“As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward, beseeching him saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
Matthew 8:5-8 (RSV)
Capernaum, in Hebrew, literally translates to “Village of Comfort.” How beautiful and fitting it was for that Centurion to go to the Village of Comfort to ask for a miraculous healing, and then also receive eternal life through faith in Jesus, as his Savior.
Jesus just entered the town of Capernaum when the Roman Centurion approached Him. He traveled until he got close enough to ask Jesus to heal his servant, who was paralyzed and bedridden. We don’t know the background or the story behind the servant or how he became paralyzed, but we can imagine.
There might have been a tragic accident or a fall, where his spine was fractured or crushed. It says that he was suffering dreadfully, and probably in extreme pain. The servant was beloved by his master, the Centurion, who empathized with the bitter state of his tragedy.
Jesus, hearing his request, offered to go with him to his home, but the Centurion refused, saying he was unworthy for Jesus to enter his home. As a man of authority himself, he understood the power of giving orders, so he humbly asked Jesus to just say the word, and his servant would be healed. Jesus was so impressed, that He told the crowd, “In no one in Israel have I found such faith.”
(Matthew 8:10)
Jesus never met or touched his paralyzed servant, but he was instantly healed. There was something about being in the Presence of Jesus, that the Centurion could sense His divine authority and knew that He only needed to say the word, and it was enough. He knelt reverently before Jesus, and invested all his hope in the Son of God, and his investment paid off.
We all live in a Village of Comfort, but it is necessary to invest all our hope and faith in Jesus, even when cannot see results. In difficult seasons, it’s challenging to keep hope or feel His comfort, but faith requires a waiting period while we trust.
There was a time in scripture when the Israelites lost patience and invested no faith in God. While they journeyed in the wilderness they became extremely thirsty. Moses prayed and God led them to water, but the waters He led them to, were bitter and undrinkable. The people quickly became angry at God and Moses. Many lost all faith and left to go their own way. They gave up hope before waiting to see what God planned to do next.
God told Moses how to put something in the water that made it drinkable. He did what God said and the people who remained, drank an abundance of clean water and were satisfied. We learn through the story of bitter waters, that it’s better keep hoping and trusting in God, than to wander off in the wilderness without Him. His plan is always for our good, and He will help us solve every problem, one step at a time.
Without faith it is impossible to please God, which is why Jesus was so impressed with the faith of that Centurion. His faith was rewarded and his servant was healed. He intends for us to receive the same gifts by putting our faith in Jesus, and trust in His plan while we wait. He makes the bitter waters sweet, and speaks the word of healing and comfort to all who wait for the Lord.
Like the Centurion, we have invested all of our hope and faith in Jesus, His cross and His resurrection. In the meantime, as we journey through this life by faith, we can become a village of comfort by encouraging others to keep hoping and trusting in Christ.
Lord, help us to keep our faith and hope in you and to inspire others to do the same, trusting in your plans to unfold for our good. Amen
