Matthew Henry

The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

“The more humility the more faith; the more diffident we are of ourselves, the stronger will be our confidence in Jesus Christ. He had an assurance of faith not only that Christ could cure his servant, but, (1.)”

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes; and another to come, and he comes.

“The centurion applies not to witches or wizards for his servant, but to Christ. The palsy is a disease in which the physician's skill commonly fails; it was therefore a great evidence of his faith in the power of Christ, to come to him for…”

When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

“Verily, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Now this speaks, First, Honour to the centurion; who, though not a son of Abraham's loins, was an heir of Abraham's faith, and Christ found it so.”

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

“Secondly, Christ gives us an idea of the salvation itself. They shall come, shall come together, shall come together to Christ, 2 Thess. ii.”

But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“The children of the kingdom shall be cast out; the Jews that persist in unbelief, though they were by birth children of the kingdom, yet shall be cut off from being members of the visible church: the kingdom of God, of which they boasted that…”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

“(2.) What was the effect of this saying: the prayer of faith was a prevailing prayer, it ever was so, and ever will be so; it appears, by the suddenness of the cure, that it was miraculous: and by its coincidence with Christ's saying, that…”

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

“Christ bore away sin by the merit of his death, and bore away sickness by the miracles of his life; nay, though those miracles are ceased, we may say, that he bore our sicknesses then, when he bore our sins in his own body upon…”

When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

“Thus was the disciple better provided for than his Lord. (3.) That he had a house at Capernaum, though he was originally of Bethsaida; it is probably, he removed to Capernaum, when Christ removed thither, and made that his principal residence.”

When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.

“Here we find, (1.) That Peter had a wife, and yet was called to be an apostle of Christ; and Christ countenanced the marriage state, by being thus kind to his wife's relations.”

On seeing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

“Christ's pardoning sin is termed blasphemy; nor had it been less, if he had not had commission from God for it. They, therefore, are guilty of blasphemy, that have no such commission, and yet pretend to pardon sin.”

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’

“Where observe, (1.) How he asserts his authority in the kingdom of grace. He undertakes to make out, that the Son of man, the Mediator, has power on earth to forgive sins; for therefore the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and has…”

Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.

“He invited many publicans and sinners to meet him. This was the chief thing Matthew aimed at in this treat, that he might have an opportunity of bringing his old associates acquainted with Christ.”

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

“(2.) Because they wished no good to publicans and sinners, but envied Christ's favour to them, and were grieved to see them brought to repentance.”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

“Note, [1.] Sin is the sickness of the soul; sinners are spiritually sick. Original corruptions are the diseases of the soul, actual transgressions are its wounds, or the eruptions of the disease. It is deforming, weakening, disquieting, wasting, killing, but, blessed be God, not incurable.”

Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them?

“Observe, Christ's answer is so framed, as that it might sufficiently justify the practice of his own disciples, and yet not condemn the institution of John, or the practice of his disciples.”

While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said.

“Note, In trouble we should visit God: the death of our relations should drive us to Christ, who is our life; it is well if any thing will do it.”

So Jesus got up and went with him, along with His disciples.

“The variety of methods which Christ took in working his miracles is perhaps to be attributed to the different frame and temper of mind which they were in who applied to him, which he who searcheth the heart perfectly knew, and accommodated himself to.”

Suddenly a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.

“But what weakness of understanding there was in it, Christ was pleased to overlook, and to accept the sincerity and strength of her faith; for he eateth the honey-comb with the honey, Cant. iv.”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour.

“If he has power to give eternal life, as he certainly has ( John xvii. 2 ), he must have power to forgive sin; for guilt is a bar that must be removed, or we can never get to heaven.”

And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

“All faithful ministers are sent of Christ, but they that were first, and immediately, sent by him, are eminently called apostles, the prime ministers of state in his kingdom.”

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

“Note, It is good for those who are advanced to honour with Christ, to look unto the rock whence they were hewn; often to remember what they were before Christ called them, that thereby they may be kept humble, and divine grace may be the…”

As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’

“This proclaims salvation at hand, nigh them that fear God; mercy and truth meet together ( Ps. lxxxv.”

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Those that had power to heal all diseases, had an opportunity to enrich themselves; who would not purchase such easy certain cures at any rate?”

Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“Some sinners sink deeper into hell than others, and are beaten with more stripes. [3.] The condemnation of those that reject the gospel, will in that day be severer and heavier than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.”

But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

“They must look for trouble, not only from inferior magistrates in the councils, but from governors and kings, the supreme magistrates.”