Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 217

August 4;   Matthew 8:9;   8/260(II);   ‘Understanding Authority’

Matthew 8:9 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; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

This account of the Roman Centurion and the Lord Jesus is fascinating and vitally important to your faith.  The Roman Centurions were the ‘backbone’ of the Roman army.  They commanded one hundred Roman soldiers.  They understood authority, having officers over them and having authority over the one hundred soldiers under them.  This took place in Capernaum, where the Lord Jesus did man y of His miracles.  Since the Roman Centurion was stationed there in Capernaum, he must have heard of or seen the miracles Jesus did.  Seeing and knowing the power and authority the Lord Jesus wielded, must have convinced the Centurion that Jesus was God (he called Jesus Lord in v8). This Centurion’s servant was very sick and we are told that the Centurion loved the servant.  The Centurion came to Jesus and told Him the condition of his servant and the Lord told him that He would come and heal the servant.  Humbly the Centurion tells the Lord that he is not worthy for the Lord Jesus to come to his home, but he believes that all Jesus had to do was speak a healing word and the servant would be well.  Here is why the Centurion had great faith (v10).  Since he was in the military, he understood authority.  The soldiers under him had to obey his commands and likewise the Centurion had to obey the commands of his superior officers.  Believing Jesus was God and had all authority, it made perfect sense to the Centurion that if Jesus commanded the sickness to leave his servant, the sickness had to leave.  The servant was healed.  Believe in Jesus’ ultimate authority to heal.