Who was the first person who was not a Jew to receive a miracle by Jesus?

Answer 1

Of the people whom Jesus performs miracles on or for, possibly the first is also the most famous, that is, the nameless centurion in Matthew 8. It's very possible that Jesus healed other people who weren't Jews, especially given the proclamation in John 21:25 that Jesus did so many things, it would be impossible to record them in a few short books.

The reason that the centurion's miracle is one of the first we learn about is probably because the gospel author thinks its important (Matt8:5-13). There are two main reasons why: first, the centurion is not just any gentile but a very important one. The Romans were occupying Jerusalem, and the Jewish people were very resentful about having the Romans trampling all over their homeland, so for an important Roman to ask for help from a Jew would have shown he really did have a lot of faith that Jesus could help him. We notice that this centurion already has a deep conviction that Jesus is something special, because he wastes no time asking Jesus questions about who He is or how He can do all these miracles.

We also notice that the centurion is asking for healing not for a son or daughter, or even for an important soldier under his command, but for a servant. It was common for important Romans to have servants, but it would not have been that common for an important man to care so much what happened to a sick servant.

This passage is usually viewed as "famous" for the amazing faith the centurion shows, because when Jesus says "Shall I come heal your servant?" the centurion basically says that he is not even worthy to have Jesus come under his roof. Keep in mind the fact that, if he had wanted to, this centurion could easily have said "I command you to come to my house," to almost any Jew he wanted and they would have been forced to obey. But not only does he give Jesus recognition as being more worthy, he says that, just as he tells a soldier "go here or do this" and it's as good as done, Jesus is so powerful that He can say anything He wants and it will come true.

So Jesus is amazed by the faith of this gentile and He praises the faith of the man, but the most important piece of the passage may be where Jesus says that "...many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This is probably the first time that we see a glimpse into God's plan for Jesus to offer salvation to all people, not the Jews alone. Jesus doesn't just praise the centurion's faith and then let the moment pass, but instead seizes it as an opportunity to teach and He gives a glimpse into the future: one day when all the Jews come to eat at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the most important figures in Hebrew history) some of them will find themselves thrown out and people with faith, like the centurion, will find themselves welcomed in. This miracle was the beginning of a wake up call for the Jews who would have been beyond shocked to imagine a centurion, or any gentile, taking a seat in paradise with the greatest Hebrew patriarchs in history.