Centurion’s Servant Is Healed with Word from Distance

Passages: Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus commended only very few people with great faith. One of them was this Roman centurion. Who were the others?

Let’s start off with this verse which forms the background to this startling episode.

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. (Psalm 107:20, NIV)

This is exactly what Jesus is about to do for the dying servant.

The translations are mine. I encourage readers to look up many translations at biblegateway.com. I include the Greek text just so I can learn the nuances. Readers may scroll past it if they wish.

Let’s begin.

Jesus Heals a Roman’s Centurion’s Servant with a Word
Matthew 8:5-13	Luke 7:1-10
⁵ As he was going into Capernaum, a centurion came up to him, pleading with him, ⁶saying, “Lord, my servant is lying down, paralyzed, at the house, suffering terribly.” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I go and heal him?” ⁸Then in reply, the centurion said, “Lord, I am unqualified for you to come under my roof. Instead, just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go!’ And he goes. And to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. And to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does. ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth: I have not found anyone in Israel with such strong faith! ¹¹ I tell you that many will come from the east and west and recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² but the sons and daughters of the kingdom will be thrown into farthest darkness, and in at that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Just as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that moment.	¹ And when he finished speaking his words in the hearing of the people, he went to Capernaum. ² A servant of a centurion, having an illness, was about to die, and he was important to him. ³ When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ And the ones who approached Jesus urgently pleaded with him and said, “He is worthy for you to do this, ⁵ for he loves our nation and he himself built the synagogue for us.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them. While he was already not far from approaching the house, the centurion sent friends who said to him, “Lord, don’t bother, for I am unqualified that you would come in under my roof. ⁷Therefore I considered myself unworthy even to come to you. Instead, speak the word and my servant will be healed, ⁸ for I myself am also a man placed under authority and have soldiers under me. And I say to this one ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does. ⁹ When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him, turned to the crowd following him, and said, “I tell you that not even in Israel have I found such faith!” ¹⁰ The ones who were sent turned back to the house and found the servant healthy.
⁵ Εἰσελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἑκατόνταρχος παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ⁶ καὶ λέγων· κύριε, ὁ παῖς μου βέβληται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ παραλυτικός, δεινῶς βασανιζόμενος. ⁷ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἐγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτόν. ⁸ καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔφη· κύριε, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς, ἀλλὰ μόνον εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ ἰαθήσεται ὁ παῖς μου. ⁹ καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν, ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ· πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται, καὶ ἄλλῳ· ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου· ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ. ¹⁰ ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς ἀκολουθοῦσιν· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, παρ’ οὐδενὶ τοσαύτην πίστιν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εὗρον. ¹¹ Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσιν καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ¹² οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβληθήσονται εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. ¹³ καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ· ὕπαγε, ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι. καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς [αὐτοῦ] ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.	¹ Ἐπειδὴ ἐπλήρωσεν πάντα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς τοῦ λαοῦ, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Καφαρναούμ. ² Ἑκατοντάρχου δέ τινος δοῦλος κακῶς ἔχων ἤμελλεν τελευτᾶν, ὃς ἦν αὐτῷ ἔντιμος. ³ ἀκούσας δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτὸν πρεσβυτέρους τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐρωτῶν αὐτὸν ὅπως ἐλθὼν διασώσῃ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ. ⁴ οἱ δὲ παραγενόμενοι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν σπουδαίως λέγοντες ὅτι ἄξιός ἐστιν ᾧ παρέξῃ τοῦτο· ⁵ ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν ἡμῖν. ⁶ ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐπορεύετο σὺν αὐτοῖς. ἤδη δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας ἔπεμψεν φίλους ὁ ἑκατοντάρχης λέγων αὐτῷ· κύριε, μὴ σκύλλου, οὐ γὰρ ἱκανός εἰμι ἵνα ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην μου εἰσέλθῃς· ⁷ διὸ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἠξίωσα πρὸς σὲ ἐλθεῖν· ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ ἰαθήτω ὁ παῖς μου. ⁸ καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ· πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται, καὶ ἄλλῳ· ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου· ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ. ⁹ ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν αὐτὸν καὶ στραφεὶς τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι αὐτῷ ὄχλῳ εἶπεν· λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον. ¹⁰ Καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον οἱ πεμφθέντες εὗρον τὸν δοῦλον ὑγιαίνοντα.

Comments:

To see how to solve the differences between Matthew and Luke, click on this link:

Did the Centurion or His Emissaries Approach and Speak to Jesus?

In Matthew’s Gospel, I translated a key clause as “shall I go and heal him?” Most translations have the question as a statement. “I shall go and heal him.” However, I like what Grammarian Olmstead said. The developing narrative suggests this is a question (15:21-28). In other words, Jesus was not yet ready to minister to the Gentiles (Matt. 10:5-6). And he is testing the centurion to find our whether he should go—or will the centurion have so much faith that he will tell Jesus it is not necessary to go, but to speak the word.

It is possible to detect, by the Spirit, faith surging in someone. Paul saw faith in a man crippled from birth, and the crippled man was healed (Acts 14:9). I believe Jesus saw extraordinary faith in the centurion and said, “Shall I go …?” or “I shall go ….” The centurion rose to the challenge and answered in faith. “There’s no need for you to go. Just speak the word!”

Now for the healing verbs.

In Luke’s Gospel, he uses the verb diasōzō (pronounced dee-ah-soh-zoh) for “heal.” It literally means “save through,” to bring someone through to the other side, safely and soundly (see the verb in the context of Paul’s journey to Rome in Acts 23:24; 27:43, 44; 28:1, 4). Its related verb sōzō is standard for “save,” as in people being saved and healed through Christ. The verb (and noun) is very versatile. Luke’s choice of diasōzō is remarkable.

In Matthew’s Gospel, he uses the verb is therapeuō (pronounced thair-ah-pew-oh, our word therapy is related to it), and it means to “make whole, restore, heal, cure, care for.” It is in the passive voice, which expresses the divine passive. That is, the healing action was done to the servant. The Father was behind the scenes working this miracle through his Son and by the Spirit (see more on this, in the next major section, point no. 8).

“healthy”: it is the verb hugiainō (pronounced hoo-gee-y-noh, and the “g” is hard as in “get,” and our word hygiene is related to it). Used in the NT twelve times, it means “healthy,” as here, but the NIV mostly translates it as “sound.” In 3 John 2, it is translated as “enjoy good health.” It speaks of soundness in body and mind (Luke 5:32; 7:10; 15:27), but also sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:10, 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3; Tit. 1:9, 13; 2:1, 2). It is interesting that Dr. Luke sees it exclusively as healthy in body and mind, while Paul transforms the verb into sound doctrine (though the adjective is translated as “healthy” in body throughout the NT).

Next, what made the centurion’s faith so great?

The centurion replies brilliantly, through the words of faith. He was a man under authority, so he had authority. Commentator Osborne translate the phrase “under authority” as “possessing authority.” Then he writes: “The phrase possessing authority does not just mean he himself is ‘under’ others but rather that he has received great authority from his superiors. Only Caesar had ultimate authority, but he delegated it to the governor and then the legate, tribune, and centurion. The centurion was, in fact, the key leader in a legion […] and had autonomous authority to direct his men in battle. His commands came with the authority of the emperor himself” (comment on 8:9). Did you catch Osborne’s insight? The centurion had his authority ultimately from God. We have our authority ultimately from God through his Son.

Here is the principle of authority. As noted, it is the lesser-to-greater argument. If the centurion (lesser) can command his soldiers and servants, then Jesus (greater) can command diseases with a word. The centurion is under command, and he commands those under him. The centurion recognized that Jesus had authority over a disease, even paralysis. But then the centurion went a step further with his insight. All Jesus had to do was command the disease from a distance. Something would then happen in another realm. The word gets communicated to the disease. Here’s an imperfect illustration. The word is like an invisible sound wave from an explosion and hits everything around it and blows out windows, and possibly knocks down houses. We cannot see the sound wave, but we can feel its effect. The analogy is weak because we can hear it. But imagine a wave that we cannot see or hear. If such a thing existed, that would be a better comparison. So it is in the other realm. It is as if Jesus’s word of command blows out the disease. The paralyzed servant couldn’t see or hear it reach his body, but he can feel its effect. He got up and walked, when the centurion wasn’t even there yet. This is amazing.

The centurion also considered himself unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus, for the Lord to come to his house.

Both Matthew and Luke say that the centurion says he is “unqualified”; it is the positive form of the adjective hikanos (pronounced hee-kah-noss), and it can mean, depending on the context, “sufficient, adequate, large enough … fit, appropriate, competent, able, worthy.” With the negative “not,” I translated it as “unqualified.” No doubt the centurion understood that he was a Gentile and this disqualified him from the ministry of such a popular Jewish teacher and healer.

Finally for this section, Matthew’s Gospel adds a little twist.

Many Gentiles will come in from the east and west and enjoy the Messianic banquet—that’s what reclining means, reclining at table—in the Messianic Age. These verses are forerunners to the Great Commission and outreach to the entire world. In contrast, the sons and daughters of the (old) kingdom—unbelieving Jews—will be tossed outside, because they trusted in the wrong foundation: ethnic heritage and the law. It has always and will always be about faith in God, and now faith in God through his Messiah. Yes, believing Jews will be part of the banquet, too. A new plan is afoot.

The deeper meaning is that there will be a great shock when the Chosen People who trusted in the wrong things will be shown the door into outer or extreme darkness, away from the celebratory banquet.

Application for Ministry

We can learn a lot, when we follow Jesus and what he did. In this section I number the points for clarity and order.

1.. This passage contains a great lesson of faith for Renewalists. Jesus can command a blessed result (healing in this case) from a distance. He does not need to be in the room. It is the structure of the human world that orders and commands can be given, and the underlings have to obey. Disease is under Jesus, and he commands it to go. The centurion’s basic insight is the lesser-to-greater. If a centurion (lesser) can command soldiers, then Jesus (greater) can command diseases, even at a distance, with one word.

2.. This centurion understood authority. Do we? It is the noun exousia (pronounced ex-oo-see-ah), and it means, depending on the context: “right to act,” “freedom of choice,” “power, capability, might, power, authority, absolute power”; “power or authority exercised by rulers by virtue of their offices; official power; domain or jurisdiction, spiritual powers.”

3.. The difference between authority and power is parallel to a policeman’s badge and his gun. The badge symbolizes his right to exercise his power through his gun, if necessary. The gun backs up his authority with power. But the distinction should not be pressed too hard, because exousia can also mean “power.” In any case, God through Jesus can distribute authority to his followers (Matt. 10:1; Luke 10:19; John 1:12). Jesus will give us authority even over the nations, if we overcome trials and persecution (Rev. 2:26). And he is about to distribute his power in Acts 2.

4.. Never forget that you have his authority and power to live a victorious life over your personal flaws and sins and Satan. They no longer have power and authority over you; you have power and authority over them.

5.. Speaking of authority and power, it is small part of my calling to point out excesses of ministry practices. The Word of Faith teachers claim that their words in themselves have power. They quote verses like this one: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:21, NIV). I heard Creflo Dollar teach Genesis 1 in which God spoke worlds into existence, and Dollar drew the conclusion that believers can do the same thing. Of course he exaggerated an otherwise biblical teaching of speaking out loud. It is exaggerated because Dollar accumulates too much power in the speaker and cuts God out of the picture. Further, Proverbs 18:21 refers to interpersonal relationships, not an unlimited power to cause literal life and literal death by one’s own words. One should speak words of life into one’s family and not words that kill the spirit. True. However, this has nothing to do with killing, for example, the Covid pandemic with one’s words. Word-of-Faith teacher Kenneth Copeland can be seen on youtube doing this, but it did not work.

Kenneth Copeland Gets a Pacemaker

So yes, speak a word of healing out loud in Jesus’s name, not your own, but everything has to be surrendered to the Father. Speak the word of healing and deliverance from a distance if necessary, as seen on TV to the viewers. But he’s the one who heals. In the next point, Jesus ministered as the Father directed him, not out of his own authority.

Therefore, avoid the teachings of Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar and many other word of faith teachers..

6.. Commentator Darrell L. Bock has the right idea:

Above all, what is clear from this account is that Jesus has authority from God that extends over space, distance, and diseases. He is gifted by God to a high degree. The healing he gives reveals the authority that he has to reverse the condition of those in need. He need not be physically present to respond. And anyone can share in the benefits that Jesus offers, if faith is exercised. The centurion’s faith is an example that should not stand alone. Luke asks his reader to have the faith of the centurion. (p. 644).

Yes, Luke asks his readers to have the same faith that the centurion had, by resting in the resurrected and ascended Jesus’s miraculous power. The centurion surrendered his anxiety by realizing that Jesus could heal from a distance with a mere spoken word.

7.. As noted at the top of this post, who were the other people whom the Gospel of Luke commends for really great faith? Bock says Mary (1:45) and the four men lowering the paralytic (5:20). Mary’s faith was restful and submissive. The faith of the men digging a hole in the roof and lowering the paralytic were so confident that Jesus could heal that they pressed in and worked through.

And so sometimes rest and submission is needed. But sometimes pressing in is called for. May the Spirit guide you as you seek God for your own healing.

8.. As I write in all the healing posts:

Let it be noted that Jesus never went in for “decree and declare.” Name one time he used such verbiage during his prayer for the sick. Nor did the disciples use those formulaic words in Acts.

Instead, God the Father through his Son who was anointed by the Spirit performed miracles of healing. Jesus clarified that he does only what he sees his Father doing (John 5:19). He lives because of the Father (John 6:57). He speaks only what the Father taught him (John 8:28). He does what he sees the Father do (John 10:37). What Jesus says is just what the Father told him to say (John 12:49-50, 57). Perhaps the most important verse about miracles: “Many good works I have shown you from My Father” (John 10:32). (In John’s Gospel, “good works” = miracles, at a minimum.)

And so the Father through his Son who was anointed by the Spirit, performed all miracles during his Son’s ministry (Acts 10:38). The Son obeyed and followed his Father and also did the healings by the Spirit. The Trinity was working together.

10..We too should develop life in the Spirit (Gal. 5), so we can hear from the Father through the Spirit, in Jesus’s name and authority granted to us. We will never heal as Jesus did, because he is the Anointed One without limits (John 3:34). But after the cross and the Son’s ascension, the Spirit can distribute the gifts of healings (plural) as he determines (1 Cor. 12:11), not as we “name and claim” or “decree and declare.” Let the Spirit work, and you listen and obey, and then rebuke a disease (not the person) or pray for healing.

4. Gifts of the Spirit: Gifts of Healings

Kenneth Copeland Gets a Pacemaker

Is ‘Decreeing’ Biblical for Christians?

What Is Biblical Confession?

Please see these chapters for more commentary:

Matthew 8

Luke 7 (I cover the differences in the two accounts: the elders coming in Luke and the centurion coming in Matthew)