With a word the world was created. God just had to say the word and there was light. Jesus cast out spirits and heals with a word.

He healed without even saying a word. He doesn’t even speak out loud something like, “You are healed,” or, “Sickness go.”

He touches Peter’s mother-in-law and she is healed. He doesn’t have to say a word.

Jesus says nothing of the servant’s healing except a blessing that things would be as the centurion believed.

That is interesting to me because the centurion had faith that if Jesus said the word, the sickness would obey. The centurion believed that if Jesus commanded the healing, it would happen. The centurion gave a speech about being under authority. He understood that Jesus had authority over sickness and disease. But Jesus never speaks the word in the case with the centurion’s servant. He puts the healing on the centurion’s faith.

In the centurion’s story there is also a command to go. He had to have the faith to walk away.

The final story in this section is the cleansing of the leper. I think this story is probably the most relatable to people in the church today, at least the American church.

We have an idea of a God who is able to heal. We have an idea of the power of God. We just don’t really expect it.

We think that if it was God’s will, then He could heal. We don’t expect healing and are praying after going to doctors and while going through treatment. There wasn’t really any expectation that God was going to heal, just some vague hope of His healing help.

But Jesus’ response is that He is willing. God’s will is our salvation. God delights to show mercy.

Jesus touches the man with no fear of becoming unclean Himself, in full confidence that the man will be cleansed of his disease.

Then Jesus heals the man with a word. “Be clean.”