5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (Matthew 8:5-10 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The second miracle our Saviour works in this chapter, is the healing of the centurion’s servant.
Where Observe, 1. The person that applies to our Saviour for help and healing: he was a Gentile, an heathen, a Roman soldier, an officer or commander; yet he believes in, and relies upon the power of Christ.
Note, That such is the freeness of divine grace, that it extends itself to all sorts and ranks, to all orders and degrees of men, without exception. Even the bloody trade of war yields worthy clients to Christ: he doth not so much regard who we are, and with what dispositions and inclinations we come unto him.
Observe, 2. The person whom the centurion comes to Christ for; not for himself, not for his son, but for his servant. His servant is sick, he doth not drive him out of doors, nor stand gazing by his bed-side, but looks out for relief for him: a worthy example! Some masters have not so much regard to their sick servants as they gave to their oxen or their swine: but he is not worthy of a good servant, that in a time of sickness is not willing to serve his servant. A conceit of superiority must beget in no man a neglect of charitable offices towards inferiors.
Observe, 3. Upon whom the centurion seeks, and with what zeal and application: he seeks not to wizards and conjurors, but to the physician, for his poor servant; yea, to Christ, the best physician; and this not with a formal relation in his mouth, but with a vehement aggravation of of the disease; My servant is grievously tormented: where the master’s condolency and tender sympathy with his afflicted servant, is both matter of commendation and imitation also.
Observe, 4. The happy mixture of humility and faith which was found in the centurion; he owns his unworthiness of having Christ come under his roof, yet he acknowledged Christ’s power, that by speaking of a word his servant might be healed by him. Humility is both the fruit of faith, and the companion of faith; an humble soul has an high esteem of Christ, and a low esteem of himself.
Observe, 5. How our blessed Saviour exceeds both his desires and expectations; Christ says, not only will I heal him, but, I will come and heal him: Wonderful condescension!
In Joh 4:47 we read of a certain nobleman and ruler that twice entreated our Saviour to come to his house and heal his son, but our Lord refused, and did not stir a foot: here the centurion doth but barely tell Christ of his poor servant’s sickness, and Christ, both unmasked and undesired, says, I will come and heal him.
O how far was Christ from seeming in the least to honour riches and despise poverty! He that came in the form of a servant, goes down and visits a sick servant upon his poor pallet-bed, that would not visit the rich couch of the ruler’s son. How should we stoop to the lowest offices of love and kindness to one another, when Christ thus condescendingly abased himself before us!
Observe, 6. The notice and observation which our Saviour takes of the centurion’s faith; he wondered at it from him, who had wrought it in him. Christ wrought this faith as God, and wondered at it as man; what can be more wonderful than to see Christ wonder? We do not find our Saviour wondering at worldly pomp and greatness. When the disciples wondered at the magnificence of the temple, Christ rather rebuked them, than wondered with them; but when he sees the gracious acts of faith, he is ravished with wonder.
Let it teach us to place our admiration where Christ fixes his: let us be more affected with the least measure of grace in a good man, than with all the gaieties and glory of a great man; let us not envy the one, but admire the other.