Matthew 8:12

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, This incident belongs to a later stage. For the exposition, see the notes at Luke 7:1....

12._But the children of the kingdom _Why does he call those persons _children of the kingdom, _who were nothing less than children of Abraham? for those who are aliens from the faith have no right to be considered a part of God’s flock. I answer: Though they did not actually belong to the Church of God, yet, as they occupied a place in the Church, he allows them this designation. Besides, it ought to be observed that, so long as the covenant of God remained in the family of Abraham, there was such force in it, that the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom belonged peculiarly to them. With respect to God himself, at least, they were _holy branches from a holy root, _(Romans 11:16) and the rejection of them, which afterwards followed, shows plainly enough, that they belonged, at that time, to the family of God. Secondly, it ought to be observed, that Christ does not now speak

5-13 This centurion was a heathen, a Roman soldier. Though he was a soldier, yet he was a godly man. No man's calling or place will be an excuse for unbelief and sin. See how he states his servant's case. We should concern ourselves for the souls of our children and servants, who are spiritually sick, who feel not spiritual evils, who know not that which is spiritually good; and we should bring them to Christ by faith and prayers. Observe his self-abasement. Humble souls are made more humble by Christ's gracious dealings with them. Observe his great faith. The more diffident we are of ourselves, the stronger will be our confidence in Christ. Herein the centurion owns him to have Divine power, and a full command of all the creatures and powers of nature, as a master over his servants. Such servants we all should be to God; we must go and come, according to the directions of his word and...

Verse Matthew 8:12. _SHALL BE CAST OUT INTO OUTER DARKNESS_] As the enjoyment of that salvation which Jesus Christ calls the kingdom of heaven is here represented under the notion of a nuptial festival, at which the guests sat down in a _reclining posture_, with the master of the feast; so the state of those who were excluded from the banquet is represented as _deep darkness_; because the nuptial solemnities took place at _night_. Hence, at those suppers, the house of reception was filled with lights called δαδεςλαμπαδεςλυκνειαφανοι, _torches, lamps, candles_, and _lanthorns_, by _Athenaeus_ and _Plutarch_: so they who were admitted to the banquet had the benefit of the _light_; but they who were _shut out_ were in _darkness_, called here _outer darkness_, i.e. the darkness on the _outside_ of the house in which the guests wer...

THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM - That is, the children, or the people, who “expected the kingdom,” or to whom it properly belonged; or, in other words, the Jews. they supposed themselves to be the special favorites of heaven. They thought that the Messiah would enlarge their nation and spread the triumphs of their kingdom. They called themselves, therefore, the children or the members of the kingdom of God, to the exclusion of the Gentiles. Our Saviour used the manner of speech to which they were accustomed, and said that “many of the pagans would be saved, and many Jews lost. SHALL BE CAST OUT INTO OUTER DARKNESS ... - This is an image of future punishment. It is not improbable that the image was taken from Roman dungeons or prisons. They were commonly constructed under ground. They were shut out from the light of the sun. They were, of course, damp, dark, and unhealthy, and probably most...

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 8:1 MESSIAH'S WORK AS COMPLEMENTARY TO HIS TEACHING. We return in this section to matter which resembles that of Mark and Luke, and undoubtedly belongs to the Framework (_vide _Introduction). St. Matthew has given a lengthy summary of the teaching of the Christ, and he now supplements it by a summary of his daily work. He is not concerned with the chronological connexion of the incidents here narrated, for this is evidently to him a matter of but secondary importance. He only desires to bring out different aspects of the Lord's life. Thus he notices— 1. Christ's miracles of healing, and the secret of his ability to perform them (verses 1-17). 2. The personal t

BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM,.... The Jews, who were subjects of the kingdom, and commonwealth of Israel, from which the Gentiles were aliens; and who were also in the church of God, which is his kingdom on earth; and besides, had the promise of the Gospel dispensation, sometimes called the kingdom of heaven, and by them, often the world to come; and were by their own profession, and in their apprehension and expectation, children, and heirs of the kingdom of glory. These phrases, בן העולם הבא, "a son of the world to come", and בני עלמא דאתי, "children of the world to come" o, are frequent in their writings: these, Christ says, SHALL BE CAST OUT; out of the land of Israel, as they were in a few years after, and out of the church of God: these branches were broken off, and the Gentiles grafted in, in their room; and will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven, where they hoped to have...

Matthew 8:1. _When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him._ There was a charm about his preaching, not that he modified his doctrine, or that he cut down his precepts; he spoke very plainly, very searchingly, and yet the people came to hear him. There is a something in the conscience of man that makes him turn away from that which flatters him, and makes him hear, almost against his liking, that which searches him. Matthew 8:2. _And, behold,_ Never mind about the crowd; fix your eye on the one man; behold, etc. here is a mark of attention. Matthew 8:2. _There came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean._...

6. THE KING MANIFESTED BY SIGNS OF DIVINE POWER. Chapter s 8-9. CHAPTER 8 1. The Healing of the Leper. (Matthew 8:1 .) 2. The Healing of the Centurion's Servant. (Matthew 8:5 .) 3. The Healing of Peter's Wife's Mother.(Matthew 8:14 .) 4. The Healing of All. (Matthew 8:16 .) 5. The Self-seeking Scribe and the Test of True Discipleship.(Matthew 8:18 .) 6. His Power over Nature. (Matthew 8:23 .) 7. His Power over the Demons. ...

THE CENTURION'S SERVANT (Luke 7:1; Luke 13:28 f.; _cf._ John 4:46 to John 5:3). Lk.'s version immediately follows his account of the sermon; probably it was so in Q. Mt. (_cf._ Jn.) may have understood _pais_ to mean son, not servant. Note his use of _doulos_ (slave, _cf. mg.)_ in Matthew 8:9. MATTHEW 8:7_ B_ should be read as a question. The centurion in reply admits his nnworthiness....