Matthew 8:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

NIV: When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.

NASB: Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.

CSB: When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick,

NLT: That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.

KJV: When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

NKJV: When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

Jesus has just healed Peter's mother-in-law from a fever (Matthew 8:14–15). Next, Peter opened his house for the evening to others in need of healing or who were oppressed by demons. Jesus served them all, casting out demons with a single word and healing everyone who asked from whatever sickness they had.

Demon possession—or oppression—seems to have been more common during this time in the history of the world. That speaks to Satan's cleverness and strategy. In that culture, the existence of demons was not debated. There was no reason for the Devil to be especially subtle or hidden. So, demonic work of afflicting human beings was on display in many communities for all to see. In many modern cultures, as belief in demons wanes, it seems to have become more advantageous for Satan to be hidden and secretive.

This verse also shows that not all sickness came from demon oppression. Those were two separate categories.

The fact that Jesus was able to cast away demons with a single word was impressive and demonstrated His authority over the supernatural world. Others during this time provided exorcism services, with various degrees of success. Some tried to make use of what were thought to be magical incantations. Some tried to pit demons against other demons in order to get rid of them. Jesus simply ordered them to leave. They recognized His authority, and they left (Matthew 8:8–9).

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.