Mt 8:5-17
5When [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, 6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” 7He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. 9For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, 12but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” 13And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.
14Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.
16When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, 17to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: “He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
CENTURION: The centurion (Greek kenturion; Latin centurio) was the commanding officer of a “century,” nominally a hundred foot soldiers, in the Roman army. Although the centurions were subordinate to the legionary tribunes, the tribunes often deferred to them since the centurions were the working officers and the backbone of the army, hence also the most experienced and best-informed.
The importance of the centurion in the Roman army is reflected in the Gospel. Wealth and respect which accrue to the office are reflected in his slaves and the soldiers who do his bidding.
The centurion shows faith in Jesus and knows what Jesus’ word can do. As an official, he is certain that his order will be followed by his soldiers. Jesus’ word is even more powerful than his. Thus Jesus need not be bothered by entering his house and risking being made impure (he is a pagan and he knows Jews do not enter the house of pagans). All Jesus has to do is say the word, and the servant lying at home paralyzed will be saved.