Both readings deal with faith, deep trust in God's care for us. In the First Reading Sarah, the wife of Abraham, laughs at the idea that at her age she could become a mother. It is in contrast to the faith of Abraham himself which is legendary in the Scripture. In the Gospel, too, we meet a centurion, a Gentile in the Roman army, who is so confident that Jesus can heal his son that he tells Jesus it is not necessary to go to his house. Jesus is amazed at his faith, especially when so many of his own people refused to believe in him. Throughout the Gospel, faith, deep trust in Jesus' care and love, is a pre-condition for healing and forgiveness. The rest of the reading tells of more healings where Jesus heals "all who were sick", including Peter's mother-in-law. It is worth noting that, once she was healed, she immediately began to serve those present. The Christian life is essentially a life of service to one's brothers and sisters.