A leper first came to Jesus and asked to be healed, “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “…be cleansed.” IMMEDIATELY his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matt. 8:3)
Then Jesus went on to Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I WILL COME AND HEAL HIM.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I AM NOT WORTHY that You should come under my roof. But ONLY SPEAK A WORD, AND MY SERVANT WILL BE HEALED. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found SUCH GREAT FAITH, not even in Israel!” (Matt. 8:5-10) Here is a story of faith understood as PROFOUND TRUST. On the surface, the centurion in this encounter and the leper who beseeched Jesus in the last couldn’t be more different. The leper is powerless while the centurion is a man of authority, and the leper is Jewish, while the centurion is a Roman.
But two things tie them together.
- THE FIRST IS NEED. Both are in distress. The leper because he has been plagued by a skin condition that not only was painful but also had distinct and profound social costs as well. The centurion is also distressed, but on behalf of a servant of his who is suffering. Both of them are therefore driven to Jesus by their need.
- SECONDLY, BOTH OF THEM TRUST. The leper trusts Jesus can heal him and so asks, “Lord, if you choose….” The centurion doesn’t even expect Jesus to come to his house – that is, the house of a Gentile Roman – and instead trusts that if Jesus MERELY SPEAKS the command his servant WILL BE HEALED.
This is why Jesus says to us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, WHATEVER YOU ASK the Father in My name HE WILL GIVE YOU. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.” (John 16:23-24)
-Bill Stockham