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Ferrar Fenton Bible: Matthew 8

A Leper Cured

Now when He descended from the hill, a great crowd followed Him. And a leper, also approaching, bowed to Him, and said, "Master, if You will, You are able to cure me! " And Jesus extending His hand, touched him, saying,"I am willing; be cured!" And at once he was relieved from his leprosy.

Jesus then said to him, "Take care and tell no one about this; but go at once, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering appointed by Moses, as an evidence to these people."

A Captains Boy Cured

When He was entering Capernaum, a captain approached, and addressing Him, said," Master, my boy lies in the house paralyzed, in great anguish."

And Jesus in reply to him, said, "I will come and cure him."

The captain answering, however, declared, "I am not of sufficient rank, Sir, for You to come under my roof; rather order it only by a word, and my son will be restored. Although I am a man under a superior officer, I have soldiers under myself; and I say to this man, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes ; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, He was surprised, and said to His followers:

"Indeed, I tell you, I have never found such faith as this in Israel. I also tell you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall recline together with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven; when the sons of the Kingdom shall be flung into outer darkness, where there will be weeping, and gnashing of teeth."

Then Jesus said to the captain, "Go back; and, as you have believed, it shall come to you."

And the boy was cured from that very hour.

The Cure of Peter's Mother-in-Law

When Jesus entered the house of Peter, He saw his mother-in-law on a couch and suffering from a fever. And as He touched her hand, the fever left her; and she arose, and served Him.

Then when evening came, they brought to Him many demoniacs: and He cast out the spirits with a word, and He cured all those who were sick; so that the statement made through Isaiah the prophet was verified:

He took away our weaknesses, and endured our mental diseases.1

Qualifications of Discipleship

Once Jesus, seeing great crowds around Him, gave instructions to cross over to the farther shore. Then a lawyer approaching, said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You, wherever You may go."

In reply, Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have roosts; while the Son of Man has not a place where He can lay His head."

And another of His disciples said to Him, "Master, allow me first to return and bury my father."

But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me; and let the dead bury their own dead."

The Storm in the Lake

Then Himself embarking in the vessel, His disciples followed Him. And soon after, a hurricane swept across the lake, so that the boat was overwhelmed by the waves; but He slept. And the disciples approaching, awoke Him, calling out, "Lord, save us! we are perishing! "

In reply, He exclaimed, "What cowards you are! How weak your faith is!"

Then getting up, He commanded the winds and the sea, and perfect calm ensued. And the men expressed wonder, saying, "What kind of a Man is this? for even the wind and the sea obey Him! "

The Gadarene Demoniacs

On landing with Him at the other side, in the district of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs, coming out of the tombs, opposed Him. They were very savage, and none were able to pass that road. And they howled out, exclaiming: "What is there between You and us, Jesus, Son of God! Do You come here before the time to punish us?"

Now there was pasturing at a distance a large herd of swine. And the demons calling out to Him, said, "If You cast us out, allow us to go away into that herd of swine."

"Begone!" said He to them. They accordingly departed, went into the swine, and at once all the herd rushed down the slope into the lake, and perished in the water. The feeders then fled, and arriving at the village, reported everything, including what had befallen to those demoniacs. And accordingly all the town went out to meet Jesus; and seeing Him, they begged that He would depart from their locality.

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  1. Isa. 53:4.

Transcribed by Mark Hicks on 12-30-2014