5. Jesus went to the city of Capernaum. When he entered the city, an army officer came to him and begged for help.
6. The officer said, “Lord, my servant is very sick at home in bed. He can’t move his body and has much pain.”
7. Jesus said to the officer, “I will go and heal him.”
8. The officer answered, “Lord, I am not good enough for you to come into my house. You need only to give the order, and my servant will be healed.
9. I know this, because I understand authority. There are people who have authority over me, and I have soldiers under my authority. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and my servant obeys me.”
10. When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israel.
11. Many people will come from the east and from the west. These people will sit and eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in God’s kingdom.
12. And those who should have the kingdom will be thrown out. They will be thrown outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”
13. Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go home. Your servant will be healed the way you believed he would.” Right then his servant was healed.
14. Jesus went to Peter’s house. He saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a high fever.
15. He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she stood up and began to serve him.
16. That evening people brought to Jesus many people who had demons inside them. He spoke and the demons left the people. He healed all those who were sick.
17. So Jesus made clear the full meaning of what Isaiah the prophet said: “He took away our diseases and carried away our sicknesses.” Isaiah 53:4
18. When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake.
19. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you any place you go.”
20. Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to rest.”
21. Another of Jesus’ followers said to him, “Lord, I will follow you too, but let me go and bury my father first.”
22. But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let those who are dead bury their own dead.”