A Soldier's Faith
Healing of the Centurion's Servant Text Version
by Karin Adams and Barbara Wilmerton Haas
The house was filled with balloons...
...and streamers...
...and friends...
...and presents...
......lots and LOTS of presents!!!
Joey met his best friend Tyler at the door. "Did you get it?" he whispered excitedly.
"Not yet," Tyler responded, "but I WILL!" Joey quickly spied out the table where all of Tyler's birthday gifts were being placed until time to open them.
Joey spotted one particularly large box, sitting directly in the middle of the table, wrapped in shiny blue paper with a huge white ribbon taped to the top. Joey grew excited at the possibility. "Tyler," he said. "Do you think it could be in THAT one?"
Tyler, who was also eyeing the same package, agreed. "It could be," he replied.
It was a wonderful birthday party. They played all sorts of games, ate lots of pizza, and ice cream, and cake. FINALLY, it was time to open the gifts.
Joey kept a close eye on Tyler as he peeled the paper off each package. Tyler received lots of neat things, like the brand new baseball and glove, the remote control car, and the super sonic water soaker.
The last box to open was the one with the shiny blue paper. "Could this be it?" Tyler carefully removed the paper, lifted the lid, and...and...and...pulled out a...
...basketball.
A basketball? Joey's heart SANK. He knew this was not what his friend had been waiting for. Amazingly, Tyler still smiled and seemed to be enjoying himself.
After the last of the guests had left, Tyler and Joey took all of Tyler's presents upstairs to his room. Joey felt bad for his friend and said, "I'm sorry you didn't get it."
Tyler looked right at Joey and said, "Don't worry, Joey. It's coming."
Suddenly, they heard the front door open and close. Tyler looked up with excitement and confidence in his eyes. "It's HERE!" he exclaimed and ran down the stairs, skipping them two at a time. Joey was not far behind.
Sure enough, when Tyler reached the bottom of the stairs, there stood his father holding a brand new puppy.
Joey was shocked. "How did you KNOW it was coming?" Joey asked.
Tyler turned around and, looking Joey square in the eye, said, "Because my father gave me his word that I would get a puppy on my birthday, and my father ALWAYS keeps his word." With that, Joey and Tyler burst into laughter and raced outside to play with Tyler's new puppy.
A very long time ago, after Jesus finished preaching to a large crowd of people, He came down from the mountain and headed back toward the town of Capernaum.
As the crowd thronged the streets of Capernaum, a very dear servant lay on his bed, under his master's roof, paralyzed and so sick, he was ready to die. His master, a wealthy centurion (commanding officer in the Roman army), sat beside his bed, feeling totally helpless, not knowing what to do.
Quickly the news spread through the streets with much excitement. People were shouting everywhere - to the ones leaning out their windows above, and over their shoulders to people standing behind them, and far back to those standing at the edge of the crowd who could not see over taller people's heads:
"JESUS IS HERE!"
"The One Who has healed so many sick people..."
" ...and even raised people from the dead."
" COME AND SEE!"
Word of Jesus' arrival soon reached the ears of the Roman centurion. Not wanting to leave his dying servant's side because he loved him so dearly, and realizing that Jesus was the only one who could help him, this loyal commanding officer sent for leaders of the synagogue, which he himself had built.
As soon as the leaders came to his home, the centurion said, "Go quickly and find Jesus. BEG Him to come and heal my servant." Knowing how very much the centurion loved their nation and how much he had given so they could have their very own synagogue, they quickly obeyed and started out to find Jesus.
It wasn't easy, for the men had to push their way through the crowded streets. However, the synagogue leaders soon found Jesus. They wasted no time at all getting right up to where Jesus could hear them and immediately started to earnestly plead with Him to come with them and heal the centurion's dying servant. "If anyone deserves your help, it is this man," they urged. "He loves the Jews and even paid personally to build us a synagogue."
After listening intently to the men, Jesus said, "I will come and heal his servant." He then followed the synagogue leaders through the crowded streets, as they led the way to the respected centurion's home.
Not far from the home, friends of the centurion arrived with a message for Jesus. "Sir, do not trouble yourself to come to my home, for I am unworthy for you to enter under my roof or even to come and meet you. Just speak a word, and I know my dear servant will be healed," the centurion's message read. "I know how it is, for I receive orders from my superior officers and I give orders to those under my authority. All I have to say is, 'Go!' and they go, or 'Come!' and they come, and to my servant, 'Do this or that' and he does it. So if you just say, 'Be healed,' my servant will be made well."
When Jesus heard the centurion's words, he was totally amazed. Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion. He turned around and said to the crowd that was following Him, "Never among all the Jews in Israel have I met a man with faith like this." Then the centurion came himself and Jesus turned to him and said, "Go your way. Just as you have believed, it will be done."
When the centurion and his friends returned to the house, they found the servant had been completely healed in the same hour that Jesus promised healing.
When Jesus gives His word, you can be sure He will keep His promise!
THINK!
Do you think the centurion was afraid to ask for Jesus' help?
Do you think Jesus understood why the centurion did not feel worthy for him to come into his house?
Why did Jesus marvel at the centurion's faith?
REMEMBER:
When Jesus gives His word, you can be sure He will keep His promise!
A VERSE TO LEARN
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4).
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear God, thank You for the good things You do for
us each and every day. May we always put our trust
in You and in Your ability to do what You say You will do.
Let us remember that nothing takes You by surprise
because You know all things and are in all places.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
JUST FOR FUN
Something to color
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Colour and Learn)
The Miracles of Jesus Stained Glass Coloring Book (Stained Glass Coloring Book)
Children's Coloring Books
Smart Coloring Books
Bible Verse Scramble
Jesus Miracles & Messages (5-Minute Sunday School Activities)
Miracle Puzzlers : 28 Word Puzzles Based On Jesus Miracles
Miracles of Jesus Puzzle Bible
Puzzles
Sticker Books
Children's Activity Books
Jesus, Miracle Worker (Bible Alive)
Miracles of Jesus (Amazing 3D Bible Stories)
Parables and Miracles of Jesus
The Miracles of Jesus
The Miracles of Jesus (Baby Blessings)
Children's Bible Stories
Children's Books
Bible Crafts & More For Ages 6-8
Bible Crafts On A Shoestring Budget-Grades 1 & 2
Big Book of Bible Crafts
Children's Crafts
100 Singalong Songs For Kids (Cedarmont)
25 Favorite Sunday School Songs (Veggie Tales)
Children's Music
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Animated Classics)
Miracles of Jesus (Greatest Heroes & Legends)
Miracles of Jesus (Read-A-Long Sing-A-Long)
The Miracle Maker: The Story of Jesus (Lions Gate DVDs)
The Miracles of Jesus (Greatest Adventures)
Children's DVDs
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Centurion (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Healing of the Centurion's Servant (Alfred Edersheim)
Seeming Contradition in Gospel Accounts (#76)
Children's Church
Bible Memory Games (Creative Bible Activities for Children)
Bulletin Board helps
Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul
Church Nanny Sos: Teaching Discipline Essentials for Preschool Ministry Volunteers
801 Questions Kids Ask About God (Focus on the Family)
52 Games That Teach The Bible
Hermie Scripture Memory
How to Lead a Child to Christ
How to Lead Your Child to Christ (Focus on the Family)
Lord Teach Me To Pray For Kids (Kay Arthur)
Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours
Object Talks
Puppet Scripts
Reproducibles
Sunday School Attendance Boosters: 165 Fresh Ideas
Talking to God (Instant Bible Lessons)
Teachers' Reproducible Classroom Pages
Teaching Children Memory Verses Ages 4-5
Teaching Children To Pray Ages 4-5
What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know
(by Elmer Towns)
More Sunday School Helps
BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE
www.childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html
Copyright © 2009 by Barbara Wilmerton Haas.
You may NOT re-post this Bible story.
However, you may freely link to it,
provided visitors can see our web address
when they click on the link.
Free Bible Stories!
To receive a new Bible story each week, enter your e-mail address under "Subscribe... " at
You will be sent a message requesting confirmation of your subscription request.
IMPORTANT! YOU MUST REPLY to this confirmation request to activate your subscription to this list.
Copyright © 2009 - The Lorain County Free-Net Chapel
North Central Ohio, U.S.A.
Webmaster
Last updated October 26, 2009.
Welcome!/
What's Here/
Bible Stories/
E-Mail Us/
Around the Piano/
4 Things
Events/
Children's Chapel/
Adult Chapel/
Missing Link/
Links/
Resources
