My Soul Is Not Worthy To Enter Under Your Roof

In the gospel of matthew jesus is approached by a centurion who pleads with him to cure his servant.

My soul is not worthy to enter under your roof.

Lord i am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. As you have believed let it be done for you. Christian standard bible lord the centurion replied i am not worthy to have you come under my roof. So feed us with the body and blood of jesus christ your son that we may forever live in him and he in us.

Upon hearing that the lord would come to help him the centurion said in reply lord i am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Reading the entire passage verses 5 13 the verse comes from is instructive. There is a significant change compared to the current text from not worthy to receive you into not worthy that you should enter under my roof. The new prayer however is more detailed more metaphorical and to my mind more poetic.

Only say the word and my servant will be healed the way it is now limits what it is was originally all about. Lord i am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed this response calls to mind the words that were spoken by the roman centurion to jesus when he begged the lord to heal his sick servant in matthew 8. The centurion answered and said lord i am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof. But only say the word and my servant shall be healed.

8 is about a physical healing not that of the soul. And the centurion making answer said. We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table but it is your nature always to have mercy. As he entered capernaum a centurion came forward to him beseeching him and saying lord my servant is lying paralyzed at home in terrible distress.

But speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. When jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those following him amen i say to you in no one in israel have i found such faith you may go. But just say the word and my servant will be healed. The version of the prayer used in the eucharistic liturgy of the free methodist church is as follows.

Only say the word and my servant will be healed. Lord i am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be. Lord i am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. It s actually closer to the scripture it is quoting.

I too prefer it. The centurion said in reply lord i am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Not only the text is now closer to the gospel reference it has greater emphasis.