Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The healing of the centurion’s servant

7 When Jesus had finished saying all these words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.

² There was a centurion who had a slave who was particularly precious to him. This slave was ill, at the point of death. ³ The centurion heard about Jesus, and sent some Jewish elders to him, to ask him to come and rescue his slave. ⁴ They approached Jesus and begged him eagerly.

“He deserves a favor like this from you,” they said. ⁵ “He loves our people, and he himself built us our synagogue.”

⁶ Jesus went with them.

When he was not far off from the house, the centurion sent friends to him with a further message.

“Master,” he said, “don’t trouble yourself. I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That’s why I didn’t think myself worthy to come to you in person. But—just say the word, and my slave will be healed. ⁸ You see, I’m used to living under authority, and I have soldiers reporting to me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another one, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this he was astonished.

“Let me tell you,” he said, turning to the crowd that was following him, “I haven’t found faith of this kind, even in Israel.”

¹⁰ The people who had been sent to him went back to the house. There they found the slave in good health.