Matthew 8:1-11

1 When Jesus came down from the hill, large crowds followed him.

2 Then a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to him, knelt down before him, and said, "Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean."

3 Jesus reached out and touched him. "I do want to," he answered. "Be clean!" At once the man was healed of his disease.

4 Then Jesus said to him, "Listen! Don't tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then in order to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice that Moses ordered." ¹

5 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman officer met him and begged for help:

6 "Sir, my servant is sick in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly."

7 "I will go and make him well," Jesus said.

8 "Oh no, sir," answered the officer. "I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.

9 I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, "Go!' and he goes; and I order that one, "Come!' and he comes; and I order my slave, "Do this!' and he does it." ²

10 When Jesus heard this, he was surprised and said to the people following him, "I tell you, I have never found anyone in Israel with faith like this.

11 I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven. ³

Cross References

• 1. 8.4Leviticus 14.1-32.
• 2. +28.9Baruch 3.33-35.
• 3. 8.11Luke 13.29.

Footnotes

• [a]. make me clean: [This disease was considered to make a person ritually unclean.]