KEY VERSES:
“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. Matthew 8:8 (NIV)
One day, while Jesus was in Capernaum surrounded by a crowd, a Roman centurion walked up to him and asked for healing on behalf of his servant who by all indications may have been a Jew as the Jews at that time were under Roman rule. Jesus agreed to go with him and heal the servant who was down with paralysis, but the centurion’s reply, steeped in faith, astounded the Lord…”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. For I am also 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.” Matthew 8:8–9.
As a career military officer in the Roman army with control over hundred soldiers, and he himself being under authority, the Roman Centurion certainly understood hierarchy. Roman soldiers, of all people were hated by the Jews for their oppression, control and ridicule. Yet this man’s genuine faith amazed Jesus. This hated Gentile put to shame the stagnant piety of many of the Jewish religious leaders.
Jesus told the crowd afterwards that many religious Jews who should be in the kingdom would be excluded because of their lack of faith…”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! 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. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:10.
The centurion could have allowed many obstacles stand between him and Jesus – pride, doubt, money, language, distance, time, self-sufficiency (afterall he wasn’t the one down with paralysis), power, race. But he didn’t let those barriers block his approach to Jesus. Instead, he stepped out selflessly in faith and not only received physical healing for his servant but spiritual healing for his own soul.
“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. Matthew 8:8 (NIV)
One day, while Jesus was in Capernaum surrounded by a crowd, a Roman centurion walked up to him and asked for healing on behalf of his servant who by all indications may have been a Jew as the Jews at that time were under Roman rule. Jesus agreed to go with him and heal the servant who was down with paralysis, but the centurion’s reply, steeped in faith, astounded the Lord…”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. For I am also 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.” Matthew 8:8–9.
As a career military officer in the Roman army with control over hundred soldiers, and he himself being under authority, the Roman Centurion certainly understood hierarchy. Roman soldiers, of all people were hated by the Jews for their oppression, control and ridicule. Yet this man’s genuine faith amazed Jesus. This hated Gentile put to shame the stagnant piety of many of the Jewish religious leaders.
Jesus told the crowd afterwards that many religious Jews who should be in the kingdom would be excluded because of their lack of faith…”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! 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. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:10.
The centurion could have allowed many obstacles stand between him and Jesus – pride, doubt, money, language, distance, time, self-sufficiency (afterall he wasn’t the one down with paralysis), power, race. But he didn’t let those barriers block his approach to Jesus. Instead, he stepped out selflessly in faith and not only received physical healing for his servant but spiritual healing for his own soul.
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