A centurion was a military officer in the Roman army responsible for the command of a century or a hundred men (Latin centuria, a hundred). In Jesus’ time, the region of Galilee was not directly ruled by Rome but through a vassal Jewish “king”—Herod Antipas—actually a tetrarch or “ruler of a fourth part” of what used to be the kingdom of Herod the Great.

The officer was probably in the service of Antipas to maintain order in his territory and to see to it that people paid their taxes. For this and for being an “unclean” Gentile, he would be hated by the Galileans. But the man proves to be a remarkable character: he cares for his paralyzed servant and respects the “dividing wall” that separates Jews and Gentiles, and so he feels unworthy to receive Jesus into his house.

Being a man of authority himself, he knows the power of Jesus’ word of command, seeing him as man of God, a prophet in Israel. His humility and faith move Jesus who praises him and grants his request. Even as he comes as the Messiah of Israel, Jesus now shares God’s blessing with the Gentiles. Pagans will not be content with the “scraps” that fall from the table of the children, as the Canaanite woman hoped to receive (Mt 15:27). Their faith in Jesus, the Messiah, will make them recline with the Israelite patriarchs in the Kingdom of heaven).

On that day, the branch of the Lord will be luster and glory, and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel. He who remains in Zion and he who is left in Jerusalem will be called holy: every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.

When the Lord washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst with a blast of searing judgment, ten will the Lord create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, a smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night. For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain.

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

The 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. For 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.” When 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. I 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.”