When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7 He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, 12 but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.
Jesus enters Capernaum, a lakeside town that has become a center of his ministry. A Roman centurion, an officer of the occupying army and therefore an outsider to Israel’s covenant life, approaches him. This man is not part of the chosen people, yet he comes with confidence and urgency, telling Jesus that his servant is at home “paralyzed, suffering dreadfully” (v. 6). From the beginning, Matthew joins two things that will run throughout the Gospel: deep human need and a growing recognition of who Jesus really is.
Jesus answers simply, “I will come and cure him” (v. 7). He is ready to go to the centurion’s house, even though entering the home of a Gentile would normally make a devout Jew hesitant. The barrier between Jew and Gentile does not stop Jesus. His immediate willingness shows that his mission is already reaching beyond the expected boundaries of Israel.
The centurion’s reply reveals why this encounter is so important. He addresses Jesus as “Lord” and says, “I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” (v. 8). He recognizes both his own unworthiness and Jesus’ authority. He knows that, as a Gentile, his household does not belong to Israel’s covenant life. Yet the centurion does not stand on his rank or importance. He trusts that a word from Jesus is enough. In many Christian liturgies, believers repeat these words before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, expressing the same humility and trust in the power of Jesus’ word.
The centurion then explains his reasoning with an example from daily life. As a Roman officer, he is “a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me” (v. 9). When he gives a command—“Go,” “Come here,” “Do this”—his soldiers obey. He understands how authority works: the word of the one in charge is effective. He applies this understanding to Jesus in a way that goes beyond anything he can see outwardly. He believes that Jesus’ authority is so real that a simple command, spoken at a distance, can bring healing. He does not need a sign, a gesture, or a physical visit to the house. He trusts the unseen power of Christ’s word.
Matthew then tells us that Jesus is “amazed” and speaks to those who are following him: “In no one in Israel have I found such faith” (v. 10). This is a striking statement. When Matthew says that Jesus is “amazed,” he is showing us how, in his real human heart, Jesus responds deeply to this man’s trust; this does not mean that, as the Son of God, he was unaware of it. Jesus has been teaching, healing, and calling disciples from among the children of Israel, those who belong to the people formed by God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet here, a Gentile officer of the Roman army shows a depth of belief and trust that surpasses what Jesus has encountered among the chosen people themselves. This outsider, with none of Israel’s religious privileges, responds with a clearer and deeper faith in Jesus than many who have been born into God’s promises.
Jesus uses this moment to point to the universal scope of God’s plan. He says that “many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven” (v. 11). The image is that of a great feast, echoing Old Testament promises that God will one day prepare a banquet for all peoples. The mention of east and west shows that this gathering will not be limited to one nation. People from every direction, from far beyond the borders of Israel, will be welcomed to share in the joy promised to the patriarchs. The faith of this one centurion gives a foretaste of that worldwide gathering.
At the same time, Jesus adds a sober warning: “the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (v. 12). “Children of the kingdom” refers to those who belong outwardly to God’s people but do not receive Jesus in faith. Having the right background, the right ancestry, or the right religious identity is not enough. What matters most is the response of the heart to the one whom God has sent. Those who do not welcome him exclude themselves from the eternal joy of the kingdom, and the imagery of “outer darkness” expresses the seriousness of that loss.
Jesus turns back to the centurion and says, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you” (v. 13). Matthew adds that “at that very hour” the servant was healed. This healing at a distance makes visible what the centurion had trusted all along. The word of Jesus, the Son of God who has taken on our human nature, has real authority and power, even when he is not physically present.
Lord Jesus, you praised the faith of the centurion and healed his servant by your word. Help us to trust the power of your word in our lives, and to recognize that your mercy reaches every person whom the Father calls to the feast of the kingdom. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Bernard Orchard et al., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Matthew (Four Courts/Scepter).
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
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