Gary Eugene Howell uses the Berean Standard Bible. The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. The Text of the Berean Standard Bible was dedicated to the public domain as of April 30, 2023.
Verses 1-3
When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Commentary
The man with leprosy asked to be healed. Jesus touched him and immediately the leprosy was gone and he was healed. Think about what this implies at the cellular scale. Leprosy is a skin disease caused by a bacteria. In today’s modern medicine, a person with leprosy would take antibiotics over a period of time, which would kill the bacteria. Then the skin would have to heal itself over time, likely leaving behind scars. But Jesus healed the leper instantly. The implication is that God is able to act outside the laws of our physical world.
Isaac Newton’s first law of motion states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external force. But when God instantly healed the leper, how were the bacteria removed from the man’s body? How were the cells of his skin instantly made new without the cells having to regrow?
Furthermore, in some cases, untreated leprosy can cause an individual to lose extremities such as fingers, toes or their ears. If this particular person who came to Jesus had, let’s say, missing fingers due to his leprosy, God, in healing him, instantly made matter out of nothing, and then made that matter living tissue and seamlessly reconnected it to his hand so that he had all of his fingers back again.
The point that I want you to come away with, is that nothing is impossible for God. He can even operate outside the laws of physics. He can create anything, out of nothing. He can make life from nothing; at any time he chooses. Knowing this then, can you believe that God is able to help you in your time of need?
But what if God doesn’t help you? Then can you believe that God has a greater plan for you?
Verse 4
Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”
Commentary
To understand Matthew 8:4, we need to “properly divide the word of truth” by reading the parallel account in Mark 1:40-45
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. Jesus promptly sent him away with a stern warning: “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40-45)
Why did Jesus say to the man, “See that you don’t tell anyone”? Because after the man went and told everyone, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view but had to remain in solitary places. I strongly suspect that this man told other lepers that Jesus had healed his leprosy. As a result, dozens, perhaps hundreds of lepers, along with people suffering from all kinds of diseases were likely desperately pursuing Jesus, hoping to be healed. This may be the reason he could no longer enter a town. Lepers were social outcasts because their disease was contagious and no one wanted a leper in their town.
Verses 5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him, “Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.” “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Commentary
Again, as stated before, this demonstrates that nothing is impossible for God. Jesus didn’t even need to go to the centurion’s house. He didn’t need to see or touch the servant in order to heal him. God is omnipresent.
But I want to focus for a moment on Jesus’s response. He said,
“Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Who comes from the east and the west? That’s you and I! People who are not from Israel. The sons of the kingdom are the Jewish people. We know that from the time they left Egypt, all the way up to the time of Jesus they have not walked in faith. And after Jesus Christ, all the way until today, 97% of the Jewish people in Israel, reject Jesus as their Messiah.
If you are Jewish, I want you to know that following Jesus Christ does not mean abandoning your Jewish identity. Jesus Himself was Jewish, as were all of His disciples. If you are Jewish, I encourage you to read Isaiah 53 in your own Tanakh and consider carefully whom that passage is describing.
Verses 14-15
When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.
Commentary
When you and I recover from a fever, we may often feel tired or worn down for hours or even a couple of days after the fever has left. But when Jesus touched Peter’s mother-in-law, she instantly felt fine and was able to get up and serve him. Again, nothing is impossible for God.
When it says she began to serve him, I am picturing in my mind that she served him some food or perhaps something to drink. But in the broader picture, we see that God enables us to serve him.
We don’t earn salvation by doing good deeds. Salvation is by faith. It is then through faith that God enables us to do good deeds. In other words, good deeds do not draw us closer to God. Good deeds are the result of God touching us and enabling us to get up and serve him. Ask Jesus to enable you to serve him.
Verses 16-17
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
Commentary
Demon possession. What is that about? Demons are basically evil angels. They are the ones who got kicked out of heaven when Lucifer rebelled. Now, it appears that these demons have the ability to enter into a person and afterward have tremendous demonic influence over that person.
However, light and dark can not exist in the same place, at the same time. It is impossible for a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit, to be demon possessed. When you walk into a dark room and flip on the light, what happens? The darkness fleas. Again, light and darkness can not occupy the same place at the same time, so ask Jesus to give you the Holy Spirit and then you will be filled with light.
We also see in these verses that Jesus has total authority over the demonic world. When Jesus tells a demon to leave, it leaves. Don’t picture Jesus and Satan as being equal opposing forces. Rather, Jesus has all authority. Satan is nothing compared to Jesus.
Jesus was casting out demons and healing the sick in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
That’s from Isaiah chapter 53. That’s what I was just referring to a moment ago. 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah talked about the coming Jewish Messiah. Isaiah was referring to Jesus.
Verse 18
When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.
Commentary
Jesus is trying to get away from the crowds, probably to get some rest or to be able to speak privately with his disciples.
Verses 19-20
And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.
Commentary
First of all, congratulations to this scribe for going out and finding Jesus and telling him he would follow him anywhere. The scribes and the pharisees were notoriously opposed to Jesus. This particular scribe was willing to reject the position of all his colleagues and apparently wasn’t concerned with how it would affect his career. Jesus lets him know that the journey may not be comfortable for him.
And for you and I, the journey of following Jesus Christ into eternal life may not always be comfortable. There may be times that it becomes a rough ride. You may have to make uncomfortable sacrifices. For example, let’s say a young woman makes the decision to follow Jesus. Her unbelieving boyfriend then dumps her and her heart is broken as a result. But I tell you, give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ that you were able to so easily get rid of that dumb schlub. Yes, your heart is broken because you got dumped. But just know that Jesus has someone out there for you who will be to you a gift from God.
Verses 21-22
Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Commentary
I recall first reading this verse as a teenager and thinking Jesus was unkind to deny this man the time to attend his father’s funeral. However, somewhere along the way (I think in my early 30’s) I heard a pastor’s sermon in which he concluded that this disciple’s father was not yet dead. That this individual was telling Jesus he would follow him a few years from then, after his elderly father eventually passes away.
I feel this is probably the better interpretation. And Jesus responds by telling the disciple to come follow him now.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion. (Hebrews 3:15)
Verses 23-27
When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
Commentary
What kind of man is this? He is God! That’s who. The fact that the winds and the seas obey Jesus’s commands, fully demonstrates that Jesus is not just a good teacher, a wonderful prophet, or merely a nice man. Jesus Christ is God.
Skeptics and scoffers will often say that Jesus never claimed to be God; a statement that is blatantly false. However, even if that were true, Jesus did not need to make the claim verbally. His actions demonstrate that he is God. Calming the wind and waves, healing the sick, raising the dead, and His transfiguration are all works far beyond the ability of any mere man. Through these acts, Jesus shows us that He and the Father are one (John 10:30). Jesus is God. Praise the Lord!
Verses 28-34
When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” “Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.
Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.
Commentary
Just taking a cursory read of these verses, several things stand out to me:
1. The demons instantly recognized that Jesus was the Son of God.
2. The demons incorrectly assume Jesus was there to torture them.
3. The demon possessed men were so violent that no one could pass that way, yet when Jesus is passing that way, these ultra-violent demons are seen begging Jesus. Therefore, it would appear that they are totally powerless against Jesus and they are fully aware of their powerlessness before Him.
4. The demons know there is an appointed time for them to be tortured (i.e. cast into the lake of fire).
5. The demons also know that this particular day is “before” the appointed time.
6. The demons had to ask to be sent into the herd of pigs. Is the implication that they couldn’t go into the pigs on their own?
7. Why did they want to go into the pigs?
8. The entire herd of pigs drowned in the water and died. So what then happened to the demons? Did the demons not consider that the pigs might do this? Were the demons unable to control or manipulate the pigs’ behavior? (i.e. were the demons unable to prevent the pigs from drowning themselves?)
9. The town’s people beg Jesus to leave. Why? Are they scared of him? If the pigs were their livelihood, perhaps they feared additional loss if Jesus remained in their town.
The fact that the demons recognize who Jesus is, but wrongly assume he’s there to torture them demonstrates that even demonic forces don’t fully understand the will of God. Probably from the time they got kicked out of heaven, they haven’t understood the will of God and while in heaven, being led by Satan, wanted to exalt themselves above God.
What they do understand, however, is the power that God has and that they are powerless before Him. Probably the lessen they learned after getting themselves kicked out of heaven. This is a valuable lesson for us to understand also. Satan and his demonic forces have zero power over you, if, like Jesus, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Light and darkness can not abide together in the same place. Light always pushes darkness away. Just this past week, I was at a church building on a weekday. I had not been in this building before. The church secretary told me I needed to go to the end of the hallway and turn left. When I got to the end of that hallway and looked to my left, it was absolutely pitch black. I couldn’t tell if I was about to walk into a wall or hit my face on a closed door. It was pitch black. I felt along the wall and found the light switch. When I flipped the switch, the darkness instantly vanished and I could see every detail of what was before me in the hallway. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are filled with light. The powers of darkness no longer have any hold over you.
The Bible says:
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).
Yet these demons know that this particular day was “before” the appointed time. How do they know this?
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door (Matthew 24:32-33)
So we can conclude that the demons, although they don’t know the day or the hour, they do, however, know the signs of the times and they were aware that this particular day was not the day of the Lord.
Why did the demons ask for the pigs and why did they need to ask at all? I suspect that the very reason they were begging was because they knew Jesus had the power to bind them into hell. Elsewhere in the Bible it describes some demons who are prisoners in hell and do not have the freedom to move about the earth.
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day. (Jude 1:6)
I suspect that these demons believed Jesus was going to bind them in hell, so they begged for an alternative. The closest thing to them was the herd of pigs, so they begged for that and Jesus agreed. However, the pigs immediately drowned themselves. By the way, did you know that pigs are excellent swimmers? Why did the pigs drown? I think Jesus intended to bind these demons into hell no matter what. He gave them permission to enter the pigs but then immediately killed the pigs. I am assuming after the pigs died, the demons were then bound in hell until the day of judgement. But then why did God kill all the pigs? My hunch is that there was a greater work which Jesus wanted to do in the people of the Gadarenes. Yes, they came out and asked him to leave, but he’s going to come back to them later.