He said to him, “Am I to come and heal him?”
Matthew 8:7 (CSB)
An army officer, called a centurion, had just told Jesus that his servant was paralyzed and in terrible pain. The officer was not Jewish, and in that time many devout Jews would not enter the home of someone who was not Jewish, because they believed it would make them unclean (Acts 10:28).
Jesus answered, “Am I to come and heal him?” Some Bibles print these words as a promise, “I will come and heal him,” and others as a question. Either way, Jesus was willing to go into the home of a Gentile, even though the officer had not said what he wanted Him to do.
That willingness is grace, which is God’s kindness to people who have not earned it. We often wait to be asked before we help someone. Jesus shows us a better way, so when we know someone is struggling, like a neighbor who is overwhelmed or someone who is grieving, we ought to offer help without waiting for them to ask.
God’s grace is for people who were far away from Him. The Bible says, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus died for our sins and rose again, and everyone who trusts Him is welcomed into God’s family.