The smell of death was in the room. In fact, the smell permeated the entire house, when he thought about it. He sat there helplessly watching the young man in the bed inch closer to his final breath. Helpless was not a feeling he was used to. He was a Roman centurion after all. He commanded one hundred men who would do his bidding in an instant without question. But none of his men could heal the young man who was as dear as a son to him.
As a Roman centurion he had wealth at his disposal. But none of the money he had spent on doctors had helped the dying young man. What good was power and wealth, he thought, in the face of the impossible?
One of his servants rushed into the room and broke the train of his thoughts. The servant told him in hushed tones that Jesus had just entered the city. Hope rose in the Roman centurion’s heart. He had heard much about Jesus and His healing power. Such power could only come from a divine source. He was convinced that if anyone could heal the sick young man, it was Jesus.
The Roman centurion dressed in his finest as was fitting an interview with the man sent from God Himself. He left his most trusted servants to watch the sick young man in his absence and headed out into the city streets to find Jesus.
Jesus wasn’t hard to find. All you had to do was look for the crowd of people and there Jesus would be in the middle. The Roman centurion approached the crowd, and as he did so, the crowd automatically parted as it always did when a Roman officer came near.
In the hush that followed, the “centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.’” (Matthew 8:5-6)
All eyes turned to Jesus to see what He would do. “And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’” (Matthew 8:7)
Jesus started to head in the direction from which the centurion came, but the centurion stopped him. “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’” (Matthew 8:8-9)
Jesus looked deep into the Roman centurion’s eyes and held his gaze for a moment. “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’ . . . Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” (Matthew 8:10, 13)
The power of Jesus’ word healed a dying young man on the other side of the city without Jesus getting near the young man and touching him. It was the faith of the Roman centurion that opened the way for the power of the word.
Jesus said in Mark 9:23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
That truth still holds today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) His word still holds power today to reach each one of us who are in need of healing, freedom from sin, and restoration.
"Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: 'I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.'" (Isaiah 42:5-7)
This is why Binding Broken Hearts is passionate about getting God’s Word into prisons and into the hands of inmates who so desperately need the power of God to break the strong bonds that have captured their souls. Because these are men and women who need Jesus most.
Perhaps you want to help spread the power of His Word to an inmate who desperately needs its power. If so, please consider becoming a financial partner with us. Click here to see how you can help.