and to the other, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” On hearing these words, Jesus was filled with admiration. He turned and said to the people with him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” The people, sent by the captain, went back to his house; there they found that the servant was well.

Reflections
The story of the healing of the centurion's slave makes us aware of the many blessings that come into our lives every day. Blessings are more remarkable when they come into our lives unexpectedly. Like the healing that takes place in the gospel, it happens because of the centurion’s faith and not because of his own authority and power. The centurion didn’t rely on his own power to heal his slave. He had faith. He relied on the power of God made manifest in Jesus. He believed that Jesus could heal his slave simply by saying the word. Or to put it more precisely, the centurion believed in Jesus’ own merciful authority, an authority that gave freely of itself for the sake of healing and new life. Jesus possessed a merciful authority that sought not its own gain or fame, but an authority that saved others. And who knows where this faith led the centurion. Who knows how the merciful authority of Jesus changed him. Maybe it led, not only to the healing of the slave, but also to being a follower of Jesus and, more importantly, a changed person believing in the power of God’s mercy. May we have faith like the Centurion. Who knows where this faith will lead us or transform us?

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018