Matthew 8:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

NIV: Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.'

NASB: Then a scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.'

CSB: A scribe approached him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

NLT: Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.'

KJV: And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

NKJV: Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus and His disciples are preparing to get into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, which is the size of a large lake (Matthew 8:18). As they're leaving, a scribe approaches Jesus and promises to follow Him wherever He goes.

In that era, a "scribe" was an expert in handling written documents, often also a teacher of the law of Moses. These scholars were frequently given local authority to decide how the law should be followed. For better or worse, scribes are often associated with the Pharisees, a frequent target of Jesus' teachings about hypocrisy (Matthew 5:20). It is interesting, then, that a scribe would refer to Jesus as "Teacher" and be so eager to follow Jesus as He traveled in His ministry.

Jesus, in the following verse, does not offer an encouraging response. His remark suggests that this scribe is looking for something other than truth (Matthew 8:20).

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 5/1/2024 11:44:50 AM