The second miracle in Matthew 8 has an unexpected man in desperate need and ends with unexpected praise of Him.
Verse 5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
Verse 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
Verse 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him: A centurion is an accomplished and competent Roman soldier who leads one hundred men. This is a man to be revered. Romans looked down on Jews. Jews disliked (at best) or despised (somewhere in the middle) or sought to kill Roman authorities (at worst). Simon, one of the disciples was a former Zealot. Zealots sought to kill Romans.
For this man to come to Jesus (1), and appeal to him 92), in a time of great need (3), is three head-turning things. He looks up to Jesus. He has faith in Jesus. He speaks in a soft, humble way. And he seeks (desperately!) to have Jesus help him. This is the proper way to come to Jesus. And the proper way to see who Jesus is and what He can do.
“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly: Notice this is not a request. He is only communicating the problem. And notice how he refers Jesus Lord. This too is the proper way to think of Jesus and to come to Him. He is our Lord, not our buddy.
And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” Jesus doesn’t ask anything, or wait on anything, or teach anything. He just goes. This is a picture of the gospel. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus came to save people from their sin (Matthew 1:21). God is always proactive with us and in the world! He is always at work in us and in the world. This man needs God. His servant needs God. And Jesus is eager.
What comes in the next verses is some of the highest praise Jesus gives anyone. His beliefs dictate his behavior.
The Men's Bible Reading Idea 