Matthew 8:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

NIV: The centurion replied, 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

NASB: But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

CSB: "Lord," the centurion replied, "I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

NLT: But the officer said, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

KJV: The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

NKJV: The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

Jesus has agreed to a request from a Roman centurion to heal his servant who is paralyzed, suffering, and near death (Matthew 8:5–7). From Luke's report on this same event (Luke 7:1–10), we know that Jesus set out for the centurion's home.

Now the centurion objects to this. He declares that he is unworthy to have Jesus in his house. He calls Jesus "Lord," and it is possible that the centurion recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. He definitely understands Jesus to be a powerful and important person. It may also be that the centurion is being respectful to the Jewish customs, which do not normally allow a Jewish person to enter the home of a Gentile.

Clearly, this military officer understands that Jesus' power to heal is not limited in any way by distance. He says that one word from Jesus will be enough to heal his servant. He will go on to explain that he sees in Jesus the same authority over life and health as he, himself, has over the soldiers at his command (Matthew 8:9). Jesus will remark (Matthew 8:10) that He has not seen this level of faith in His power and authority among any of the Jewish people He has interacted with.

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.