Tag: Jesus Words are Powerful - Matthew 8-10

Matthew 8:8-11

But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,

Tag:  Christ’s Words are Powerful

The centurion, in the above dialogue, had a son at home who was dying.   He came to Jesus for help.   Jesse offered to go to his house to see the boy.  The rest of the narrative is clear.   The centurion recognizes “authority.”    The centurion was a man of authority.  He knew that when he tells men what to do (because he can), men do what he tells them.  The point is that, IF, Jesus was who He claimed to be (an the centurion believed He was), all Jesus would have to do is speak a WORD and his son would be healed.  He “believed” that Jesus was the Son of God. With such a belief, he realized that the God of the universe could do whatever He wanted. If He wanted to heal the centurion son, the father reasoned, then all Jesus had to do was speak a word.   Note the following passages:

Matthew 8:16

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

Matthew 8:26

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:30-32

Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.

All Jesus had to do, in each of these instances, was speak a word.  He has “authority” over sickness; over the creation; over demons!   Jesus has authority. Our faith is not what Jesus will do, but what Jesus can do.  We believe He can and that is our part.  What He does and when and if He does it, is His part.   Faith is the faith of the centurion:  Belief that Jesus HAS the authority to command anything He will to be done.   What a great, restful, peace for the Believer.  To simply know God can do what He wants.    And, what He wants is perfect for us!!