By Evangelist Sophia Jeffrie
Lessons from the Centurion: Speak the Word Only Matthew 8:5-13 KJV
Matthew 8:5-13 King James Version
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. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Here in the Apostle Matthew is giving us a clear picture of the works of Jesus in full manifestation in these verses of scripture but not just here alone. He shows the works of Jesus in this entire eighth chapter. So, I would like to encourage you to go back and read this chapter when you have some time. Matthew here is bringing to the forefront the great and mighty authority and power of Jesus’ Word and His Works. You see our words have power and weight behind them, they are like containers when we release them into the atmosphere. As Christians, we must be mindful of the value and the contents of our words because our life and welfare depend on them. Proverbs 18:21 says “21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Which says to me that our words make us or break us! Many of us are believing God for something. We have prayed and we are believing God to move but my question is What Are YOU Speaking? So, as we examine this text tonight, several important lessons stood out to me about the power of words, and I would like to share them with you!
1. The first lesson I saw was that words spoken in humility will cause people and Jesus to break barriers in our lives. Verses 5 and 6 says, “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.”
· The Centurion humbled himself to come to Jesus to ask for help shows the love for his servant and the seriousness of the situation.
· Centurions were Romans and they did not believe in Christ. They had their gods who they worshiped. Polytheism was their religion.
· Jews hated the Centurions but Jesus reach across those barriers to meet his need. Acts 10:34-35 says, “34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
When is the last times you crossed a barrier to help someone that doesn’t look like you or was in a different social class as you? _________________________________________
2. The next lesson I saw was Jesus’ response to him was in compassion. To me, this shows the very heart of our Savior. Verse 7 says “7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.”
· Prayer changes things… When we pray prayers of intercession for others in of faith it pulls on the mercy and compassion of God.
· James 5:16 NKJV “16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
When was the last time you put your needs aside and cry out to God on behalf of someone else in need but not a family member?____________________________
3. The next lesson I saw is the Value of Our Words. Verses 8 says “. 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.
The Centurion had enough faith and belief in the power of his authority that it was easy to get into position enough to line up with Jesus’ authority.
· The Centurion knew the power of humility through submission… So, he submitted to Jesus…. Jesus is Submitted to God
· Verse 9 says, 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.
· Jesus' Words have the power of God behind them, and we can move the hand of God in our situation when we use them.
· Hebrews 1:3 says, 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
· When we speak the Word of God in faith, we can get God's results.
· 2 Corinthians 4:13 KJV
· 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according to as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
· But sadly, Jesus knows where we stand as a church with our faith and our words. Verse 10 says, 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.” No, not in the Body of Christ!
Can Jesus say that about your faith in Him? _____________________________________
4. The last lesson I saw was great Faith brings about answered prayer! Just believe and receive. Verse 13 says, 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
So, when we Speak the Word Only, God can honor His Word because He can bring to pass everything thing that He has promised us in His Word if only we believe. Psalms 107:20 says that “20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. So, distance is not a problem or a barrier. John 1:1 says, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God… Verse 14 also says, 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. You see Jesus is the living Word of God and He was sent to heal us!
On one Friday, God put the Living Word on an old, rugged cross called Calvary for you and me! So, learn to Speak the Word Only in every situation and watch God work on your behalf!
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About the Author
Evangelist Sophia Jeffrie is an ordained Reverend and called Evangelist into the Gospel Ministry where she serves the Lord with her whole heart! Evangelist Jeffrie is a retired Chief Petty Officer from the United States Navy, where she led, guided, trained, and ministered to thousands of Sailors throughout her career. God placed in her an assignment where He has positioned and trusted her with guiding His most troubled and vulnerable youth. It was there the Lord revealed His true purpose for her life and birthed in her the vision and purpose for what is now “Wisdom Truths”, a life-changing personal growth and development workshop designed to enhance the overall social and spiritual growth of At-Risk Youth. Evangelist Jeffrie has allowed God to use her as He heals and transforms lives by ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ on a larger scale! Her message of love and purpose is relatable to those from all walks of life and will certainly serve as a blessing to you as well. Evangelist Jeffrie received a Master of Arts Degree in Ministry from Luther Rice College & Seminary in 2018. She has two sons, a stepson and two stepdaughters, and has nine grandchildren