Large crowds followed Jesus when He came down from the mountain. 2 And as Jesus was going along, a leper approached Him and knelt down before Him. Leper: Lord, if You wish to, please heal me and make me clean! Jesus (stretching out His hand): 3 Of course I wish to. Be clean. Immediately the man was healed. Jesus: 4 Don’t tell anyone what just happened. Rather, go to the priest, show yourself to him, and give a wave offering as Moses commanded. Your actions will tell the story of what happened here today. 5 Eventually Jesus came to the little town of Capernaum. In Capernaum a military officer came to Him and asked Him for help. Officer: 6 Lord, I have a servant who is lying at home in agony, paralyzed. Jesus: 7 I will come to your house, and I will heal him. Officer: 8 Lord, I don’t deserve to have You in my house. And, in truth, I know You don’t need to be with my servant to heal him. Just say the word, and he will be healed. 9 That, after all, is how authority works. My troops obey me whether I am next to them or not—similarly, this sickness will obey You. 10 Jesus was stunned by the depth of the officer’s faith. Jesus (to His followers): This is the plain truth: I have not met a single person in Israel with as much faith as this officer. 11 It will not be just the children of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob who celebrate at their heavenly banquet at the end of time. No, people will come from the East and the West—and those who recognize Me, regardless of their lineage, will sit with Me at that feast. 12 But those who have feigned their faith will be cast out into outer darkness where people weep and grind their teeth. 13 Then Jesus turned to the Centurion.[a] Jesus: You may go home. For it is as you say it is; it is as you believe. And the officer’s servant was healed, right then. |
Daily Prayer > New Testament >
