Matthew 8:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,

NIV: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.

NASB: And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him,

CSB: When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him,

NLT: When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,

KJV: And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

NKJV: Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

Matthew is describing a collection of incidents in which Jesus displayed His access to the power of God. In the previous verses, he told of a time Jesus healed a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1–4). Now he will describe a remarkable interaction between Jesus and a Roman soldier.

Jesus, still in Galilee, in northern Israel, returns to His adopted hometown of Capernaum on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. He is approached by a Roman centurion. A centurion was an officer in charge of groups ranging from one hundred to several hundred soldiers; this was a powerful position in the Roman army. The Romans, of course, were occupying Israel as a conquered nation. Rome did not station soldiers in every town, necessarily, but Capernaum's location gave it some importance in the region.

It is significant, then, that such a powerful person would come to Jesus with a request for help. In Luke's report on this exchange (Luke 7:1–10), the centurion does not come to see Jesus himself. Instead, he sends respected Jewish elders on his behalf. Matthew often shortens his accounts, and he leaves out the fact that the centurion spoke to Jesus through others.

Those Jewish elders, in Luke's report, describe this centurion as "worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue" (Luke 7:4–5). The centurion's respect for the Jewish people, their customs, and for Jesus will become apparent in the following verses.

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.

Matthew 8 follows the conclusion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). He turns to telling a series of dramatic stories to show Jesus' power and authority over every kind of disease, over demons, and even over the weather. Jesus also gives brief teachings about the hard road of following Him on earth. He calms a violent storm with a single command and casts demons from two violently possessed men. Matthew will focus mostly on miracles until shifting focus to Jesus' teachings and parables in chapter 11.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.