As Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him with this request:”Sir, my serving boy is at home in bed paralyzed, suffering painfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” “Sir,” the centurion said in reply, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give the order and my boy will get better.” (Mt 8:5-8)
It wasn’t impatience that motivated the centurion to make such a request. It was faith. He knew that Jesus had the power to cure the boy; from where that cure transpired did matter. If Jesus said the boy was cured, the centurion believed him. I assure you, I have not found this much faith in Israel, Jesus remarked to his followers.
I hate having any kind of ailment. I don’t have time to be sick! There are things to be done and people counting on me to do them. No, I don’t have time for illness; I don’t even want to think about what it would be like to be debilitated. What would happen then? But I am paralyzed — by my own fears and insecurities. I’m suffering painfully from my own sinfulness. I need Jesus to give the order for my cure.
Mary, the angel said that the power of the Holy Spirit would overshadow you and thus you would conceive and bear the Son of God (Lk1:35). Like the centurion, your faith was so strong that you didn’t have to wait for proof. Intercede for me so that someday my faith will be so strong that I won’t have to wait for proof.
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