man. He said, "I want to heal you. Be healed!" Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at youb. And offer the gift that Mosesc commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed." 7Jesus said to the officer, "I will go and heal him." 8The officer answered, "Lord, I am not good enough for you to come into my house. You need only to give the order, and my servant will be healed. 9I know this, because I understand authority. There are people who have authority over me, and I have soldiers under my authority. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes. I tell another soldier, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and my servant obeys me." 10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, "The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israelf. 11Many people will come from the east and from the west. These people will sit and eat with Abrahamg, Isaach, and Jacobi in God's kingdomj. 12And those who should have the kingdom will be thrown out. They will be thrown outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain." 13Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home. Your servant will be healed the way you believed he would." Right then his servant was healed. 16That evening people brought to Jesus many people who had demonsk inside them. He spoke and the demonsk left the people. He healed all those who were sick. 17So Jesus made clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophetl said:
20Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests. But the Son of Mann has no place to rest." 21Another of Jesus' followers said to him, "Lord, I will follow you too, but let me go and bury my father first." 22But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let those who are dead bury their own dead." 26Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have enough faith." Then he stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm. 27The men were amazed. They said, "What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey him!" 30Near that place there was a large herd of pigs feeding. 31The demons begged Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs." 32Jesus said to them, "Go!" So the demons left the men and went into the pigs. Then the whole herd of pigs ran down the hill into the lake, and all were drowned. 33The men who had the work of caring for the pigs ran away. They went into town and told the people everything that happened, especially about the men who had the demons. 34Then the whole town went out to see Jesus. When the people saw him, they begged him to leave their area. aleprosy A very bad skin disease. The word in the text has a broad sense, which may include many different types of skin disease. b8:4 let the priest look at you The Law of Moses said a priest must decide when a person with leprosy was well. cMoses One of the most important leaders of the Israelites during the time of the Old Testament. God used him to give the people his law, which is often called “the Law of Moses.” dCapernaum A town on the northern shore of Lake Galilee where Jesus often spent time and taught. earmy officer A centurion, a Roman army officer who had authority over 100 soldiers. fIsrael Another name for Jacob (see Gen. 32:24-28) and for the nation God chose to accomplish his plan of blessing the world through the Messiah (see “Messiah”). The people of Israel were the descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons. In the New Testament this name is sometimes used in a broader sense to mean all of God’s people. gAbraham The most respected ancestor of the Jewish people. Through him God promised to make a great nation and bless all the people of the earth. Read Gen. 12:1-3. hIsaac The son of Abraham and one of the most important ancestors of the Israelites or Jews. iJacob Or “Israel,” ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). See Gen. 32:24-28 for the story of how Jacob was given the name Israel. He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended, and the name Jacob continued to be used for the nation or people of Israel. jGod’s kingdom The “reign” or “rule” of God over all people who submit to him by accepting Jesus as the Messiah (the appointed king), who represents God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus was the perfect example of submission to the will of God. When people give control of their lives to Jesus, they become part of God’s kingdom and begin to enjoy the blessings he has promised his people from the beginning. (Note that in Matthew this term also translates the Greek word “kingdom” by itself or the phrase, “the kingdom of the heavens,” which was used by Jews as a way to avoid saying the divine name.) kdemon An evil spirit from the devil. lprophet A person who speaks a message from God. Many of the books in the Old Testament are messages spoken or written by “the prophets,” who were some of those God chose to speak for him. God often used dreams or visions to tell or show his prophets what they should say. mIsaiah 53:4 nSon of Man The name that Jesus most often used for himself. The phrase in Hebrew or Aramaic means “human being” or “mankind,” but in Dan. 7:13-14 it is used of a future savior and king, and this was later understood to be the Messiah, the one God would send to save his people. o8:28 Gadarene From Gadara, an area southeast of Lake Galilee. |