The Book of Matthew

“Get Up and Walk!” Faith and Healing

Lesson #4 for April 23, 2016

Scriptures: [Matthew 8:1-9:8; Leviticus 13:44-50; Daniel 7:7-8; John 10:10; 1 John 1:9][i].

1.    This lesson will focus on some of the more amazing miracles that Jesus performed-from cleansing lepers, to calming deadly storms, and casting out demons, Jesus reminded us that He had power over all forms of the Devil’s curses on human beings. Are diseases demonic?

2.    T ry to imagine the most dreaded things of which you can think. Surely, it would include your own death or perhaps the death of a family member; but, we need to raise our sights to include the possibility of losing the future life with God for eternity-a much greater tragedy!

3.    If God were to make a list of what He fears most, what would that list include? It is really hard for us living on planet earth where death seems so final not to consider death a terrible tragedy. But, to God the first death is nothing more than a sleep because He will resurrect every single person who dies the first death-raising each either in the first resurrection or the second resurrection.

4.    Jesus healed many, many people during His ministry on this earth. There were times when He walked through villages and healed every person who was sick. (Steps to Christ 11.2) Try to imagine that happening today! But, every one of those people eventually died, including Lazarus. However, there was a group for whom the outcome was very different!

But those who came forth from the grave at Christ’s resurrection were raised to everlasting life. They ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave. These, said Christ, are no longer the captives of Satan; I have redeemed them. I have brought them from the grave as the first fruits of My power, to be with Me where I am, nevermore to see death or experience sorrow.

These went into the city, and appeared unto many, declaring, Christ has risen from the dead, and we be risen with Him. Thus was immortalized the sacred truth of the resurrection.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, 786.2-3.

5.    There are many today who look back on the healing ministry of Jesus and wish they had the power to duplicate those healings. One Christian evangelist even stated that someday on live television, he would show a person being raised from the dead and that would result in his converting the world! But, as remarkable as that kind of healing would be, it does not prevent one’s ultimate death. More than that, we need to remember that the Greek word sozo for healing is the same as the Greek word for saving or salvation.

6.    Read [Leviticus 13:42-46 and Matthew 8:1-4]ii. These verses raise a serious question: Was Jesus contaminated by touching the leper? The man had leprosy! But, when Jesus touched him, he was cleansed/healed. So, did that make Jesus unclean? It is interesting to notice that when the man said, “You can make me clean,” the word he used was dunamai from which we get our modern word dynamite! Jesus had the power necessary to do what the man asked.

7.    Notice these words from the Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, page 54:

“Unclean, unclean” was the leper’s required cry in order to keep all passersby at a distance. Physical decay and deformity, social ostracism, and communal isolation made the lepers the living dead. They were society’s untouchables. According to rabbinical law, at least six feet of distance should separate them from any other human being. To break this boundary was to become unclean, requiring rigorous purification ceremonies, overseen by a priest. Against such a background, our story is set. The leper knew that Jesus is the Lord and that He had the power to make him whole, but how would he bridge the gap? Six feet was a long and forbidden distance for a leper to cross in the journey to that saving point where healing stands. But the faith of the leper closed the space, and to his cry instantly came the answer: “I am willing; be cleansed” (Matt. 8:3, NKJV).

8.    Think of all the people who were following Jesus in those days. What did they think when Jesus touched that leper? Surely, Jesus could have healed the leper by just speaking; so, why did He touch him?

The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was “full of leprosy.” Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,-deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 266.1.

9.    Is it possible that by touching the leper, Jesus was showing that there was nothing that He could not do to cleanse from sin? Do you know any people in your society or among your fellow workers who feel that they are so sinful they could not possibly be forgiven? Wouldn’t they be the “lepers” of sin in modern times?

10.    Lepers become disfigured not by the infection of leprosy itself but by the fact that their nerves have been damaged by the infection and they do things which result in scarring of their hands and feet and sometimes their face.

Over the years, the leprosy mission connected to Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, pioneered several ventures, including reconstructive surgery, to bring hope to thousands in nearby villages who suffered from leprosy. One venture was the creation of black sandals, made out of airplane tires, which were supposed to soft-cushion the feet and make walking less painful.

That good invention soon turned into an instrument of social ostracism. The distinctive sandals easily identified the lepers, which resulted in refusal by local restaurants and other eating establishments to service hundreds of these unfortunate men and women. T ouched by the scandal these sandals generated, doctors, nurses, teachers, and students of Christian Medical College took up the practice of wearing the black sandals, sending the restaurant owners into chaos.

The boycott eventually ended, and the sandals became a token of Christian love. (Adult Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, p. 53)

11.    I am delighted to say that we were able to import the technology to make those sandals to our hospital at Mwami in Zambia. I wore those wonderful “leprosy sandals” for years.

12.    Read Matthew 8:5-13iii. Despite the longstanding hatred between Jews and Romans, we have the story of the Roman centurion who was a military officer in charge of 80 to 100 soldiers, living and working in the town of Capernaum which was Jesus’s hometown during His ministry. The centurion had a servant that he trusted and liked very much.

The centurion’s servant had been stricken with palsy, and lay at the point of death. Among the Romans the servants were slaves, bought and sold in the market places, and treated with abuse and cruelty; but the centurion was tenderly attached to his servant, and greatly desired his recovery. He believed that Jesus could heal him. He had not seen the Saviour, but the reports he heard had inspired him with faith. Notwithstanding the formalism of the Jews, this Roman was convinced that their religion was superior to his own. Already he had broken through the barriers of national prejudice and hatred that separated the conquerors from the conquered people. He had manifested respect for the service of God, and had shown kindness to the Jews as His worshipers....

Jesus immediately set out for the officer’s home; but, pressed by the multitude, He advanced slowly. The news of His coming preceded Him, and the centurion, in his self-distrust, sent Him the message, “Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof.” But the Saviour kept on His way, and the centurion, venturing at last to approach Him, completed the message, saying, “Neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee;” “but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” As I represent the power of Rome, and my soldiers recognize my authority as supreme, so dost Thou represent the power of the Infinite God, and all created things obey Thy word. Thou canst command the disease to depart, and it shall obey Thee. Thou canst summon Thy heavenly messengers, and they shall impart healing virtue. Speak but the word, and my servant shall be healed.

“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” And to the centurion He said, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

... He trusted not to his own goodness; his argument was his great need. His faith took hold upon Christ in His true character. He did not believe in Him merely as a worker of miracles, but as the friend and Saviour of mankind.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 315.2-316.4. [Bold type is added.]

13.    When that centurion needed to have something done, he would send one of his soldiers to accomplish the task. Jesus did not have any soldiers at His beck and call. What means did the centurion think Jesus would use to heal his servant? How did the centurion develop that great faith? What had he heard about Jesus? How had he responded? Faith comes by hearing.

14.    We make choices each day. Some of those choices bring us nearer to God, and some of those choices take us away from God. The Bible describes those choices which bring us nearer to God as growing faith. How can we be more successful at growing our faith?

15.    Read [Matthew 8:23-34; Mark 4:35-5:20; and Luke 8:22-39]iv. It was the belief of the Jewish people that only God can control nature and demons. So, in this passage we see Jesus calming a terrible storm and healing the demoniac(s). Who do you suppose was responsible for that storm? Don’t you think that Satan was trying to destroy Jesus and His disciples as well as a number of other people who were in the nearby boats all at one time?

After He [Jesus] had dismissed the multitude, they took Him, even “as He was,” into the boat, and hastily set off. But they were not to depart alone. There were other fishing boats lying near the shore, and these were quickly crowded with people who followed Jesus, eager still to see and hear Him....

The sun had set, and the blackness of night settled down upon the stormy sea.

The waves, lashed into fury by the howling winds, dashed fiercely over the disciples’ boat, and threatened to engulf it. Those hardy fishermen had spent their lives upon the lake, and had guided their craft safely through many a storm; but now their strength and skill availed nothing. They were helpless in the grasp of the tempest, and hope failed them as they saw that their boat was filling....

Suddenly a flash of lightning pierces the darkness, and they see Jesus lying asleep, undisturbed by the tumult. In amazement and despair they exclaim, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” How can He rest so peacefully, while they are in danger and battling with death?....

Never did a soul utter that cry unheeded. As the disciples grasp their oars to make a last effort, Jesus rises. He stands in the midst of His disciples, while the tempest rages, the waves break over them, and the lightning illuminates His countenance. He lifts His hand, so often employed in deeds of mercy, and says to the angry sea, “Peace, be still.”

The storm ceases. The billows sink to rest. The clouds roll away, and the stars shine forth. The boat rests upon a quiet sea. Then turning to His disciples, Jesus asks sorrowfully, “Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith?” Mark 4:40, R.V.

A hush fell upon the disciples. Even Peter did not attempt to express the awe that filled his heart. The boats that had set out to accompany Jesus had been in the same peril with that of the disciples. Terror and despair had seized their occupants; but the command of Jesus brought quiet to the scene of tumult. The fury of the storm had driven the boats into close proximity, and all on board beheld the miracle. In the calm that followed, fear was forgotten. The people whispered among themselves, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 334.1-335.4. [Content in brackets is added.]

16.    How do you understand the story of the two, reading Matthew-or one, reading Mark or Luke-demon-possessed men-or man-whose demons were cast out and sent into the 2000 pigs? It is important to look at the whole picture.

17.    Even though the people came out and initially asked Jesus to leave, we have these words from Ellen White:

But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted. He allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His power, mercifully exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore, this event was permitted to take place that the disciples might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast.—Ellen G. White, Great Controversy 515.1.

18.    Those men asked to follow Jesus, but Jesus told them to go back and tell their neighbors and friends what had happened to them. How long did they have to learn doctrine? The next time Jesus came to that area, a huge crowd came out to see Him. It was at that time that He miraculously fed the 4000 primarily-Gentile men, not counting women and children.

19.    If we stop and think for a moment, Satan is hoping to control the whole world at the end of this earth’s history. (Revelation 13:3-4,7-8[v]) Will those people who are under Satan’s control behave in any way like those demon-possessed men? There are a number of places in Scripture where it says clearly that there will be only two sides at the end. (Luke 11:23; John 10:10)vi The huge majority will be on Satan’s side. What kind of satanic behavior will be manifested? Has the time come for us to think very seriously about these stories and also about our own future?

20.    Read Matthew 9:1-8 and Luke 5:17-26vii. Why do you think Jesus first forgave the man’s sins and then healed him physically? The Jews believed that any serious illness was a result of sin either of the person himself or of his parents. (John 9:1-2)viii See what the Lord said as recorded in [Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 7 and 28]ix. Thus, it would be impossible to heal someone unless One first dealt with the sin problem. Notice these words from Ellen White:

It was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 267.4.

21.    Ellen White went on to tell us that the men who had brought the paralytic to Jesus tried again and again to get him into the presence of Jesus. But, they had not been able to succeed. Finally, he suggested that they take the stairs up to the roof and open up a hole and let him down at the feet of Jesus. (DA 268.1) Jesus’s discourse was interrupted. He took one look at the paralytic and said, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

22.    But, there is more to the story.

The rabbis had waited anxiously to see what disposition Christ would make of this case. They recollected how the man had appealed to them for help, and they had refused him hope or sympathy. Not satisfied with this, they had declared that he was suffering the curse of God for his sins. These things came fresh to their minds when they saw the sick man before them. They marked the interest with which all were watching the scene, and they felt a terrible fear of losing their own influence over the people.

These dignitaries did not exchange words together, but looking into one another’s faces they read the same thought in each, that something must be done to arrest the tide of feeling. Jesus had declared that the sins of the paralytic were forgiven. The Pharisees caught at these words as blasphemy, and conceived that they could present this as a sin worthy of death. They said in their hearts, “He blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but One, even God?” Mark 2:7, R. V.

Fixing His glance upon them, beneath which they cowered, and drew back,

Jesus said, “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,” He said, turning to the paralytic, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

Then he who had been borne on a litter to Jesus rises to his feet with the elasticity and strength of youth. The life-giving blood bounds through his veins.

Every organ of his body springs into sudden activity. The glow of health succeeds the pallor of approaching death. “And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.”....

The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. The spiritual healing was followed by physical restoration. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease, who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can give, would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 268.5-270.1.

23.    But, miraculous healings do not happen very often in our day. Why do you think that is? Are there people who need to be healed? Don’t we have even Seventh-day Adventist hospitals full of people who would rejoice in miraculous healing. After thinking about this for some time, one SDA pastor said it might actually take more faith to trust God and not be healed.

24.    Read Matthew 8:18-22[x]. In these verses there were two men approaching Jesus. Notice that the first man was a teacher of the law. He was, in other words, one of the scribes. Surely, he could have been a great asset to the followers of Jesus. Why did Jesus respond the way He did saying: “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lie down and rest”? Was Jesus making it clear that the sheltered and privileged life that the teacher of the law had lived was not anything like the life that Jesus lived? (See Luke 8:1-3.)xi

25.    A second man who already described himself as a disciple of Jesus said: “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.” “Follow Me,” Jesus answered, “and let the dead bury their own dead.” Don’t those words sound very harsh? There are several things we need to be aware of in understanding Jesus’s response to those two men. Read again Luke 8:1-3. It is interesting to notice that some women were apparently providing for the needs of Jesus and His disciples. We do not know how extensive that provision was; but, it is very interesting to note. Jesus was certainly suggesting that His life was not a life of privilege.

26.    If the second man needed to go and bury his father, did Jesus really deny him that “privilege”? We need to recognize that in ancient Jewish times, funerals were almost always held within 24 hours of death. So, what Jesus was saying was: “You must not wait until your father dies at some future date; come and follow me now.”

27.    We have already studied how Jesus called the four fishermen-Peter, Andrew, James, and John-from their boats. And they left all and followed Him. Now we notice another call as recorded in Matthew 9:9-13xii. Try to imagine how the people of Capernaum responded when Jesus called one of the hated tax collectors to be His disciple. It is likely that Matthew had a tax booth beside the road in Capernaum. Matthew, like the earlier four, left everything and followed Jesus.

28.    Read [Matthew 9:13 and Hosea 6:6]xiii. What is implied by these verses? These verses need to be compared to Micah 6:6-8 and other passages in the Old Testament. Jesus was telling us that it is not a continual round of religious ceremonies or practices that makes us savable but rather doing God’s will.

29.    We do not always know God’s will for physical healing; but, we do always know His will for spiritual healing. Don’t we know for sure that Christ is calling us to join the winning side in the great controversy? Doesn’t He want us to be fully and completely on His side?

30.    So, why did Jesus perform so many miracles of healing? It was certainly a way of attracting attention. But, as we have studied in a previous lesson, His most important mission was to represent His Father correctly. How does that go along with the healing ministry? Read Matthew 8:27xiv. It is quite clear that people were amazed by Jesus’s miracles. That certainly resulted in the news of His miracles spreading far and wide.

31.    There were many miracles performed by Jesus when He was on this earth. Will miracles be performed once again as we approach the end of this earth’s history?

© 2016, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.

i-Matthew 8:1 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.”[a]

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.”

Jesus Heals a Roman Officer's Servant

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.”

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. 12 But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home, and what you believe will be done for you.”

And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many People

14 Jesus went to Peter's home, and there he saw Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand; the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, people brought to Jesus many who had demons in them. Jesus drove out the evil spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 He did this to make come true what the prophet Isaiah had said, “He himself took our sickness and carried away our diseases.”

The Would-Be Followers of Jesus

18 When Jesus noticed the crowd around him, he ordered his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. 19 A teacher of the Law came to him. “Teacher,” he said, “I am ready to go with you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.”

21 Another man, who was a disciple, said, “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.”

22 “Follow me,” Jesus answered, “and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 Jesus got into a boat, and his disciples went with him. 24 Suddenly a fierce storm hit the lake, and the boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was asleep. 25 The disciples went to him and woke him up. “Save us, Lord!” they said. “We are about to die!”

26 “Why are you so frightened?” Jesus answered. “What little faith you have!” Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and there was a great calm.

27 Everyone was amazed. “What kind of man is this?” they said. “Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 When Jesus came to the territory of Gadara on the other side of the lake, he was met by two men who came out of the burial caves there. These men had demons in them and were so fierce that no one dared travel on that road. 29 At once they screamed, “What do you want with us, you Son of God? Have you come to punish us before the right time?”

30 Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. 31 So the demons begged Jesus, “If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “Go,” Jesus told them; so they left and went off into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

33 The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons. 34 So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

9 Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town,[b] 2 where some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, “Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man is speaking blasphemy!”

4 Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and so he said, “Why are you thinking such evil things? 5 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your bed, and go home!”

7 The man got up and went home. 8 When the people saw it, they were afraid, and praised God for giving such authority to people.

Leviticus 13:44 the priest shall pronounce you unclean, because of the dreaded skin disease on your head.

45 If you have a dreaded skin disease, you must wear torn clothes, leave your hair uncombed, cover the lower part of your face, and call out, “Unclean, unclean!” 46 You remain unclean as long as you have the disease, and you must live outside the camp, away from others.

Laws concerning Mildew

47 When there is mildew[a] on clothing, whether wool or linen, 48 or on any piece of linen or wool cloth or on leather or anything made of leather, 49 if it is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew and must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine it and put the object away for seven days.

Daniel 7:7 As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns. 8 While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly.

John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.

ii-Leviticus 13:42 But if a reddish-white sore appears on the bald spot, it is a dreaded skin disease. 43 The priest shall examine you, and if there is a reddish-white sore, 44 the priest shall pronounce you unclean, because of the dreaded skin disease on your head.

45 If you have a dreaded skin disease, you must wear torn clothes, leave your hair uncombed, cover the lower part of your face, and call out, “Unclean, unclean!” 46 You remain unclean as long as you have the disease, and you must live outside the camp, away from others.

Matthew 8:1 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.”[a]

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.”

iii-Matthew 8:5 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.”

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. 12 But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home, and what you believe will be done for you.”

And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.

iv-Matthew 8:23 Jesus got into a boat, and his disciples went with him. 24 Suddenly a fierce storm hit the lake, and the boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was asleep. 25 The disciples went to him and woke him up. “Save us, Lord!” they said. “We are about to die!”

26 “Why are you so frightened?” Jesus answered. “What little faith you have!” Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and there was a great calm.

27 Everyone was amazed. “What kind of man is this?” they said. “Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

28 When Jesus came to the territory of Gadara on the other side of the lake, he was met by two men who came out of the burial caves there. These men had demons in them and were so fierce that no one dared travel on that road. 29 At once they screamed, “What do you want with us, you Son of God? Have you come to punish us before the right time?”

30 Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. 31 So the demons begged Jesus, “If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “Go,” Jesus told them; so they left and went off into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

33 The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons. 34 So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Mark 4:35 On the evening of that same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd; the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats were there too. 37 Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water. 38 Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we are about to die?”

39 Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. 40 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? Do you still have no faith?”

41 But they were terribly afraid and began to say to one another, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals a Man with Evil Spirits

5 Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of Lake Galilee, in the territory of Gerasa. 2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, he was met by a man who came out of the burial caves there. This man had an evil spirit in him 3 and lived among the tombs. Nobody could keep him tied with chains any more; 4 many times his feet and his hands had been tied, but every time he broke the chains and smashed the irons on his feet. He was too strong for anyone to control him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the tombs and through the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones.

6 He was some distance away when he saw Jesus; so he ran, fell on his knees before him, 7 and screamed in a loud voice, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? For God's sake, I beg you, don't punish me!” (8 He said this because Jesus was saying, “Evil spirit, come out of this man!”)

9 So Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

The man answered, “My name is ‘Mob’—there are so many of us!” 10 And he kept begging Jesus not to send the evil spirits out of that region.

11 There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. 12 So the spirits begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, and let us go into them.” 13 He let them go, and the evil spirits went out of the man and entered the pigs. The whole herd—about two thousand pigs in all—rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

14 The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and spread the news in the town and among the farms. People went out to see what had happened, 15 and when they came to Jesus, they saw the man who used to have the mob of demons in him. He was sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the man with the demons, and about the pigs.

17 So they asked Jesus to leave their territory.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had had the demons begged him, “Let me go with you!”

19 But Jesus would not let him. Instead, he told him, “Go back home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how kind he has been to you.”

20 So the man left and went all through the Ten Towns, telling what Jesus had done for him. And all who heard it were amazed.

Luke 8:22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they started out. 23 As they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Suddenly a strong wind blew down on the lake, and the boat began to fill with water, so that they were all in great danger. 24 The disciples went to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master! We are about to die!”

Jesus got up and gave an order to the wind and to the stormy water; they quieted down, and there was a great calm. 25 Then he said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?”

But they were amazed and afraid, and said to one another, “Who is this man? He gives orders to the winds and waves, and they obey him!”

Jesus Heals a Man with Demons

26 Jesus and his disciples sailed on over to the territory of Gerasa,[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a man from the town who had demons in him. For a long time this man had gone without clothes and would not stay at home, but spent his time in the burial caves. 28 When he saw Jesus, he gave a loud cry, threw himself down at his feet, and shouted, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? I beg you, don't punish me!” 29 He said this because Jesus had ordered the evil spirit to go out of him. Many times it had seized him, and even though he was kept a prisoner, his hands and feet tied with chains, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon out into the desert.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is ‘Mob,’” he answered—because many demons had gone into him. 31 The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.[b]

32 There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he let them. 33 They went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

34 The men who had been taking care of the pigs saw what happened, so they ran off and spread the news in the town and among the farms. 35 People went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been cured. 37 Then all the people from that territory asked Jesus to go away, because they were terribly afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus, “Let me go with you.”

But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Go back home and tell what God has done for you.”

The man went through the town, telling what Jesus had done for him.

v-Revelation 13:3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have been fatally wounded, but the wound had healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. 4 Everyone worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast also, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?”

7 It was allowed to fight against God's people and to defeat them, and it was given authority over every tribe, nation, language, and race. 8 All people living on earth will worship it, except those whose names were written before the creation of the world in the book of the living which belongs to the Lamb that was killed.

vi-Luke 11:23 “Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering.

John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.

vii-Matthew 9:1 Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town,[a] 2 where some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the paralyzed man, “Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man is speaking blasphemy!”

4 Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and so he said, “Why are you thinking such evil things? 5 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your bed, and go home!”

7 The man got up and went home. 8 When the people saw it, they were afraid, and praised God for giving such authority to people.

Luke 5:17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting there who had come from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a bed, and they tried to carry him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19 Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven, my friend.”

21 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!”

22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Why do you think such things? 23 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!”

25 At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home, praising God. 26 They were all completely amazed! Full of fear, they praised God, saying, “What marvelous things we have seen today!”

viii-John 9:1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind? Was it his own or his parents' sin?”

ix-Leviticus 26:1 The LORD said, “Do not make idols or set up statues, stone pillars, or carved stones to worship. I am the LORD your God. 2 Keep the religious festivals and honor the place where I am worshiped. I am the LORD.

3 “If you live according to my laws and obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain at the right time, so that the land will produce crops and the trees will bear fruit. 5 Your crops will be so plentiful that you will still be harvesting grain when it is time to pick grapes, and you will still be picking grapes when it is time to plant grain. You will have all that you want to eat, and you can live in safety in your land.

6 “I will give you peace in your land, and you can sleep without being afraid of anyone. I will get rid of the dangerous animals in the land, and there will be no more war there. 7 You will be victorious over your enemies; 8 five of you will be able to defeat a hundred, and a hundred will be able to defeat ten thousand. 9 I will bless you and give you many children; I will keep my part of the covenant that I made with you. 10 Your harvests will be so plentiful that they will last for a year, and even then you will have to throw away what is left of the old harvest to make room for the new. 11 I will live among you in my sacred Tent, and I will never turn away from you. 12 I will be with you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I, the LORD your God, brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves. I broke the power that held you down and I let you walk with your head held high.”

Punishment for Disobedience

14 The LORD said, “If you will not obey my commands, you will be punished. 15 If you refuse to obey my laws and commands and break the covenant I have made with you, 16 I will punish you. I will bring disaster on you—incurable diseases and fevers that will make you blind and cause your life to waste away. You will plant your crops, but it will do you no good, because your enemies will conquer you and eat what you have grown. 17 I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated, and those who hate you will rule over you; you will be so terrified that you will run when no one is chasing you.

18 “If even after all of this you still do not obey me, I will increase your punishment seven times. 19 I will break your stubborn pride; there will be no rain, and your land will be dry and as hard as iron. 20 All your hard work will do you no good, because your land will not produce crops and the trees will not bear fruit.

21 “If you still continue to resist me and refuse to obey me, I will again increase your punishment seven times. 22 I will send dangerous animals among you, and they will kill your children, destroy your livestock, and leave so few of you that your roads will be deserted.

23 “If after all of this punishment you still do not listen to me, but continue to defy me, 24 then I will turn on you and punish you seven times harder than before. 25 I will bring war on you to punish you for breaking our covenant, and if you gather in your cities for safety, I will send incurable diseases among you, and you will be forced to surrender to your enemies. 26 I will cut off your food supply, so that ten women will need only one oven to bake all the bread they have. They will ration it out, and when you have eaten it all, you will still be hungry.

27 “If after all of this you still continue to defy me and refuse to obey me, 28 then in my anger I will turn on you and again make your punishment seven times worse than before. 29 Your hunger will be so great that you will eat your own children. 30 I will destroy your places of worship on the hills, tear down your incense altars, and throw your dead bodies on your fallen idols. In utter disgust 31 I will turn your cities into ruins, destroy your places of worship, and refuse to accept your sacrifices. 32 I will destroy your land so completely that the enemies who occupy it will be shocked at the destruction. 33 I will bring war on you and scatter you in foreign lands. Your land will be deserted, and your cities left in ruins. 34-35 Then the land will enjoy the years of complete rest that you would not give it; it will lie abandoned and get its rest while you are in exile in the land of your enemies.

36 “I will make those of you who are in exile so terrified that the sound of a leaf blowing in the wind will make you run. You will run as if you were being pursued in battle, and you will fall when there is no enemy near you. 37 You will stumble over one another when no one is chasing you, and you will be unable to fight against any enemy. 38 You will die in exile, swallowed up by the land of your enemies. 39 The few of you who survive in the land of your enemies will waste away because of your own sin and the sin of your ancestors.

40 “But your descendants will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, who resisted me and rebelled against me, 41 and caused me to turn against them and send them into exile in the land of their enemies. At last, when your descendants are humbled and they have paid the penalty for their sin and rebellion, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and with Isaac and with Abraham, and I will renew my promise to give my people the land. 43 First, however, the land must be rid of its people, so that it can enjoy its complete rest, and they must pay the full penalty for having rejected my laws and my commands. 44 But even then, when they are still in the land of their enemies, I will not completely abandon them or destroy them. That would put an end to my covenant with them, and I am the LORD their God. 45 I will renew the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I showed all the nations my power by bringing my people out of Egypt, in order that I, the LORD, might be their God.”

46 All these are the laws and commands that the LORD gave to Moses on Mount Sinai for the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:1 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land that you are going to occupy, and he will drive many nations out of it. As you advance, he will drive out seven nations larger and more powerful than you: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 2 When the LORD your God places these people in your power and you defeat them, you must put them all to death. Do not make an alliance with them or show them any mercy. 3 Do not marry any of them, and do not let your children marry any of them, 4 because then they would lead your children away from the LORD to worship other gods. If that happens, the LORD will be angry with you and destroy you at once. 5 So then, tear down their altars, break their sacred stone pillars in pieces, cut down their symbols of the goddess Asherah, and burn their idols. 6 Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people.

7 “The LORD did not love you and choose you because you outnumbered other peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth. 8 But the LORD loved you and wanted to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors. That is why he saved you by his great might and set you free from slavery to the king of Egypt. 9 Remember that the LORD your God is the only God and that he is faithful. He will keep his covenant and show his constant love to a thousand generations of those who love him and obey his commands, 10 but he will not hesitate to punish those who hate him. 11 Now then, obey what you have been taught; obey all the laws that I have given you today.

The Blessings of Obedience

12 “If you listen to these commands and obey them faithfully, then the LORD your God will continue to keep his covenant with you and will show you his constant love, as he promised your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you, so that you will increase in number and have many children; he will bless your fields, so that you will have grain, wine, and olive oil; and he will bless you by giving you many cattle and sheep. He will give you all these blessings in the land that he promised your ancestors he would give to you. 14 No people in the world will be as richly blessed as you. None of you nor any of your livestock will be sterile. 15 The LORD will protect you from all sickness, and he will not bring on you any of the dreadful diseases that you experienced in Egypt, but he will bring them on all your enemies. 16 Destroy every nation that the LORD your God places in your power, and do not show them any mercy. Do not worship their gods, for that would be fatal.

17 “Do not tell yourselves that these peoples outnumber you and that you cannot drive them out. 18 Do not be afraid of them; remember what the LORD your God did to the king of Egypt and to all his people. 19 Remember the terrible plagues that you saw with your own eyes, the miracles and wonders, and the great power and strength by which the LORD your God set you free. In the same way that he destroyed the Egyptians, he will destroy all these people that you now fear. 20 He will even cause panic[a] among them and will destroy those who escape and go into hiding. 21 So do not be afraid of these people. The LORD your God is with you; he is a great God and one to be feared. 22 Little by little he will drive out these nations as you advance. You will not be able to destroy them all at once, for, if you did, the number of wild animals would increase and be a threat to you. 23 The LORD will put your enemies in your power and make them panic until they are destroyed. 24 He will put their kings in your power. You will kill them, and they will be forgotten. No one will be able to stop you; you will destroy everyone. 25 Burn their idols. Do not desire the silver or gold that is on them, and do not take it for yourselves. If you do, that will be fatal, because the LORD hates idolatry. 26 Do not bring any of these idols into your homes, or the same curse will be on you that is on them. You must hate and despise these idols, because they are under the LORD's curse.

28:1 “If you obey the LORD your God and faithfully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, he will make you greater than any other nation on earth. 2 Obey the LORD your God and all these blessings will be yours:

3 “The LORD will bless your towns and your fields.

4 “The LORD will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep.

5 “The LORD will bless your grain crops and the food you prepare from them.

6 “The LORD will bless everything you do.

7 “The LORD will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack from one direction, but they will run from you in all directions.

8 “The LORD your God will bless your work and fill your barns with grain. He will bless you in the land that he is giving you.

9 “If you obey the LORD your God and do everything he commands, he will make you his own people, as he has promised. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that the LORD has chosen you to be his own people, and they will be afraid of you. 11 The LORD will give you many children, many cattle, and abundant crops in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. 12 He will send rain in season from his rich storehouse in the sky and bless all your work, so that you will lend to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any. 13 The LORD your God will make you the leader among the nations and not a follower; you will always prosper and never fail if you obey faithfully all his commands that I am giving you today. 14 But you must never disobey them in any way, or worship and serve other gods.

The Consequences of Disobedience

15 “But if you disobey the LORD your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you:

16 “The LORD will curse your towns and your fields.

17 “The LORD will curse your grain crops and the food you prepare from them.

18 “The LORD will curse you by giving you only a few children, poor crops, and few cattle and sheep.

19 “The LORD will curse everything you do.

20 “If you do evil and reject the LORD, he will bring on you disaster, confusion, and trouble in everything you do, until you are quickly and completely destroyed. 21 He will send disease after disease on you until there is not one of you left in the land that you are about to occupy. 22 The LORD will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever; he will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters will be with you until you die. 23 No rain will fall, and your ground will become as hard as iron. 24 Instead of rain, the LORD will send down duststorms and sandstorms until you are destroyed.

25 “The LORD will give your enemies victory over you. You will attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in all directions, and all the people on earth will be terrified when they see what happens to you. 26 When you die, birds and wild animals will come and eat your bodies, and there will be no one to scare them off. 27 The LORD will send boils on you, as he did on the Egyptians. He will make your bodies break out with sores. You will be covered with scabs, and you will itch, but there will be no cure. 28 The LORD will make you lose your mind; he will strike you with blindness and confusion. 29 You will grope about in broad daylight like someone blind, and you will not be able to find your way. You will not prosper in anything you do. You will be constantly oppressed and robbed, and there will be no one to help you.

30 “You will be engaged to a young woman—but someone else will marry her. You will build a house—but never live in it. You will plant a vineyard—but never eat its grapes. 31 Your cattle will be butchered before your very eyes, but you will not eat any of the meat. Your donkeys will be dragged away while you look on, and they will not be given back to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and there will be no one to help you. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given as slaves to foreigners while you look on. Every day you will strain your eyes, looking in vain for your children to return. 33 A foreign nation will take all the crops that you have worked so hard to grow, while you receive nothing but constant oppression and harsh treatment. 34 Your sufferings will make you lose your mind. 35 The LORD will cover your legs with incurable, painful sores; boils will cover you from head to foot.

36 “The LORD will take you and your king away to a foreign land, where neither you nor your ancestors ever lived before; there you will serve gods made of wood and stone. 37 In the countries to which the LORD will scatter you, the people will be shocked at what has happened to you; they will make fun of you and ridicule you.

38 “You will plant plenty of seed, but reap only a small harvest, because the locusts will eat your crops. 39 You will plant vineyards and take care of them, but you will not gather their grapes or drink wine from them, because worms will eat the vines. 40 Olive trees will grow everywhere in your land, but you will not have any olive oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters, but you will lose them, because they will be taken away as prisoners of war. 42 All your trees and crops will be devoured by insects.

43 “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. 44 They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.

45 “All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and keep all the laws that he gave you. 46 They will be the evidence of God's judgment on you and your descendants forever. 47 The LORD blessed you in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. 48 So then, you will serve the enemies that the LORD is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked—in need of everything. The LORD[a] will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed. 49 The LORD will bring against you a nation from the ends of the earth, a nation whose language you do not know. They will swoop down on you like an eagle. 50 They will be ruthless and show no mercy to anyone, young or old. 51 They will eat your livestock and your crops, and you will starve to death. They will not leave you any grain, wine, olive oil, cattle, or sheep; and you will die. 52 They will attack every town in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and the high, fortified walls in which you trust will fall.

53 “When your enemies are besieging your towns, you will become so desperate for food that you will even eat the children that the LORD your God has given you. 54-55 Even the most refined man of noble birth will become so desperate during the siege that he will eat some of his own children because he has no other food. He will not even give any to his brother or to the wife he loves or to any of his children who are left. 56-57 Even the most refined woman of noble birth, so rich that she has never had to walk anywhere, will behave in the same way. When the enemy besieges her town, she will become so desperate for food that she will secretly eat her newborn child and the afterbirth as well. She will not share them with the husband she loves or with any of her children.

58 “If you do not obey faithfully all of God's teachings that are written in this book and if you do not honor the wonderful and awesome name of the LORD your God, 59 he will send on you and on your descendants incurable diseases and horrible epidemics that can never be stopped. 60 He will bring on you once again all the dreadful diseases you experienced in Egypt, and you will never recover. 61 He will also send all kinds of diseases and epidemics that are not mentioned in this book of God's laws and teachings, and you will be destroyed. 62 Although you become as numerous as the stars in the sky, only a few of you will survive, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 Just as the LORD took delight in making you prosper and in making you increase in number, so he will take delight in destroying you and in bringing ruin on you. You will be uprooted from the land that you are about to occupy.

64 “The LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve gods made of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ancestors have ever worshiped before. 65 You will find no peace anywhere, no place to call your own; the LORD will overwhelm you with anxiety, hopelessness, and despair. 66 Your life will always be in danger. Day and night you will be filled with terror, and you will live in constant fear of death. 67 Your hearts will pound with fear at everything you see. Every morning you will wish for evening; every evening you will wish for morning. 68 The LORD will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though he[b] said that you would never have to go there again. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will want to buy you.”

x-Matthew 8:18 When Jesus noticed the crowd around him, he ordered his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. 19 A teacher of the Law came to him. “Teacher,” he said, “I am ready to go with you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.”

21 Another man, who was a disciple, said, “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.”

22 “Follow me,” Jesus answered, “and let the dead bury their own dead.”

xi-Luke 8:1 Some time later Jesus traveled through towns and villages, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God. The twelve disciples went with him, 2 and so did some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had been driven out; 3 Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women who used their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples.

xii-Matthew 9:9 Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, he saw a tax collector, named Matthew, sitting in his office. He said to him, “Follow me.”

Matthew got up and followed him.

10 While Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house,[a] many tax collectors and other outcasts came and joined Jesus and his disciples at the table. 11 Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such people?”

12 Jesus heard them and answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. 13 Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”

xiii-Matthew 9:13 Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”

Hosea 6:6 I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me.

xiv-Matthew 8:27 Everyone was amazed. “What kind of man is this?” they said. “Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

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