Matthew 8:5-13

⁵ When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him, asking earnestly for his help,

⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible pain.”

⁷ So Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ But the centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, just give the command, and my servant will be healed.

⁹ For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was shocked and said to those who followed him, “Honestly, I tell you, I have not found such faith as this in any Israelite.

¹¹ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from the sky,

¹² while the sons who should be in that kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And that very instant his servant was healed. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and those who deserve it

Jesus expressed the same willingness to heal the centurion’s servant as he has the man with leprosy. But the centurion did not need Jesus to follow him home. He knew that Jesus had authority over that paralysis. He knew all Jesus had to do was command it to leave. That knowledge is what we call faith.

Jesus was shocked to find faith here – in the heart of an enemy soldier. He told his followers that there would be many like this, coming from the east and west, who would be there when his sky kingdom comes down. They are foreigners with faith. Because they have faith in him, they will have a place in his future kingdom. But those who think they have a right to that kingdom by birth will be thrown out, experiencing sorrowful regret and anger at their loss.

LORD, we believe you have the right to decide what happens to us. We trust in your grace, not in our rights. Just give the command.