Sunday's lesson from Matthew 8 was over three miracles that Jesus performed after he finished the sermon on the mount.  The first was the leper, who called out to Jesus (probably from the side of the road since lepers were not allowed in public around people)  and said, "If you will, you can heal me."  He didn't ask for healing, but for the will of Jesus.  And Jesus said, "I will."  And He did.  If it had been me, I would probably have asked that Jesus heal me.  But the leper was humble in the presence of Christ.  We usually add, "Thy will be done," to our prayers as an afterthought.

Jesus then sent the leper to the Temple to receive the blessing of the priests and to be declared clean--which was required by Jewish law.  I think that Jesus did that because there were those who said that Jesus was performing miracles because he was possessed by a demon.  By receiving a declaration from the priest that the leper was clean, it put those accusations to rest.  The leper was approved as clean by the Jewish priests, the Mosaic law, and by God.  Not by demons.

The second miracle involved a Centurion.  A Roman and a Gentile--both hated and declared unclean by the Jews.  To enter a Gentile house was forbidden.  To speak to them was looked down on.  So for this Centurion to speak to Jesus was very unusual.  And he called Jesus "Lord."  That was very, very unusual.  The Romans controlled the Jews.  But the Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant--who was not there but was back in the Centurion's home.   He told Jesus that he understood authority, because he was in authority over many men.   For a Gentile to grant that Jesus was in authority over sickness, that Jesus could just speak a word and the servant would be healed amazed Jesus.

Jesus said, "I have not seen such faith as this in all of Israel."  This healing was a public declaration that Christ had come to heal all of us.  Not just Jews.  And the servant was healed--not by his faith--but because of the faith of the Centurion.  "...pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16