Miracles in Matthew

Jesus is our Healer. When He walked the earth, Jesus never denied a request for healing. Scripture often tells us that Jesus "healed all" that came to Him (Matt. 4:24; 8:16; 9:35; 12:15; 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40; 6:19).

Matthew 8-9 account for more than half of the miraculous narratives Matthew included in his Gospel, many of which are healings. These supernatural healings immediately followed the Sermon on the Mount, serving as proof that Jesus is the Son of God and demonstrating Jesus's authority over sickness and death. Each miracle affirmed that Jesus really is the Messiah that the Jews had been expecting. Today, we will focus on the stories of Jesus healing the leper and the centurion’s servant. 

Healing the Leper Matthew 8:1-4

 “When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’”

As Jesus finished his teachings and was coming down from the mountain, a leper came to Him, bowed down, and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Matt. 8:2). He recognized Jesus’ authority over sickness and His divinity as King. Scripture tells us that Jesus stretched out His hand, touched him, and said, “I am willing; be cleansed,” and immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matt 8:3). 

Leprosy is an incurable disease that rots the flesh, deadens nerve endings, and eventually leads to death. In scripture, it is a great metaphor for sin in our lives. 

Infected and isolated, this leper approached Jesus in sheer boldness, knowing the only barrier to his healing was Jesus’ willingness. He had complete faith in Jesus’ authority over his sickness, but also recognized the complexities of God’s timing and will. 

Jesus surely could have healed the leper from afar, but he chose to approach and to touch him. Jesus meets us in our filthy states, unafraid of our sin. We are never too untouchable for Him to cleanse us. Jesus touched the leper, declared His willingness, and displayed His authority to act on His word. Immediately, the leper was healed! 

Healing the Centurion's Servant Matthew 8:5-13

 “‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, and he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ 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. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment.”

Despite his stature as a Roman centurion, legally and socially above his servant and above the Jewish people, this man humbled himself. He sought to help his servant in time of need and to faithfully ask for Jesus’ help. He had seen and heard of Jesus’ power, and he knew Jesus was the Son of God. In this time of need, he went directly to the Lord of Lords for help, despite society’s rules. Often, we search for earthly solutions to our problems rather than going to Jesus himself. Even though he could have ignored the servant’s need for healing, the centurion chose to act. Sometimes we may ignore others' problems and label them as not ours to worry about. The centurion models bold faith and humility that we can look up to in our lives today.

Humbly, he came to Jesus with his request. Honoring His authority and holiness, the centurion stated that he was not worthy for Jesus to enter his home. We too should come before Jesus, acknowledging our unworthiness as sinners.

As a Roman centurion, he understood that true authority and power come not from within oneself, but from being under the authority of someone greater. He knew Jesus was directly under the authority of God, Creator of the Universe, and therefore could heal his servant. 

Jesus was astonished by his faith and commended the centurion, saying he had not seen such faith in all of Israel (Matt. 8:10).   Across Israel, Pharisees and many Jews had been rejecting salvation, refusing to hear Jesus’ message, and lacking faith. The centurion exemplified that Jewish blood did not warrant salvation and that his being a Gentile did not limit his faith. Jesus loves every single one of us and hopes we will have as much faith in him as the centurion!

Written By: Catherine Cagnina