St Paul, repeating a long established account of the institution of the Eucharist, draws to our attention the fact that the Lord's Supper is essentially the action of blessing, creating, sharing and eating in His name and in His memory. A group of people who ignore each other's needs, who are separated into factions, or do not show respect for each other is not celebrating the Lord's Supper in its fullness, and Paul tells us that these defective celebrations "do you more harm than good". They do not bring about "perfect health".

Throughout Luke's account of the cure of the centurion's servant the effect of hearing certain words is a recurring theme. The centurion sent the Jewish elders to Jesus because he had heard about Jesus; Jesus, on hearing the earnest pleading of the elders on the centurion's behalf, knows the effect of the words of one with authority - "Do this, and he doest it". In faith he knows that the word of Jesus is enough to cure the sick servant. At the end of the Gospel the servant is found, on the return of the messengers, to be "in perfect health". Our response to the word of God is the measure of our faith and will bring us "perfect health", wholeness and holiness.