5 When Jesus came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. 11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, 12 but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness.There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Jesus said to the centurion,“Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed. His servant was healed in that hour.

Matthew 8:5-11 - World English Bible

The healing of the centurion's servant is a touching story of faith, the strong trust a Gentile soldier had in the Master. Underneath this healing were the strains of brute power and social prejudice. The centurion represented the tangible symbol of imperial oppression (indeed, Roman soldiers were underpaid and, so, were expected to extort money from those they ruled in order to supplement their income). No wonder the Jews resented such domination by a foreign power in the Promised Land. So, the people who witnessed the centurion's request might have been surprise, even offended.

Yet, Jesus used the request and the soldier's military analogy about the chain of command to make a point about faith. God doesn't play favorites; the Chosen People were no better than the Gentiles. In fact, those of great faith (like the centurion) would enjoy the Kingdom, while those who expected their place before God as a birthright would be sorely disappointed. Trust in the power of the Lord, not mere reliance on his promises gains one entrance into the Kingdom.

Do you approach God with humility or expectation?