8-26 Bible Study-Miracles of Jesus: A Lesson in Faith

August 26 Bible Study

Step 26: From The Sermon on the Mount to Capernaum

Matt.8:1-13  Luke:1-10

• Matt.8:1 After the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds resume following Jesus. 

• Verses 2-3 Miracle. This story of a leper being healed may be out of chronological order.
• By saying “If You are willing,” the leper was expressing faith in Jesus but did not make a demand of Jesus.  
• Do you think that sometimes people abuse their privilege of prayer?  Instead of worship and fellowship with Jesus, do they make demands of Him? 
• Jesus was willing.  Jesus touched the Leper! This was extraordinary. You did not touch a leper. Touching a leper made you unclean, and leprosy was considered contagious.
•  Consider the power of the human touch and the impact it would have had on this man. For as long as he had had leprosy, no one had touched him.
• Also remember the suffering that was inflicted on people during the COVID  years when we were told not to touch anyone.
• Verse 4 Why did Jesus tell the Leper not to tell anyone? 
• Fulfilling the Law: Jesus told him to go straight to the priest first to offer the gifts commanded by Moses. This gave official, legal proof of the healing so the man could rejoin society. 
• Controlling the Crowds: When word spread, Jesus was overwhelmed by massive crowds and could no longer enter towns openly. This hindered his primary ability to travel and preach freely. 
• Avoiding Misunderstandings: Many people sought Jesus only for physical wonders and signs. He wanted to prevent a political uprising or false expectations about his mission as a conquering king rather than a spiritual savior. 
• Managing the Timeline: Widespread fame escalated tensions with religious authorities too quickly. Keeping things quiet helped Jesus control the timeline leading up to his ultimate purpose.

• Matt.8:5-13 & Luke 7:1-10 Miracle: Healing a centurion’s servant.

This centurion did not treat Jesus as someone beneath him, but he saw that Jesus was greater than himself. We can learn from this: let us come to Jesus with reverence. We should live our lives in obedience to Jesus and give Him the highest place. Jesus is not just someone we call when we need help. We may have a relationship with Him every day and honor Him with our lives.

• Jesus is amazed at the amount of faith shown by a gentile official.
• Jesus is broken-hearted over the fact that many Gentiles like this centurion will someday fellowship with Abraham in heaven while many of Jewish descent will be cast into hell.

Conclusion

1. Do you think that sometimes people abuse their privilege of prayer?  Instead of worship and fellowship with Jesus, do they make demands of Him?

• Twice we read that Jesus marveled at the faith of Gentiles. Once here with the Roman centurion and later in Matt.8:10 with a Syro-Phoenician woman.  The only time he marveled over the Israelites was over their unbelief in Mark 6:6.

• Have you, as a child of God, ever given Jesus a reason to marvel at your unbelief and lack of Faith.

From the Bible

“When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this 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 it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.8.1-13.NKJV

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where the Pavement Ends

http://www.pavementendsministry.com

email-douglas@pavementendsministry.com