February 20th, 2025

Today is February 20th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 8:5-13

"5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment."

The centurion was a military man, a man with power and authority. Roman centurions had a reputation for meting out harsh punishment. The Roman historian Tacitus tells a story of a centurion who had been given the nickname "Cedo Alteram", which basically means: "Fetch Me Another"… because he punished those under his service so harshly that he often needed to replace them. So consider this: the centurion came to Jesus and did two remarkable things: first, he asked for help. Second, he showed empathy with his suffering servant. Does this surprise you? Ask God for insight into the centurion: what was going on in this encounter withJesus that allowed such a man in such a hardened role to demonstrate humility and compassion?

We often hear the centurion praised because of His faith in Christ to heal his servant. As you hear the passage read again… consider how his faith in Christ must have transformed the centurion himself... and healed not just the servant, but perhaps his own hardened heart as well.

"5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment."

The centurion was part of a culture that valued brute strength, authority, and power above all. Humility was a despised weakness. But Christ made it a paramount value, transforming our whole understanding of how God’s kingdom works. Invite God to speak to you about how you exercise power and authority in your own life and relationships. Ask God to transform any hardness or harshness in you, into the virtues of humility and empathy, just like the centurion demonstrated.

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music Credit:
Surrender - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)