What does Matthew 8:13 mean?
Jesus has completed His statements about the amazing faith of the Roman centurion and the future inclusion of Gentiles in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:10–12). Now Jesus does as the centurion has asked (Matthew 8:5–9). He heals the man's servant without ever going into his house.Jesus tells the man that it will be done for him as he has believed. Jesus is not telling the centurion that his faith is the power ultimately responsible for the work of healing. He is telling him that what he believed Jesus could do has been done. In other words, Jesus could have healed the servant whether the centurion believed it or not, but his faith in Jesus has proved true. The servant was instantly healed.
For many in that time, this may have been one of the most impressive of Jesus' miracles. To heal a person without being there feels like something only God could do. The fact that Jesus did so provided more evidence that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Matthew 8:5–13 describes Jesus' response to the request of a Roman centurion in Capernaum. The Gentile officer has a servant who is paralyzed and suffering greatly. The centurion says that Jesus does not even need to come to his home, but that He can heal the man with a word. As a man with authority, this soldier recognizes Christ's right to command, even with respect to healing. Jesus applauds this faith, and notes that many Gentiles will be in the kingdom of heaven, along with the Jewish patriarchs. Not all Israelites will be included, however. Jesus tells the Roman officer his servant has been healed.
Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus' authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man's amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.