The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

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

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.

Suddenly a leper

(a)

came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

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

Then 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.”(b)

The Faith of the Centurion

(Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–54)

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,

“Lord, my servant (c) lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”

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

The 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.

For I myself am a man under 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.”

When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

I 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.

But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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

Jesus Heals at Peter’s House

(Mark 1:29–34; Luke 4:38–41)

When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.

So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve them.

When 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.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”(d)

The Cost of Discipleship

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

When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.(e)

And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

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

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

But 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)

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

“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.

The 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)

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

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

In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.

So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

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

Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men.

Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

Footnotes

(a)8:2 A leper was one afflicted with a skin disease. See Leviticus 13.

(b)8:4 See Leviticus 14:1–32.

(d)8:17 Isaiah 53:4

(e)8:18 That is, the Sea of Galilee; Greek to the other side

(f)8:28 BYZ, TR, and GOC Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes

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

When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

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.”

The Faith of the Centurion

(Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–54)

When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him for help,

saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

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.

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.”

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.

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,

but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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.

Jesus Heals at Peter’s House

(Mark 1:29–34; Luke 4:38–41)

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

He touched her hand, and the fever left her. So she got up and served him.(a)

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,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”(b)

The Cost of Discipleship

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

Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

A scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

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.”

Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

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

When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves; but he was asleep.

The disciples came to him and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

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.

The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

The Demons and the Pigs

(Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39)

When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes,(c) two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way.

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?”

Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them.

The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”

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.

Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons.

Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

Footnotes

(a)8:15 TR reads “them” instead of “him”

(b)8:17 ℘ Isaiah 53:4