As a military officer, a centurion knew that words can command. Admittedly unworthy to have Jesus under his roof, the centurion sent messengers to ask the Lord to just say the word that would heal a gravely ill slave. No one even had to ask for the Lord’s help when He came upon a widow whose son had just died. Jesus cured the slave and raised the widow’s son. When Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee, came to Jesus under the cover of night to learn from Him, the Lord said that God sent His Son to save the world. By comparing God’s Word to seed scattered on various types of ground, Jesus taught a crowd that anxieties and temptations can prevent faith from flourishing. How much care do we give to cultivating our faith and weeding out whatever impedes its growth?