Bible Verse Lookup
Mt 23,8-10
Chapter 8
Heals a Leper
When Jesus descended from the mountain, a large crowd followed him.
Then a leper stepped forward. He knelt before him and said:
“Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said:
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
At that very moment, the man was healed of his leprosy.
Then Jesus said to him:
“See that you do not tell anyone, but go to the priest, have yourself declared clean, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as evidence for them.”
Heals a Centurion’s Servant
When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, an army captain came to him seeking his help:
Sir, my servant is sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffering terribly.
Jesus told him: “I will come and heal him.”
The captain answered:
“I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order, and my boy will be healed.
For I, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one, ‘Go!’ he goes; and if I say to another, ‘Come!’ he comes; and if I say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him:
“I tell you; I have not found such faith in Israel.
I tell you; many will come from the east and the west and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven;
but the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown out into utter darkness, where they will wail and grind their teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the captain:
“Go home now. As you believed, so let it be.”
And at that moment, his servant was healed.
Heals and Exorcises Around the House
Jesus went to Peter’s house and found his mother-in-law in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, and the fever left her; she got up and waited on him.
Later in the evening, they brought many people possessed by evil spirits to Jesus, and with a word, he cast out the spirits. He also healed all who were sick.
In this way, what the prophet Isaiah said was fulfilled:
He bore our infirmities
and took on himself our diseases.
Requirements of Discipleship
When Jesus saw the crowd gathering around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
A teacher of the law came up to him and said:
“Master, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus said to him:
“Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Another disciple said to him:
“LORD, let me go and bury my father first.”
But Jesus said to him:
“Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.
Calming a Storm
Jesus stepped into the boat, and his disciples followed him.
Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, causing waves to crash over the boat. But Jesus was asleep.
The disciples woke him up and cried:
“LORD save us! We are lost!”
But Jesus answered:
“Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?”
Then he stood up, rebuked the wind and sea, and it became completely calm.
The disciples were amazed. They asked:
“What kind of man is he? Even the winds and the sea obey him.”
Exorcism in Gadara
When Jesus arrived at Gadara on the other side, he was met by two men possessed by demons, who came out of the tombs. They were so aggressive that no one dared to pass that way.
They shouted:
“Son of God, leave us alone! Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Nearby, a large herd of pigs was feeding.
So the demons begged him:
“If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
Jesus commanded them:
“Go then!”
The demons left the men and entered the pigs. The entire herd then rushed off the cliff into the lake and drowned.
The men responsible for the pigs ran to town, where they told the whole story and also what had happened to the men possessed by the demons.
The entire town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.
Chapter 9
He Heals a Paralytic
Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and arrived in his hometown.
Here, they brought a paralyzed man lying on a bed to him. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic:
“Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.”
Some teachers of the law thought to themselves:
“This man insults God.”
Jesus was aware of what they were thinking and said:
“Why do you have such evil thoughts?
Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has the power on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralyzed man:
“Stand up! Take your stretcher and go home!”
The man got up and went home.
When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for granting humans such power.
He Calls Matthew and Shares the Table With Sinners
As Jesus continued on his way, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his booth in the customs house, and he said to him:
“Follow me!”
And Matthew got up and followed him.
Now, it happened while Jesus was at the table at Matthew’s house that many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples:
“Why is it, that your master eats with sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard this, he said:
“Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.
Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
On Fasting
Then John’s disciples approached him with the question:
“How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but not your disciples?”
Jesus answered them:
“How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunk cloth because the patch will shrink and create an even bigger hole in the coat.
Similarly, you don’t put new wine into old wineskins. If you do, the wineskins will burst and the wine will be spilled. Instead, you put new wine into fresh skins; then both are preserved.”
A Woman Healed and a Child Raised to Life
While Jesus was speaking to them, a synagogue official approached him, bowed before him, and said:
“My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hands on her, and she will live.”
Jesus stood up and followed him with his disciples.
Then a woman who had been suffering from severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak;
for she thought:
“If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned, saw her, and said:
“Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you.”
From that moment, the woman was healed.
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, he said:
“Go away! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!”
And they laughed at him.
But once the crowd had been gone out, Jesus went in, took the girl by the hand, and she stood up.
The news of this spread across the entire area.
He Heals Two Blind Men and Exorcises a Mute
As Jesus continued on his way, two blind men followed him, shouting:
“Son of David, help us!”
When he was about to enter the house, the blind men caught up with him, and Jesus said to them:
“Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?”
They answered:
“Yes, sir!”
Then Jesus touched their eyes and said:
“As you have believed, so let it be.”
And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus gave them a stern warning:
“Be careful that no one knows about this.”
But as soon as they left, they spread the news about him throughout the entire area.
As they were leaving, some people brought to Jesus a man who was mute because he was possessed by a demon.
When the demon was cast out, the mute man started to speak. The crowd was amazed and said:
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said:
“He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.”
Narrative Summary of Jesus’ Activity
Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and announcing the good news of the kingdom; he also healed every sickness and disease.
Jesus’ Compassion
When he saw the crowds, he was filled with compassion, for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples:
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only a few.
Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.”
Chapter 10
The Twelve
Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the Twelve apostles: first, Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.
Mission of the Twelve
Jesus sent these Twelve on a mission with the instructions: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town.
Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Do not carry any gold, silver, or money in your purses.
Do not bring a travel bag, an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick: workers deserve compensation.
When you arrive in a town or village, seek out a worthy person, and remain there until you leave.
When you enter the house, wish it peace.
If the people are worthy, your peace will rest on them; if they are not, your blessing will come back to you.
And if you are not welcomed, and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town, and shake the dust off your feet.
I assure you, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will have an easier time on the day of judgment than the people of that town.
Warning of Persecution
See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. You must be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Be cautious around people, for they will turn you over to their courts and flog you in their synagogues.
You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a witness to them and to the pagans.
But when you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it; when the time comes, you will be given what to say.
For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will give his brother over to death, and a father to his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death.
Everyone will hate you because of me, but anyone who stays firm until the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, escape to the next. I assure you, you won’t have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.
A student should be content to become like his teacher and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
Exhortation to Courage
So, do not be afraid of them. Nothing hidden will remain secret. Everything concealed will eventually be revealed.
What I tell you in secret, you must speak openly; what you hear in private, proclaim from the rooftops.
Do not fear those who can only kill the body, but cannot harm the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna.
For just a few cents, you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing.
As for you, every hair on your head has been counted.
Don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows!
Choice for Jesus
Whoever acknowledges me in front of others, I will acknowledge them before my Father in heaven.
Whoever rejects me in front of others, I will reject them before my Father in heaven.
Radical Discipleship
Don’t think I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Each one will have enemies from their own family.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes him who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man, because he is a just man, will receive the reward of a just man.
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, I assure you, he will not lose his reward.
Chapter 23
Invective Against the Scribes and Pharisees
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
So, you should do and follow everything they say; but do not imitate their actions, for they do not do what they preach.
They burden people with heavy loads and load them onto their shoulders, but they themselves won’t lift a finger to move them.
They do everything to be noticed by others: wearing large bands of the law around their foreheads and robes with oversized tassels.
They enjoy the front seats at banquets and the best spots in the synagogues,
and they love being greeted in the marketplace and called ‘Master’ by others.
But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters.
Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father—he who is in heaven.
You should not be called Master, because you have but one master, the Messiah.
Let the greatest among you be the servant of all.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
But woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You, yourselves, do not enter, nor do you allow others to do so.
[[Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You consume widows’ property, and in public, you pray lengthy prayers! Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation.]]
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel across sea and land to make a single convert; yet, once he is converted, you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves!
Woe to you, blind guides! You say: To swear by the temple is not binding, but to swear by the gold of the temple is binding.
Foolish men! Blind men! Which is more valuable: the gold inside the temple, or the temple itself, which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say:
Swearing by the altar isn’t binding, but swearing by the offering on the altar is binding.
How blind you are! Which is more valuable: the offering on the altar or the altar itself, which makes the offering sacred?
Whoever swears by the altar is also swearing by everything on it.
Whoever swears by the temple is also swearing by God, who dwells in the temple.
Whoever swears by heaven is swearing by God’s throne and by Him who sits on it.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You carefully avoid neglecting the mint, anise, and cumin seeds when you demand the tenth of everything, but then, you forget what is most fundamental in the law: justice, mercy, and faith! You should have practiced these things without neglecting the others.
Blind guides! You remove a mosquito but swallow a camel.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup with theft and violence, then pronounce a blessing over them.
Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside first, and then the outside will be clean as well.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but inside, there are only dead bones and uncleanness.
Similarly, you seem religious to others, but inside you’re full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
You say: Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.
So, you yourselves confess to being descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
And now, complete what your ancestors started!
Serpents, race of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to Gehenna?
Therefore, I am sending prophets, wise men, and teachers to you; but some of them you will murder and crucify, some you will flog in your synagogues, and others you will drive from one city to the next.
Because of this, you will be held responsible for all the innocent blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the altar and the Sanctuary.
Truly I tell you: the current generation will pay for all of this.
Lament for Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone those sent to you by God. How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refused!
Look! Your house will be left to you, deserted!
I tell you that you will no longer see me until you say:
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Commentaries
Heals a Leper – Heals a Centurion’s Servant – Heals and Casts Out Demons Around the House.
When Jesus heals and casts out demons, he brings the kingdom of God into the present, showing the Father’s will that his children find fulfillment through freedom. However, the presence of the kingdom demands a response, and faith is a vital step in that process.
The saving power of the kingdom of God has no boundaries; that is why Jesus first reaches out to three marginalized groups: the contagious sick because of their illness; women because of the oppression of a patriarchal culture; and pagans because of their exclusion from God’s people.
Regarding Peter’s mother-in-law, there’s an interesting detail: “she got up and began to serve him” (15). Healing enables women to serve. Is the evangelist symbolically suggesting the restored dignity of Jesus’ followers and their prominent role in the life of Christian communities?
Requirements of Discipleship.
The excitement caused by Jesus’ teachings and miracles should not mislead those who want to follow him. Following Jesus involves certain unavoidable conditions: 1. A life free of attachments or securities, impoverished and itinerant. 2. Full readiness for the mission. 3. Following Jesus must be immediate: once the call is received, the path and demands of the kingdom of God cannot be delayed.
Calming a Storm.
The evangelist states that when Jesus got into the boat, “the disciples followed him” (23), meaning they began to share his fate. But without faith and trust, following him weakens in extreme situations where loyalty to the kingdom of God might even require risking one’s life. Jesus criticizes his disciples’ lack of faith at the very moment of trial, when “the waves were covering the boat” (24), and not after calm has been restored. The one who was sleeping during the storm rises and reveals himself as Lord of the sea.
Exorcism in Gadara.
With His presence and action, Jesus drives out demonic forces from the human environment, pushing them into the realm of the impure symbolized by pigs (cf. Is 66:3.17), into the abyss of perdition (the lake or the sea). The power of God is shown by freeing humanity from all kinds of demonic possession, even beyond the limits of the chosen people. The neighbors do not appreciate this liberation, and their attitude contrasts with others’ admiration for Jesus’ power.
He Heals a Paralytic.
The Jewish mindset linked illness with sin; the disciples themselves believed that sickness or misfortune were caused by some fault, either their own or someone else’s (cf. Jn 9:1f). Jesus shows that he has received the power to heal, but more importantly, the power to forgive—a divine attribute—covering his entire mission of liberation and addressing the core of the human condition in need of salvation. The healing of the paralytic publicly affirms his authority, much to the scandal of the scribes.
He Calls Matthew and Shares the Table With Sinners.
Matthew’s calling is very important: Jesus chooses a tax collector, a publican working for Rome, the occupying power. Like all tax collectors, he has a very bad reputation among the people. Jesus shows him trust without asking for public confessions of conversion. Jesus’s sovereign call frees him from the slavery of money and leads him to discipleship.
On the other hand, Jesus, a regular guest at the tables of the poor and sinners, made sharing food with everyone, regardless of who they were, one of the most powerful symbols of the newness of the kingdom of God that he proclaimed. This is why his practice of inviting or allowing himself to be invited by tax collectors and sinners caused such scandal. Before God, we are all equal: sinners in need of his mercy and his bread of life.
On Fasting.
Through this specific question about fasting, we see the symbolism of the Messiah as the bridegroom (cf. Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13). The newness brought by the bridegroom is explained in verses 16 and beyond. The images of new wine and new clothes make it clear that the Gospel cannot be contained in old structures and mentalities. We must be open to the newness that the Gospel introduces into our lives.
A Woman Healed and a Child Raised to Life.
Both miracles are connected and appear in the three synoptic Gospels. In both stories, faith and contact with Jesus are essential, linking the need of those who come to Jesus to be restored to full life. Matthew, as usual, stylizes, summarizes, and emphasizes the main message: on one hand, the faith of the official and the woman; on the other, Jesus’ power over sickness and death. For Luke and Mark, the official’s daughter was very ill; for Matthew, she was already dead, considered an impure corpse, just as the woman’s illness was seen as unclean. The pain of this father and the shame of this woman can symbolize all our personal and collective struggles.
He Heals Two Blind Men and Exorcises a Mute.
Every healing carries a deeper meaning, and perhaps the healing of the blind man and the mute are the most symbolic within the biblical tradition. Through these miracles, Matthew sets the stage for the significant declaration Jesus will make to John’s disciples in 11:5. The evangelist emphasizes the importance of faith as a necessary condition for the signs that reveal the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. Faith is precisely the focus of Jesus’ dialogue with the blind men (28ff), the setting for the personal encounter that heals and restores the individual.
Narrative Summary of Jesus’ Activity – Jesus’ Compassion.
These four verses serve as an interlude, closing one section and opening another. Jesus, the Messiah, has announced the beginning of God’s reign with words and actions. His first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, has been validated through signs and miracles. The success of his power to heal people from all kinds of diseases and ailments has drawn a large crowd of the poor and needy. This sets the stage for the next section: the missionary sending of the Twelve, close followers who will learn from Jesus the scope of the mission, how to carry it out, and God’s initiative, signaled by his call.
The Twelve.
Twelve are chosen, like the tribes of Israel (19:28), and now symbolize the universality of the new people of God. The title of apostles, meaning ‘sent ones,’ is hinted at. They are led by Simon, who has a new name in ministry: Peter. They come from diverse backgrounds and mindsets… But amid them is Jesus, the unifying center. To this first missionary team, the Master will deliver his second discourse, focusing on their mission.
Mission of the Twelve.
The message the envoys must share is that of Jesus—the nearness of the kingdom of God (7), which enters history and frees people from all bonds. Like Jesus, his envoys (the apostles) must live a similar itinerant and humble lifestyle. The peace that Matthew describes as part of the kingdom of God involves the need for reconciliation between God and humanity and among men and women; this cannot happen without justice and the removal of all barriers that discriminate, exploit, or oppress.
Warning of Persecution – Exhortation to Courage – Choice for Jesus.
Appearances before courts, floggings, family rifts after the expulsion of the Christian community from Jewish society in the year 70… all this was common during those early days of the Church (cf. the Acts of the Apostles), and it will continue to happen wherever the Good News of Jesus is shared boldly. Although this warns of suffering and opposition, it also offers encouragement and hope. Three times it is repeated that they should not be afraid (26, 28, 31). The Lord is with his people.
Radical Discipleship.
All the powerful groups in Jesus’ time aimed, in one way or another, to dominate. Jesus’ approach is the opposite: to serve, which means to take up the cross and follow him. Jesus defines himself through his complete self-giving. Faithfulness to Jesus must surpass all other loyalties, even family ties, because instead of dividing, it will give true meaning to all other commitments.
Rewards.
The words that close the mission sermon speak of the reward that will be given to all those who welcome Jesus’ messengers. The mission is the task of the entire Christian community, with different charisms but a single mission.
Invective Against the Scribes and Pharisees.
Here, the conflict between the Christian community and the Jewish religious authorities reaches its peak. Conditions and genre influence the text: the language likely reflects a time when Christians had already separated from the Jewish community. In contrast, the literary style of “polemic” accounts for obvious exaggerations or oversimplifications when describing the enemy. Religion involves the heart, both vertically in relation to God and horizontally in relation to neighbors. When this does not happen, it can become overwhelming, suffocating, and enslaving.
Lament for Jerusalem.
This entire section, set in Jerusalem, now concludes with a lament. These final words of Jesus are mainly directed at the religious leaders of the Holy City, who consistently held an attitude of mistrust and suspicion toward Jesus and therefore did not accept God’s salvation. There are two charges: killing the prophets and rejecting Jesus’ invitation (37). As a result, God will no longer dwell in the Temple (38), and Jesus the Messiah will not appear there until he returns as judge with the full arrival of the kingdom of God.