Bible Study - verse by verse - 25

Matthew 8:5, 6 The centurion could have let many obstacles stand between him and Jesus - pride, doubt, money, language, distance, time, self-sufficiency, power, race. But he didn't. If he did not let these barriers block his approach to Jesus, we don't need to either. What keeps you from Christ?
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Matthew 8:8 A centurion was a career military officer in the Roman army with control over hundreds of soldiers. Roman soldiers were hated by the Jews for their oppression, control, and ridicule. Yet this man's genuine faith amazed Jesus! This hated Gentile's faith put to shame the stagnant piety of many of the Jewish religious leaders.
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Matthew 8:10-12 Jesus told the crowd that many religious Jews who should be in the kingdom would be excluded because of their lack of faith. Entrenched in their religious traditions, they could not accept Christ and His new message. We must be careful not to become so set in our religious habits that we expect God to work only in specified ways. Don't limit God by your mind-set and lack of faith.
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Matthew 8:11, 12 "East and West" stand for the four corners of the earth. All the faithful people of God will be gathered to feast with the Messiah (Isaiah 55). The Jews should have known that when the Messiah came, His blessings would be for Gentiles too (Isaiah 66:12, 19). But this message came as a shock because they were too wrapped up in their own affairs and destiny. In claiming God's promises, we must not apply them so personally that we forget to see what God wants to do to reach all the people He loves.
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Matthew 8:11, 12 Matthew emphasizes this universal theme - Jesus' message is for everyone. The Old Testament prophets knew this (Isaiah 56:3; 66:12, 19; Malachi 1:11), but many New Testament Jewish leaders chose to ignore it. Each individual has to choose to accept or reject the gospel, and no one can become part of God's kingdom on the basis of heritage or connections. Having a Christian family is a wonderful blessing, but it won't guarantee you eternal life. You must believe in and follow Christ personally, individually.