Nowhere In Israel Have I Found As Much Faith — The Lord Jesus agreed to go to the centurion’s house to cure his servant but he replied: I am not worthy to have you under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.
In protesting his unworthiness, the centurion showed himself worthy to have Christ enter not his house but his heart. Yet he could not have said this with such faith and humility unless he already bore within his heart the One he was too overawed to have within his house. In any case, there would have been no great happiness at the entry of the Lord Jesus within his wall if he was not present in his heart.
But what emboldened the centurion to act as he did?
I am under authority myself, he said, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man, Go and he goes; to another, Come here, and he comes; to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
Now the man who said this was a Gentile as well as a centurion. He was a professional soldier and, as a centurion, acted according to his rank: subject to authority and exercise in authority, obeying as a subordinate and giving orders to those subordinate to him.
As for the Lord, though living among the Jewish people, He was already beginning to make it known that His Church would extend throughout the whole world into which He was about to send His apostles. Although the Gentiles would not see him they would believe in him, whereas the Jewish leaders who saw him would put him to death.
Courtesy of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church