“Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7
Jesus performed many miracles in and around Galilee. He healed a leper, a centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and a man with paralysis. The Savior cast out devils and calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee. These miracles illustrate the Savior’s power and authority over all things. After the Savior healed a man on the Sabbath day, some Jews began to plot how to destroy Him. The Savior taught that the Sabbath is a day to do good. He showed tenderness and compassion when He brought a widow’s son back to life. And He forgave a repentant woman who washed His feet with her tears.
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Background and Context
What was leprosy?
See the section “Mark 1:40–45. What was leprosy?”
Why didn’t the centurion want the Savior to enter his house?
(Compare to Luke 7:2–8.)
A centurion was an officer in the Roman army in command of 50 to 100 men. The Jews generally disliked centurions because they symbolized Roman power. However, Luke highlighted several admirable qualities of this centurion. He was selfless and kind. He centered his request on the needs of his servant, who was dear to him.
The centurion showed genuine humility, deeming himself unworthy to visit Jesus in person or to have Jesus enter his house. And the centurion probably knew that devout Jews did not usually have close contact with Gentiles, such as eating with them or entering their homes.
The Savior responded that He had “not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” This declaration corresponds with Jesus’s declaration that He was the anointed Messiah for all who would accept Him.
Why did Jesus Christ refer to Himself as the “Son of man”?
As recorded in the New Testament, Jesus often used the title “Son of man” in reference to Himself. It is a title for the Messiah. Though we cannot say for sure why Jesus used this title, here are some possible reasons:
First, the book of Daniel contains a prophecy of the coming of the “Son of man.” Jesus may have used this title to show that He was the one who would fulfill this prophecy.
Second, another name for God the Father is “Man of Holiness.” By calling Himself the Son of Man, Jesus openly declared His divine relationship with the Father. Christ is the Son of the Man of Holiness.
Third, using the title Son of Man was one way that Jesus Christ revealed the nature of Heavenly Father. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: “God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! … I say, if you were to see Him today, you would see Him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God.”
What do we know about storms on the Sea of Galilee?
“The unique geography of the Sea of Galilee makes it susceptible to windstorms. At 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, the sea sits at an elevation of 690 feet below sea level, with hills surrounding it. Some of the hills soar as high as 2,000 feet above the sea. In the evening, the warm, moist air above the water will often rise, while cooler air from the hills rapidly descends, creating high wind speeds at the water’s surface. In addition, the Sea of Galilee is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of 141 feet (43 m), which tends to produce larger waves when wind speeds are high.”
What efforts were required to get the man with palsy to the Savior?
photograph by James Jeffery
To be “sick of the palsy” meant to be paralyzed. When four people carried the man sick of the palsy to the house where Jesus taught, they found it was too crowded to enter. First-century houses in Capernaum were built of stone walls and topped with a flat roof made of wooden beams, thatch, and packed earth. Those carrying the man gained access by climbing up to the roof and tearing a large opening through the mud and thatch. They then lowered the man down to the Savior. The statement that “Jesus saw their faith” likely refers to the combined faith of all five men, as demonstrated by their united effort to reach the Savior.
What was significant about Jesus eating with publicans and sinners?
In Old and New Testament times, sharing a meal with others meant much more than simply eating and drinking together. It was a sign of fellowship. It indicated that there was a bond of friendship and peace or that such a bond was at least being offered. Sometimes during meals, the Savior would invite individuals to repent and change.
On several occasions, pious Jews criticized Jesus for eating with people they regarded as sinners. These so-called sinners included those who did not follow Jewish traditions and publicans, or tax collectors. Some Jews believed that eating with such people threatened their own purity.
Why did the scribes and Pharisees object to the disciples’ actions on the Sabbath?
The Sabbath set Israelites apart from all other people. Other cultures had holy sites, sacrificial laws, and various religious customs, but only Israelites observed the Sabbath.
In Jesus’s time, the Sabbath was a widely debated topic. When the Savior’s disciples picked some grain on the Sabbath while walking through a field, Jewish leaders saw this as a violation of the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders that David ate the tabernacle bread. In reminding them of this, the Savior established “the meaning of the Sabbath for humans, and His Lordship over it.”
In our day, we have also been counseled to remember the purpose of the Sabbath and to not create lengthy lists of dos and don’ts on the Sabbath day.
Who were the Herodians?
See “Who were the Herodians and the Zealots?” in the section “Between the Old and New Testaments” in the introduction.
Who is the “strong man” in this analogy?
(Compare to Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21–22.)
The scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus of using the power of the devil to cast out devils. The Savior explained that a man who overcomes and binds a strong man must be even stronger than that man. In this context, “the strong man” represents the devil. Jesus is the one who is “stronger than he,” the one who can overcome and bind the devil. The Savior’s ability to cast out devils should have made it plain to His accusers that He has power over Satan.
Elder James E. Talmage explained, “Christ had attacked the stronghold of Satan, had driven his evil spirits from the human [bodies] of which they had unwarrantably taken possession; how could Christ have done this had He not first subdued the ‘strong man,’ the master of devils, Satan himself?”
What is the meaning of the parable of the growing seed?
This parable teaches about the partnership between God and us. The man plants seeds in an environment where they can grow, but then he must wait for that growth to happen. As time passes, the earth that God created gradually brings “forth fruit of herself.” As the Apostle Paul wrote, we may plant and water, but it is God who miraculously “giveth the increase.” Only God can make things grow. This principle applies to spiritual growth in individuals and to the growth of the Church throughout the world.
What efforts did the Savior make to get to the village of Nain?
“Nain was a small farming village at Jesus’s time. … The town itself was off the beaten path. Access to it was limited to a single road. During Jesus’s time, this settlement would have been small and relatively poor, and it has remained that way ever since. At times in its history, this town has encircled as few as 34 homes and just 189 people. …
“Luke begins his account by noting that Jesus was in Capernaum the day before and had healed the centurion’s servant (see Luke 7:1–10). Then we learn that ‘the day after’ (verse 11; emphasis added), the Savior went into a city called Nain, accompanied by a large group of disciples. This sequence is very important. Capernaum is situated on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 600 feet (183 m) below sea level. Nain is about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Capernaum at 700 feet (213 m) above sea level, thus requiring an arduous, uphill climb to Nain. In order to walk from Capernaum to Nain, it would have taken at least one or two days. … This means that Jesus probably had to arise very early or possibly even walk during the night in order to intercept the burial procession ‘the day after.’”
The Savior’s willingness to make this long, difficult journey when He did is an example of His care and concern for the widow of Nain and for all of us.
Illustration by Keith Beavers
What challenges might the widow of Nain have faced when her only son died?
Having an only son die would be a tragedy for anyone, but especially for a widow in New Testament times. In addition to her emotional distress, she may have also faced financial ruin. Women relied heavily on male relatives for support and protection. When a woman married, she became part of her husband’s family. Her care was typically delegated to her firstborn son in the event of her husband’s death. The firstborn son received an inheritance from his father to care for the rest of the family. When the widow’s son died, she was left without an inheritor. Unless she had other relatives to rely on, she may have found herself financially destitute.
Why is there no “greater prophet than John the Baptist”?
See the section “Matthew 11:7–15. What made John the Baptist such a great prophet?”
What was the custom of washing a guest’s feet?
While Jesus dined with a Pharisee named Simon, a woman with a reputation as a sinner approached Him. While not invited to the feast, the woman was able to enter Simon’s house because custom allowed uninvited people and even strangers to enter a house at meal time. The woman washed the Savior’s feet with her tears and anointed them with ointment.
Washing a guest’s feet was an act of hospitality in ancient Israel. It was a task generally assigned to a female servant. If the household did not have a servant, the host provided water for guests to wash their own feet. This custom continued into the Savior’s day.
Unlike the woman, Simon had given Jesus no water to wash His feet. He had offered no kiss of greeting and had not anointed Jesus’s head with oil. Jesus contrasted Simon’s lack of performing these customary acts of kindness for a guest with the woman’s humble ministrations.
Learn More
Jesus Calmed the Storm
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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Peace to Face Life’s Storms,” For the Strength of Youth, Mar. 2023, 2–5
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Lisa L. Harkness, “Peace, Be Still,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 80–82
The Sabbath Day
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Henry B. Eyring, “Gratitude on the Sabbath Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 99–102
The Widow of Nain
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Keith J. Wilson, “In Times of Discouragement, Remember the Widow of Nain,” Ensign, Apr. 2019, 12–17
Media
Videos
“Widow of Nain” (2:26)
“Calming the Tempest” (2:21)
“Jesus Forgives Sins and Heals a Man Stricken with Palsy” (2:57)
Images
Stilling the Storm, by Ted Henninger
Washing Jesus’s Feet, by Brian Call