Approached Jesus
There's something deeply moving about watching a powerful person realize they're powerless. The Roman centurion in Matthew 8 found himself in exactly this predicament - his beloved servant lay dying, and for perhaps the first time in his military career, his commands were powerless. Enter Jesus, this mysterious rabbi everyone's talking about, and suddenly our tough-as-nails centurion does something that would shock his soldiers: he begs. But here's the beautiful twist - in his moment of greatest vulnerability, he displays the kind of faith that literally stops Jesus in His tracks. This isn't just any soldier having a spiritual moment; this is a masterclass in how authentic faith works, taught by the most unlikely professor imaginable.
The centurion's approach to Jesus reveals something profound about true spiritual authority that we often miss in our Instagram-filtered, self-help Christianity. He doesn't swagger up to Jesus with a list of his accomplishments or try to negotiate a divine transaction. Instead, he does something revolutionary: he recognizes that Jesus operates by a completely different kind of power. "Just say the word," he tells Jesus, understanding intuitively what many of us struggle to grasp - that God's authority doesn't need our permission, our presence, or our perfect understanding to work miracles. The centurion gets it: faith isn't about having all the right answers or performing all the right rituals; it's about trusting that when God speaks, reality itself rearranges to match His will. How refreshing is that? No complicated formulas, no spiritual gymnastics - just raw, honest trust in Someone bigger than our biggest problems.
Jesus' reaction is priceless and tells us everything we need to know about God's heart for the world. He doesn't just heal the servant; He practically throws a party over this Roman's faith, declaring He hasn't found anything like it in all of Israel. Imagine the looks on the disciples' faces! Here's a Gentile, an occupying soldier no less, and he's getting a divine standing ovation for his faith while the "home team" is still figuring out who Jesus really is. This moment becomes a beautiful preview of God's ultimate plan - a kingdom where your zip code, your background, or your past mistakes don't determine your access to grace. The centurion represents all of us outsiders who discover that God's love is bigger than our biggest disqualifications and more welcoming than our wildest hopes.
So, how do we live like the centurion in our daily walk with Jesus? First, we learn to approach God with what I call "confident humility" - knowing we're completely unworthy while being absolutely certain that Jesus loves to help anyway. The centurion didn't let his unworthiness keep him away; he let it drive him closer to the One who specializes in helping the unworthy. Second, we practice taking Jesus at His word, even when circumstances scream otherwise. That promise in Scripture? He means it. That nudge in your heart to forgive? Trust it. That call to step out in faith? He's got you covered. Finally, we remember that our faith might be the very thing that amazes Jesus today, not because we're perfect, but because we're brave enough to believe His love is real and His power is available. Who knows? Your simple trust in His goodness, your willingness to pray for that impossible situation, or your decision to love someone difficult might just be the kind of centurion-like faith that brings a smile to heaven and healing to earth.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
