Only Say the Word

Devotion by: Gerald Teitman

Matthew 8:5-11
⁵When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him ⁶and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, in terrible distress.’ ⁷And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ ⁸The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I also 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 slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ ¹⁰When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one^* in Israel have I found such faith. ¹¹I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.


The Roman Centurion, a non-Jew, and the leader of a century (100 soldiers in a century; 60 centuries in a Legion) recognizes the religious authority of Jesus and displays a profound faith in Jesus’ authority over sickness and even death. This faith is rewarded. Jesus tells the centurion, “Go home. It shall be done because you trusted.” At that very moment the boy got better.
Most of us do not possess the faith of the centurion. Our faith is fragile, either awaiting the next sign or miracle in our life to reinforce that God still loves us. I have often felt that had I the experience of Paul or Thomas or the centurion, I, too, would have an unshakeable faith.
But, God did give us each a sign on which to base our faith, the Cross. The seed of faith that was sown and watered in Baptism, nourished by Word and Sacrament, can be rejuvenated by focusing on the Cross and the eternal life that it bought for each of us. A gift that only requires the faith to know it is so.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gift of Your Son and His redemptive death on the cross. During the many times that my faith is less than that of the Centurion, give me the gift of remembering Your forgiveness of my sins, past, present and to come and Your promise of an eternal life with You. Amen.