Jesus And The Faith Of The Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13, 2 Kings 5:1-19)
Rev. David Huffman, August 10, 2025Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Centurions were in charge of about 100 soldiers. This Roman was a gentile, under authority of the Roman Empire, and enemies of the Jews. However, he had compassion, humility and faith. He had great compassion for his young servant or slave, who couldn’t move and was in agony, near death. He came for help from Jesus, since he was a friend of the Jews. Luke tells us he underwrote the synagogue in Capernaum. He was committed to the God of Israel. The Jews thought that the centurion was worthy of help. Jesus responded with compassion. Jesus answered pleas from all sorts of people such as lepers. Jesus took our illnesses and bore our diseases (Isaiah). Jesus was prepared to do this for the servant, and more, to redeem the centurion from the guilt of his sin. The centurion humbly proclaims his unworthiness for Jesus to come into his house. Maybe the centurion did not want to make Jesus ceremonially unclean. He was not demanding, rather submissive. God’s grace humbles us. The centurion exhibits faith in the greatness of Jesus, who would only have to speak to make it so. He understands the kind of authority Jesus has, and where it comes from. He asks for no sign or wonder (J.C. Ryle). Jesus marvels at this gentile’s faith, a righteous rebuke of the Jews at the same time. He announces judgment on those who reject Him, and proclaims blessing on those around the world who have the faith of Abraham. He calls all to faith and repentance in Christ. What would be the effect of this encounter? The centurion must surely have been a lifelong follower of Jesus. Are we trusting in Jesus has the centurion did? Do we believe in the power of God to answer our pleas for deliverance? Ask, trust and believe!
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Forgiveness and Gratitude: Jesus, The Pharisee, and the Sinful Woman | None | Jesus And The Roman Governor » |
Matthew 8:5–13 (Listen)
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
(ESV)
2 Kings 5:1–19 (Listen)
5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”
But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance,
(ESV)