Jesus Enters Capernaum Among the Peopleby CBPepper
8:5Matthew 8:5
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
When Jesus had entered Capernaum a Roman centurion came to Him pleading for his servant who lay stricken with palsy and near death, to whom he was tenderly attached and whose recovery he greatly desired. Feeling unworthy to come himself or to receive Jesus under his roof, he sent Jewish elders to present his request, for he had broken through prejudice, loved the nation, respected the worship of God, and built them a synagogue. He did not doubt Christ's power or require Him to come in person, but trusted His authority to heal by a word alone, pleading his great need and the Saviour's mercy, and Jesus praised his faith as greater than He had found in Israel and healed the servant as he believed. In rewarding the faith of one outside Israel Jesus showed He dispenses grace and love freely without prejudice of race, nation, or standing, unfolding that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and foreshadowing the time when whole Gentile communities would gladly receive the gospel.
Encounter at Capernaum
Matthew 8:5 places Jesus as having entered Capernaum when a Roman centurion came to Him beseeching Him for help for his servant. Feeling unworthy to come to Jesus Himself, the centurion sent a delegation of Jewish elders to present his request. He had never seen Jesus, but reports of His teaching had met the need of his soul and inspired faith that Jesus could heal.
The servant was a slave stricken with palsy and near death, yet the centurion was tenderly attached to him and greatly desired his recovery. That plea for his suffering servant showed unselfish concern and compassionate care, contrary to Roman abuse and cruelty to slaves. He had broken through national prejudice and hatred between conquerors and conquered, was convinced the religion of the Jews was superior to his own, showed respect for the worship of God and kindness to the Jews, loved the nation, and had built them a synagogue. The elders therefore urged Jesus to help him because he loved the nation and had built the synagogue.
The verse begins the account of healing the servant at a distance. That story gives encouragement through Christ's healing power. In this account of Christ's healing ministry, His work joins the ministry of the Word with medical missionary work.
Centurion's Humble Faith
The centurion came beseeching help yet held himself unworthy to approach Jesus in person, and unworthy to have Him come under his roof. Because of that sense of unworthiness he first sent a delegation of Jewish elders to present his request. His humility shaped the whole appeal, for he did not press his own worth but came with lowliness of mind and confidence in Jesus.
He never questioned whether Jesus was able to heal, nor did he insist that Jesus must come in person to the sickbed. He trusted the authority of Jesus to heal by speaking a word alone, by command alone, believing that all things obey Him. His plea rested not on his own goodness but on his great need and on the mercy of the Saviour. That trust was a faith Christ praised as greater than He had found in Israel, even though the centurion was not of Israel.
Jesus answered that faith, and the servant was healed even as the centurion believed. The outcome sets faith over against doubt, showing what believing confidence receives. At the same time his faith stands as a warning that unbelief in Israel, the rejecting of great light, brings condemnation and exclusion from the kingdom. While those who reject are shut out, people coming from east and west will share the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Gospel for All People
The coming to Jesus at Capernaum was the centurion's conversion and an instance of direct work outside the acknowledged people of Israel, recognizing those outside Israel as children of God. Though Gentiles were often regarded as unworthy of salvation, they hunger for truth and are welcomed into God's salvation, with no territorial or social barriers separating them from God's promise in Christ. By rewarding his faith Jesus unfolded the mystery hid for ages that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. He did not share Jewish intolerance and exclusiveness, but dispensed grace and love freely without prejudice, partiality, or limits of race, nation, territory, or social standing.
During His earthly life He sought lesson upon lesson to lead the Jews and His slow-learning disciples out of exclusiveness, though they thought He dispensed the gifts of grace too freely. This case together with preaching to the inhabitants of Sychar who had some knowledge of God stands as prior evidence of impartial mercy before bringing the disciples into contact with a heathen regarded as having no reason to expect favor. The encounter points to and foreshadows the coming time of active and continued preaching among the Gentiles, when whole communities would receive the gospel gladly and glorify God.
The verse shows His ministry reached beyond the poor and outcast to people of wealth, rank, and different backgrounds, including a Roman ruler who came seeking help. He deliberately sought acquaintance, became familiar with their interests and occupations, and shared social fellowship to gain access to the heart and reveal imperishable riches. People from other nations came seeking healing or help for loved ones, and their longing for what they lacked, their reception of His teaching, and His words of hope and healing show that He acted for humanity at large as an example of service for the whole world. Jesus receives and bears with those whose lives show the deformity of sin with tenderness, care, sympathy, and love despite wickedness and failure to honor God. This requires humility rather than self-confidence and self-righteousness, compassionate service, and bearing with the erring and sinful as He bears with all.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum a Roman centurion came to Him pleading for his servant who lay stricken with palsy and near death, to whom he was tenderly attached and whose recovery he greatly desired. Feeling unworthy to come himself or to receive Jesus under his roof, he sent Jewish elders to present his request, for he had broken through prejudice, loved the nation, respected the worship of God, and built them a synagogue. He did not doubt Christ's power or require Him to come in person, but trusted His authority to heal by a word alone, pleading his great need and the Saviour's mercy, and Jesus praised his faith as greater than He had found in Israel and healed the servant as he believed. In rewarding the faith of one outside Israel Jesus showed He dispenses grace and love freely without prejudice of race, nation, or standing, unfolding that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and foreshadowing the time when whole Gentile communities would gladly receive the gospel.
Encounter at Capernaum
Matthew 8:5 places Jesus as having entered Capernaum when a Roman centurion came to Him beseeching Him for help for his servant. Feeling unworthy to come to Jesus Himself, the centurion sent a delegation of Jewish elders to present his request. He had never seen Jesus, but reports of His teaching had met the need of his soul and inspired faith that Jesus could heal.
The servant was a slave stricken with palsy and near death, yet the centurion was tenderly attached to him and greatly desired his recovery. That plea for his suffering servant showed unselfish concern and compassionate care, contrary to Roman abuse and cruelty to slaves. He had broken through national prejudice and hatred between conquerors and conquered, was convinced the religion of the Jews was superior to his own, showed respect for the worship of God and kindness to the Jews, loved the nation, and had built them a synagogue. The elders therefore urged Jesus to help him because he loved the nation and had built the synagogue.
The verse begins the account of healing the servant at a distance. That story gives encouragement through Christ's healing power. In this account of Christ's healing ministry, His work joins the ministry of the Word with medical missionary work.
Centurion's Humble Faith
The centurion came beseeching help yet held himself unworthy to approach Jesus in person, and unworthy to have Him come under his roof. Because of that sense of unworthiness he first sent a delegation of Jewish elders to present his request. His humility shaped the whole appeal, for he did not press his own worth but came with lowliness of mind and confidence in Jesus.
He never questioned whether Jesus was able to heal, nor did he insist that Jesus must come in person to the sickbed. He trusted the authority of Jesus to heal by speaking a word alone, by command alone, believing that all things obey Him. His plea rested not on his own goodness but on his great need and on the mercy of the Saviour. That trust was a faith Christ praised as greater than He had found in Israel, even though the centurion was not of Israel.
Jesus answered that faith, and the servant was healed even as the centurion believed. The outcome sets faith over against doubt, showing what believing confidence receives. At the same time his faith stands as a warning that unbelief in Israel, the rejecting of great light, brings condemnation and exclusion from the kingdom. While those who reject are shut out, people coming from east and west will share the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Gospel for All People
The coming to Jesus at Capernaum was the centurion's conversion and an instance of direct work outside the acknowledged people of Israel, recognizing those outside Israel as children of God. Though Gentiles were often regarded as unworthy of salvation, they hunger for truth and are welcomed into God's salvation, with no territorial or social barriers separating them from God's promise in Christ. By rewarding his faith Jesus unfolded the mystery hid for ages that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. He did not share Jewish intolerance and exclusiveness, but dispensed grace and love freely without prejudice, partiality, or limits of race, nation, territory, or social standing.
During His earthly life He sought lesson upon lesson to lead the Jews and His slow-learning disciples out of exclusiveness, though they thought He dispensed the gifts of grace too freely. This case together with preaching to the inhabitants of Sychar who had some knowledge of God stands as prior evidence of impartial mercy before bringing the disciples into contact with a heathen regarded as having no reason to expect favor. The encounter points to and foreshadows the coming time of active and continued preaching among the Gentiles, when whole communities would receive the gospel gladly and glorify God.
The verse shows His ministry reached beyond the poor and outcast to people of wealth, rank, and different backgrounds, including a Roman ruler who came seeking help. He deliberately sought acquaintance, became familiar with their interests and occupations, and shared social fellowship to gain access to the heart and reveal imperishable riches. People from other nations came seeking healing or help for loved ones, and their longing for what they lacked, their reception of His teaching, and His words of hope and healing show that He acted for humanity at large as an example of service for the whole world. Jesus receives and bears with those whose lives show the deformity of sin with tenderness, care, sympathy, and love despite wickedness and failure to honor God. This requires humility rather than self-confidence and self-righteousness, compassionate service, and bearing with the erring and sinful as He bears with all.