“Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
Matthew 8:8 (CSB)
A centurion was an army officer, and this one was not Jewish. Jesus had just offered to come to his house and heal his servant. The Jewish leaders in town had already told Jesus that this man deserved help, because he loved their people and had built their synagogue, the building where Jewish people met to read Scripture and pray (Luke 7:4-5).
But the officer did not point to anything he had done. He said he was not worthy to have Jesus in his home, and he asked for only a word, because he believed a word from Jesus could heal his servant from a distance.
Many people think they have to clean up their lives before they can come to God. Others think their good deeds will earn His help. The Bible teaches that we come to God humbly, admitting we do not deserve anything, and we still ask Him boldly. We can do that because of grace, which means God’s kindness to people who have not earned it.
Jesus is the reason we can come. The Bible says that God “has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). Jesus died for our sins and rose again, and everyone who trusts Him is welcomed by God, not because they are good enough, but because Jesus is.