The Authority of the Word

When Jesus had finished His Sermon on the Mount, He came down and large crowds began to follow Him. The message He had just given was what gained Him that following. The fact that He spoke with authority commanded their attention. So over the next few chapters in Matthew we are presented with case after case of events where Jesus demonstrates His authority—authority over disease, over nature, over demons, over sin, and over death. These were His credentials—the credentials of the Messiah. Through them He claimed victory over sin and death, and He set a clear vision for His followers.

In Matthew 8:5-13, a centurion came to Jesus on behalf of his paralyzed servant. Yesterday being Father's Day, I thought I would look at this story because this servant boy was like a son to the centurion and the centurion was like a father to this servant. The emphasis of the story is on the power of the Word of the Lord. By His command He healed the sick. In response to this man’s show of faith, Jesus teaches a lesson on faith. The fact that this faith was demonstrated by a Gentile and not a Jew, probably did not sit well with those who heard it.

The story deals with a very unique occasion, because the request is made by a Roman soldier on behalf of his servant. The focus is solely on the authority of the spoken word. The centurion understood the power of authoritative commands, and he recognized Jesus as one who had that power. This prompted Jesus to express His amazement at this man’s faith, a faith that was unequaled in all of Israel. So we have a story about healing, but even more so, a story about faith, the faith of a Gentile. As the story unfolds this man's faith is revealed.

Jesus is in Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the town where Jesus made his “base of operations.” It was a good-sized place, a natural site for fishing, which is why Peter made his home there (and perhaps Jesus stayed with him). But it was also on the main road that led from Damascus in the north down past the Sea of Galilee, through the hills to the Jezreel Valley, and then over to the coast through more mountain passes to connect with the coastal highway to Egypt. It was a main thoroughfare for caravans and traders, as well as the military.

Since Capernaum was a significant city on the main highway, it had a military presence. That accounts for the presence of the centurion. A centurion was, as the name suggests, a military officer who commanded a hundred men. So there was a sizeable military unit stationed there.

So begins the story: “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented’” (vs. 5-6). In the original Greek, “servant” literally means “a young child.” The same story as recorded in Luke 7:1-10, tells us that this young servant boy “was dear to him” (Luke 7:2). The centurion was afraid his servant would die.

A slave in Rome was nothing more than a material possession to be used and discarded at will. So this centurion’s love and compassion for his slave boy was rare and unheard of in Israel. Certainly this boy was like a son to the man. So his faith is lived out in love, seeking healing for the boy, as any loving father would do. No cost is too great for the sake of one’s son.

The young boy was suffering great pain. The disease was paralyzing, painful, and fatal. This man's prayer was for healing. This centurion was a seasoned and capable fighting man or he would not have been a centurion. He was a man's man. He was a soldier's soldier. Yet he felt compassion for his dying slave boy and he felt unworthy to approach Jesus personally. But Jesus knew his heart. He didn’t need a direct request, either from the centurion or from the Jews who came on his behalf. Jesus simply responded in love, saying, “I will come and heal him” (Mark 8:7).

The centurion twice called Jesus “Lord” (vs. 6, 8), indicating more than just a simple courtesy. He believed that Jesus is Lord. He believed Jesus to be the Christ. He believed that Jesus was indeed God and that He had the power to heal his paralyzed servant. Because the servant was too ill to be carried out to Jesus and because he felt unworthy to have Jesus come into his house, he said to Him, “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” (v. 8b). From the reports he had heard of Jesus healing power, and maybe from having witnessed some of the healings himself, he knew that distance was no barrier.

The centurion trusted both the authority and power of Jesus' Word. He simply had faith that Jesus could do anything necessary to accomplish His purpose. If that was healing for the boy, then Jesus would do it from wherever He was. He knew authority when he saw it, even in a realm in which he had no experience or understanding. He knew that if he had the power to make his soldiers and slaves do his bidding by simply giving them orders, Jesus’ supernatural powers could even more easily allow Him simply to say the Word and his servant would be healed. That was the power of Jesus' Word.

What great faith; unparalleled 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!’” (v. 10). Jesus, being the Lord of creation, knew all men's hearts. Still He was amazed at how this Gentile soldier showed more genuine faith in Him than He had found “with anyone in Israel” (v. 10; NASB). Those who had less opportunity to know God's truth—the Gentiles “from east and west” (v. 11)—would show greater response to the gospel than God's own chosen people.

In answer to the centurion’s prayer of faith, Jesus reaffirmed the greatness of his faith: “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” (v. 13). Oh what a little faith can do. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6).

If you have even a little faith like this centurion, live by it; act upon it. Trust Jesus and rest in the power of His Word. Take everything to God in prayer, knowing that Jesus loves you and cares for you. Trust that your faith is enough that Jesus will do "as you have believed" (v. 13). Amen.