Just Say the Word

Psalm 33: 9 exhorts that, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." His Word existed from the very beginning, the Word was God, and through Him everything was made. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind. To think that this Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, is incredibly humbling. How inconceivable that the Creator of the Universe would leave His Heavenly Throne to dwell amongst us? We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14.

If ever Jesus encountered raw, palpable compelling faith it was from that of the Roman Centurion. Not only did he identify the omnipotent, all commanding attributes of God, but He demonstrated its authenticity by relenting to its authority, to the one in whom all power and authority is housed. When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him imploring, "Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, fearfully tormented" "Shall I come and heal him?" said Jesus. But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it. Jesus marvelled by what He heard said, "Truly I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." Go, it shall be done for you as you have believed" And the servant was healed that very moment!" Matthew 8:5-13.

Here was a Roman Centurion desperately concerned for his servant. Surely news of the healings and miracles Jesus performed spread near and far so that a flame of hope ignited within him, sufficient enough for him to purpose to seek Jesus. Right there just the decision to turn to Jesus activated the workings of faith! Scripture says faith as tiny as a mustard seed can move mountains! Notice the short exchange, "Lord my servant is lying paralysed at home, fearfully tormented!"(Centurion) - "Shall I come and heal him?"(Jesus). Not exerting in his assumptions, Jesus asks if it was healing he was after. Taken aback and disarmed by Jesus' response, the centurion acutely aware of his unworthiness, his vile and profane way of life, humbly submits that he could never entertain Jesus in his home as it was far too great a favour to enjoy. How could Christ enter the home of a sinner? Little did he realise that it was for this very reason that the son of God had come, to seek and save the lost, that He so valued the life of one lost sheep that He was prepared to leave ninety nine in search of the one missing sheep.

"Lord I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed! "Having denounced his unworthiness, his apprehensions of himself, observe his self-abasement. Incredible how the more we empty ourselves to Christ, the humbler we are made through His gracious dealings with us. That His presence unravels us and magnifies Him! What an exchange - hope for hopelessness, Grace for humility, strength for weakness, beauty for ashes! A role reversal of authority, just say the word and my servant will be healed! The Centurion confers the highest honour, the highest accolade of power onto Jesus when He bids Him speak, just say the word Lord, no need for laying on of hands, for in the same way He commanded a thing and it was established; He said let it be and it was; would be the same manifestation of healing for his servant. With this self-assured, confident demonstration of faith like none Jesus witnessed, He marvelled at the Centurions humble yet stoic conviction. "Go, it shall be done for you as you believed!"

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11