Matthew 8:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

NIV: When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

NASB: When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.

CSB: Jesus went into Peter's house and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

NLT: When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever.

KJV: And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.

NKJV: Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

Peter and his brother Andrew were two of the twelve core disciples of Jesus. They were from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and had worked as fishermen for a living until Jesus called them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18–20). They moved to Capernaum at some point; Jesus lived there, too. Peter was married, and his wife's mother lived with them. It was considered honorable for adult children to care for their aging parents.

Jesus came to Peter's house one day to find Peter's mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever. In that time, fever was considered a disease and not just a symptom. This incident is also described in Mark 1:29–31 and Luke 4:38–39. Matthew does not always report these moments in chronological order. Instead, he groups similar moments together to fit a specific topic. In this case, he is collecting stories about Jesus' miraculous power. These are meant to support the idea that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah.

Matthew 8:14–22 summarizes several events. Jesus cures Peter's mother-in-law from a fever. He then spends the evening healing many other people from diseases and casting out demons with a word, fulfilling another of Isaiah's prophecies (Isaiah 53:4). Jesus next talks to two of His followers. One promises to follow Jesus everywhere. Jesus says this will be difficult because He has no home. The other wants to come back and follow Jesus after burying his father. Jesus tells him to follow now and quips that it's better to "leave the dead to bury their own dead."

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.

Accessed 5/18/2024 8:47:23 PM