“And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.”
Matthew 8:13 ESV
Matthew 8:5 through 8:13 is an event where a Centurion asks Jesus to heal his sick servant. His servant didn’t have the common cold but was paralyzed and suffering terribly. Jesus responds, “I will come and heal him”. To this the Centurion responds with great faith, for he says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:8 ESV
We are not worthy, and Jesus only has to say the word. You and I can say the word all day and nothing happen, UNLESS it is by the Spirit of God living in us that the word was spoken. When Peter (in Acts 3) told the lame man, “rise up and walk” that word only had power because it was backed by the word of God, Jesus Christ. As we see in this story of the Centurion and his servant, when Jesus says the word it might as well be considered done. He doesn’t have to even be there “physically“. He merely has to say the word from where he is. In fact, in verse 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” (Matthew 8:7) And by the end of this story he did just that; maybe not physically, but in the Spirit. His power reached the man’s servant and this servant was healed. The verse says, “at that very moment”.
Now if you are truly a believer, Christ lives in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) He doesn’t live in you so you can say your own words and things be done – though in his merciful, grace and love, he listens to our prayers. But he is the Lord.
Jesus once said, “Just as the Father sent me, I send you”. (John 20:21)
Jesus also said, “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (John 12:49-50).
In agreement with the Centurion, we are not even worthy for him to come under our roof. Yet, he makes a way and its him who makes us clean. May we listen to what he is saying, or has said, and speak out what he gives us to say, all to the glory of God.
May we always be growing in our listening, growing in our prayer life, and growing in our faith.
God has blessed us.
