Faith and Faithfulness

Matthew 8:5 “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, “Go!” and he goes, and to another, “Come!” and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this!” and he does it.’ Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed that very moment.

“When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘He himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.’”

Matthew 8.5-17

The two narratives above present a dilemma. Why was such emphasis placed on the faith of the centurion and no mention was made of faith at all in the story of Peter’s mother-in-law and the sick who came to Jesus? Given Jesus’ statement about the “sons of the kingdom” being cast into outer darkness, presumably because they would not trust, some kind of disconnect seems to be present in these stories. Why would such a condemnation be made of the Israelites in one verse, and healing of sick Jews be found immediately following?

The centurion came to Jesus seeking the healing of one of his servants. He was not looking for anything for himself. His concern was for a simple slave who was paralyzed. His desperation had driven him to Jesus. We can safely assume this man was at the end of his rope; if Jesus could not or would not help, what hope did he or his servant have?

The “great faith” of the centurion was put into contrast with the response to God of the people of Israel. Jesus said he had not found “anyone in Israel” with the kind of faith the centurion expressed. Look closely, though, at the exchange between Jesus and the centurion. The Roman had asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus replied, “I will come and heal him.” Oddly, the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” This man knew, because of his behavior, he did not deserve the honor of Jesus coming into his home.

Even if that Roman did not realize the fact, he was asking for grace. That is what set him apart from “anyone in Israel.” In his dealings with the Pharisees, Jesus typically was tolerated and condescended to. The Pharisees had a sense of entitlement; they deserved God’s favor because of their behavior. They obviously deserved God’s favor because they so scrupulously observed the Law. They were unable to see they were no more deserving of God’s grace than an unclean Roman. Grace was granted to the centurion, and by extension, to his slave (who might have been a Jew). Grace was available to the Jews, yet, they were not interested in grace.

Jesus was faithful to his on offer of grace when he healed the Roman’s servant. He responded to the man’s faith, not his behavior. So, what about those sick Jews who were healed by Jesus? We might justly infer faith was a part of that event as well. The sick were brought to Jesus by others who, at the least, hoped and believed Jesus would heal their family members and friends.

In the healing of the sick Jews, Jesus was being faithful to himself. As those who had been healed proclaimed, “He himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” The Lord understood why he had come to this earth. He came to give himself for those who did not know their own need. Jesus did not die for those who realized their sin; he died for those who were trapped and enslaved by their sin and could see no way out. He died for those who did not recognize at all their own sinfulness.

So, in healing the centurion’s servant and those sick who had been brought to him, Jesus was being faithful to himself. He was responding to human need, both in healing sicknesses and sins. The power of grace is without limit. The faith of the Roman centurion was the interface between the need of his servant and God’s grace. The needs of the sick were also a connecting point. Grace responds to need, whether asked for or not. The Cross proved that truth. Jesus died for those who did not love him nor accept him. He died because of humanity’s great need. He was and is faithful.

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5.6)