Matthew 8:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

NIV: When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.

NASB: Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.

CSB: When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.

NLT: When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.

KJV: Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

NKJV: And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.

The scene Matthew describes here may be unrelated to the previous scenario. There, Jesus was healing the sick and casting out demons in the home of Peter in the town of Capernaum, on the north side of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:14–17). It might also be the same moment, but Scripture does not specify. Matthew's intent in this part of his gospel is to collect miraculous proofs that Jesus is the Promised One.

A common theme in Jesus' early ministry is seeking to control the reaction of the people. Christ has not come to start a revolution, so when the people become overly excited, He seems to pull away (John 6:15). He also tells many people to keep aspects of His ministry quiet (Matthew 8:4), to varying degrees of success.

Whether it's a continuation of the previous scene, or something new, Matthew tells of a moment in which Jesus recognizes the crowds around Him are growing large. He apparently wants to put some space between Himself and the crush of people. He orders His disciples to get in a boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Before they go, though, Jesus will talk with a couple of people who would like to continue to follow Him (Matthew 8:19).

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.