The Gospel of Matthew

When one was identified as a leper in Jesus’ day they were immediately banned from family and forced to live outside the village and to fend for themselves

. To touch a leper was to immediately become religiously unclean and require days if not weeks of cleansing prior to attending any formal Temple worship and weekly religious activities in one’s hometown.

So, the question is Jesus willing also carries with it a challenge – will He risk uncleanness,

will Jesus risk identifying with outcasts – those whom regular society has deemed irredeemable?

2. “Am I to come and heal him?” 8:7

A centurion was a Roman officer, responsible for at least 100 solders.

Roman soldiers were often a mix of ethnicities – most of whom were serving for monetary purposes. Centurions and their soldiers were police officers -

they were personal protection details for Roman officials travelling in the region; and they were often used to bolster tax collections in the areas of service.

Of course they were expected to be able to travel at a moments notice when needed in other parts of the Roman Empire.

here we see the Roman centurion approaching Jesus – and pleading, imploring, almost begging Jesus for a response.

The centurion describes the plight of his servant (not one of his soldiers!) in some detail

“Am I to come and heal him?” might better he heard as this: ‘Am I – a Jew – allowed to even come to your home, much less heal your non-Jewish servant?’

He simply anticipated that Jesus, being One under the authority of God Almighty would simply say a word

– in the same was as the centurion, with the full authority of the Roman Emperor might give commands to his soldiers – and the servant would be healed!

Jesus uses the faith of this Roman soldier to remind His audience that as the Kingdom of God has broken into this world the only way of entrance was faith – not genealogy!

“As you have believed…” What a promise!

3. “He touched her hand” 8:15

No one requested this healing. Jesus took it upon Himself to check in on Peter’s mother-in-law and seeing that she was ill, He reached out and touched her!

4. “ He Himself carried our weaknesses…” 8:17

Matthew quotes Isaiah as a reminder that God’s power in the life of Jesus is available, that God is willing to meet us at the point of our need!

Did you notice that each healing Matthew recorded was to someone totally unworthy of Jesus’ attention:

A leper – excluded from the community by virtue of their skin disease;

A Roman officer’s servant – a ‘Gentile’ – and a servant of the hated Roman army;

A woman – second class citizen at best in Judaism.

An obvious question – at least to me – why are we so reluctant to touch those whom we consider untouchable, irredeemable, far from God by birth AND choice; unworthy of the least bit of attention?

Another question: Why do we so often mimic the leper and not the centurion? Remember the leper asks: Are you willing? The centurion says: Just say the word!

Finally: Why wouldn’t Peter mention his mother-in-law to Jesus?

a). Jesus is willing to meet us at our point of need – regardless of how others may view us or treat us!

b). Jesus’ power is nothing less than the power of God evident through the creation of the world!