Matthew 8:5-17

Genesis 18:1-15

Luke 1:46-47 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55

Matthew 8:5-17

When Jesus entered Capernaum,

a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,

“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”

He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

The centurion said in reply,

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;

only say the word and my servant will be healed.

For I too am a man subject to authority,

with soldiers subject to me.

And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;

and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;

and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,

“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,

and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,

but the children of the Kingdom

will be driven out into the outer darkness,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

And Jesus said to the centurion,

“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”

And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter,

and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

He touched her hand, the fever left her,

and she rose and waited on him.

When it was evening, they brought him many

who were possessed by demons,

and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,

to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have done marvelous things and performed wondrous deeds. All creation is a hymn to your power and awesomeness. Human history is a testament to your unfailing love. You sent your Son to redeem us and your Spirit to sanctify us. Help me to respond to your love and praise you for all eternity.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Ten Plagues: The section in Matthew’s Gospel that follows the Sermon on the Mount is a narrative of ten mighty deeds that Jesus did. In this way, Matthew recalls the ten “mighty deeds” of Moses in Egypt. The number ten also makes us think of the ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. Despite seeing the mighty deeds of the Lord mediated by Moses, the people of Israel were slow to believe and hard of heart. The same thing – ten mighty deeds followed by hardness of heart – happens in the Gospel of Matthew. When Moses performed the ten plagues in Egypt, the Book of Exodus often remarks that Pharaoh hardened his heart or that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. When Pharaoh saw that the Nile River, which was worshipped as a god, was turned to blood, this indicated that YHWH, the God of Moses, was more powerful than the Egyptian god. Effectively, the first of ten plagues demonstrated that the Lord God slew the Nile River. Each of the ten plagues, then, manifested that the Lord God was the true God of the universe and that the Egyptian gods were false gods. And yet, each time an Egyptian god was vanquished, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to believe.

2. Ten Rebellions: The hardness of heart manifested by Pharaoh was also manifested by the people of Israel in the desert. The book of Numbers records ten rebellions of Israel in the desert. They saw the same things that Pharaoh did and even more. Moses struck the rock and gave them water. Manna descended in the morning from the heavens, and the people had bread. Quail was given to them in abundance. They were healed from the bite of seraph serpents when they looked at the staff Moses set up. Leprosy was miraculously cured in the community. A pillar of cloud led them through the desert by day, and a pillar of fire led them and protected them by night. The sea was parted for them and rushed in upon Pharaoh’s army. And yet, despite these mighty works, the people of Israel rebelled. They saw the great things that the Lord did for them, and they refused to believe.

3. Ten Mighty Deeds: We see a similar history played out in the Gospel. Just as Pharaoh refused to believe when he saw the ten plagues, and just as many of the people in the wilderness refused to believe when they saw the great things Moses did through the Lord’s power, so also, the Pharisees conclude the section on Jesus’ ten mighty deeds with a refusal to believe and a diabolical accusation. Unlike the crowds, who respond, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel (Matthew 9:33), the Pharisees allege that Jesus’ miracles are the result of demonic power: “He drives out demons by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). Jesus is acting like a New Moses; the Pharisees are acting like new Pharaohs. And just as Pharaoh sought to kill Moses and the Israelites, the Pharisees will plot to kill Jesus and his followers.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, work your mighty deeds in my life. May I have the faith of the centurion and recognize my unworthiness to have you dwell in the home of my heart. When I experience your healing power, may I be like Peter’s mother-in-law, who ministered to all those in her care.

Living the Word of God: How do I react to the great deeds of God in my life? When I receive the Eucharist, how do I spend time in gratitude? When I receive God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, what is my prayer like? When I attend a Baptism or Wedding, do I praise and thank God for the graces he has bestowed? How can I see things more deeply and truly with eyes of faith?