And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Jesus readily promised a Roman officer at Capernaum to come in person and heal his servant who lay dying of palsy. He made the offer gladly and willingly without needing further pleading, setting out at once to meet the need. The officer, though he had never seen Him and felt unworthy to receive Him, trusted on the strength of what he had heard that Christ could heal by His spoken word alone without being present. The servant was healed in that same hour though miles away, and Jesus praised such faith as greater than He had found in Israel. The promise reveals His tender compassion and loving willingness to help the needy, and shows His ministry was not limited to Israel but reached out to Gentiles and welcomed them into the salvation offered to all.
Centurion's Plea and Faith
The words are Jesus' answer at Capernaum to a Roman centurion who pleaded for his servant, who lay suffering, sick with palsy and dying. To that plea He gladly, readily and willingly offers to come and heal the servant, without requiring further entreaty. He sets out to meet the need in person.
The centurion felt unworthy to receive Jesus under his roof or even to approach Him himself, so he made the request through the Jewish elders. Though he had not seen Jesus, his faith rested on reports of Him. He trusted that Christ had power to heal by His spoken word alone, without being physically present. His faith did not depend on Jesus coming in person.
The servant was healed in that same hour by Christ's word even though miles away. In this the healing ministry is joined with the ministry of the Word. Jesus praised this faith as greater than He had found in Israel, contrasting faith with doubt and showing that Israel's unbelief under great light would bring rejection and condemnation.
Christ's Willing Compassion
“I will come and heal him” reveals a loving willingness to help, ready and glad, given without requiring further entreaty. It reveals humility and tenderness and care, sympathy and love and compassion for the needy and erring, even from miles away. That glad answer approves the master’s compassionate concern for one in his service, showing that rank does not cause the servant’s need to be neglected.
He makes Himself accessible and deliberately finds ways to reach people of standing, wealth and power as well as the poor and outcast. In answering the Roman ruler He sought acquaintance with the wealthy and powerful, accepted their invitations, attended their feasts, and made Himself familiar with their interests and occupations. He did this to gain access to their hearts and reveal to them imperishable riches, so that His ministry reached all who would hear His word.
Earnest, fervent petitions made in faith are heard and answered, while people often lack spiritual blessings because they do not ask, or ask with wrong motives. Even those who have not honored God’s cause and in whose life and character the deformity of sin is revealed must be borne with in tenderness and love, remembering how Jesus bears with sinful people still. The story gives encouragement.
Salvation Open to Gentiles
The offer to come and heal is an instance of direct work beyond acknowledged Israel, showing that His ministry was not limited to Israel but reached people outside it. In responding to a Gentile centurion He was willing to come and heal a Gentile's servant, working directly among those outside the acknowledged people of God. That readiness to answer the centurion's request anticipated the gospel's welcome among the Gentiles.
The centurion, a Gentile who had shown kindness to Israel, was converted through this healing, illustrating the welcome of Gentiles into God's people. During His life on earth He used this work to lead the Jews out of their exclusiveness, beginning what became active and continued work among the Gentiles in which whole communities received the gospel gladly. His willingness to go to the Gentile centurion's home to heal his servant stands as an example of that work beyond Israel.
By rewarding the centurion's faith at Capernaum He gave lesson upon lesson to disciples who were slow to learn that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Gentiles also had souls longing for the light of truth and were included in the salvation He offered to all mankind. He did not share the intolerance and Jewish exclusiveness of His disciples, who thought He dispensed the gifts of His grace too freely, for His love is not to be circumscribed to race or nation. He used such acts during His earthly life to lead the Jews out of their exclusiveness, though the Samaritans had some knowledge of God.
In receiving people from other nations who came seeking healing or help for those they loved, and in healing and teaching them, He spoke hope to people who did not know God or the truth but longed for something better. In this He set an example of service and compassion for all humanity, reaching all who would hear His word. His willingness to come and heal the centurion's servant shows that His ministry reached people of standing as well as the poor and outcast.
Jesus readily promised a Roman officer at Capernaum to come in person and heal his servant who lay dying of palsy. He made the offer gladly and willingly without needing further pleading, setting out at once to meet the need. The officer, though he had never seen Him and felt unworthy to receive Him, trusted on the strength of what he had heard that Christ could heal by His spoken word alone without being present. The servant was healed in that same hour though miles away, and Jesus praised such faith as greater than He had found in Israel. The promise reveals His tender compassion and loving willingness to help the needy, and shows His ministry was not limited to Israel but reached out to Gentiles and welcomed them into the salvation offered to all.
Centurion's Plea and Faith
The words are Jesus' answer at Capernaum to a Roman centurion who pleaded for his servant, who lay suffering, sick with palsy and dying. To that plea He gladly, readily and willingly offers to come and heal the servant, without requiring further entreaty. He sets out to meet the need in person.
The centurion felt unworthy to receive Jesus under his roof or even to approach Him himself, so he made the request through the Jewish elders. Though he had not seen Jesus, his faith rested on reports of Him. He trusted that Christ had power to heal by His spoken word alone, without being physically present. His faith did not depend on Jesus coming in person.
The servant was healed in that same hour by Christ's word even though miles away. In this the healing ministry is joined with the ministry of the Word. Jesus praised this faith as greater than He had found in Israel, contrasting faith with doubt and showing that Israel's unbelief under great light would bring rejection and condemnation.
Christ's Willing Compassion
“I will come and heal him” reveals a loving willingness to help, ready and glad, given without requiring further entreaty. It reveals humility and tenderness and care, sympathy and love and compassion for the needy and erring, even from miles away. That glad answer approves the master’s compassionate concern for one in his service, showing that rank does not cause the servant’s need to be neglected.
He makes Himself accessible and deliberately finds ways to reach people of standing, wealth and power as well as the poor and outcast. In answering the Roman ruler He sought acquaintance with the wealthy and powerful, accepted their invitations, attended their feasts, and made Himself familiar with their interests and occupations. He did this to gain access to their hearts and reveal to them imperishable riches, so that His ministry reached all who would hear His word.
Earnest, fervent petitions made in faith are heard and answered, while people often lack spiritual blessings because they do not ask, or ask with wrong motives. Even those who have not honored God’s cause and in whose life and character the deformity of sin is revealed must be borne with in tenderness and love, remembering how Jesus bears with sinful people still. The story gives encouragement.
Salvation Open to Gentiles
The offer to come and heal is an instance of direct work beyond acknowledged Israel, showing that His ministry was not limited to Israel but reached people outside it. In responding to a Gentile centurion He was willing to come and heal a Gentile's servant, working directly among those outside the acknowledged people of God. That readiness to answer the centurion's request anticipated the gospel's welcome among the Gentiles.
The centurion, a Gentile who had shown kindness to Israel, was converted through this healing, illustrating the welcome of Gentiles into God's people. During His life on earth He used this work to lead the Jews out of their exclusiveness, beginning what became active and continued work among the Gentiles in which whole communities received the gospel gladly. His willingness to go to the Gentile centurion's home to heal his servant stands as an example of that work beyond Israel.
By rewarding the centurion's faith at Capernaum He gave lesson upon lesson to disciples who were slow to learn that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the Jews and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Gentiles also had souls longing for the light of truth and were included in the salvation He offered to all mankind. He did not share the intolerance and Jewish exclusiveness of His disciples, who thought He dispensed the gifts of His grace too freely, for His love is not to be circumscribed to race or nation. He used such acts during His earthly life to lead the Jews out of their exclusiveness, though the Samaritans had some knowledge of God.
In receiving people from other nations who came seeking healing or help for those they loved, and in healing and teaching them, He spoke hope to people who did not know God or the truth but longed for something better. In this He set an example of service and compassion for all humanity, reaching all who would hear His word. His willingness to come and heal the centurion's servant shows that His ministry reached people of standing as well as the poor and outcast.