"Just Say the Word" -- Matthew 8:5-13

Introduction

Humility and confidence are not often terms that used to describe the same person, but further reflection suggests that one must have confidence in order to find humility.

The confident person is someone who is aware of his or her abilities. With knowledge of one’s abilities also comes an awareness of one’s shortcomings. It also includes an awareness of how others assist in successful endeavors. A successful football quarterback or running back recognizes the importance of his linemen and receivers, knowing that a faulty line cannot protect the quarterback or open holes for the runner. Receivers who cannot catch or block are a hindrance to a successful quarterback or runner.

Knowing that our success depends on the success of others allows the confident person to share the glory, to be gracious and to be humble.

We see these twin attributes in the centurion that approached Jesus in Capernaum.

Background

Humility is a term not often associated with ancient Romans. After all, they conquered all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, extending their empire up to Scotland, the Rhine and to the Persian Gulf. Ancient civilizations like Greece and Egypt were under Roman rule, as was Babylon.

Rome ruled their empire through a series of things. One of Rome’s great claims to fame was the engineering that created a splendid roadway across the empire as well as aqueducts that provided fresh clean water to various cities and villages. Some of these roads and aqueducts are still in use today.

The roads were used for the free flow of trade and goods across the empire. The roads also allowed for the rapid movement of Rome’s armies. These armies maintained the peace in the empire, while also protecting the borders from raiders and threats.

The Roman army was an efficiently run organization. One of the basic organizations of the army was the century. The century was made up of ten groups called the conturbenium, a group of eight men. The century was commanded by a centurion. Six centuries formed a cohort, and ten cohorts would create a legion of troops.

The centurion was a non-commissioned officer in the Roman army, much like a sergeant in today’s army. He was responsible for the daily training and disposition of his troops, but he was also expected to follow the orders of the officers above him.

Today’s passage shows us a centurion who had an appreciation for the Jewish people and their faith. Luke (7:1-10) tells us the centurion sent elders of the Jews to speak to Jesus on his behalf. Their testimony is that the centurion “loves our nation and has built our synagogue” (Lk 7:5). It has similarities to Jesus’ encounter with the friends who brought a paralyzed man to Jesus (their faith was enough to bring healing) and to the woman with the unending flow (a confident faith that Jesus can bring about the desired result). The passage shows us that the centurion was not only a humble man, asking Jesus for help, but was also a man of deep faith in Jesus’ ability to meet his request.

Central Truth: The centurion’s absolute faith shows us that such faith allows God to work in our lives in such a way that will always bring glory to God.

1. The Centurion’s Need (5-7)

Verses 5-7 introduce us to the centurion and his plight. According to Matthew, the centurion approached Jesus asking for help. It is reasonable to believe that he had heard of Jesus’ healing powers. As Jesus had just come to Capernaum, the centurion saw his opportunity and approached Jesus.

The interesting thing about the centurion’s request is that it has relatively little to do with him. Rather, the request is for one of his servants. The compassion for his servant tells us something else about the centurion. It is said that Julius Caesar once apologized for feeling pity for a slave. Slaves were property, to be used for the master’s benefit and pleasure. Yet this centurion saw this servant as a person. His description of the servant to Jesus is that the servant is paralyzed and in terrible suffering.

It is probable that the centurion had done all that was in his power to help his servant, and all those efforts has failed. Concern for the servant’s wellbeing inevitably led him to Jesus. After all, a person of faith knows to turn to Jesus in a time of need, whether for healing, guidance or assurance. The confidence of our faith lets us know that Jesus can and does meet our needs.

True to form, Jesus’ response to the centurion is: “I will go and heal him.” There are those who suggest that Jesus’ words are a question—“Shall I go and heal him?”—as if to test the centurion’s faith or the centurion’s request. More than likely, Jesus was affirming to the centurion that He had heard the need and was prepared to meet it, much as He was prepared to go with Jairus to heal his daughter.

Like the centurion, we need to realize that Jesus is available and able to do what we need. Asking in His name, we receive; seeking, we find; knocking, the door is opened. We express our faith in Jesus when we seek His will in matters of life and living. That faith grows as we see how God responds to our prayers.

1. The Centurion’s Faith (8-9)

Upon hearing that Jesus was prepared to go to the centurion’s home, he immediately acknowledged his relationship with Jesus. “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof” may be an awareness of the Jewish belief that entering a Gentile’s home would make the Jew unclean. I believe it was the centurion’s humility which prompted him to decline Jesus’ offer to come with him. A faith such as that shown by the centurion would know that Jesus was a person worthy of reverence and respect. It’s probable the house was not on Jesus’ way and to ask Him to come with him would be an imposition. Instead, the centurion was confident that Jesus did not need to come with him.

The absolute faith of the centurion is seen in the next words said to Jesus—“Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” There is no doubt or hint of uncertainty in the statement. He knew that Jesus had the power to heal even from a distance. It’s the same confidence Mary demonstrated at the wedding at Cana—“Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). It is a faith that is so sure that the centurion knows Jesus does not need to be present to honor his request.

The reason he knew of Jesus’ ability to heal from a distance is drawn from the centurion’s own professional experience as expressed in v. 9. Being a military man, he knew what it was to give (and be given) orders. When an officer gives an order, it is expected to be carried out with all due haste.

The centurion applies that experience into the spiritual realm with Jesus. Just as the centurion had experienced the discipline of military service, so did he believe with certainty that the same principles would apply to the spiritual realm in relation to Jesus. No doubt the centurion had heard of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee where He had healed many. This ministry is described briefly by Matthew in Matthew 4:23-25. With the confidence in Jesus’ ability, it was only reasonable that the centurion would believe completely that Jesus need only say the word and it would be accomplished.

We learn from the centurion that our faith must be grounded not on some superfluous knowledge, but grounded on experiences of living. For Christians, our faith should be even stronger as we have spent our Christian life walking in obedience to Christ. We recognize His authority based not only on what the Scripture tells us, but from seeing Him working in our lives.

1. The Centurion’s Reward (10-13)

Jesus’ reaction to the centurion’s statement is one of astonishment. Why?

I think, first of all, that this is early in Jesus’ public ministry. To hear such a strong faith at this stage in His ministry must have been unusual, if not very rare indeed. Secondly, this faith is not coming from a Jewish person, but from a Gentile. To be sure, this Gentile is a person who sympathizes with the Jewish faith and has a compassion for its people. Still, Jesus’ ministry has been focused on His own people, yet here is a statement of absolute faith coming from the centurion. Finally, the statement is a powerful one of not just faith but an understanding of Jesus’ authority over the spiritual realm. Jesus was astonished.

The result of the centurion’s statement offers Jesus the opportunity to tell His followers and listeners that God’s love demonstrated in the sending of His Son was not limited to the tribes of Israel, but to all humanity. The result of such faith results in eternal life, eternal fellowship with God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son. Such a relationship with God is faith-based and Christ-centered, and has nothing at all to do with one’s heritage or one’s religion of ancestry. It echoes the words of John 1:12-13: “Yet, to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Those who rely on these misguided venues will spend eternity separated from God and His love.

Having made this great pronouncement, Jesus then turns to the centurion and tells him, “Go! It will be done for you as you believed it would” (v. 13). To put it into other terms, “Centurion, you can go to the house, because you nailed it exactly. Your words of faith show you understand My authority and My power, and your faith is rewarded.”

The next verse tells us that the servant was healed as Jesus’ words were being spoken to the centurion.

Faith is so important in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is very clear in this passage that faith in Him alone is the key to eternal life and fellowship with Him. It is a faith that is day-to-day, a faith that is demonstrated in the marketplace and the home. We have a living faith because we have a living Savior and are indwelt by a living Holy Spirit. It is a faith in Christ that must be evidenced by the life we live.

Conclusion

This is the only record we have of the centurion encountering Jesus. There is another centurion at the cross, but there is no indication that they are the same man. It is highly unlikely they are the same. So this one encounter had to count. He went to Jesus. He told him of his need. He expressed his understanding of Jesus’ authority and he went home in hope that Jesus had answered his plea.

That’s what faith is. Coming to Jesus; talking with Jesus; believing Jesus; walking in hope and trust. Is this your faith?