The Unworthy Centurion Matthew 8:8

Matthew shared how Jesus completed the Sermon on the Mount, and “When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. And Jesus said unto him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him. And saying, Lord, my servant lies at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him.” In chapter eight and verse eight of his book, Matthew shared how the centurion said to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof” where we read:

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof:

but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

The verse reads, “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof.” Matthew began with the words, “the centurion” or “an officer in the Roman army who was captain of one hundred men” “answered” which means “began to speak and respond” “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “Lord” which refers to “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”, “I am not worthy” which means “the centurion was not sufficient in ability, enough, fit or meet” “that you should come” or “that Jesus might enter, make entrance and arise” “under my roof” which means “beneath the thatch, deck, covering or roof of house of the centurion”. The “centurion” responded to Jesus' declaration by telling Him that he had no “merit or ability” that measured up to have Him come into his house.

The verse continues, “but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Matthew added the words, “but speak the word only” or “nevertheless, notwithstanding and without objection or restriction solely utter, declare and proclaim the decree, dictum and mandate”, “and my servant” which means “and the centurion's attendant, slave or minister” “shall be healed” or “will recover, be cured and made whole”. The “centurion” told Jesus that He only needed to “speak the word”, and his “attendant” would be “restored to health”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see tremendous “faith” exhibited by the “centurion”. He did not need Jesus to come to his house to heal his servant because he understood the authority of Jesus' word, and he recognized his own “unworthiness” to have Jesus visit his home. God loves this type of humility, faith and understanding, and when people come to Him through His Son Jesus in this “spirit”, they shall not only be forgiven for their “sins”, but also receive the promise of “everlasting life” with God.

Next time Matthew shares how the centurion said to Jesus, “I am a man under authority”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.