The Faith of a Centurion

When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. 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.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Luke 7:1-10

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Say the Word

The Roman centurion of Luke’s gospel, who also appears in Matthew, admired the Jews and Judaism to the point of building a synagogue. By the first century A.D., Jewish monotheism had attracted a number of Gentile “God-fearers” looking for an alternative to paganism. The centurion stood out in the Jewish community for his unusual reverence and generosity. Among Romans, his compassion for his slave also set him apart in a culture that viewed slave labor as disposable. 

Respecting the boundary between Jew and Gentile, the centurion sent his prominent Jewish friends to request the healing of his slave. The elders praised him to Jesus as someone who “loves our nation.” As Jesus drew near his house, the centurion displayed extraordinary humility and faith in Jesus’ authority. Considering himself unworthy to meet Jesus or have him enter his house, he sent friends to deliver his message: “Say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” As a commander of legionaries who obeyed his every word, he knew Jesus’ word would effect its power without fail. Amazed, Jesus praised the centurion’s faith as surpassing that of his compatriots. 

The humble words of the centurion have been immortalized in the liturgy of the Mass. Before receiving Holy Communion, the congregant says, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” May the Lord we consume heal and transform us into living temples of his glory.

Traditional Chinese Translation

《一個百夫長的信心》
一個高貴的百夫長亦猶太人的朋友
因他對希伯來人基督的信心而贏得稱讚。