The Authority of Our King

I’ve been reading through the Gospel of Matthew recently, and came across a story that I normally would just flip right past. In Matthew 8:5-13 there is a story that talks about a Roman Centurion that has a servant who has recently been paralyzed. He come to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. Jesus then asks if he should go and heal the man and the Centurion replies, “8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

That argument sound a little strange to you? I read it like three times and finally it hit me! The Centurion knew the power of Christ in a way that some Jesus’ other followers didn’t even see. His argument was simple. He as a Centurion knew what it was like to have authority. That when he says something, it’s done, without question. It doesn’t matter if he is in the presence of his servants, it’s done. He said the Jesus, “I know what it’s like to have authority and I know that you have authority over this sickness. I’m not worthy to have you at my home, but I know if you simply speak the healing into action, I know that it will listen to your command!”

How does Jesus react? Matthew 8:10 says, “ ¹⁰When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Jesus was Astonished! Here he had been preaching in his own land and a man not of Jewish decent came to him and had faith that God would work through him!

So today I challenge you to something. When you are in a rough point, a place of confusion, or even a time of sickness; I ask you try to have the faith of this man. He was a man that this world would have seen as Godly, but he was a man who knew who Jesus was and the Authority he had!