Back again with a new addition to the Healing Series, we are going to dive into the faith of the centurion.
Let’s look at Matthew 8:5-13 (NKJV).
5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Whew! Let’s unpack this.
Looking at the centurion, he is considered a high-ranking army official in the Roman army. Mind you, the centurion is a Gentile, someone who is not a descendent of the Jews. However, this did not stop him in asking Jesus to heal one of his servants.
It’s important to note that Jesus was willing to go with the centurion to heal the servant. During that time, it was like fraternizing with an enemy. However, in God’s book everyone has grace and can be redeemed.
Knowing this, the centurion said to Jesus to “only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (verse 8). The faith that the centurion had in this conversation was so great that even Jesus marvelled at it! The centurion trusted in not a laying of hands from the Lord, but just the words that he spoke!
Jesus honored his faith. In verse 13, Jesus healed his servant at the same hour because of the man’s faith.
I don’t know about you, but it convicted me. How much faith do we have just in the words of God? Everything is written out for us: healing, deliverance, love, peace. The word of God is tried and true, all we have to do is speak it, just as Christ did for the centurion.
At the end of the day:
Have Faith and Speak the Word!
