Master Before the MASTER!

Monday, December 1, 2025

Is 4:2-6; Mt 8:5-11

Today’s Gospel highlights the centurion’s faith, which acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus.

Many people approach Jesus for many favors. But this centurion’s approach is amazing to Jesus. What then is the difference that the centurion is showing?

Others approached Jesus as someone who performed miracles. They begged Jesus to help them. They humbled themselves in front of him. But what this centurion does integrates all the above, though it transcends them all. 

The centurion asks Jesus for a favor. He humbles himself in Jesus’ presence. Yet, the way he understands Jesus’ identity and authority is unique and different from the rest. In the process, he has not lost his self-esteem. Instead, he relies on his identity to better understand Jesus’ authority. 

The centurion, who was accustomed to giving orders that were obeyed instantly, realizes that Jesus can do the same to heal the sickness from a distance. The Roman centurion’s authority was over a hundred soldiers. Now he recognizes Jesus’ spiritual jurisdiction over sin, death, sickness, and evil. The centurion knew that his word carried so much weight that it was obeyed without any question. Now he attributes a similar authority to Jesus’ word, only to confess with all faith that ‘Lord, only say the word that my servant will be healed.’ The centurion believes that Jesus’ word carries the same authority as his presence. 

Thus, the centurion is great not because he asked for a favor from Jesus, or because he humbled himself in Jesus’ presence. But he is great because he recognized Jesus’ authority beyond all comparison. 

For others, Jesus was a miracle worker, but for the centurion, Jesus was the one who reigned. For others, Jesus was just kind, but for him, Jesus was a king. Others saw what Jesus could do, but the centurion recognized who Jesus really was.

Faith is not just asking God for things. Instead, it is recognizing who God really is.

Let us pray that we may nurture in us the faith that recognizes the sovereignty of our Lord.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar