In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke we read the account of Jesus and a Centurion of the Roman Empire. Each account is similar but different in some of the details. Whether or not there was only one Centurion or two, we know that his faith astonished Jesus.
Our blessed Lord said, "I have not found anyone in Israel with such a great faith" (Matthew 8:10b). He was not a Jew, but Jesus commended his faith and responded accordingly to it.
It is apparent that the Centurion understood that the message of Jesus was not about a religion but a kingdom. As a Roman officer he fully understood the protocol of military order and discipline. He applied his understanding of authority as he approached Jesus for the healing of his servant who was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. Authority is exercised through words. That is the reason we must give voice to our faith. He told Jesus that He only had to speak the Word and his servant would be healed. The Centurion exchanged his faith for his desire. The Lord of the kingdom said to this Centurion, "It will be done just as you believed it would."
It must be noted that this Centurion humbled himself before Jesus. A centurion was a captain of 100 or more soldiers. He came to Jesus asking for help. Pride quite often pervents us from asking for the help we desperately need. God gives grace to the humble.
The prophet Micah tells us that God requires three things of mankind:
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).
Jesus spoke the Word and the Centurion's servant was healed. Let me encourage you my readers never underestimate the power of the Word of God to accomplish what God intends for it to do. God's Word has power to create, to heal, save, and deliver.
Posted on
Fri, January 28, 2011
by Hugh Morgan