Jesus the Messiah came and preached about the kingdom that He would set up if they received Him and His teachings. Now He would present Himself and His heart to them by His works. The leper comes in his great need. He knows Jesus has power to make him clean. But was Jesus willing? To his question Jesus answers, “I will,” and He did make him clean.
Jesus had come as Israel’s promised Messiah. But His love and power could not be limited. Where there was faith, there was blessing for all. The centurion was a Roman, and those of Israel were a conquered people. The centurion knew he was not worthy. In truth, no person who has ever lived is worthy but Jesus. Blessing comes by faith in the worthy One. The centurion had faith and his need was met.
Some said they would be His followers. But what people say and what they do are not always the same. There is a cost to following Him. He told one man, If you follow Me, I have nowhere to lay My head. Another said he would follow but immediately gave an excuse: Let “me first” do something else.
While His disciples are going with Him in a boat to another country, a storm comes up. He is sleeping, and they are afraid the boat will sink and they cry, “Lord, save us: we perish.” He calms the storm but tells them their faith is small. The Creator of heaven and earth was in the boat with them. He had power over waves and storms and sea. Being with them, what did they have to fear?
Sadly, the Gergesenes cared more for their swine (pigs) than for the men possessed with devils. Because He let the devils go into the swine, they want Him to depart out of their lives and country.
1. Jesus said, “__________; be thou clean,” and the leper was cleansed. Matthew 8:___
2. We should all be humble like the centurion who said, “I am not __________.” Matthew 8:___
3. One disciple did not count the cost of following Jesus. He said, “Suffer __________ to go and bury my father.” Matthew 8:___
4. While the disciples in the boat had little faith, they went to the right person, saying, “Lord, save us: we __________.” Matthew 8:___
5. Some put more importance on their possessions (swine) than men possessed with devils. But Jesus did not. He said to the devils, “__________.” And they went out of the men. Matthew 8:___