Jesus Cures the Centurion’s Servant
Matthew 8:5–13
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
President Spencer W. Kimball said:
“The need for faith is often underestimated. The ill person and the family often seem to depend wholly on the power of the priesthood and the gift of healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas the greater responsibility is with him who is blessed. There are persons who seem to have the gift to heal, as indicated in Doctrine and Covenants, section 47, and it is understandable why a sick one might desire a blessing at the hands of a person who seems to have great faith and proven power, and in whom the recipient has confidence, but the major element is the faith of the individual when that person is conscious and accountable. ‘Thy faith hath made thee whole’ was repeated so often by the Master that it almost became a chorus. Though He was the Redeemer and ‘all power is given [Him] in heaven and in earth,’ yet His oftrepeated statement was, ‘Thy faith hath made thee whole.’ ‘As with your faith, so shall it be unto you.’
“The centurion approached the Lord in Capernaum and appealed for restoration to health of his grievously tormented servant at home. He said, ‘I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.’ He likened the spiritual power of Christ to his own military power.
“Christ, astonished, said: ‘I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. . . . Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour’ (Matthew 8:8, 10, 13).”
(President Kimball Speaks Out [1981], 75–76.)
