Speak the Word Only

But what’s impressive here is the officer’s response in verse 8. 

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.”

The King James Version says, But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 

In other words, “Jesus, I’m not worthy to have You come into my home.  You don’t even have to stop what You are doing, just speak the word and I know he’ll be healed.”   Now, he was as a Roman officer, but he respected Jesus’s authority.  He was not a Jew or a disciple.  This wasn’t someone who spent day and night with God.  But he had the faith to believe that Jesus could heal his servant.  He just believed. 

In verse 9, he told Jesus why he had the faith to believe: I am a man of authority, so I get it.  If I tell a soldier to go, he will go, and if I tell him to come, he will.  When I’m dealing with my servants, I say “do this,” and they do it.  You are the Son of God.  I know that You have the authority, and when You speak, everything must obey.  He was prepared to just take Jesus at His word.  Do we, the people of God, really have that kind of faith, to just take God at His word? 

And this next part, verse 10, is what I really love.  Jesus was amazed.

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!”  His level of faith caused Jesus to respond.  I want to impress Jesus like that!