Hello again! I hope you’ve been working through this study text with me and are seeing some remarkable things. If so, I encourage you to share what you’ve discovered in the remarks below or directly with me here.
Last Week’s Work
Here’s a look at my updated study sheets featuring a list and a few connectors I found this week:
Question 9 (Lists)
I found and marked just onelist: it enumerates the men with whom the many from east and west will recline at table in the kingdom of heaven (v11): Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Question 10 (Causes and Motivations)
I was surprised to find only two causal connectors in this passage: usually it seems there are so many more! Here’s what I pulled from two instances of for:
Action: … only say the word, and my servant will be healed (v8)
Connector: For
Explanation: I am a man… with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. (v9)
This statement by the centurion indicates he believes Jesus can effect change by command because he does so through his subordinate soldiers.
Action: … let it be done
Connector: for
Explanation: you as you have believed. (v13)
Jesus’s statement here lets the centurion and—maybe more importantly—everyone else within earshot, know that the healing was done because of the centurion and according to his faith.
Question 11 (Methods and Conditions)
Our last question this week deals with Matthew’s description of the methods by or conditions under which important action happened in the story. Because this is part of a series on miracles, the most important actions to me are how the centurion requested the healing (his “prayer”), and how Jesus granted that request.
Prayer
In verse 5, Matthew indicates the centurion came forward to [Jesus], appealing to him. The second verb, appealing, caught my attention. In fact, this verb is only used one other time in Matthew. It’s at Jesus’s arrest in Matthew 26:53, after Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant with a sword. He tells Peter to put the sword away, and then says, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” I’ll be looking into that next week for sure!
In examining how the centurion appealed to Jesus:
He came forward—no shouting from the back of a crowd for this guy (v5).
He addressed Jesus as Lord twice (vv6,8). A Roman military man using this term of respect with a Jew? That seems unusual, too.
He respectfully declined Jesus’s offer to come to his home (v8). I want to research this a little more, also. I suspect Jesus’s Jewish followers would have been dismayed by Jesus’s proposal—a Jew entering the house of a Gentile?! But the centurion allowed Him to save face by insisting all He had to do was command the healing and it would be done.
Healing
Turns out, the centurion was right. And that’s the other action I want to examine: how did Jesus heal the servant in v13?
He spoke—but it was more than one word (at least in English). But that’s assuming, Jesus’s first word, Go, was directed to the centurion, as in “go on about your business.” But… could He have actually directed that command to whatever was causingthe painful paralysis? As in, “go, get out of the servant’s body, disease?” If so, “go” could be the one-word command that healed the servant!
And finally, Jesus puts a small condition on this healing: let it be done for you as you have believed. Just asking isn’t enough: skepticism, as we saw in my previous study of Mark 9:14-29, [links coming, I promise!] is potent enough to threaten miraculous healing. In that passage I observed Jesus chastising the father for unbelief, who then cried out in desperation, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (vv23-24).
Wow! I am always so in awe of what the Lord reveals in these studies. I hope you are learning and growing in your work with God’s Word, too!
Dig In Challenges
Next week, I’m going to move beyond what’s in verses 5-13 to examine the context of this story. I’ll also be using original language tools to dig into the meaning of those words and phrases I’ve flagged so far.
If you’re studying with me, pray first (of course!), then see how the Spirit guides you to respond to:
Thank you for joining me in this study! I hope your review of Matthew 8:5-13 with Questions 6, 7, and 8 has yielded much treasure. Mine certainly has!
Last Week’s Work
Here are my Scripture-study sheets with my markings for Question 6 (repeated subjects) and Question 8 (special statements). I also found four comparisons (Question 7), which I’ll tell you about below.
Remember, it’s okay to compare your answers to mine, but often I see others’ attention drawn to aspects of the study text I barely noticed. When that happens, our answers may not be exactly the same, but that’s not a problem. Our goal isn’t to make sure we have all the “right” answers, it’s to work with the Holy Spirit to see everything God intends for us to observe in this passage. In these studies, different answers only mean the Spirit is using the same truth to help us learn individual lessons only our Divine Teacher can instruct!
Question 6 (Repeated Subjects)
I found three repeated subjects this week.
First, I noticed comein Jesus’s statement in v7 when He [God!] volunteered to go (presumably out of His way) to heal this nameless centurion’s servant! But the centurion protests: I’m not worthy to have you comeunder my roof (v8)! Just speak the word and my servant will get better. After all, the centurion knows if he commands his subordinates to go, they must go, or come, they must come (v9): one-word commands that indicate the superior’s will.
And what does Jesus do when He heals the servant? He begins by issuing a one-word command, go (v13)! It makes me wonder if He meant that as a personal message to the centurion, a way of telling him what He was doing before He announced to all, let it be done as you have believed.
Next, I marked healand healedwith a green plant figure circled in blue in vv7, 8, and 13. From these, I observed:
Jesus (not the centurion) suggested He come and heal the servant (v7).
The centurion said Jesus didn’t need to go there, He could simply speak the healing into existence where He was (v8).
True to the centurion’s belief, Matthew reports the servant was healed the same moment Jesus spoke (v13).
Finally, it was no surprise Matthew referred to the centurion’s faithfrequently, as I’ve also seen in previous studies in this series. First, I put an upward-pointing green triangle next to verse 8 because I believe this statement of the centurion, …only say the word and my servant will be healed, is a testament to his faith.
I also marked faithin v10 when Jesus marveled that the centurion’s was better than that of His countrymen (Israel); and I marked believedin Jesus’s statement in v13.
If you’ve been studying with me this year, you might remember I noted a pattern of prayer and belief in the miracles I’ve examined so far. But here Jesus said only, let it be done for you as you have believed. That made me revisit my Mark 9:14-29 and John 11:28-44 studies (links coming soon, I promise!), to compare those requests to this one.
In Mark, I noticed the father’s request for healing included a statement of wavering belief: … if [Jesus] can do anything… (Mark 9:22). I didn’t research the father’s nationality, but if he were Jewish, this would certainly square with Jesus’s observation in here verse 10 that the centurion had more faith than he’d found in Israel!
In John, I found in 11:22-23 Martha (Lazarus’s sister) told Jesus if He’d been there, Lazarus wouldn’t have died. Yet she believed—even days after his death—God would grant whatever Jesus asked. Martha’s “prayer” there seems a lot like the centurion’s in this study: both are absolutely sure Jesus can command healing from afar (Matthew 8:8), or ask the Father for anything, even the restoration of life in one dead for days (John 11:22).
Question 7 (Comparisons)
I found four qualitative contrasts:
The centurion compared himself to Jesus first in v8, where the centurion humbly says he’s not worthy of a visit from Jesus.
Then, in v9, he finds common ground between the two because they both can issue commands that are obeyed. But there’s a difference: the centurion has power over men of lower rank. But Jesus’s authority extends beyond people to command wellness!
Jesus contrasted the centurion’s faith in Him to that of His own countrymen (v10): the centurion’s faith was superior.
Jesus contrasted future treatment of many… from east and west who will be allowed to dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the descendants of those three men (sons of the kingdom) will be locked out in … the outer darkness… where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (vv11-12).
Question 8 (Special Statements)
Finally, I marked special statements in five verses:
Jesus’s promise: I will come and heal him (v7).
The centurion’s commands: go, come, do this (v9)
Jesus’s promise of reward for many from east and west (v11)
Jesus’s curse that the sons of the kingdom will be cast out (v12)
Jesus’s healing commands: go, let it be done… (v13) Again, I’m drawn to the fact Jesus used the exact same command the centurion mentioned: Go. In addition to my thoughts under Question 6, I realize He’s often told me the same thing: Go, step out in faith. Pursue that dream I put in your heart. Amen!
Dig In Challenges
For next week, start with prayer, then:
Solve Question 9: What Lists does the Passage Contain? by labeling the list(s) you find and numbering each item in it (them) on your study sheet; or recording the list(s) in your study notes.
Hello again! I hope your week has gone well, my friend. Here’s a look at pages 1 and 2 of my Scripture-study sheets after answering Questions 3, 4, and 5.
Last Week’s Work
Question 3 (Major Characters)
Focusing on characters, I found and marked just three:
He, him, Lord, I, you, and Jesus. As always, I marked each reference with a blue cross. Did you notice the first reference to Jesus in this passage is a pronoun? And here’s the thing: all the characters in this story are men. So how do I know that first he in verse 5 is Jesus? I did a quick check of other translations of this passage—of the eight translations I checked (see blueletterbible.org), six of them used Jesus instead of he in verse 5. Isn’t it awesome to have so many great resources right at our fingertips?!
In this passage, I noticed Jesus entered Capernaum (v5) and volunteered to go heal a servant in the household of someone with whom Jewish leaders wouldn’t approve of (v7). When the centurion said He didn’t need to go to the servant to heal him, Jesus declared no one in Israel (who shared his nationality and belief system) had faith like the centurion’s (v10). In fact, Jesus prophesied many Jews will be thrown out of the kingdom, while those from other locations will feast with the forefathers of Judaism (vv11-12). And—as the centurion expected—Jesus spoke, and the servant was healed (v13).
Centurion, my, him, I, manunderauthority, me, and you, marked with green and red circles. On my Question 1 summary, I marked centurion for further research. I think it’s a Roman military title. If so, it’s even more noteworthy that he called Jesus, “Lord” twice (v6, v8). That really doesn’t square with my impression of a centurion: a military leader from the occupying authority treating a Jewish rabbi with respect? His request shows he had compassion for his suffering servant (v6,8), and he declares himself unworthy to host Jesus (v8). He’s also totally convinced all Jesus has to do is speak and the servant will be healed (v8), and he was right (v13). The only part of this profile that seems congruent with what I thought of centurion is his self-description of someone who understands obedience (man under authority) in verse 9.
Servant, him, and he, marked with a yellow box. This man is described by his master as faithful (v9). He became paralyzed and suffered terribly (v6). His healing depended on his master bringing the matter to Jesus’s attention (v6), and Jesus giving permission that it be done (v13).
Question 4 (Locations)
I marked several locations. Four of these you might remember I underlined in red in my summary because I don’t know as much as I would like about them. Those are:
Capernaum (v5). I recognize the name of this location, mainly from reading (not studying) the New Testament. In fact, I’m pretty ignorant of biblical geography, and what those places might have been like at the time.
East and west (v11) where the many come from who will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Kingdom of heaven (v11) where the feast will be.
Outer darkness and place (v12), where the sons of the kingdom will be thrown.
Question 5 (Time)
Here are the time references I marked:
This story happened when [Jesus] had entered Capernaum] (v5).
When Jesus heard [the centurion’s humble statements vv8-9] (v10), he was amazed and commented about the centurion having more faith than God’s chosen people.
That very moment, (v13), when Jesus permitted it be done as the centurion believed, and the servant was healed.
I also marked the verb will in the prophecy verses (vv11-12) because I was drawn to them: Jesus spoke about the future here. Almost all the rest of the dialog is in present tense.
Isn’t this getting good? Let’s keep digging!
Dig In Challenges
For next week, let’s focus on three more questions, so open with prayer, then read through Matthew 8:5-13 again, and:
Welcome back! This week I’m writing about my answers to Question 1 and 2 in this study. Remember, if you also answered these questions and your work differs from mine, it’s not a problem! If we’re working with the Spirit and sticking closely to the actual text of the passage, we’re on the right track. Later we’ll have a chance to interpret these verses, but right now we’re just seeing what Matthew wrote—what’s there in print and nothing more.
In your study, I hope you found some things you want to dig more deeply into. Above, I marked details I want to research (double-underlined in red). I felt the Spirit moving me to learn more about them as this study unfolds. I’m interested in the location (Capernaum) and the miracle requestor (a centurion). I also want to examine the words translated marveled (not something I’ve seen Jesus do a lot in Scripture!) and outer darkness; as well as the statement Many will come from east and west to dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
I also believe the Spirit has more to reveal to me about
Jesus’s willingness to go to the ailing servant (v7)
the centurion’s statement of faith in Jesus (v8)
Jesus’ observation that no one in Israel had such faith (v10)
Jesus’ statement, “let it be done… as you have believed” (v13)
I’m really looking forward to this dig into Scripture!
Question 2 (Types of Writing?)
True to the other studies in this series, the overall writing type here is also biographical narrative. I also found what I think is prophecy in vv11-12, since it’s set in the future and talks about what sounds like punishment to me… More to come on that for sure!
Dig In Challenges
This week, let’s examine the next three questions. Don’t forget to pray first, and then
Next, respond to Question 4 Where does the action happen? by triple-underlining the location(s) with a brown pen, pencil, or crayon on your Scripture-study sheets.
And finally, consider Question 5 When does the action happen? and record these answers on your study sheets by marking phrases indicating time, date, sequence, or circumstances with a light brown clockface and underline.
I can’t wait to share my findings—I hope you’ll check back in with me next week!
If this is your first DISO study, let me extend a special welcome! When you’re done, you’ll have a new perspective on this passage, and you’ll have sampled the necessary skills to effectively dig into any section of Scripture on your own.
If you’ve studied with me using DISO before, welcome back! If it’s been a while, things have changed a bit, but we’re still answering questions that lead us through the inductive study process. Full disclosure: more changes are coming, but they won’t be finalized for a while, so in the meantime, Iet’s keep digging!
As always, I encourage you to share your ideas and questions with me by commenting below this or any post in the series, using mycontact form, or emailing me at [email protected].
How It Works
In this study, we’ll use the Digging into Scripture Ourselves approach to explore Matthew 8:5-13 over the next nine weeks.
You can choose to:
Read Matthew 8:5-13 and my posts (and linked materials) here each week, thinking and praying through the passage with me; OR
Work through some or all the phases on your own and compare what you find to my answers in the blog each week.
Either approach is fine: the first is better if you don’t have the time to do it yourself, or if you want to see how the process works before “digging in” on your own. Of course, I encourage you to work along with me because then you’ll get the full benefit of the Holy Spirit using this passage to change your life!
Study Materials
All you need is:
Internet access, so you can follow this blog each week and access the free Bible study tools you’ll need to practice along with me.
Your favorite Bible translation of the study text. I like to copy the text into a new document and format it with lots of room for notes like this, but you can just use a bound Bible if you like.
The questions and how to answer them, which I’ll share with you in the Dig In Challenges section of my posts, starting with this one.
A study journal for personal notetaking.
Putting It All Together
Every week beginning next Tuesday (no later than 6pm Eastern time), I’ll post a new message containing these features:
Last Week’s Work, summarizing what I discovered as I worked on the assigned questions, with links to my notes and other reference materials so you can see exactly how I arrived at my answers. NOTE: One of the best parts of this study method is you and I can study the same Scripture with the same questions at the same time and discover different insights. If we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our study and stay aligned with the whole message of God’s Word, we know we’re on the right track even when our individual results vary.
Dig In Challenges, where I’ll preview what I’ll be working on during the upcoming week, along with helpful links if you want to work on it, too.
I hope you’ll join me in this study—I know it will be worth your while! If you decide to work through the process too, don’t forget to start and end your study sessions with prayer. And know that I’m praying with you and for you, as well.
Dig In Challenges
So, this week,
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance in your study.
Read through the passage a couple of times, then answer Question 1: What’s the Passage About? by summarizing the events or topics in your study journal and highlighting one or two items that stand out to you.
Finally, answer Question 2: What Types of Writing did the Author use? by taking note of how the author recorded this information: is it a letter, or a narrative? Does it contain law, instruction, poetry, and/or prophecy? HINT: more than one of these may apply to this passage.
I hope you’ll join me next week to see how I answered these prompts and to keep digging into this Scripture with me!
