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. Matthew 8:8
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! Matthew 8:10
Why was Centurion associated with having such a great faith? What did Jesus see in Centurion that he did not find in Israel? Did we ever ponder this question? What did the centurion see in Jesus that Israelites have not seen in Jesus?
Israelites just saw the healings and miracles when Jesus moved physically. In old testament until this chapter, miracles happened in God’s presence or in presence of a prophet. The centurion saw that we don't need Jesus' or a prophet's physical presence for a healing or miracle. A simple word from Jesus can perform a healing or miracle. The power of Jesus' word is the same as Jesus physically appearing and performing a healing. Many disciples and Israelites were with Jesus, but they did not realise the power of Jesus’s words like the centurion did.
Centurion was actually a history-maker. He broke the notation that God’s presence or Jesus must be physically present for a miracle from the Old Testament time to the New Testament Jesus period. His understanding was simple: with or without God’s presence or prophet’s presence, a word from Jesus can perform a miracle. He broke an understanding of God which existed for almost 2000 years. The disciples and Israelites, the people of the Old Testament, did not grasp this, but a gentile did. Even Jesus was startled or surprised by how the centurion got this understanding. Jesus never said “such great faith” to anyone apart from the centurion.
His close circle of disciples, who had witnessed his miracles firsthand, but did not get the understanding. But a gentile got it. The disciples and Israelites witnessed Jesus' power and authority, while the centurion learned about the source of Jesus' power and authority. It’s in the words of Jesus. The centurion showed a different perspective of faith. Faith begins with a revelation of God's ways or the person of God, which we then apply(this revelation) to meet our daily needs.
Centurion understood that - Jesus' word has the same power as if he were physically present to perform a healing or miracle. He highlighted that Jesus' word has the same healing power and authority as if he Himself were physically present. If the disciples had understood this earlier, there was no need for Jesus to travel from one city to another; instead, the disciples would have carried Jesus' words from city to city to heal people. This eventually happened after the day of Pentecost. The disciples carried the power and authority in the word of God from city to city. The centurion got a glimpse of this work by his faith.
Centurion received his miracle through this understanding about God's authority: there is enormous power in Jesus' words, whether he is physically present or not. There are still so many different understandings about Jesus in various fields. Centurion comes from an army or leadership background. He applied this leadership aspect to his association with Jesus. If he was able to command his soldiers with a single word or command, imagine what Jesus (with a single word or command) could do(accomplish) with a massive army of heavenly hosts or angels at his disposal.
The centurion might have realised that Jesus had millions of mighty angels at his command. The centurion said, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof”- because he recognised his own unworthiness in comparison to Jesus' worthiness. He has at most 100 soldiers, whereas Jesus commands millions of angels. He recognised his own unworthiness in comparison to the great Monarch or Ruler, Jesus. A glimpse of Jesus' greatness is revealed to him, by which he recognised his own unworthiness. Did we ever receive a glimpse of Jesus' greatness, by which you recognised your own unworthiness?
These angels have incredible power and can perform miracles in a second(instantly), yet they cannot act on their own. These millions of angels are eagerly awaiting for an instruction or command from Jesus to perform a miracle. One word or command from Jesus can trigger millions of angels to perform an instant miracle. That is why, when Centurion stated, "Say the word, and my servant will be healed," he meant that if Jesus gave the command or word, that can trigger millions of angels ( one or millions of angels) to perform an instant miracle. One word or command from you, Jesus, can result in an instant miracle.
Note: For performing a miracle, millions of angels are not needed, one angel is more than enough.
Every field has its own understandings which can be used to associate with Jesus. If you are a software engineer, what is your software association with Jesus, and how has it changed your perspective about God? A space researcher stated, "The more I try to understand the universe, the more I realise that there is a God who created this vast universe, and it was not randomly created." Develop a unique understanding or insight of God from your field that will benefit millions of people, like Centurion did. You will receive your miracle, and it will benefit others as well.
In Matthew 8:11, Jesus said that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Maybe all these people from various fields or professions (like the centurion) who have acquired unique understanding about Jesus will join Abraham at the feast in the kingdom of heaven. Maybe these people will come from the east and west, from their various fields, to attend the feast in the kingdom of heaven. No wonder Jesus described the centurion as a man of great faith. What the Israelites couldn't figure out, the centurion figured it out.
There was healing in Jesus’s words and that too it was instant healing. Centurion also realised that Jesus had an army of powerful angels at his disposal to fulfil His words. If the centurion discovered this understanding, what unique understanding of Jesus did you discover? When Jesus has an army of mighty angels at his disposal to carry out His commands, what is stopping you from approaching Jesus and asking him to say the word or command for your need? Ask Jesus to say the word or command, and your need will be met. One word or command from Jesus at this instant(now) can be the turning point in your life.
Ask Jesus to say the word, and you will be married, established, healed, and so on, depending on your need. No more the situation is dead or destroyed; when Jesus says the word or command, you will be married or healed, depending on your need. The centurion saw Jesus' word at the value or power which is similar to the power with which God created this universe with a single word or command(Genesis 1). It's like when God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. It's also like when God said, " Let the land produce vegetation," and there was vegetation. The centurion saw the words of Jesus with absolute and enormous power, as in Genesis 1.
The centurion saw a large army of angels waiting for a single word or command from Jesus to perform a miracle. How did you see Jesus in your walk with God?
Centurion was a path maker and history maker who got a great revelation about Jesus, which startled(or surprised) Jesus and referred to him as a man of great faith. Great faith comes with a unique understanding of who Jesus IS, which is built upon experimental knowledge of him to meet your daily needs.
