The Centurion’s Faith

In Matthew 8:5-8, “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’ 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.'”

A centurion was a rank in the Roman army at the time, in charge of a hundred soldiers. He was responsible for training during peacetime and commanding during battle. An ordinary centurion was equivalent to a modern lieutenant, leading a century of a hundred men, while a chief centurion was more like a colonel. To become a centurion, one had to be at least 30 years old, literate, and have letters of recommendation from several important people. Therefore, centurions typically had good social standing, extensive experience, and a high level of education.

The most notable signs of a centurion were the horsehair or feather crest on their helmet and a horizontal set of decorations on their chest plate, unlike the vertical ones of ordinary soldiers. A centurion would typically carry a short vine staff as a symbol of his authority, which he would use to strike soldiers during training. Through strict training and severe punishment, they ensured the discipline and fighting effectiveness of the Roman army. In battle, they led from the front, so their understanding of authority was very profound. Because centurions led from the front and wore distinctive attire, their casualty rate in battle was much higher than that of ordinary soldiers.

The humility and faith of the centurion who sought out Jesus are very remarkable. He understood that military authority could be exercised with just a word, so he asked Jesus based on his own experience with authority. He believed that the authority of the King of the heavenly kingdom was all the more present in Jesus’ words. The centurion’s faith was based on his understanding of authority; if we truly understand the authority of the kingdom of heaven, we will have even greater faith.

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.