By Jameson Barker
One of the most important things about reading Scripture is understanding the context in which verses are written. Today’s passage is no different. We must look at the end of yesterday’s reading to better understand the significance of the miracles we read about today. Chapter seven ends by declaring the authority of Jesus’ words. This authority lays the foundation for how Jesus will perform the miracles in today’s reading.
In most of the miracles in chapter eight, Jesus uses His words. When He cleanses the leper, He says, “Be clean.” When He heals the centurion’s servant, He says, “Let it be done.” When Jesus heals many, He does it “with a word.” Lastly, when He heals two men, He says, “Go.” We must first understand the importance of Jesus’ authoritative words before truly understanding that He can heal all.
He performs some miracles by just speaking. In most of the miracles in chapter 8, Jesus acts through His words. When He cleanses the leper, He says, “Be made clean.” When He heals the centurion’s servant, He says, “Let it be done.” When Jesus heals many, He does it “with a word.” Lastly, when He heals two men, He says, “Go.”
Jesus directly addressed people’s needs and requests. Not only does Jesus heal, but in the case of these stories, we see Him heal immediately. No matter what’s going on around Him, who asks Him for healing, or if they are present with Him or far off, He has the authority to heal and act when he chooses. His words weren’t prolonged. He is authoritative, God’s very Son. He is the one present from the beginning, the one who conquered death and rose to live again.
These miracles also happened for those excluded from society. The leper was excluded because of his disease, the centurion’s servant because of his race, and the woman because of her gender. Why is this important? Until this point in Matthew, miracles were only for those in and around Galilee and Jerusalem—for those who were considered God’s chosen people. Now in chapter 8, we see Jesus healing those who are outcasts or Gentiles. Jesus used His healing and authoritative words to change the lives of many outside the Jewish people.
The last commonality in these miraculous healings is Jesus’s compassion for people. Put another way, no matter who you are, Jesus has compassion for you. Whether you are struggling with an addiction, caught in a cycle of sin, reeling from a broken marriage, suffering from a mental illness, walking through physical diseases, or facing impossible odds, Jesus has compassion for your needs.
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