Lesson 11

I.       Observation

A.     Outline

Healing the Man with Leprosy (8:1-4)

Healing the Centurion’s Servant (8:5-13)

The centurion’s request and faith (5-9)

Jesus’ comment on the faith of this gentile (10-12)

Commanding the centurion to go and the instant healing (13)

Healing Peter’s Mother-in-Law (8:14-15)

Healing Many Others (8:16-17)

Cost of Discipleship (8:18-22)

B.     Key Words/Phrases

Willing, can, be clean, touched, heal, testimony, go, faith, took up, bore, follow.

II.    Segment Analysis

1. From the parallel records in the other gospels, we can see that Jesus probably wanted to avoid the people’s misconception that He was just a miracle-worker and thus affect the more important aspects of His ministry.

2. The key phrase that shows the significance of Jesus’ command is “as a testimony to them.” The command to show himself to the priest was more than a compliance to the Mosaic regulation, but a direct proof that the Lord’s ministry was the fulfillment of the law. Jesus’ healing of the man was a testimony that He was the true source of healing and cleansing.

3. He came to Jesus, showing his initiative. He knelt, showing his humility. He acknowledged Jesus’ sovereign will and said, “if you are willing.” He also trusted in Jesus’ power with the words, “you can make me clean.”

4. The centurion was a man in authority. But he came and asked Jesus for help. In the process, he acknowledged Jesus’ authority and said that Jesus’ words would be authoritative in the same way that a centurion’s words would have authority over his subjects. Then Jesus commanded, “Go!”, which echoed the centurion’s own words in verse 9, and the servant was healed.

5. He humbly confessed his need for Jesus’ help. He trusted in Jesus’ power, that he could heal his servant just with his words. He submitted himself to the Lord’s command.

6. We may infer from the Lord’s words in verse 10 that the centurion was a gentile. The Lord wanted the people to know that it is not the physical descendants of Abraham who will inherit God’s kingdom, but everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of their race (Gal 3:26-29).

7. We should repay the Lord’s salvation by serving Him (see Lk 8:1-3).

8. Let the spiritually dead (unbelieving sinners) bury the physically dead. The Lord is not abolishing the command to honor our parents, but He sets the matters of God’s kingdom above our family ties (10:37; Lk 9:60).

9. Our determination to follow the Lord must consist of a readiness to suffer with Jesus. We should not put serving the Lord as second place in our hearts. The Lord’s teaching is not telling us to ignore our duties to our parents, since He Himself submitted to and lived with His earthly parents. However, God’s kingdom must be the constant and ultimate goal and purpose of every aspect of our lives. When the need arises, God’s affair comes before all others.