Mt 8:5-17 A centurion approached Him

Matthew 8: 5-17

A centurion approached him.

Yesterday we read how a leper approached Jesus. Today, we read that a centurion approached him too. Is there anyone the Lord will not help? No! Thanks be to God! We know that help, regardless of where it comes from, is always very much appreciated. It turns out that God thinks the same way, but with a request. A request, regardless of where it comes from, is never unanswered by God because even a centurion is capable of glorifying the Lord and doing Him homage (Lk 23:47). It’s never too late to turn to the Lord and allow the Lord to turn us to Him.

In no one have I found such faith
“The Lord never forgets the souls of those who are poor” (Psalm 74). Guess what? We are all poor! We starve and thirst for understanding, affection and love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion. The Lord thirsts too…for souls, for my soul. The Lord loves to love. “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed”… a little faith is all that the Lord needs. Today, Christ encourages the crowd to avoid a lot of distress, anxiety and frustration by simply turning to Him first instead of last. Is this not what inspired Him to say “The last shall be first and the first last” (Mt 20:16). Unfortunately, we are slow learners. The Senators of Louisiana finally turned to prayer because they openly acknowledged “there is no human solution to the oil spill”. Well, the last shall be first. Will the Lord not inspire and encourage us as we carry our daily cross? Our reluctance to turn to the Lord holds true to our parents as well – are they not the last we turn to for advice? Somehow we think our parents expect more from us. We fool ourselves. They were once children too. The centurion took a leap of faith. His reputation was at risk; scorn from his fellow soldiers, for seeking help from a Jew, and rejection from the crowd around him. He took the risk and approached the Lord and appealed to Him. The response was shocking. “In no one in Israel have I found such faith”. The centurion was poor in understanding and came out rich in faith!

Lord, only say the word and I shall be healed
“In no one have I found such faith”. Let us never forget that these words were directed to all who were following the Lord, including the Apostles - including Peter, who heard these words and asked the Lord to cure his mother-in-law. It did not take long for the crowd to begin bringing the sick and those who were possessed to Christ. The world needs God. There is no alternative. The world needs redemption, forgiveness, faith and hope. The world needs love! We are fallen, beaten, battered children that are in rebellion! My personal experience is this: We don’t like to admit weakness or failure. It takes forever to turn to the Lord. And when we do turn to the Lord, we come to him kicking and screaming. But when we finally encounter him in a hospital room or in the Confession, we feel healed and restored. Peace reigns once again. Hope is restored and love begins to circulate throughout our very being. “Lord, only say the word, and I shall be healed”! There! The word is said. In fact, the Word came down.