Matthew 8

The Leper’s Prayer

(Leviticus 14:1–32; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16)

1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2Suddenly a leper1 came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”2

The Faith of the Centurion

(Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–54)

5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him, 6“Lord, my servant3 lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”

7“I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.

8The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under4 authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”

10When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found even in Israel such great faith.5 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his6 servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus Heals at Peter’s House

(Mark 1:29–34; Luke 4:38–41)

14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.7

16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities

and carried our diseases.”8

The Cost of Discipleship

(Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33; John 6:59–66)

18When Jesus saw large crowds9 around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.10 19And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

20Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

21Another of His disciples11 requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Psalm 107:1–43; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25)

23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. 25Then the disciples went12 and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.

27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

The Demons and the Pigs

(Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39)

28When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gergesenes,13 He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

29“What do You want with us, Jesus,14 Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, permit us to go off into15 the herd of pigs.”

32“Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the herd of pigs,16 and the whole herd of pigs17 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.

33Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.