マタイによる福音書8:5-13 Matthew 8:5-13,

In Jesus’ time, the Jewish nation was ruled by a large and powerful country, the Roman Empire. Therefore, there were Roman imperial troops in the cities of the Jewish nation. In the Roman Empire’s army there were centurions, captains of a hundred soldiers. Some of the centurions might have been obstinate and did terrible things to the Jewish people. But in today’s Bible passages, we see a good centurion who did kind deeds to the Jewish people.

There was a town called Capernaum on the north-western shore of the Lake Galilee. The centurion in that town was, of course, not from the Jewish nation. However, he was a man of deep faith in the God attested in the Bible. In those days, when the Jewish people took the Sabbath day off from work, they would gather in a building called the synagogue to worship God. According to another biblical passage, this centurion built the synagogue for the people. He was such a man who served God and the people. He was also a man who cared very much about the servants he used. One day, one of his servants became seriously ill. His disease was paralysis in which the blood vessels in the brain become blocked or ruptured, causing disability. The centurion believed that Jesus would perform a miracle to heal his servant. So he met Jesus and said, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion must have been happy. But the centurion did not reply, “Come on, let’s go quickly!” Instead, he said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” When we speak of healing a sick person by performing a miracle, we usually think of performing the miracle by touching the person’s body. However, this centurion thought that Jesus could heal the sick by only saying the word. Why? Because the centurion knew the power of the word.

In verse 9, The centurion said, “For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” A centurion was under authority of a tribune, i.e., the commander of a thousand soldiers. If the tribune ordered something to the centurion, he would do as he was ordered. The centurion could then give orders to the soldiers under him. If the centurion gave an order, the soldiers under him moved according to that order. If he said to one soldier, “Go,” then he went; if he said to another, “Come,” he came. Now, Jesus was even greater and more authoritative than the tribune, than the general above him, and even more so than the Roman Emperor. For Jesus was the only Son of the God of heaven, who rules the world and the universe. Therefore, the centurion believed that if Jesus gave the word, his servant would do what he said.

Jesus was very impressed by the centurion’s faith. He said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” Then, the centurion’s servant was healed at that very moment. It is a wonder! Jesus’ words have such mysterious power. So let us also believe in the words of Jesus and live by them. Jesus’ words are written in many places in the Bible. Let us believe and study the words of Jesus.