Matthew 8:5-11
Chapter 8
5
Heals a Centurion’s Servant
When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, an army captain came to him seeking his help:6
Sir, my servant is sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffering terribly.
7
Jesus told him: “I will come and heal him.”
8
The captain answered:
“I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order, and my boy will be healed.
9
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.”
10
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him:
“I tell you; I have not found such faith in Israel.
11
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;
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?