Matthew 8: Authority Over Sickness and Storm
Coming down the mountain, Jesus heals, calms a storm, and casts out demons with sovereign authority.
Matthew 8 (WEB)
1 When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
2 Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
5 When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him,
6 and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”
7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel.
11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
12 but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.
14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.
15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and served him.
16 When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick;
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”
18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.
19 A scribe came, and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
23 When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24 Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.
25 They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”
26 He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
28 When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way.
29 Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.
31 The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”
32 He said to them, “Go!” They came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water.
33 Those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons.
34 Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
Matthew 8 (KJV)
1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
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.
14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Matthew 8 (ASV)
1 And when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
2 And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
3 And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
5 And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 and saying, Lord, my servant lieth in the house sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And he saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers: and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 And 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 the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:
12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And the servant was healed in that hour.
14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick of a fever.
15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered unto him.
16 And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick:
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.
18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
19 And there came a scribe, and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
21 And another of the disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22 But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.
23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Save, Lord; we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming forth out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way.
29 And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
30 Now there was afar off from them a herd of many swine feeding.
31 And the demons besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go. And they came out, and went into the swine: and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep into the sea, and perished in the waters.
33 And they that fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to them that were possessed with demons.
34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.
Summary
Coming down the mountain with great crowds following, Jesus touches and cleanses a leper, then heals a centurion's paralyzed servant from a distance, marveling at the centurion's faith and warning that many will come from east and west into the kingdom while others are cast out. He heals Peter's mother-in-law of her fever, and that evening casts out spirits and heals the sick, fulfilling Isaiah's word that he bore our diseases. Facing the cost of following him, he tells a scribe the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, and calls a disciple to follow without delay. In a boat, he sleeps through a violent storm, then rebukes the wind and sea into a great calm, astonishing his disciples. Crossing over, he frees two demon-possessed men, sending the demons into a herd of pigs.
Main Characters
- Jesus — The Son of Man whose word cleanses, heals, stills the storm, and commands the demons.
- The leper — A man who worships Jesus and is immediately made clean at his touch.
- The centurion — A Roman officer whose great faith in Jesus' word amazes Jesus and heals his servant.
- The disciples — Followers who are rebuked for little faith in the storm and marvel that wind and sea obey him.
- The demon-possessed men — Two fierce men of the Gergesenes freed when Jesus sends the demons into the pigs.
Key Verse
Matthew 8:27 (WEB)
The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Lessons Learned
- Jesus is willing and able to touch and cleanse those whom others consider unclean.
- Great faith trusts the authority of Jesus' word, even from a distance.
- Following Jesus is costly and must take priority over every competing claim.
- The same Lord who teaches with authority also commands wind, sea, and demons.
- Jesus touches the untouchable. He stretches out his hand to a leper, saying 'I want to. Be made clean,' showing both power and willingness (Matthew 8:3, WEB).
- Faith rests on Jesus' word. The centurion trusts that Jesus need only 'say the word' for healing to come (Matthew 8:8, WEB).
- Jesus carries our burdens. His healings fulfill Isaiah: 'He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases' (Matthew 8:17, WEB).
- Following Jesus is costly. The Son of Man warns that he 'has nowhere to lay his head,' so discipleship is no comfortable path (Matthew 8:20, WEB).
- Little faith fears; faith trusts. Jesus asks the frightened disciples, 'Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?' before stilling the storm (Matthew 8:26, WEB).
- Even wind and sea obey him. The astonished disciples ask, 'What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?' (Matthew 8:27, WEB).
- What do you notice about how Jesus responds to the leper, and what does his willingness to touch him reveal?
- Why does the centurion's faith amaze Jesus, and what does it teach us about trusting Jesus' word?
- How do Jesus' words to the scribe and the would-be disciple show the cost of following him?
- When the disciples cry out in the storm, what does Jesus' question 'Why are you fearful?' reveal about faith and fear?
- Where in your life right now do you most need to trust the authority of Jesus that this chapter displays?
- Jesus does not recoil but stretches out his hand and touches the leper, a man others would avoid, declaring 'I want to. Be made clean' (vv.2-3). His willingness reveals compassion that reaches the outcast, and his power makes the unclean clean rather than being defiled himself.
- The centurion understands authority from his own command of soldiers and believes Jesus can heal by a mere word, without coming in person (vv.8-9). Jesus marvels at faith greater than any he has found in Israel (v.10). It teaches us to rely on the sufficiency of Jesus' word rather than on what we can see.
- To the eager scribe Jesus answers that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, warning that following him brings no earthly security (vv.19-20). To the disciple who wants to delay, he says 'Follow me,' showing that nothing, however legitimate, may take priority over his call (vv.21-22).
- Their fear exposes 'little faith' even with Jesus in the boat (v.26). Jesus' question gently confronts them: faith does not mean the absence of storms but trust in the One who is present and in control. Then he proves himself worthy of that trust by calming the sea.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name a real 'storm', illness, fear, or pressure where they need Jesus' authority. As leader, help them move from anxious striving to trusting the Lord who commands sickness, storm, and demons, and offer to pray for one another's specific needs.