After the Lord had entered into Capernaum, “A centurion approached Him, beseeching Him and saying, Lord, My servant boy is lying in the house paralyzed, terribly tormented” (vv. 5-6). A centurion was an officer over one hundred soldiers in the Roman army. The leper in verses 2 through 4 represents the Jews, whereas the centurion in verses 5 through 13 represents the Gentiles. Before God, the Jews became leprous, unclean, because of their rebellion and disobedience; whereas the Gentiles became paralyzed, dead in function, because of their sinfulness. The kingly Savior came firstly to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Acts 3:26; 13:46; Rom. 1:16; 11:11). The believing Jews are saved by His direct touch (v. 3), whereas the believing Gentiles are saved through faith in His word (vv. 8, 10, 13).
When the Lord told the centurion that He would come and heal his servant, “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit that You should enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant boy shall be healed.” The Gentile centurion recognized the authority of the kingly Savior and realized healing authority was in His word. Thus he believed not only in the kingly Savior, but also in His word, asking Him not to go personally but only to send His word. This is stronger faith, and it was marveled at by the Savior (v. 10).
Verse 10 reveals that the Lord Jesus marveled at the centurion’s faith and said, “Truly I say to you, With no one in Israel have I found so much faith.” Therefore, in verses 11 and 12 the Lord said that many would come from the east and west to recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens, but that the sons of the kingdom would be cast into outer darkness. This indicates that the Gentiles will participate in the gospel of the kingdom (Eph. 3:6, 8; Gal. 2:8-9; Rom. 1:13-16). The reference to the kingdom of the heavens in verse 11 refers to the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. It will be in the manifestation of the kingdom that the overcoming Gentile believers will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The sons of the kingdom in verse 12 refer to the saved Jews who are the good seed (13:38), but who do not have strong faith enabling them to enter the narrow gate and walk the constricted way (7:13-14). They will miss the feast in the manifestation of the kingdom (Luke 13:24-30). The outer darkness will be the darkness outside the bright glory in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens (25:30; 16:28). To be cast out into the outer darkness in the coming kingdom age differs from being cast into the lake of fire after the millennium and for eternity (Rev. 20:15).
Verse 13 says, “And Jesus said to the centurion, Go; as you have believed let it be done to you. And the servant boy was healed in that hour.” The Jewish leper was healed by the King’s direct touch. The King stretched out His hand and touched him, and the leper was healed. But the centurion’s servant was not healed by the King’s direct touch. Rather, he was healed by the King’s word. The Gentile centurion believed in this word, and his servant was healed. The Jews are always saved through the King’s direct touch, but we Gentiles are saved, not by His direct touch, but by the sending out of His saving word. We believe in this word and we are healed. None of us Gentiles has had a direct touch from the Lord. We have been saved through believing the enlivening, regenerating word of the gospel. Hence, the centurion’s servant represents all the Gentile believers. The Lord did not commend the faith of the leper, because faith was not the outstanding characteristic there. The significant thing was the King’s touch. But with the healing of the centurion’s servant, faith is very outstanding. Hence, the Lord praised the centurion’s faith. Consequently, the servant boy was healed.
The boy had been paralyzed. To be paralyzed means that the body is out of function. Before we Gentiles were saved, we were totally out of function. The Jews were leprous, but we were paralyzed, out of function, because of our sinfulness. We need the heavenly King’s healing salvation. He has sent us a word, and we have believed it. Therefore, we have been healed, our function has been recovered, and now we may begin to serve our Master. We are just like the servant boy who was healed and was able to serve again.